Several Works

David did think upon his ways, and turned his feet unto his testimonies; the word there for thinking 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 noteth some accurateness in surveying a man's life; the word signifieth, curiously to devise, as cunning Artificers, because such devises are the work of the thoughts: so then he did with great exactness think upon his ways, studied to find out every error to an hairs breath, and so to frame his course: and why should not the godly make as curious work of it in holiness, as sinners do in sin? and this is the very reason why men do often miss their way, they do not often inquire what the rule is whereby they work, and for what end they do this or that: this is to look round about us: as a man, if he go on, and there be many turnings, and never look backward nor upward to see whither his course be strait, it is five to one but he goeth out of his way, ye should have said, why do we persecute him? so they should have said, but so they did not say; they should have inquired for what end they did it, by what rule; so the Jews in their blind rage against Christ, alas, they knew not what they did: look to thy foot then in thy spiritual and thy civil conversation: in thy spiritual, and offer not up the sacrifice of fools, for they know not that they do evil, make rash vows, and then break them, and think to put it off, by saying, before the Angel it was an error: this is the sacrifice of fools, they inquire not before hand what they do; and so in your civil conversation, inquire what, and why you do this, or the other action, that the end be holy, and the rule holy, even the Word of the ever living God, and then there is hope you will go strait: A fools bolt is soon shot, they neither mind the art of shooting nor the mark, and therefore never hit the mark: how came it to pass the Jew swear so brutish in their adultery and Idolatry, to worship Stocks and Stones? why, saith the Text, None considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge and understanding to say, I have burnt part of it in the fire, yea, also, I have baked bread upon the coals thereof, I have roasted flesh and eaten it, and shall I make the residue an abomination? and shall I fall down to the Stock of a tree? he feeds on ashes, a deceived heart hath turned him aside that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, is there not a lie in my right hand? so a deceived, a bewitched heart, with some pleasant lust, or somewhat that men are bent and set upon, turns them aside, they cannot deliver their souls, they cannot say, is there not a lie in my right hand? and if they could but say thus, and examine their ways, lay their steps to the rule, they would walk more orderly.

Fifthly, In every serious undertaking, inquire of God, seek his face, in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths; but indeed here is the misery of it, we will first resolve what we will do, and then go and inquire of God, which is to mock him to his face. David went among the Philistines of his own head, without inquiring of God, and what came of it we see; he was gotten out of the way, and many a sna • e was he taken in, and many a stumbling block did he fall upon, before he returned into the way again; how hard was he put to it, to tell lies to Achish, to dissemble, and put hmself on to fight with them against Israel; but that the Lord did wonderfully deliver him: never poor man was in a greater strait; at other times he did beg of God to direct him, and he did lead him, and upheld his goings, O that my ways were directed, saith he, to keep thy Statutes. Without his Spirit (though we have the rule of the Word yet) we cannot rightly apply it to our particular cases and actions, and therefore we had need to go to him.

Sixthly, Be sure we look to our humility, to keep our hearts low before the Lord, for those are they he will teach his way; the more humble a man is, and the lower thoughts he hath of himself, the more circumspect will he be; this humility is opposed to that confident rage of some men; A prudent man looks well to his goings; but a fool rageth and is confident: This I say, saith the Apostle, that everyone of you think of himself not more highly then he ought to think, but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to everyone the measure of grace: When a man is so confident, he knoweth his way as well as any can tell him, and therefore he will inquire of no man; this man of all other is most likely to go astray, therefore look to this.

Seventhly, Take heed of Squint eyed ends, for they will draw aside the heart, the affections, the feet of the soul; if we look not strait before us, but always looking on one side, it is not likely we shall make strait steps to our feet; therefore saith the Wise man, Let thine eyes look strait on; and thine eye-lids look strait before thee; to the mark of the price, as the Apostle aimed at that; look strait before you, to the strait rule, it is to walk before you, and this is the way to keep yourselves right in the way, this is the way, not to turn to the right hand nor to the left; they were Jehu his ends which drew himself▪ aside: afterward, to countenance and set up the same Idolatry which he himself had destroyed, or else to continue some Idolatry, though he destroyed some.

Eighthly, Take heed of halting between two, of going to a kind of neutrality, as the Jews were guilty much in this kind; If God be God, follow him, and if Baal be God, follow him; little better were they that would reconcile us and the Papists together by a commission, for this haltingwill draw us out of the way by degrees; make strait steps to your feet, lest that which is lame be driven out of the way and not healed; away then with complying with the times and parties, whose ways we judge to be false, any further then the Law of Christ, the Law of Love requireth us to own them, walk with them.

Ninthly, Forecast what temptations and snares you may meet with in the way of God, lest if you meet with more then you expected, you be overtaken by them; therefore our Savior tells the man what he was like to trust to, The Son of man had not where to lay his head; you must forecast to meet with many tribulations in the way to heaven: if you dream of a way strewed with Violets and Roses, and find Briers and Thorns, what a sore discouragement will this be, and a temptation to forsake the way, to turn aside from following the Lord? expect then that you may be assailed by the frowns, yea, and smiles of the world, which is more dangerous of the two; that you may lose friends, relations, the love of all, and be hated of all men, for the name sake of Christ, the more exactly you walk; for the world cannot bear too great a luster and glory of holiness in any; expect this, it would be no strange thing to you then, no more then you look for, and then it will not be so dangerous to thrust you aside from following the Lord.

