ten Virgins Opened and Applied. 4· Then aman is u:ue, dy, when having.done his w~rk he gro1vs p!Jft up with it : for let all the three former be wrought m the foul , 1f now the foul be puft up, thinks highly of itfelf, attributes any t~in,g to it felf: as he faid in another ca(e, they are too mi!lnJ for the Lord; fohe~s too bigfor the lord. And truly . this we tball find it';; pretty ealie to be mean m our own eyes, after we have been indeed careleffe and vile before the Lord ; bun:vhen the Lord hatl:l might!! y alii fled , enlarged, affured, enabled? comforted, qmcken~d, now to ?e as n0rhing, this is difficult. Hence J(nox on his death-bed had this Temptation of Meriting. , ·When HeU"~ah ~~as lick, he ~~as cafl do\Vn , but when well , and God gave him great Treafures, his heart was hfted up; now he was unfit. Now therefore when a chriflianis ready to give all to free Grace, and to adore thJt, now he is ready for / the Lcrd, Pfalm xo8. I, My heart u .rrepared,. I will Ji!'g and give prai[e. Gods lafl end is to bring the foul to the pwfe of the ncb~s of hisGrace, not oryly to enjoy God as A dam. Now the great .reafo? .why Clmfl come> not to his Fe?- ple prefendy afterrhey areefpoufed to hi~, us to make the~ ready to attam · chat end. Hence he leaves !ins, temptations ! forrows, defemons , on purpofe thatthey mayat conclulionlookback, and fee1f ever faved,pardoned, it's Grace. Now thereforewhen the foul is brought to do this , when he bath this rem in his hand, now the Lord is ready to receive him , and ic too, and he is prepared for the Lord : he that bath not his Rent ready , himfelf is not as yet at all ready to meet with, and fee his Landlord. So that you think you boa!l: not, Oh t~ Lord fees you do, or have not hems fo enlarged towards Grace as you J.bould, it 's certain yo~ are yet unready then, but when empty, an~ poor'·and cafl:.down, and mak~H an rnfinite matter of a fma\1 fin, and fettefl a high pnce on ahttle love much more on infinite,now you are prepared : Hence David falls a prailing when near(to death, and the Lord near to come ro him. SECT. IV. 43 1.THe law of Refpeet and Love requires this of us : when Peter would expreff~ his loveuntoChr~H, ~uk.! 22.3 ?· he profe!ferh he was not only readytogo RMfons. to prifon , bllt to dye w•th h.m. Chn!l harh poor refpecl: and love if men will norfo much asbe alwayready to receive him: it certainly ar$ues a careleffe heart that !leiahts Chd t, that is nvr ever prepared to receive Chrilt. z. B~caufe the.ti~e of Chri!ls c0ming is then whe~ we.lea!t look for him, verf 1 3. Hence a chrt!ltan ought to be ever ready to receiVe htm. Many ofeminent parrs, when the Church had mofl need ofthem, then are cur down: Many at their fir fl: converfton, before they or others almofl: could tell what to make of them, the Lord bath cropt rhem in the bud. Men find their hearts unfit and unready, they think hereupon that hereafter they lhall get their hearts inco better order and wne when rhefe bufineffes are over, but yet will live at liberty a little while : why then' it's mofl: likely is the Lords rime ofcoming, even now when they think !eaHofit, Luk.! 12,40. 3. Becaufe t~~ Lord bat~ fer apart every o~e that is efpoufed to· the Lord Jefus, only for the frutuonofChn!l, and ufe ofChnfl:, 1 Cor. 3· ult. YouareChrijfs,and Chriftu Gods. A Woman that i~ not chofen, mr fetapart for the fellowfhip of aPrince, fhe may go bow the will, and do whac fhe will,any bafe drudgery work ; but the that is chofen to be next unto him, and only to behold and love him, fhe is no£ to plead the bath fo much buftaeffe to do, and fo many Friends uo fpeak with, that the cannot make her felf ready : fhe is fet apart for a bette~ perfon, and for more noble e::nploymenr. So here men of the world not loved of God, nor chofen and fer apart for him,may do what they will ; but when the Lord harh chofen and fet you apart ofpurpofefor this end, Ep(leJ. I, 4• Chofento be holy G z before
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