ten Virgins Opened and Applied. ceives of rhe .n , and bec.mfe rhe mind is carnal , it apprehends rhem in a carnal m.mner (rhoughit think' it feesChriR rruly.) I-lence a man having a form of this kn01vleda in lli' head, he may be ;oble ro exprefs much, and make a lar"econfeffi- <in of his"Fairh, difcour fe of points of_L"onrroverlie, in matters thar conc~rn Chri!t, and Ju!lifiotion by CilriR, &c. and mftru& others, and yer having no more, know nor all thiswhile what the Lord ]efus is. Firlt Becaufe as' he was a carnal Jew that had but the form of Knowledo in rhe Law: Ji..om. 2, 20. !o he is bur a carnal C~rillian rhat ~ath b_ut a form of K~wledo in rhe GofFel· The Jews 1vere exceedmgly verfed m Scnprure, and bva!ted rhey heard God;and faw God,Chri!t rells.rhem, they never heard his voice,nor f.nv his fAce; John 5• 37• i.e. theyonly faiV it litterally,not favingly. Secondly, This is bur a carnal knowledg which letter anr.! fJncy beger,I Cor. 2. I4. If~ cannot kJowthem lecaufe they arefpiritually_ difcerned. Thirdly, 'Tis a de1d Knowledg-,·or will be dead and unfaVory; and hence many that know much of ChriR , feed on rheir lufts and Dunghill delights, bec.tufe rheir Knowledofeeds them nor , fills them nor, as fancies do nor feed. Fourthly, 'Tis"a ftlfe Knowledg,for give a blind man a defcriprion ofrhe Sun <ir a tat1e!efs man of honey, he may fet up a falfe l1mge and deceive himfelf, a~d ro dorh rhis. Many fet up a falfelmageofChri~t, and rruH to that. Or as · in the - defcrip,rion of ano:her Country, When he fees 1t, rhen h~ fees he was deci::ived : fo Sait:ts fee rhey were deceived, and faw not Chrifl,nor Sin;nor God l and fo lhall men in I-lell fee; heace Ifai.6 . 9· In feeing they fee not : how came tfiat t<i tafs? rhey did fee, but faw not really. Fifchly, 'Tis fuch aKnowledg as.hinders fro:n .raving-kno\v_ledg of Chrifl; John 9· <9· I c11me that the] that fee mtght be made blmd. The Wife learned Corinthian; muHbecon:e fooli!hnefs, a~ ~ the light that isin thee is darknefs. This ligl:!t (bnd>in your l!ahr: and yet rhts ts the Know\edg that rhoufand thoufands conrent theTJe_lve ;~vi t ~~ll , and hence catch hold on .ChriH, and chink rhey have him, when m truth ns bur rhe Image and fancy of h1m: what then isthis k.Jowledg or feeing ofChrift? ·· There is a feeing ofCii :ifl after aman believe,, which is ChtiH in his love &c. but Ifpe<~k of that firft tioht of him rhat precedes rhe fecond act of Fairh and 'ris an inruirive or reJl light ~f him as he is in his Glory. ' G triH reve,lis hi; wonder~ ful glory t? rhe fouC r~ally; as ex gr. A. man he.m !in to _be rhegreatefi evil, I and fomemr.econcetves by argumenr how, ?m \e~s not rhe rhtng .!in , though he fees the word !in: fo aman rhat never travaJ!ed mto forraign parts, may hear and read, :md fpe.tk of Countries : or as Ht:rbalifls read of the nature of Plants' and I :r ~ees , yet t;ever faw the thi11gs , ~1ay mmple upon them 1yhen rhey _fee rhem : fd 1t 1' one rh111g :o read of the S~!l ~n a Book , or tb ~now lt by relanon·, another I thmg to k~ow_ tt by figk !hts 1s therefore the favmg-k_no~vledg of Chrift, to fee the Lord 1n hiS Glory as he IS : not perfee\ly, for that IS m Heaveh; hence we t all there fee hi 'll , and be like unto him, but imperfectly, ahd in parr, 2 Cor.3. • Changed here into the fame Ima!!· And this appears , ft:om rhefe fo ur ounds. , I. ThJr Kno\vle9gthe Saints have of Chrift, 'tiHlot by bareivord only, · bui: 1 o by theSpirir. The word relates ChriH , ~ut rhe Spirit is the" interpreter (if rhe Word: the lnterprerer of 1-le.\Ven muR mrerpret the hricruaoe of Hewen. I Now the Spirit ever Chews us thit~gs a' rhey are, even though tfey bedeep thincr~, . 1 ~n d myllenes, It makes them p\~111, I Cor. 2: 9, Io. As the Sun when it ari/ef6 I :t [tatter tall dar~nejfe , fo when thu day-jlqr arifeth : Not that the[e things are rev~.t1edwirhourtheW~r? : fot2 Cor. 2, 14. and~ ~or.4·4· l~(t thelightof the' Gofpd Chould D11ne: ns by the Word that rhe Spun dorh enhgbten'. !2Jteft. Anfw. 1. 2. Be~aufe the lig~r of rhe Knowledg ofChriR, 'risas the knowledg of a thiri~ 111 aglnrs, I Cor. I 3. I :z.. Now though you fee nor the man face to face , yet 1f _ __ ____ _ ________________L__ z·--------~--~--~~y~o_u ______ ~
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