ten Virgins Opened and Applied. ---~-- if ever you woJld get any feded peace. And fron: ~egleCl: of rhis floi''{S a 1'/'o. k of unpeaceableneflc in many a fpiric, evercomplammg, and why? I cannot do 1 this ortbar,never peace now; but cannot you lye under rhe Lord chat he woulc 49 help ? keep here, and keep your pe~ce here._ : . . . Bm m.rny a Chriftian that ret1m huher hath 120 peace, and fo have I done, pt jina ?b;(a.; . none? · . It's then upon adc>uble grc>und which_ you are to avoid: either, 1. Bccauft Anfw. you have Faith, bur you imprifon your Fatth,. yo~ put our the eyes,and fhackle the feet of Faith for Faith will conquer and rnumph over all fins, and fe-1rs of the world, if at liberty, I John 5. 4· like a _M,ifter in aShip, _i~ he cannot fave tht Ship one way, lee him have liberty, he Wlll by ano~her._ As -i-f~c be ObJeered, Yo• have departed fro:n Chrill:, what ha~e you eo ~o With htm ? I le rerum fmh Fmr ro my firll: Husband. Ob. ~uthets angry IVl_th you. Anf. . If he be angry fo my departure from him , I Wt!l not provoke htm ~ore \>Y Haymg here, who know.. bur ~. emay repem? . Ob. Bur you cannot go to htm Wtth all your he~rr; Anf,.. True yet l'le look to him to dmv rr.e. Ob. Bur you feelnorhirig. .Anf. Y<:t I will ~~air. Ob. Bur you will wait in vain. Anf. Sn:l I'Je look fle would kee;> me from char. Now Hop at any ofrhefe, tr::Jublecomes, f1tffer it to fhift it will fine reil:: As •cis with rhe Anchor, let it down but little,the ll1ip drives, but lee it down at full length, it will rideinftorms; then, •tis wrellling of Fairh _that get rhe Bleffing, where oppofi tion makes the Soul cake fafler hold; as it was with Jacob; The Woman bfCanaan got it thus. Or z. 'Tis becaufethe)dook for another kind of Faith, and hence own nor this , as the Jew< the Mef<iah, they made account ro have received him in ll:ate, and he came bw; fo men look for a fuperlative Faith, but want it. Butthu~the Soul efpoufed to Chri!t , fo long as Marriage-Covenant lafis, fhe may conclude of love. Do not fear the love of Chrill: is not toward you, becau[e he bides his face, and M. , departsfometimes from you; Husbands remain fowhen th~y depart, and leave eanf 3· thehoufe for many a day , and 'tis fimple to fayhe is not my Husband now. So here the Lord loves his people,yecdeparts, Jfai. 54· I,z,3,4, ),6,7. and truly 'ci s very hard when inward blows, and fad defenions, and outward miferies, and no Chrill: found, though fought for. But how fhall I then know an~ difcern his love? Anfw. Many things might be faid this way, only one thinp- obferve, whether ~by love remains Gill to him for himfe!f; fm: it's a rule that 1~10~ commonly achnili.ans pure(t and deareft love aprem 111 ChnHs abfence fro:n htm; As 'tis with Friends, while with us we love them, but when gone; we fed that love . mo:e quick than before. Jemfalem lies in the dufi , and now the very du!l: is beloved, Pfal. 1oz. I3, 14- andifit befo, it's certain we love him beClufe he loved us,andwecominue tolovehim, becaufe heconrim!es eo love us; now look then i~ thy love do not appear , I. ~ mour~ing for ~is abfenc~. z. In lon,girrg for hts prefcnce. 3. In bleffing htm for a httle that 1s left of htmfelf, as feein" fuch want ;>f him; and is nor t~is for himfelf to have his company again , that though Godg1ves thee all other rhmgs,yet when thou comeH to conftder the Lord is "One this Hrikes near, as when Chrill departed away, John 16. 5 ,6. But becaufe"!ov~ may be benu~me?, and I ye dead, ~herefore try it a time _?f parting, a:nd put thy he.mthm to tt; tfhe be noneofrhme, rhen take thy fill m thy fin, and forfake him: no Belo~ed,_here you Iball fee the hemwill yeild ~nd melt, John"i 3· 3>4, 5,6, &c. and 1t Will fay, Lord let. me never fin more agamll:thee, thouo-h neverfaved by thee. And take it for a rule, do nocrhink the Lord harh left othis love to you when you depart from him, and he from you: but Iyin<> in your Departures Oh that is fad ; but return again , it comforts the Lords h~arc, efpecial!y whe~ 'tis for himfelf, not for peace and falvadon, but though he never faves me, Oh yec I will look after him. H Look
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=