68 The Parable of the Tm Pirgins, 1 now. Thefame~:erfoiTStharare_follletimes fo pufc up, that th~y thinkrbey are rich and ftand m need of norhtng,may be bafely d.e;eded, and fo feel a want of all things. Q!!e{t. How may thu appear l c.Anfw.Firtl, Becaufe this is no more than what the Devils have; if this be Sanctification_, ~o fe~, I _have no SanCtification ; if this be_Humility, to fee, I have no. hum1ltty ; 1f rh1s.be deannefs, ro fee, I have nothtng but uncleannefs; the Devils then are fanC\1fied and cleanfe~; who as they are unclean fpirrs, · and accurfed of God, and fet apart to all evll and fin,and bound up in the chains of darknefs, fo rhey know it ; they believe the Word, and they know they have no Chrifi, no Gr~ce, no love of God,_ neverfhall fee mercy, comforr,&c. and tremble at thts, wuh whom there ,r nothmg but a f•~~rntl looking for of Judgement. . ~eco~dly, Becaufe this is no more than what the Law may brine a man unto; For by the Law 'F...Em.3.20. isrhe ~n~wldge?f ..[in_; i.e. not o~ly of grofs fins but alfo of fecrer fins; for ConfCience wh1ch IS 10 every mans heart will difcover the firfi, men that live under the Law fee more; and hence T aul fpeaks of himfelf, fa far fwth M under the Law, 'F...Em·7·7>8,9,Io,II. Now that which may be wrought in a man meerly.by the Law, ':lay be wrought in a man underrhe Law; a man underrhe Law, Jsundertheretgn of the Law, which is to convince of pollutionuniverfal, and fo to curfe ; The Law i<f not the minijlr.rtionoflifet~ anymatt, 2Cor.3·7· Gal.j.24· andif the Law may convince of lin rhus, this fight of fin and vilenefs is no part of etemallife; and therefore foolifh Virgins may well come thus far; and this will efpecially be found among them where there is a fea~ching Mini(kry, that .rhere is fcarce any dofe conveyance but the Word d1fcovers them : Gcha:t-t cannot carry it fo dofely, nor Anania$ !o cunnin'gly, but Elifha and Peter will find it out; H"'h· 4.12.The Word u quick_and powerfHl, andfearcheth,wbicb is but a common work; and hence when P<ter bad told Simon Mae-us, Thou "rt in the ua/l of bitternefs hedenieth it not, but faith, Oh pra;for ;;,, ; indeed if the W~rd difcovers rh~ ftrong-liolds, and high forts, and fecret Iufis and imaginations, and beats them down, and fo brings the Soul in fubjeCtion to Chrilt, and into captivity, rhat is it which is the power of the Gofpel, and love of Chri(t peculiar to his peoples works; but to let a man fee he bath nothing b1.1t filth, and to be a little affecl:- edwithit, this is 11omore than whatis wroughtina deceitful hearer. 'lam.I. 201,24- The Law orWordlets a gracelefs heart (a .forgetful l!earer) f~e himfelf; and what can it uuly difcoverro himbut his vilenefs? this glafs will difcover their fmallell fpots; this Sun W'illlet you fee. motes; you know and fee, and that's all. Thirdly, Becaufe this is no more than rhe awakening of !leepy Confcience, which rhe worfi man, and dofelt hypocrite may in rime have ; C ai,'s confcience while it is fecure,thinks his offering asgood as his Brothers; but when a\Vakened, now m; fn is greater th~rn I can 6tar; Sau/ goes on in perfecuring 'I> avid, and thinks God will help; a~;~d hence 2 Sam.2S. 5· goes to Urim,&c. but God anfwers him not; now he fees his condition, and makes a doleful complaint of it, That God was departed, and no anfwer: This is ufual ; l'fal. 9· 20. PHt them in fear, 0 God, that the; may k_z,ow themfelves to he hut moz, weak, tinful, vile men: When the Lord fers up his J udgemenr Seatin a mans confcience, not onlygrofs evils, but the fecrets of all hearts, all mens hypocritics are then opened to the~felves, as at lafi day ro all the world; and hence·as hypocrites c0nfciences lb'all be broken open ac the laflday, fo now a:lfo in this life, they may feetheirprofelfton to be bur paint; hence/fa.j3-14· Hypocrites are afraid when God appears in anger; Oh ,wh• Jh~t!l dwell rPith God! they are fomerimes fG confounded with rhe lrolinefs of God, and the terror of
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=