6 The Parable of the-Ten Pirgins, --------=---- -----~ without digging, they f,11l to Jade rl:eir lhip with wood or coal, 1 bar which ir wili bear. ' 2 • Have we nor ihaken off all fear almort of fin aml mifery? Go t• the .Ant t/;otJ Jlugg~rd,fhe fears and provides a,~ai11jl a winter. _: Do nor men think tlm we have fled too far for the cro:s ro tinde us, or as tf rbe Temple of rhe Lord was fuch aDen as no Foxes or vVolves could follow us inro? efpeciallv when there are caufes offear, when War is proclaimed, and rhe caufes kno1vn·, and,ye_r they. are m:v~r feared : Ho1v many t:nen have the ~and-writing of dearb !n rhetr Confcten~es agauill rbem ! ,rhts rbey co~ter.~ 1s naught, rhey have hved carelef.~, fluggtfh, and have bad fame fence of tr, yer no a\Yakenin<> fear of rbe rerror of the Lord; when a Prince i ~ nigh us, now rocommir a lirrl~ Iewdnefs is great wickednefs: where is the man that rrembks ar rhe nearnefs of God to us? when a breach is made, then fear enemies. Divilions and • breaches go befo~e falls of Churches; where is rhar fpi rit of .Jebofaphat, rb1r I feareltand proclatmedafafl:? When God barb begun to fm,re, wbar caufe is rherlw fear! we have been hurt, and yer nor laid ir to heart; the lion roars, fh:t,ll not rhe people fear? I believe we ihould nor hwe bad rbofe Pequor furies upon us, but God fawwe began ro{leep: Where is rbe man rh.1r, wirh Pm<!, knows the terror of rhe }:-ord, and hence perfwades men? IYhen rhe enem~ is ever about us, there IS always caufe of feat, and yer we fear but now and ilie~ . 3· Are nor our fences bound up? look upon men in their fields and converlings, bnyings and felling~; where is a daily, weekly warchfulnefs over our thoughts and tongues? Look ro mens clofers, do men there call themfelves ·ro account? can they fin~ leifure ?r need of it? are nor mens eyes clofed up, that the glory of t.iod m the Scnpture IS a fealed thtng? Men have eyes but fee nor; are not mens ears fealed up? So :ne Sermons men can fleep them out; mans voyce is heard, bur notthe voyceof the Son of God: Oh how many men are there that become quite Sermon-proof now adays! Are not men b!ockiih, dull, fencelefs, heavy under all means ! theyrafie nor, fmell nor, whereas elfewhere, 0 bow lively and fpiritual are rbey! 4.Is not the fpirit ofPrayer,rhat lamp going out in the Church ofGod? the bleffednefs of all flourilhing Plantations in the world b~gan by means of rhar, and !hall not continue but as. it continues ; <~nd ifever caufe ro feek for profperiry of Plantations, thefe have need. If God fhould rake away this generation cf Ma2,ifiracy and Minifl:ery, what would rhis defpifed Country do? and what would become of your children it then no Schools for them, when no Gofpel left among them; then every mansfword fhall be agai·nft his brother, and G0d fpreading the place with darknefs, which throu?,h his prefence is made light; what little hope ofa happy generation afrer us,when many a'!long us fcarce know how to teac_h their children manners? How apt are we, like to' thbfe .Ajian Churches, to fall inro thofe very lim IYhich overwhelmed th~m. and ruined them ( how many fall off, and in rime break forrh, that it would make men lick to hear of their pranks? what place more open to temptations ofperfecution and worldly delttlion ? go up and down the Plantations, where is rhe man that lays things to heart? who hath the condition of the Country written upon his hearr, and prefemin~ it before rbe Lord, rather tban his own good? Oh men are lilem becaufe aueep t How do /ins run thorough men as water thorough a mill, and men regard it nor ? what means, whar deliverances have we had ! bur oh what lirtle rhankfulnefs? 2. Do we make progrefs; nay, is nor our lhad6w gone back? I Jleep, but my h~ art w~kph; it lhou!d b~ fo, but it is nor fo indeed. - 5· Have we not fallen a dreaming here ? what meanerh elfe the delulions of mens brains? what a fwarm of Hrange opinions, which (like flies) have '---~--==~~----~------------------~----------~~·
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