;-:----:;---::~-:---=--'----;-~---;--~----:-'"-:---.--_:_::_:_:;·' . I ' ten Virgins Openedand Applied. . i 89 ixner man. And thereforepu~ this ftJrrh to aCt; and be lure you :~1 · only f~o~ rhis Spirit of Grace. How fhalll d• this ? . . . . f2.!'4J; 1 • Set the Lord Je_fus m all hts Glory befo:e you• . There_ ts char excellency of Anfw. the knvwledaeof ChnHs Perfon, rhaur makes us be and ltve hke him, and according eo tb~ propinquit_Y?four fouls and eyes r;o Ch,riH, fo we are like hi:n, As 'tis wich che Sun,. whentc 1s gone from the earth, the:e are no{ fo much as leaves on the Trees, )'CC when ir returns, the Trees bring forth fruir; Or as 'cis in Heaven; I John 3.2. fo in this life,when we fee him in a Gla!fe, I Cor.j.r8. That look as 'ris with an ambitious man, when he is in the prefence of men he will m~nife{t al_l his excellency, noching l11all be done to ~1in difcre_dir. So if the Lord and hts life be your excelleqcy, when you fee Chnft, you Will approve your felve> to hi111• See hi~ cher~fore ,b.eholding and accepting; and ~h~r Gr_ace you wnuld p_uc forc)l, tee It 111 hun : ns Hrange ro fee wbar- a ltream of fp1rir come> fomumes cb1s way. z. Keep the remembran~e of the exceeding gre.une!fe of hi~ f?ve _frefh in your minds, in rbat he bAth qu,ck!fed y•u, Eph:2.4,5· and that tb1s ltfewas by his de~rh.. All rhe Flowers of rhe field ca!t their favour bur for~ rime, aild then away with rhem; bur Chrifis love and ChriHs death do ufuafly alwaie1 breath a 'ravour of life to a !incere heart rhar ever knew wha~ the fling of death meanr,z Cor. ' 5.14,15. Chrifis love con!trains, beoaufe he dies rhac we fhould live. Bur lhow? Becaufe vve rhus Judged. <Sod barb made man· an Agenr by c:;ounfel. !Now (ome Chrifiians go to rhe Lor? ro help them, but fer nor prayer df Fairh a- 1 work, andhence>luvenowarerofhfe: Some do, but ufenorochermeansro kec the underHanding ( rhe mitt! ofFaith) on-work , to quicken it up to aCt,and lfo would ha\te life brought in, but nGr by rbe righc d0or : An empry Vo!fel will not be fuflofrhis l't.uerrill now, that the mouth of the under!hndingii open. Now many things are to be con!idered ro atl: every Grace, a> GGds Command and Promife, &c. But ehis is that which in the general quickens, oh Chriil:s love which confirains the Soul to live to him! According as a man rhus re:eives from ChriH, fo,he remms ro him.. As 'ris obfer.ved, one tign char whet~ a people vi!ir nor their Minifler, they rece!Veno good;fcrhare: Thar is iignof a decaying Cbritlian, for ufualfy tbey that geegood by Chrifi, ~ann or by their good will !lay away from ChriH. So then rhe foul wifl rerurn in all fruitful obedience to the Lord, when he receive> the fweer of the Love of the Lord. The Lord doth me good methinks, and hence he follows rbe Lord. Satan hence prev:~ifs with the he_arr, becaufe of his _external obje0s, and a parry wirhin ; fo here Chrifi prevalls, becaufe there 1s a parry wtthm, when external ObJeCts are propounded. Lee a man have life, if he have no food he will never live. If bread be before him, and he feed _n~t on ir? a_nd _rhat abundantly, he will never ~vefirength, {a this love of Chrtfi 111 us, 15 hfe 111 us, and food for us. 3. Fami!h the contrary principle, the firengrh whereof is by fucking in the fwee.r, .and re<eiving in carnal content from the creamre, Rom.x 3·14· Put on rha Lord JefuJ, hi$ Spirit, his Righreoufne!fe, his Life, his Graces, M11kj no prwifi•n for the Flefh. Many C!Jrifiians !ook up ro ChriH in all me.lns, bur can do nothing, becaufe they have fome dehghr either in lawful or ~tnlawful things, tba.r lies between him and ChriH. Hence that grows fir6ng , the other feeble. 4· Die roall felf-confidence in Gucereceived, or feff-conrentmenr with alW ' T meJfuFe.ofir ; for thereby you A:op the.Spirit : for we of our felves cannon think a goodrhoughr. ThereforebeHronginChriH, and henceEph.6.ro,ii,U. A man is apt: to fall to a doubleexrream, to be !lrong in the Lord wirhour purring on Grace> ; and to rrull: to them .without being f.lrong in him. Corn mufl: die beforeitlives,fo mufl: you: ;md reHnot conrenrwith thc:meafurereceived,butlook Bb3 ~
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