Opened and Applied. . CHAP. XII. Of the~ejire ofGrace that m~y b~ in Hypocritu. SECT. I. Give M of your oyt, &c~ • H 11t fooli(h Virgins maJ, and ftrioujly do dejire, 'not on.ly Salwttion, lmt Grace it felf. For thefe Virgins did not only delire the Lord w open to them, but give us of your .oyl; and this they do not defire in .lhew, but feri<iu!iy, for tbey felt a want of it ; our lamps are out; our oyl is fpenr, our m1fery is great ; Oh now help us with your grace: This may appear in . thefe particulars. Firfi, They may feel a lofs and a want of it, and having fome hope in this life w gain it, hence may feek it ; thus not only the Virgins, but Simon Magus AEls 8.24. when he was convinced he was in the gall of bitternefs; he doth Plot only content himfelf with his own, bat dcth commend himfelf to the defires of the Church, and Apoflles, Oh V"J for me, that none of thefe thmgs ma; come upon me, but that I may be brought inro another eflate, whereby I may efcare all this, .Amos 8.II,I .3. I will bring a famine, not of bread, bur of hMring th' Word, i.e. you lhallfeel a woful wamofth~t, and of the confolation, _life, and fpirir of that, a~d you {hall go from fea to fea to find ir, and lhallnot: Oh that I had taken my ume, will the carelefs ones fay! Secondly, They may have a high opinion of ir, and fee a marvellous excellency in it, and hence may b~ drawn w defire it, Joh.6.J3,34· My father gives you bread from heaven, which M ofes gavtnot , and fuoh bread as gives life mzto the world; then [aid they, L ord, ever give 1<1 of this bread; and yet they were carnal , and delires carnal, arifing from the fight of the excellency of it; that Scribe Matth.I 2. ] 3>34· To love the Lord rh; God with all thy heart is better than all burnt offerings and facrifices; Ob that's admi rable, the Ordinances are good; and Creatures ar~ good, but this is b.:ner : As a man when he admires the world, he ever defi_res the world, though he never harh it; fo here, as in lJalaam: Nor;only Word and Spirit may commend it, and fo they may defire it, but the excellency of it in the lives of the Saicts will com- ~nd it, fo as carnal hearts may defire the company and love of fuch men a- , bpvea!l in tbe world, Rev. 3.8. Gen.z!\.28. We faw God was w.ith tjm, and th11t th~u w:rt btrjfed of the Lord; and hence there are fome defires after ir, 2. Pet. 1.i9. Men efcape po!lutions by Chri{l. Thirdly, They have a tafle of the fweernefs of it, and hence may defire it, Heb 6. John was a burning light, and they rejoyced in him, and all J udra and 'fm<[t~lem flocked to his Miniflery, and came into the wildernefs after him; Kkk the 73 ObfervatJon 3· ) j f
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