ten Virgins Opened and Applied. \ 67 . nour Grace. Oh rheretore tee how rhe Lord loves ro bnve thee honour ir. This ---- o1ves Gods heart full ref1:; this is chat whtch he delires mof1:, becaufe'cis his end: This is rhat whrch all the bullnefs of the world is for: Oh fee :how he loves it! J and rhen you will love coact rhus. Now fer upon rhts !all work: look over all 1 your life, and like Bees garher honey from every fio1ver, and then come Ioaden l home· [o do you, and lopk over ,11! rhe Lords love, rum over all rhe i<~aves of tt: TheL~rd harh now called me; why? tt's becmfe Chrifl hach redeemed; and why chat ? becaufe che F.tcher bath chofen; and why me? to glonfie his Grace· / And why me rather than another ? No reafon, bur he would. This I doubt not will be thework of Heaven, I am glorified becaufe called , becaufe redeemed, be- ' caufe elected, for none ocher re.1fon why, and here aHonifhed. You have not chriftian hems in you, chat will now hav<: no care ro do ehis work rhere before you are rurned off rhe !1:age: you poor doubting'Spirtc~, chat.fee fo much vilenefs, and cannot be Ferfw2ded; be not difcouraged. Wait for rhe Lord, and fay, if he thall fave, I 1nall for ever love him rhe more. N\)W hold here, and be ready eo do fo, and it's certain thou art aveffel of Glory, ready ro fing rhe Song of the Lamb, and D1alt follow him where-ever he goes1 ---------------- ------------- ----------- CHAP. IX. Concerning the Souls immediate clofing 't>Yith thePerfon of [hrifl, {(J the proper Objea ofStrving-Fttith. . 3· Went forth to meet the 'Bride-'-Cjroom. SECT. I . · Here needs che Explication of Three Things. 1 1. v· VHQutheBride-grQom? · Anfw. The conclufion of this Parable is rbe Explication of rhis, vi.,. the Son ofMan, the Lord Jefus Chrifi, who accor" . . . cling to rhe feveral conditions, o~ difpoficions che Church is m, aprears to hts Church under fevera! relations and tides. The Church is opprefied ~y her et~emies, he appears now eo her as her Prince and Kirig : the Church wants Wtfdom,_hghc, and life, he appears now unto her as an head. The Church lurh been feekmg of his love, and yielding her felf eo the obedience of him ~s her Lord : ar Jail: he appears more fully to her as an Husband , or as a Bride-oroom 1virh who~ the is ro have her nearefl: and everlafling fellowthip ali'd comm~nion, and fo here. ~nd :vh~ Chrifi co!T'es to fhew moH fpeciai-Iove, and eo have moll: · fpectalfellowl111p wuhhts people, he thus fliles himfelf; Ifai. 54· 5, 6. So John 3• 29. And when the Church harh tafl:ed chat love {he calls himfo. II. Whnt it u to mm the Bride-graQm ? ' A~tfw. To enJoy fellowl11ip and familiarity with him. Ill. what u it LtQ go fmh to meet J the Bride-grow ? Anfw. There are hut three wayes of ooina forth eo !lleer wich Chrill in Scripture. " ::. . I. When Soul and Body at the Iafi Day meet che Lord in the Clouds of the atr, I Thef.4· 17. ThllS the whole Church, cheBridethall appear in glory eo meet rhe Bnde-groom. K ~ 2, Wht:n
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