ten Virgins Openedand Applied. the Diamond in Gods Crown, and the beloved ADtribute which God intends ro advance; all the policy o( Hell is againl1: this; this is the reafon why Satans enmity is [o bitter againll: Faith, as in f!eter; and obfetve, however there be many Temptations, his end is to cru!h Faith: t~e reaf~n is, as 'tis with an enemy if the Bd1eged hath water brought to the C1tyby Pipes, he cuts off them and flops them , fo Faith fetching 'all from Grace,and retur_niRg all to Grace,hence Faith is oppofed moll; and hence the unregenerate part will take Satans parr, and dorhllran<>elyrobtheLordofthegloryofthis, though I confe!fe theLord will have it for"all that they feek to fcatter it, Ifai. 43. 2 I, 212. IC:s Hrange to fee how few plotfor the praife ofGrace; hence how many are ~raitned,nay do crofs Chrifi inthis. As 1. If che Lord give them not what Grace they would, then they lleight what little he bellows; and if he gives them much , then they folace themfelves in it, .and grow puft up and proud. I_r'_s the.temper ofGods own people to f~t up fuch a meafure of Gods Grace and Spmt whtch they would have, and rherern they do well: PMl,Phit. 3• II.looktro the Rcfurrection of the dead; bur if the Lord denies them that, (as he will make his people livefro:P. band ro mouth) they lleight what they have, eirher as if all were but hypocri!ie, or becaufe it is but little, nor fo much as they would have, and herein they do ill, for here the Lord lofech rhe alory offomeGrace, for it's Grace that you pave the leait defi.res after it; nay that you do but know what it is, anqfeethewant of it, and yetevercomplainina, and neverrejoycing, for every degree of Grace in Saints, isvrmua!ly raving, though formally common. But fuppofe the Lord fills the bottle full, and giv~s as much peace, affe&ions, enlargements of bearr, as i~ bath almofi required, (for there are Spring-tides,andover-flowing times ofGods Spirit, now they are ready to fwell, and be puft up above meafure, as Paul, z Cor. u. 7· Left . J fhould be exalud above me~tfure, for there is felf-love in Saints. Hence they de[u:e an excellency in .rhem[elves : henee when they find none of their own , they are apt to deck and fet out themfelves with what the Lord bath done, and fo to joy in this,anC! now to think themfelves better than others of Gods Saints , whereas they !hould be more vile, and advance Grace the more,Eph. 3· 8. Tomethelea.ft uf Saints. And hence the Lord after greuea deliverances at~d mercies fends greae farrows, as to them in the Wildernelfe. Hence the Lord ukes away affeetions , and they dye , that Grace might be the more advanced. z. If the fi.ns of their hearts are common, and cannot be removed, and fo feem little, then they paffe them by, and never rake notice of them, God will pardon them, and hence the Lord bath fad rimes of reckoning (with a rod in his hand) with his own people, Eu~. 6. 9· Thatthofe loofe times are heavytimes, this is for myneglecr, &c. but hereby Grace loferhGlory; for )low can they fee how deeply they are indebted to the Lord, if they fee not their Debt? on the o~her fide, if their fms be very violent, and their dittempers fo !l:rong , that they think none like me,nowrheir hearts link, and dye away, andgrowcfifcouraged, .and all the ufe they make is this, I think it will never be better with me , and can there be life for me fo dead, deliverance, redemption for me in fuch bondage, love for one that cannot bur loath my felf, and ifothers did know me, they would do fo too. Can the Lord love me now? Yes Beloved,that he can and will,Ifai.63.I6. , Though .Abraham ~ttw m not , yet, & c. But here is your tin , when you !hould ma"ke·rhis ufe of all, to fee'! the more need of Grace to pitty, and fay, the ~ore precious lhall Grace be to me for ever : yvur hearts now Link. The Lord brings h~s peoplo inro very low condition ro humble them , and to !he\V them more of hisGrace, P(alm 78. 19. Can God prepareaTable? rheyfpake therein againfl God: fo 'tis here; for herein che Lords Grace is feen, to love them when Le· ~~ . 3· Grace rhathatn beenlhewen,fortimes pall they forgetio, z Pet. 1, 9· Aed what
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