5 58 An -Exposition upon Chap. i3 ofthe fenfes,andthey may perform their faithfull themfelves were but in part funétions, as Ariffotle defcrtbes" in his awaked out of fin, Mat. 25. t, 2. The book (de fimno &vigiliis.)Spirituallyby five wife Virgins !lumbered no leffè deep is fignified [ firme] which being fe- then thefoolish, and the Church Cant. curdy lived in, difableth the foul from 5.2.confeffeth that howfoever her heart doing the duties of a godly life ,whereof waked, yet she was afleep. Thirdly, men have no care fo long as they be Chriftians have Rill fome drowfineffe careleffe and fenfeleffe, without the and fluggifhneffe about heavenly things knowledge and fear of God, no more hanging upon them : this exhortation then fleepy men have care of theirordì- then (to awake out of fleep) is alwaies nary aflàirs.r, urther, our fpirituall wa- needfull,as to leave the reprobate with- king implyeth a knowledge of the will out excufe, and to lead the ele& which ofGod, and a ftudy of a godly conver- are not yet born anew, to a confidera- Cation : at a word, flothfulneffe ofthe tion of their eftate, that they may turn minde drowned in worldly cares, car- and live ; fo to quicken the fouls of nail fecurity, ignorance and contempt true beleevers, unto a farre greater care of God, are the fleep here fpoken of, of holineffe then ever yet they cx- which caufeth unregenerate men to be preft. And this is the very leffon which dead, even when they arealive, as it is we are all here to learn and take out, written of the Ephef ans being unbelee. that fuch as have donewell go forwards vers, Ephef 2. I. and of thofe wanton with all alacrity and courage. It is not widowes which were given to their enough to enter into the ¡late of Chri- pleafure, t Tim. g. and of the Church of ftianity, but we muff Rill go forwards Sardis, both Pallor and people,Rev. 3.1. till we have finifhed our courfe. Chri- For as for the time of [fleep] it little ftians mutt feek to grow in grace, as differeth from death : fo fecure finners worldlings itt riches, in honours, &c. a are fpiritually dead; but on the contra- progreffe in true piety is the fcope ry, faith in Chrift, accompanycd with which Paul here aimeth at. hope, love, fear of God, and repentance T t M. What reafon may be rendred of is the waking out of fleep here fpoken this lefon ? of, which caufeth men though dead to S r L. The very fame that Paul rem - live ; for fuch as live godlily in this dreth here, becaufe our falvation (that world, are lure to live happily in the is eternall life in heaven) is nearer then world to come : for the life of grace is when we beleeved, which compareth the eternall ending in glory which ne, (not the Law of Mofes with the Go- ver hash end. - fpell) as an obscure light with a more T s m. Tea, but thefe Romans were clearer, but the increafing of.our faith converted and did beleeve, therefore why with the beginning,(for he writeth not Both he fay to them, It is time to awake out of to the Jewes only, but to Gentiles) by fleep ? as ifs hey were dead unto fin, and not allufion to fuch as run in a race, who alive to God ? run the more fwifter the nearer they S t L. It is true, that the Romans come to their races end, left if they be for the moftor be$ part, were indeed flothfull, others over -!trip them and regenerate perlons and beleevers, fuch get the goal from them : fo Chriftians as were already wakened out of the the longer time they have been belee- fleep of fin, as appeareth by the tefti- vers, and the further they have pro - motty that Paulgave them, Rom. 1. 6, 7, ceeded in the way of godlineffe, they 8. & 6. 17, i9. yet this admonition is mutt run with the greater diligence not unfit and unmeet for them, becaufe and earnefineffe. The motion of a Chri- Dill there were amongst them fuch as ftian life, muff not be like to a violent flept in fin, being drowned in the motion, which is flower toward the pleafures of this life, notminding God, end : but like a naturall motion,which nor their own falvation : and even the towards the end is the fwifter. Hither- to
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