Ufe I. The Parable ofthe Ten Virginr, " tra, the fouls of the wicked are in the hands of D~vils; I Per; 3· 19 • He preacht to the f}ir! ts now in Pri~on; Theeves,fo long as rhey are not known, o~ if knowt?, not apprehended 1 t~ey _fear nor dearh; but when raken, and latd up m pnfon, there rhey kn6!l., theu death , and there they fee their i Jay!our; fo here; and as Satan did condemne , and fad the heart of the : tmmbled out-call, 2 Cor. 2. 1 r. fo much more rhefe, when ca(t our from i" , r~e prefence of God .. A Ca t· rive when r~k.en by him rhar harh overcome I h1m , the Conquerour appeares, and fees hrs foot upon him, efpecially if ' one eminent whom Satan bath conquered. ! .Becaufe of rbe intolerable and-heavy wrath of God , whirh then dorh , feize upon the foul. Luk$ I6. I am t;rmenr:d: In this Jife, though God tx ' loll, yet mens hearts are comforted WHh creatures, and patience, and eom- ' mon bounty; as it is wirh ~kall'd legs, eaft:d in the water; bur no1v when : men are dead, then there IS no creature ro enJoy, to eafe the heart ; rhe body is dead, and what are thefe things Eo rhe foul; now hence rhe foule : feels God is gone, and for ever gone ; a_nd now when he .bath moH need, 1 in great. t?rmem gone, the foul feels. tbts1 I fay; and feeling rhis woe , it ! knows Irmdeed; rhe bealls know thetr mtfery, when they feel the Knife i in their hearts. J,ec men dece1Ve th'emfelves never fo deeply with falfe ima-1 oinations, yet when they feel it otherwife , it Jlull confut<: them , as rhe Gem:rations of men in the dayes of Noah ; men will have fome .hope while patience laHs, but when char's ~one, then ~heir hopes and hearts fink alfo ; whiles men be in rhe Veffel, they hope to ltve, but if that link , and they can fee no plank, n<;>r ihore, b1.1r fee waves, and men crying, &c. now their hearrs milfl: needs fa1! them, · ., . .r. .. r Of terrour tu them -who upon cleare 'Jm;iction from the Word, will n•t believe their doom, their miferJ now. Sometime the Word comes fo near I men, and the very fin they Jive ~nd lie iti,is pointed ar, found out , ' and I words, and thoughts opened , as If fome_body had cold the Minifler of the ~an ; and they think He fpeaks a~ainf.t me, but they ~ill nor belie~e that fin Is fo black, or God fo angry, Out hope well; bur If they do fletghr, ·and regard not thefe conviaions, yet oh remember the time is drawing on, and I it is not far re of, bur thc:rein you /hall know, the word of the Lord is more I precious to him rhan ro you ; you let it fall, but the Lord will not; r Snm. ' 5· r9. TheO!d Worldwouldnotbelieve Noah, theLord therefore made their experience convince them of it. I kn0w men may be decei\•ed ; bur as he faid in another cafe, The word is not bound; fo the word which like God, fearcheth the fecrets of rhy heart , and thy Hypocrilie , that is noc deceitful; thy Sceprer, 0 Lord, is a right Sceprer, and it cannot be crook'r and bent. And if man cloth condemn thee, know ir, God is greater then . man, and it is his glory to confirm the words of his Servants , tbar are I · not Diviners, South-fayers, and uncertaine PrognoH.icarors of mens deHi- /I nies, if<~~. 44: 2~. bur having their warrant from the ~ord, it lhal! be con- ~ · firmed by God htmfelf; nay, that very Word /hall anfe, rhough It {Jeeps now; the Word is only left as a Wttne!fe, 014atth. 24. 14. and do you think it /hall not be fo ? if Chrilllives, he will confirm ir. ls it noc better tG> i know your condition now, and be humbled for it, feeing elfe you mufl know I ic, when .it is too late ro know it? If two have a Q:I_arr~I againfl each other, j and the onewho bath the better fide entreats to agree wtrh h1m, co ·acknow- 1 ledge his fault, be humbled, he will forgive him, before he _comes to highei: l Courts where it will be tried, .and himfelf call , and fuch a Fme, and damages-be fer upon his head, as will utterly undo him; is it not a mifery for fuch an ·----------~--------------~--------------~------
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