ten Virgins Opened and Applied~ · appetrs chiefly in breaking down all oppo!irions ag1infr its return; 1vhicb are four. 1. Somrime fnares of the world and other things befide. The Lord eaferh them, rhe Lord fends !io croifes, gives them rl:!eir hearrs defire, under which Vit~es rhey relt, yer ifrhe Lord rakes not all from them, he put~ fuch a cioxednefs in them char che foul cannot but remrn m rbe Lord agam, tt cannot h\'e orn fi1ch co;rfe bread, things chat fatisfie nor , it had becrer on~e, E cclef. z. 3, 4,11. z. Fears and difcouragemt;nts of fpirit ,' for when delivered from [nares,. then fears come, and difcouragemenrs, eicher. by re;~fon of , ourward lo!fes or rhe Lords anocr : So that che foul fears ic never had, never fhall have a.ny merey, rhn harh ~bus abufea ir; and it bath thought God himfelf to fay f0 , and his behaviour in not heuing and helping in fo loeg a titne, co wirnefs fo : Y ec invill rerurn, though che Lord never fave i~ ; ir w~ll not fin : 'jon11h yet lo?ks again ro rhe Temple, when he could not come to 1t, yer he would look co tr. The foul will rum~ irs eyes and rpourn; Oh char I have fo abufed che Lord and mercy! r.hatLol'eirfelffhould be angry and frown! Pfal.?i· ThePfalmill refufed to be comforted, v.z. Nay, v.j • Though he remembred God, and all his love pall, yet mubled, this brought grem~r trouble, yet "'·IO• I' le remember the JMrsofthe righthmdofthemqfl-High. Sauldidnot rhus. , . 3. Thougncs of impoflibilicy and unl!keliho~d to ger peace or pardon, or vit'tory over fin now. For fomnmerheSamcs chmk j the Lord loves me, and yet lets there evils lie here, butl can gee no help,nmy, efpc:cially if after many prayers. · I know help 2gainH all fins they cannot get, and hence are humbled, bur again!l rhemfitlS that help can be got, wherein the Lord harh done it for others, I and .wh~ch make the ~ord ellrange himfelf it mull be had ( for this temptation to laSamttsan Hypocntes overthrow) P[at.x8.-n,zz,z3. If earth canMrhelp, cannot He;~ven? What, not the Spirit, Word , Bloud~, Mercy, of a render-hemed Redeemer ? What though not now? yet I will not gi-. e him over. 4· When Gods Providence feems to crofs his Promife, yet they will cleave to him or return to him. For many rimes Saints have their e!lares in the-Bonds of Gods Promifes, and hence they 1vait. for accomplifhment of them; bur the Lord cmies it quire crofs to his P,romife ro their feeming. He promiferh to make alive, to comfort, to fanetifie, to be with me ; and he kills, fads, lets eut fin, never fuch aheart, and forfakes me. Oh now Faith Jhakes! yet they willnocaway, Heb.II.I~,I6. The Lord callsthemtoforfakerheir Counrrey; Abraham is a Hranger chere, and chat among Cut-throat C~tflaaniw, and dwells in Tabernlcles, and four hundred years after, his poHericy being affiieted fhould have it; yer he would not return, though they rrtighr, God had faid here, I' le hleffi thee, fo here. The murmuring Jfraelimfell fhort of this. · III. Whenever the foul cloth depart, yet the Spirit of God is ever in it and with ir, Pfal.7P· Tne Pfalmill .rlmaft foil. Why did he not? Thou art wer with me, rh7 hand v.:13. hath upheld me. So that as the Spirit keeps the foul eo Cbri!l, fo it ~eeps Chrill in the foul at all rimes. And aence Saints in the clofure of all their de,1lings with God, and he wirh rlae11, they have feen his love, working good in all ; that now the Soul can fay, lo the Lord wM here, and I l{_ntw it hot, lftt.25·9,Io. Thatthe foul admires !o'Urimes, and hence afrer a!lfees the Lord more clt:arly and fully and fwc:etly, till at lall it fees him inGlory. Thus you feet rhe Spirit tharfollows Saints is with t~m, which rhe world wanes. Oh admire at rheLord, if this Spirit be given, oha~ Heaven is co:ne down inro chy Hell _I Th.1t no miferies, rto fins can pm, but its ever putting thee in thy way agat~. Hencewhen r. They :~rere1dy eo quire tall off, and .give rhtmfelves forgone; ready eo be · Ee3 made_
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