/ Opened and Applied. 1. 6 9 of God from rh~nce againfl: fin, that who !hall dwel with G~d? are there !any in rh~ world that can Hand b~fore him? now all is painc, and vile ocfore him. ' Fourthly , Becaufe Hypocrites m~y have experience of a oreat chan!?e wrought in th-!m, which decaying_ and corrupting, rhey rr:ay fe~libly finde"'a wane of what once they had ; wh1ch though they thought lt had been faving orace, or that which would commend them ro God; now rhey r~~ they have ~o grace at all, hence are left as rhefe Virgins ; if a man never was rich he cannot. be fenfible of bei?g a B~nkrupr, a Beggar; Look as it w.>s wirh Admz, he was m a happy dhte, m the rmage of God; now when loll:, he faw himfelf naked, and was alhamed, and was this faving grace? no: So though Hypocrites attain not to that righreoufnefs, yet they may attain to many fpiriwal excelkncies, which they may prize exceedingly, as thofe that commend them before God and men ; bur thefe corrupting, they may nowealily fee their nakednefs, and vilenefs, and want of all: SaH! had the Spirit of God we know, bur I Sa>tJ.I '1.14- an evil rpirit c;~me, and Gods Spirit departed; did not Sau! know this? rhe having of Gods Spirit made him more fenlible df the evil fpirir. fo it is with many a man ; rhe•Spirit of God dorh depart, and he cannot pray'nor prophecy, nor fpeak, nor think, nor do, as he did; nay f.e may find an evil fpirit upon him ; and is this unknown ? may nor fooli!h Virgins know this? as S amp(on when lhaved. Fifthly, Becaufe that which is fometimes a ju(l judgement of God upon a carnal heart, that they may fee and feel ; but many rimes ( I fay nor always, b~caufe rhe Lord dorh ufe rhis to prepare for mercy) it is fo that men rhar have defpif>!d grace, and Chrif!, men that have coloured it over with God, and thou~ht hig~ly of rhemfelv~ for what they had ; they !hall f.:e all their profeffion is but parnr, and all rhetr Gold, Tm and Copper : 'joh.8.2r. Yau fha/l feek.. me, and fhall not jinde me, hut /hall dye in JOHr fins; ~eeking ever prefuppofe th a want; fo char you !hall finde a want of me:; and 1f of me, of all life, of all grace, of all eo_mfort and good; and this lofs the Lord ~nakes a punilhmenr which they !hall brrng upon rhemfdves by conrempr of hrm. ----------------~----- SECT. II. HEncewemayfe::ethewoful condition of rhofe. vt<.. Firit, Confider how , far from eternal life thole are that never knew their fall; the fooli!h Virins knew their want of oyl and !hininz , and yet were foo Ii111, and yet were !hut out; howgreat is rheirfall then, and how great their mifery, that have had burning lamps, but no-.v know: it not ? this is rhe flare of many a profetfor , many a man who is fallen from the Lord, and the aff~.stions once he had, but he knows it not; God did enlighten him, bur now he is blinding of him; he . did affea: him, bur he is now benumming of him; he did make him render, bi.!t - nor he is making his heart fat; he did make him low in his own eyes (as Saul, .but when aKing then puft up) fo God is !welling of hitn; but this is moll grievous, he knows it nor, Ifa.6. If a man did know his lamp were going our, he might feek, as rhefe, for ir, and poffibly find it ; but now no hope unlefs the Lord help; as we fee men wounded and falling, they are a[ioni!hed at the blow~ that they know it nor, and may die, unlefs rhofe about them drefs rhem, and fend to and fro for help for them; fo it is with many; men are fo Hupified with fome blows of their lufls, that unlefs Chri[iian friends exhort, admoni!h and fend their prayers and tears eo heaven eo rhe Lord, no hope of recovery again; and whetherrheLord will be entreated is hard to fay; furely it is rare, and yet rhus Uje I.
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