ten Virgins Opened and Applied. \ 8 I Chrilt, ifone be in our1V1rd tr_ouble , now w Chrifi he goe-s-.ro--:d-el-iv-er-;-if-p-re_lf<_e..--1 - with inward rrouble fo< fo•ne !Ins, n?IV ~o Chnll: w remove rhe·n , and fo to eaci- . fie confcience; if wirh wmrofCimH hunfelf, now he goes fo r lwr.felf. 2. Th:?fe rim clofe with Pro:nife' without Chrilt him!elf, and divide berween rhem rwo, tlm. fl:rip Chriit :'lf rhde his ?wadling-clou~s, I?Uke 'r_fldr gAin of_rbde, and let himfelf go. I confe!le all 2 Chnlh~m we,1lrh ts la:d t~p 111 Prd:nife;.., ,not in words and fyllable;, for they are deld thn~gs_, but Chnll: ll1 them; a11d God' fairhful!:dfein rhem, 2 Sam. 23. 4, 5· TillS ts all rnyfalvanon, br all furnefS' is in Chrilt, he is rich , but wh.1t am I the better ?_ nay the more miferable , for all e~nprindfe is in me ; therefore in rhe pro:mfe hes my pe.Ke. And_this is a Chrifl:ims fupport in all troubles , and_hence he c~lts anchor here ; bur here is hi~ frame~ he byes not hold on rhem \Vtthout Chnfl:, but by them goes ro Chrill:, and there 1·e:!s, John 6. 45. He that hath heard of the Father cometh unto ~me. Give children'milk in the diih, rhey cry ftill, they mull: hwe ir from rhe Mor.her and there fuck: fo 2 Pet. I. z, 3· Now there are others th.Jt finding fome I'Vork in rhemfclves wirhourChrifl:, and thin1<ing that it's fJvin·~ , and fo.a good _figne; hence arc mitbken, and clofe with i~ wirhout Chrill:, and now they think it's Well. I doubt nor bur rhe Jews th.lt be devwt co:nforted the nlelves•wirh tlm promlfe, He that confc/[eth, c!7c. Prrn;. 28. I 3· nor Ul'!derHanding of ic, _Mat, 3· - Sa; not within ;o;n- felves Jve have Abraham to our Father , th,tt promtfe kept the 11 offfro:11 ChriH, Mat. zz. Some came not to the Feall:, fo:ne came bur without a Wcddlng Garmem. 'Tis wirh there men as 'tis. with men that cd~e to' buy · Wines, they tal le them, and content rhemlelves Wtth a talte , anor her buyes the thinv : a Saint cloth fo; another taltes the fween, and after falls to the imp.u:- don~ble fin , Heb. 6. Or Js 'ris with a man that fees c?rn on the ground, re buyes rhe field, another he gle.uu fo:newh.Jt, and contents htmfelf Wtth that. There is inonewordadoub!eerror, ' ' Firlt, Whe11 amm 11ull clofe wirh Chrifi without l>romifes ; and hence fee~ robe fe1ted without a Pro:nife. Hence f.ty fome, you mull: not g1ther any evi-, dence fro:n any qualification you feel in your felf. . .Secondly, When men ihall fnatch and dibp!e at Promires, and mifapply them, not doling wirh ChriH in tlk•n and by them;I have confe!fed my fin,and repented, and run aw,Jywitb this without Chrift. Oh time will co:ne the Lord will f.ty, how cclll1elt thou in hither? what haf! thou to do to take my Promiles into thy mouth) to arm rhy felf againfl: Chrifl: by Promi~es to make afpoyl of Chri~s grams, and !er h111 be crucJfied. When Saul rent oft S~tmuels garment, he fatd, The Lord [hall rend, &c. I Sam. I5. 27,28. The letter kills, a!!Pro:nifes without Chril1 !lly, becaufe they keep rhefamillting Soul from Bre1d it felf. 3. Thole rim clole not with Pro:nifes only , but with Chrill himfelf, but ir's only with rhe l tmge and fancy ofhi•n,which they think is himlelf. !n rrue Fait!) rhe Father reveals the Solt as he is, or rhe Son reve1ls himfelf as he is, and Faith hence clofeth with him as he is, John 6. 40. But fo'Ile there be th ,Jt heJr 0f him, hence think wh.1t he is. Hence a canul mind imagines of him as it i:nagines of a King in a f:tr Coun:ry, an! f1lls down to his Image,and trufl:s ro it,~t1d depends on it, andjoye> in it, unrill a man come> to be converted, or to dye: and then he fee; the deceit. Or if he did fee him, yet he c.m fee no be2uty in hia1 to defire him. There is many a mm in this ofe rh.1t trufl:s ro, and joyes in Chri!l, who:n if he did know he would lo.uh. Joh~: came pre.tching the Gofpcl to ihew rhem Ch~·ilt, they all came to him, and rejoyced in his light, but it 1v as but for a feafon: forwhenhecametoihe1v the.11 there he is, '/?hn I. 29. noc.one man lll:ir> when he !l,ews the .n Chrill:, and verf. 35. only,wo: and chap. 3 ~ 3 2. No man received his telti:nony. This is (Beloved) the gre.Jt fin and c,JUfe of all the reil:, If 1 l ;hey hahedknown tlh1ey whoulfd 11 not hJve crull:cified rdbc.Lhord of Globry. 11 Chr~ll: ihs. nor .•. I •een, nee nott oug to , 'ence note ee11e ; ence men oan not m 1111: _ M _N~ay~,~------- ·
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