1----------~------------~--~--~---------------------- \~ The'Parableofthe fl!!eft. 1, Anfw. ~e(f. 2. Anfw. z. When the Soul only goeth outof the Body by the minif!ry ef An"els ro meet the Lo{d iq Heaven , as Pant that knew not whether in or our of thgbody, 2 Cor. 12. 3· We k.!z•w it here fball g• out of the bodr: as Chrifi is fa id when he went to Heaven, I g• t• my Eather , 11nd your Father: fo it goes forth then eo ChriS, Ecclef. 12. 7· and neither ofrhefecan be meant here, for Firl1, ,hi<{hew>the fiate of the Jewilh Churcb long before Chrif!s co:ning, at Jealt among many of them. Seconcly, Became rhe lhutting out,verf. Io. is by and at Death: hence letting in is fo too. Now this was before. 3. When the Soul goes our of it felfby Faith: hence John 6. 35· 'tis called coming to Chrifl ; and this nor any Phyfical natural departing of the Soul out of ~be body, bur Ethical,fur:eJnatural, by the operation; of the Soul out of;h fe!f. And look as the whole Soul by unbeliefdeparrs from God in Chrilt, fo rhewbole Soul by Faith comes Jgain unto God by Chrifi. The mind fees , affections make after him , will fat,ens on hi.rn, and there depends. This is the firfi work ofFaich, or the firH Faith, the coming (as in all moriens there are two ex:re1rn>) of I the Soul from a norhingne£~; emprinefs in it felf, to an allnefs and fulnefs in 1 Chrifl: And as 'ris in oche~ mociom , if there was a vacuum , there would be 1 motm ;, in(fanri; fo if there was an empnnefs feenin che world, ~nd all rhe work; . 1 ofit, and in all fears that all mountains werecaHdown, Faith then would fudden.ly come by the Spirit to the Lord Jefus , and chis coming to Chrilt is not meant here: For Firfl, Thefe Virgins were efpoufed to Cbrilt by Fa~th Already. Secondly, .At the fin1comirg to Chrifiitgoes eo the Lord for life in him, and from him; but here having life :Uready, they goforch to live with him: there the Soul goes out to tr.eet him in the Gofpel , in the Promife ; here the Virgins go forch to meet him in Glory. There the Soul goes to be jutlified by him,liere the Virains go to be glorified with him: and therefore ' ris meant of a fecond going out of :he Soul by feme fpecial acts of Faith, after that ir cloth believe, and after 'ris ready for him. And for Explication. From whence doth the SoHlgo? It's chiefly going out of this world by trampling this Moon under her feet, by forgetting this her Fathers houfe, by a holy contempt of it, and a holy dying to it, and all the glory of it. For 'tis a rhoufand eo one if Satan cloth not imangle here, if Lot be not taken with Sodom tllough burnt out there; and if this going out is eo enJOY the Lord in another w~r!d chiefly ·, then going out is from the oppofi te rern:e,from this world. Hence PI!Hlfingles out this mercy, Gal. I. 4· Chrifl "ave himfelf to deliver us from this prefent evil world. Oh fay men, 'tis a good ~or!d, and good being here. 'Tis an evil world : 'tis fo when Death comes, bur for prefent 'cis bell. No, 'tis a prefent evil world. By what ails ofFAith doth it go forth? There be t\VO atfeetions of the Soul that chiefly look to a good abfent, yet loving chat good, go forth to meet it, and thofe are .Hope ~nd Delire_; like the blind man and the; lame, both tCJ;!ether can make a lh1ft to go. Hope hke the eye gee>. out and looks, DeGre like ~he feet runs out and longs. The going forcb therefore to meet Chrill, is: I. By a real expeEtation of him. 2. By a longing deGre to be with him. Hore gees on the top of the world , and cries , Oh I fee him, DeGre flands by and longs for him , Oh come Lord. A carelefs blind world look not for him, nor after him, the s ~ ints do. Heb. 9· 18. An earthlyminded world longs not for him, the Bridedocb, Rev. 22. 17, zo. Oh c~me Lord 'fefm , comet:JHickjy ;. by love and joy we imb.race and enrerrain the Bride~groom, by hope and de/ire we go forth to meet the Bndegroom. Hence many thmgs are to be obferved, and yet nor all I might. SECT.
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