288 Religion; our firfl and great Concernment: Vol. , ploy'd to this piirpoCe, will be fufficient. Alas ! what can we then do thatrls good for any thing ? that can in reafon be thought either acceptable to God, for available for.oür felves? When we have not Senfe and Underßanding enough to difpofe of our Temporal Concernments, and to make our Wills, do we think we (hall be fit to repent of the Sins and Mifcarriages of our whole Lives, and to! make our Peace with God ? Every Man mutt not expeft to have Saul's Fortune, who when he was wearied with feeking his Father's Affes met with a Kingdom. We mutt not think when we are tired with purfuing the Follies and Vanities of this World, to retire into Heaven, and to fit down pith Abraham, Ifaac, and Ja- cob, he the Kingdomof God. Our Saviour hath taken care to cautión us againft this defperate Folly, by a Parable to this very purpofe, of the Foolifh Virgins, who having trifled away their time till the Bridegroom was coming, and negle&ed to get 0yl into their Lamps, (by which we are to.underttand all thofe good Preparations'and Difpo- litionswhich are neceffary to qualifie us for the Kingdomof God) I fay, having negle&ed theirOpportunity of getting 'this OA while they were looking after it too late, theDoor was thus againfk them; they thought to have repaired all at Taft, by borrowingof others, and fupplying themfelves that way. ; And thus many deceive themfelves, hoping to be fupplied out ofanother llore, when they have no Grace and Goodnefsof,their own; out of the Treafure of the Church, from the redundant Merit of the Saints, and the Works;of,Superer- rogation ? of which Tome believe (1 know not for what Reafon) that there is a great flock which the Pope may difpofe of, to fupply thofe who have takenno care toget Oyl into their Lamps. But I know not for what Reafon Works of Supererrogation are fuppofed ; the Wife Virgins knew notof any Merit they had to fpare, it was the Foolifh Virgins only that entertained this fenfelefs Conceit. _: I am fure the Parable infinuates the quite contrary, that the Beft and Holieft Per- fon's (which are reprefented by the Wife Virgins) have nothing to fpare for the fupplyofothers, who have been carelels of their Souls; the Foolifh faid unto the Wife, give us ofyour Oyl,,for our Lamps aregone out ; but the Wife anfreered, faying, notfo, left there be not enough for us and you, but go ye rather to them that fell, and huyfor your felves. It Teems they had no Works of Supererrogation that they 'knew of, but they do Ironically fend them to. a Market that was fet up fome- where, and where thefe things were pretended to be fold; but how they fped; the Conclufion of the Parable tells us, that . whilft they were running about in great hafte to make this purchafe of the Merits . and good Works of others, the Bridegroom came, and the Wife Virgins that were ready went in with him to the Marriage, and the ref( were (hut our. And there are thofe likewife among,our felves, whohaving been carelefs to qualifie themfelves for the Kingdom ofGod, hope to be fupplied out of the Infi- niteTreafure of Chrift's Merits : But this alto is a vain hope. For tho' there be Merit enough in the Death and Sufferings of Chrift to fave all Mankind, yet no Man can lay claim thereto, who does not perform the Conditions of the Gofpel. Others thinkby fending for the Minifter, when the Phyfician hath given them over, to receive in a few Hours fuéh Advice andDire&ion, as will do their bu- finefs, as effe&wally, as if they had minded Religion all their Lives long ; and that a fewDevout Prayers faid over themwhen they are juft imbarking for ano- ther World, will, likea Magical Wind, immediately waft them over into the Regions of Blifs and Immortality. But let us not deceive our (elves; we may defer the Bufinefs fo long, 'till we (ball get nothingby our late application to God, and crying to him Lord,. Lord, open unto us, but that fevere Anfwer, Departfrom me, ye worl¿ers of Iniquity, I know ye not whenceye are. If we would not have this our Doom, let us fil feek the Kingdom ofGod, and his Righteoufnefs, that fo having ourFruit unto Ho- linefs, our End maybe Everlafling Life. SER=
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