The Parable of the Ten P irginr, !hall have it; and hence Tf.ai.I45· I ~1 I912o. He willfulfiJ thedejimof them that fear h1m1 11nd/111Jeh•m, and delight themfelves m h•m; for that is the fun-like difpofition; when he is cut !hare of all comfort in che world, nay, whi!n he may have bis fillef them, yet be dc::lighcs in his Fathers face, lo ve, and grace, andfellowlhip,andhoufe,Pja/.27+ Forrheyllreheirf andcohe;rs with Chrift, he in.~ Sons ; but now there are Servants in the houfe of God ; lball rhey have their wills and lufls?no;thus ic was with tbefe foolilhVirgins;chey were only Servants in the houfe, no crue Spoufe or Sons, and were foolilh at bell, and had hoc the fpirits of Sons, bl!l: had their lufls ; never were efpoufed ravingl y eo the Lord Jefus bimfelf, nor laid up all their hope in him, but were fooli!b a nd that is the ground why others defires are heard, nor theirs. Thirdly, Unfound defires make after a certain meafure only, wherea> the defires of Saints feek afrer this Grate without meafure ; atJ,d thus rhe foolilh Vir- ~ins felllhort of thewife; all that they could gee was little enough for themt~jves; butrhe fooli!b look after fomeof thei r oyl, as many a man looks upon rhe gifts and parr.s of another; Oh, faith he, if I was as honelt, as humble a man as fuch aone! and many aman fees up fucb a meafure, and if he bath char, is well) while he wants that mifaably: Look witlly upon the foolilh , Virgins, they-~lid content themfelves with a meafure, and now they are in wane of it, f~ekforic; adirllalittledidconcenuhem, andnowwhenicis fpent,a little will ferve them again : And what is their .meafitre ? 1. So much as will beautilie and adorn them before men, o11r Lamp '~ . ;. So much as will comfort them againll rhe coming of Chrill; for now they were troubled chat their ay! was fpent, whereby they might meet the Bridegroom : he that defires it for a litde meafure of ir, his defires are cerrainl yunfound; fo much as ' will ferve his turn (he curs his coat accor ding to his cloth) bur he char defires it without meafure, e contra, as Paul, Phjt. 3.12.. That I may apprehend bJ anr means, that for which I am apprehendt'J: As Chryjoi}om calls Ptml that in[.atinhilis Dei cu!tor; for he makes it his hit encl ; as he that defires wealth w11houc meafure, though he gets not all th e wealth of the world, yer the more he bath, che more he craves; this his flelhlr lull is bis la(l end. Obj. But he maJ defire it without mMfure for his swn ends• .An f. I confefs 'tis true ; for men may delire bonor and no ·honor but 'by gifts,and nogifts but bygrace; and hence may defire infinitely, bu t yedt i~ but 11 meafure, vi:<.. to ferve his own ends, but not the Lords ends; eo fenp biinfelf; true defire of grace, is.for that which may pull down felf, an d m~!(~ God all,Pf~i.II9·4>5• Fourthly~ It is not their only defire, or the only thing they defire, viz-.che g6od Spirit of the Lord, and that they might not live or any thing elfe i n tbem, &ut that rhe Lord may live, and his Grace and Kingdom may prevail in chel-r \hearts; rhedefires of Saincs are only afrer-this; or if their defires are after orher things, rhe Spirit lulls again(! them, 2. Sam.z 3· 5• As carnal defires are afrer.life, ,and rhe comforts of ic, fo fpiritual defires are aftec the life of <:;hrifl in them, ·and rhe comforts of the Lord thereby, Tfal. 'J.7·"3>4- One thi»g I havedejired, and fhat I will fee!(for; wharwas it ?a Crown, aKingdom? no,l111t that I mll} idh>eO in fhe Lords ho..,fe for ever, aud vijit .his Temple: Notable is char exiamp1e of ·.Abr"llhllm, Heb. II. Two things he mer wi~h thac might draw down !his defires. • ·x. He came ro a land which God promifed to give him, where he lives among enemies and in fears. :' ' ' - z. He might have ;eturned to another Country , and now have been h~rter. . ~~~=-~----------------------------------~'·g~
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