Tenthly, Labor to arm yourselves with a strong persuasion of the Al-sufficiency of God, to keep you in, and deliver you from the threatening evils you may meet with in your ways, and of the Al-sufficiency of his goodness, to be your exceeding great reward, though you have but little with righteousness here in this world; and then brethren, you will hardly be drawn to the right hand, or to the left; what is the reason that fear turns many men aside? and it is very ingenuous to find out diverticula, as Calvin saith; and as you see in the case of Peter and Abraham, when he lied to save his wife; and so David when he spake untruly to Abimelech the Priest first; and then afterward to Achish King of Gath, as you have it in the Story, in the first Book of Samuel, his fear overwhelmed him, he had forgotten his rock, the Lord Jehovah: and so for God, would men be so full of self-seeking as they are, if they did believe that God were able to make an abundant recompense to them, though they had little in the world for their service of him? it is a very plain case, Abraham would not take from a thread to a shoo latchet of the King of Sodom's goods, they should not say they had made Abraham rich, he had God was an all-sufficient portion to him: O • if men were of this spirit of faith in God's all-sufficiency, the smiling world would very little prevail to draw any aside to the thriving side, or opinion, as I doubt it is; well then, labor for this persuasion, and you shall find it a wonderfnl support to keep us upright in our goings, which is a great part of this circumspect walking.

Alas, But you will say, this is a difficult duty indeed to walk thus exactly, and as I may say in a frame; and if this be so, who then can walk the ways of God, if there must be this strictness? To this I answer.

First, Plead not the difficulty against a duty, for difficult duties must be done▪ by how much the more difficult, by so much the more excellent; and what else were the difference between the form and the power; between a Saint and an Hypocrite, if the Saint did not take up the most strict inward spiritual difficult services, as well as the more slight and outside, and overly? lay the necessity then in the other▪ balance against the difficulty, and see which will weigh down the other.

Secondly, Suppose thou be weak and find thyself far short of this duty, yet there is no reason thou shouldest be discouraged, but lift up the hands that hang down, and stir up your souls to it, and buckle to the work, there is nothing so hard, but diligence will overcome, specially if you consider the condition thou art in, if thou be in Christ, for then thou hast a fullness of strength in Christ, through him, saith the Apostle, I am able to do all things; and why not thou as well as the Apostle? is there not as much fullness now, and is not Christ as free to communicate it now, as then only? thou sittest down discouraged, and wilt not go to the Fountain for relief. Again (2.) In Christ thou hast all the Promises, Yea and Amen; now how many such promises are there? He will give the Spirit to them that ask, and he keepeth the feet of his Saints, and such as have no might he will renew their strength, and they shall run and not be weary, and walk and not faint, and the way-faring man (though a fool) shall not err therein in this way of God, which is cast up; you let these precious Promises lie dead; why do you not improve them, plead them with the Lord? Say then with the Psalmist, O that my ways were directed to keep thy Statutes: say to him, Lord, thou requirest a circumspect, an exact walking before thee; there are so many stumbling blocks and snares within and without; and I am so foolish and weak, I am ignorant of Satan's devises, I cannot order one of my steps to avoid them thy promise is, the foolish shall not wander; thy Promise is to give strength to them that have no might; I am the poor creature that hath no might, to will is present, I would fain walk thus circumspect, but how to perform it I find not. O see if the Lord do not condescend to take you by the arm, and to teach you to go, and to keep you close to himself in his ways, and in every respect be as good as his word to you, and at the end, himself be your exceeding great reward for your so walking before him.

We have done with the Apostles Exhortation to walk wisely, now we come to the Argument he enforceth it with; Not as fools, but as wise; Sapientia prim • , stultitia caruisse; the Apostle setting the contraries one against another, would make it the more clear and emphatical, and therefore this manner of speaking is often used in Scripture: If we spake to one part, the other will follow by the rule of contraries, and we shall in the enlargement meet with it by way of Doctrine.

The Doctrine therefore is this, It is an Effect, and an Argument, a Proof of Christian Wisdom indeed to walk circumspectly, exactly: If you would approve yourselves to be wise memas you profess yourselves to be, then walk circumspectly, exactly, this is one of the highest demonstrations of it you can give,

I shall endeavor to prove this by some Scripture, and then show in some particulars how it is apparently wisdom thus to walk, and then make some Application of it.

