ten Virgins Opened and Applied.. hold on him to convince ; to affecr him, bur he rakes nor faH hold on chem, he keeps them nor as his life, with thankfulnefs foi: any little, and wich watchfulD<::fs. And hence a man is where he was, dry and barren. It•s true the Lord willnoraive that out of an Ordinance which hedoch in an Ordinance. But it's onethilf" to have it lo{! our of thy hands and the Lords hands too, another rhino on~ to lofe irout ofrhy hand. It's one thing for the Lord to withdraw ir, anorherthin5 for thee to fpend it away by the prevail'ing power of aluf!, vz',.. eirherrhe world 1virhour, or contempt of Grace within ; you efleem it not as your life, and hence feek nor to keep ir, you willlofe rbe Oyl in your Ve!fels. And I am confident this is one reafonwhy a man lives long under means, and never profits, the Lord fees if he fhould poure any thing inro rhe heart, it would be I of!. He rakes faH hold of world or felf, and keeps that, and hence all runs out again. . . 4· Look that you be at rheco!l:co get this Oyl in your Ve!fel. ThefeVirgins when the door was fhurand roo late would, but the rime was pafl. For we fh~ll find the reafon why mens works are Oeighr, their buildings, rheir garments, why, they will not be auhe coil; fo mens work of Grace is Oeighr, be- 1 caufe they will not be at rhe coft. They 'find a want of Grace, and prize it, and would fain have ir, but it lhall cof!: them little: they will not bear the coil of their rime. Somrime they can feek the Lord in an Ordinance, bur what if he comes not ? They depart from him. Sometimes in pangs, and firs when rbe Spirit comes, rhey feek, but ro be ever feeking, ever carrying fenfe of fin, 'tis roo much time and trouble, they will not be at rhe colt. Some affeCtions and hearts they fj:end, but not their whole hearts: Hence Chri!t exhorrs, oh ftrive, btcaufe 1111my fee/z.and are never able. Look therefore as it was with Jonllthan, S~tHl, I Sam.•4·41" .[aid he fhould die: No, the peeple faid, not fo, for he · hathwrought with God thisda;. Notrh~ta man can get Grace by his own !lrengrh, bur Co/.1 .29, Iftrive nccordingto his 111ighty wori!Jng. Only let me add this, be at coil firlt roger the LordJefus himfelf; As Mat.J3·33· He fold 11lland bought the Field; and when behad the Field, now he h~d the Treafure• . Oh think 110 rime too much, no lults too dear, no affeCl-ions too much for him (and rben you have all things with him, and fhall receive life from him) and not for a dead, butfor aliving, rif~nChriil. Chri!lbefl rowed Gifts onJudM, onsaul, but whom he bef!owed himfelf upon, rhofe never wanted any thing, P.[al. 2 3 . I. Bur here I might take up a dcleful complaint ; Oh rhat men come m rhemfelves wirh colours and tinctures of Truth and Spirir, &c. Some Naturaliils obferve, rhat Brafs would be Gold, it rends to ir, had it but more he~t of the Sun to con- ~~c~. and to bring it to perfeCl:io~ ; fo 'cis with che ligh~er Stroaks of common Ggz CHAP. I
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=