The Parable of the Ten Jl)rginr, on and profeffion; as the flony ground fprang up; wbm Jid i[ l'iitb~i ? wb~n it came to irs height; as flowers char come to wirh-::r wben rh~) are come ro rbeir height of growth; and hence alfo men when they ha·.re molt, ar.d be \ means,andaffed:, and !overhem, yer rhenthcidye and1\ir:1er. Andirdecays by Four means. _ SEC~. II. Firll THrough wa~t.of d_aily nouriiha:ent and fupply from r_he Lord Jefus; for look as it 1s With many bodies, fuppofe rhey have hfe, yet if rhere be nor daily no_ur_i!hmenc for it,_ and _wholfom_ alfo, _ir will dye.ere long, and confume ; fo it~~ here, rhere 1s a kmde of hfe wh1ch hypocnres have from Chrill, and it may be fed, and fo they live for a rime ; bucthis the Lord rever doth for them, they are not always fed, and hence die, as iris John 6. fome were quickened ro folJow after Chrilt in rhe wildernefs for loaves,fome for better ends {as his Difciples) bur the Lord knew their want, tabor not fort k• e meat I that perijheth, IJHt for that which giv_N everlafling li(e, which ChriH l':itl give you; and hence rhe whole Chapter IS fpem upon this, to feed upon lwnidf, whence rhe bell were offended: Let a man partake of all Ordinances, Priviledges, he fhall finde nothing elfe bur decay unlefs the Lord b~ in rhem all ro givedaily nouri!hmem, Ephe[.4-I6. daily, I mean,as there is decreafe of rhar ralte they have had of rhe Lord. Secondly, Through rhe emprinefsof a form; for when rhe Spirit of God dwells nor, but only comes u"pon a man, it is nor long but it corrupts inro a form ever after; aman at firfl knows many, truths, and at firltis aff~cl:ed with them, he dorh nor prefently forget them, or !bur bis eyes againfl: rhem, but after he bath known them a little while, at lalt the fweernefs of rhar knowledge is loll; andfo he bath aformofkmwledge, like le!fons which a man bath been much aff~ed wirh, but having plaied or heard rhem ofr, he hears and knows them, but is nor affe&ed with them, Euk.: 33.11/t. So at firfl a man cloth many duties wirh delight; !lay a' while, and he keeps the dury,bur rbe deli5ht is ?one in ir, and fo harh an empry form; now whererhepower of sodtinefs and rneerernallife of Chrilt is nor, it degenerates firfUy ufually inro rhis form, and rhis is all that is left; and rhe form being empty, hence firll, A man comes ro loarh the truth, and pr0feffion of the ways of God which once he loved, and fo in time ro fall and decay without as well as within; as drink or milk at fir[l are fweer, but flay a while and (the fpirics nor preferving themfelves) then ic grows dead, andfowre,and faplefs, andfo it is here. Capernaumiter ar firtl: be: affe8:· ed, then they fall to aform, th~n hard ro be wrought upon, their hearts fat under all means; if thJ light he·dark_nefs, how great is that dark!zefs! Thirdly, Through the power of lult ; for where rhe Lord dwells nor, there lin reigns, and ir will get head where it bath had any affront, and fo choak the power of all means, and hence a man wirhers, as in the thorny ground, it grew up and cboaked the word. Fourthly, Through tbe firnefs of CIXternal temptation, which mu!t and will prevail, when the Lord is nor within to keep rhe Palace; it is Hronger than all common graces in the world, and will draw-away rhe heart and life, Rev.J.IO. there is an hour of temptation which tries men , which will difcover men indeed; now thofe temptations are ever fuirable eo places and perfons. SEC1.III.
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