ten Virgins Opened and Applied. his own, he mull feel awant of the Lord and his pretence, nor only of his comforting, bur of his holy prefeuce , for fome feople there be rh,Jt never felc a want of Cbri!l: at all, they are ~rear and gnevous lmners , but they rru!l to ChnH, and thouoh he ktll them , yet they will rru!l to him : others are in mifery, and they feel; want of redemption , and hence dole with Chri!Hor rhat, Pfalm 78. · 35· Oahers are in horror, and know n~t what .to do, and they ~eel a wamof the comforrs of ChriH, and hence clofe wtrh Chnfl: for du~ , and If rhey find 1t they depart from Chri!l by lo~:lenefs of life, if not by defrair ofheart, as Saul, I Sam. 28. God anfwers menot byUrim, &c. Orhersfeelawanroffomerighteoufnefs from Chri!l, rhe havin~ of which fupports and fu£1:al:ns them widi•)un Chrift, rill with the Prodigal, when all is fpent , then they chink of. Bread at home , and thewant ofwhich makes them to have letfee!leem.of, and delire afterChrifl:, bur they are full of Objeelions ag.1in!l the thoughts of doling with him, but hence they clofe with Chrifl: for that. Others rhere are that feel a want of the Lord himfelf, and hence clofe with hi:n for himfeif; fo chat lee a man have all bleffings in the world, rhepuriry of Ordinances, never fo many illapfes, and droppings of divinelight,andlife, andcomfortinthefe Ordinance;, rhar hewonders the Lord ihould befo good to him, yet he fhal~ find (if right) hi>foul fecrerly unquiet and unfarisfied till he harh the Lord htmfelf. As rhe faV~)Ur of meumakes aman that wants it, cry the more ' after ir, long tbe more for it; fo the favour and fweec of all cre,uures, all Ordinances, all Duties, do not Hay, but fl:ir up the foul to feek Chriit, when he is himfelf, Jer.5o.4, They fha!lfeek_the Lord weeping. Hence firll: they felt awmr of him. The full foullo41ths the hone1-comb. Ler rfie Lord be never lofweet, let him do them never fo much good, the more good he cloth rhe11, the leffe they regard him, Jer. 2.6. They faid not where u the Lord? Therefore th.lt f0ul that truly clofech with the Lord, mufl: fir!l: feel awant of rhe Lord, and C\y rhefe Ordinances are not bread, thefe creatures are nor bread, all thefe pares, gifts, dmies are not bread, bun, not bread. All this favour, this fweemeffe 'ris not bread. Hence I perifh· for Want of bread, I have creatures, Ordinance', Affections, comforts, Duties, but Oh no Chrifl:. Like rhe Prodil?all, Lufe! I 5-17. Oh therefore do not only fee, but feel the want of rhe Lord JCfus, you that neve. had him yet; nay you that have him, you cannot have more of him, but by feeling more the want of him. Oh it was a marvellous expreffion of Mofes, when the Lord began to grow weary of their company, E>:od. 33.r 5.. Ifthou .(•eft not with m, car;z m not up ~ence, i.e. Let us rather die rhan . hvewtthouc thee. Mary when Chnit 'fVas crucified, the carcafe of the Lord was gone, !he fare there weeping: Oh much more for the lord himfelf. Its ~>brerved by fome for the fadde!l fpect~cl~~_ to ~ee a deferc "~:"own: Oh what is 1t to fee adeferc hem, where no Chn!l mhabtts? Or a my, -<Jnd no Inhabitants. And hence its Rornes curfe, to be made an habitation of devils; fo here. What is Hell,buc rhis,to fee nor Abraham, bur to fee Chri!t afar off? and thy Ielf !hut our. It may be'tis no forrow n<'w, but it will be. Ics a fad thing ro fee a ma~ rife up early? go to btd late, eat tf'e f;read of ca~ifulnejfe, and yet gain nothing, Phz/.I.H, Thtsisveryfad. Chnfl: IS out gam, all the creatures you haw, means you ufe, duties you do·, comforts you receive, they are noe gain, nay, rhe more God cloth for rhee, the rr:ore thou lofelt, if no Chrift, becaufe now rhou m full by this means. Oh rhererore gee a heart fenlible of the want of the Lord.: Think rhere is a Chrifl:, whore Glory is the amazement of Heaven, but Oh I fee him not. Happy for ever are they thac have him, but Oh I have him not. Your pungry bellies c~nnor want bread, if they do? they are never quiet till they have It. Is the Lord no better? Lord grant rhts contempt be nor revenged with fpirituall plagues! Some of you know not .your want, others feel it nor, you can live withnut him;· worfe than Saul, he went to Urim, and lamented in great difl:reffe, He anfwm me not! Oh you feel no di(heffe, becaufe of rhis, I have him nor!
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