Opened and 4pplied. Anfw.r. Would you never look afrc:r rhe Lord, and being.betrnrhed ro him rill rhe very rime of his coming? will youdefpife Grace ro rbe utmoH, and weary our Grace eo t~e !aft gafpe? b_ehold the Lord /hall. come, and .thy .eye Jball fee him, and wai!e becaufe of h1m ; and the Lo!d. Will _make rhee cry out on rhy dearh-bed, and warn others to ~ake heed of cnfhng With rhe Lord !ono, who didH never take warning rhy felf. · b l. You fee when rhe Cry is made, rhe Bridegroom is not far b~hinde; now is his cry, and yott fee fame rhar did awaken, and after the cry, had rime coo little ro rrim their lamps. It may be many cryes have been founding in rhy fecure ears; and yet there·s time, he is not come ; grant ir, and will you cher.:- fore defpife this rich grace the more becaufc; of IYts goodnefs. · Obj.3. Bw I am well M I amwitholttthe Bridegrsom. An f. It may be {\eep is fweet for the prefenr; bur if thou w.:rt awakened, rhou wouldH be of another minde; there are many here prefenr that can fay, they thought themfelves well, &c. but now I fee my error,&c. Oh Lord, what if I had been left ro rhefe thoughts ; yet this is ever the frame of a fecure ·heart (like fwine) well when it is in the mire, basking in the Sun. I. It is pleafur.:; but confider, itisbutJborc; long fecurity will end in hideous affrighcs, and doleful awakenings, for one days /h(m fleep : I remember Ni11ewh's ar~ fe_c out by thi~, Zeph.2.15. 'i_his istht rejoycin,~ City, that dwelt cart(dflJ; pamcmg our cherr m1(ery for rh1s fin above all the refi; fo when plagues be upon you, God and .An'gels /hall point at you,· This is the fecure finnertharlivedloofly. ' - z. It deprives you of more reil: and eafe ; carnal fecurity keeps a man from knowing fpirirual fecurity ; while your fin and fleep is fweet, the grace of Chtifi and the fenfe of his love lball be flrangers to you, and to your hearrs; Chrift is anointed to preach ro a weary, not ro a ileepy finner: I[a.5o·4· There are felfons of refre!hings ~nd coolings, which fuch iliall never know. ~. This which i.; thy pleafure, is the Lords forrow and grief; look as when the Grinermoumethunderhisfin, the Lords hearti~ quieted, Zeph.j.I7,18. 1 [aid I would confe(?, and thou forgaveft: So when aman delights in his fin, the Lords foul is then grieved; and the more delight, rhe more grief; Chrill: mc;>urqedfor .the hardnefs of rh~ir hearts, r..Mark__ 5.~. Now grant that you have this pleafure,yet what joy is it ro rhink,rhat while I have my eafe and peace, · the Lordhath his burden ; my reft and peace is r:he Lords foFrow in Heaven; when the fons of God grow Relh1y, the Lord ·repenred that he had made man; Oh let the gro:rnings of a compaffionate God awaken you out of rhis fecuriry! SECT. V, Ob.jea. BUt there's none focur · h:re. c.Anfw. It's hard for wife not to fall here; bur forfooliJbnotto fall to this fin, at leaH robe Ion~ preferved from ir, will be miraculous; but for the moll: pare of men nor eo be drowned in it. , 1. Have nGt divers lived and never been awakened at all, not fo much as to cry que, lama damned mart, what /hall I do? thou never hadll:afparkof eterttal1l:ames-ofwrath to kindle thy confdence, and tblt after an ignorant and prophane life. z.If you have been troubled,have you not fallen afleep b~fore ever you have gotren any ferried.peace and comfort in the blood of Chrift, only haft got fo ~uch oyt as makes thy lamp burn,and gives thee a name ro live,when thy ve!fel lS~E.Y• and !teart is.dead. . • . to \ ' 45
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