For the proof of it, there are many Scriptures which make it appear: walk wisely toward them which are without, redeeming the time: where exact and circumspect walking towards them which are without, lest we offend them, drive them away from Christ, prejudice them against the ways of Truth, is called a walking wisely; there is great need of wisdom then to all other parts of this circumspect walking; it is of the like force with that of the Spouse, I charge you by the Roes and Harts of the field that you stir not my beloved before he please; stir him not by any unseasonable importunity, nor by any provocation drive him away, for if you do, this will be offensive to the Roes, creatures easily frighted away▪ that are wild, and but beginning to be tamed; now this is wise walking; and that of the Psalmist, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and a good understanding have they that keep his commandments, his praise endureth forever; the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; this is the head, the top of wisdom, the principal part, for this comprehends the first part of the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or rule, that is to say, that which guides us to a right worshipping of God in Spirit and in Truth, which is the first thing; this is the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the godliness the Scripture so often maketh mention of; to be exact in this, is the beginning, the first born of wisdom, and the end of wisdom is to keep his Commandments, all his Commandments, respecting man and God; or else fear of God is put for the inward principle of obedience and keeping the Commandments, for the real demonstration of it in a holy and righteous conversation: which way ever you take it, a good understanding they have that keep them; so that it is an effect and argument of wisdom; Be wise now therefore, O ye Kings, be instructed ye Judges of the earth; they are usually, or would be wise men already; I but there is one piece of wisdom that the Laws of men teach not, but the School of Christ, and that is, Kiss the Son, lest be he angry, & ye perish from the way, or in the way; and so another Scripture saith, This shall be your wisdom in the sight of the Nations, if ye keep the Commandments of the Lord, they shall say, surely this Nation is a wise and understanding people; I will beleave myself wisely in a perfect way, saith the Psalmist; if ye walked in a perfect way and exactly, it would be wise walking indeed; and therefore you shall find, that all grace and ability, and strength, whereby we are enabled to walk the ways of God aright, it is called Wisdom; get Wisdom, get Understanding; Wisdom is the principal thing, and what is this, but an ability to walk the ways of God exactly? no more for proof.

For the further confirmation of this Doctrine, take these Considerations.

First, It is wisdom to propound a right end, to choose the chief good for his chief end, is a principal part of wisdom: the Heathens professing themselves wise, they became fools; they thought they were able by the creatures to run up to the first being, and so the first and chief good; but woefully they were mistaken. A fool he is that works for no end, as many men do, they bowl away the greatest part of their lives, without any mark that they aim at that is good; this is the folly which is bound in all men's hearts; it is wisdom then to have a mark whereat men aim in all their actions, and to have this mark the chief good, the right end whereto all should he directed, to make him who is the Alpha the Omega; it is no small piece of wisdom; The eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth, but wisdom is before him that hath understanding; here, and there, and everywhere, when they should be fixed upon some mark or stop to which all should be directed, as the Apostles were, he had his mark in his eye still, and they should let their eyes look right on; this is wisdom indeed. Now this is one, piece of exact walking and a main one too, thus to eye the first and chief good, that is to say, God himself for our last end, to propound him to ourselves, as the center of our souls, wherein alone we can rest with satisfaction; Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth I desire in comparison of thee; this was a wise man indeed: this is the first: Wisdom consists in the provision of the end.

Secondly, To provide and make use of the right means to this end in general, is another piece of this Wisdom; the wise man's eyes are in his head; if a man have never so good an end, and yet know not which way to compass it, nor how to go about to gain it, this is a fool▪ when a man hath the mark in his eye, to set the bias the wrong way, and so to go clear off this end, argues not skill but weakness, his heart is at his left hand; and indeed herein is most evident the power of Wisdom, to discover the right means for such an end as will make a man happy, and to know how to make use of them, and accordingly to improve them for that end: the Wisdom of the prudent, is to understand his way; now who is it that doth this, but the circumspect exact walker? others, they turn the bias another way, some to prophanness, others to heresy, &c. they tread not the track at all, as if a man intending to go South-ward, takes his course quite Northward, clean contrary. So men intend heaven, but their course bends hell-ward: sure this is folly: no, no, Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and he alone, and therefore this is Wisdom brethren, to know who is the Wisdom of the Father, to come to him, close with him, walk in him, as we have received him.

Thirdly, It is Wisdom, and great Wisdom for men then to take the nearest way, and easiest way to a thing; Labor in vain is not the character of a wise man; that doth movere, & non promovere • ; now it is labor in vain to go a further way about, or a worse way to an end, when there is a nearer and better; frustra fit per plura, quod fieri potest per pauciora; how many miles doth a Spaniel run in his excursions to no purpose, whereas if he kept close after his Master, he would not, nor need to tire himself so much nothing near; and so it is with many a soul that doth follow Jesus Christ indeed, but they follow him not closely, do rove and ramble many times, and then are fain to come in again to the way by the weeping cross, the by-paths being rough and harsh, and full of pricking briars and wounding thorns; no surely, brethren, the rule of holy walking is the straitest path that leadeth most directly to heaven, there is no nearer way then God hath there chalkt out for us; and therefore the exact walker that keepeth closest to this rule, to walk according to this rule, he goeth the nearest way; men dream they have a nearer and an easier way then this strict and strait path, but alas, it is but a dream, when they awake they find they are far wide from the way, and therefore are drawn with much pains, much heart-breaking to return again, before they can go on in the way to God to heaven; foolish children they are that stay long in the place of breaking forth of children; we do obstruct our own mercies, and make a great deal of work for repentance and tears, which might have been avoided if we had walked circumspectly with God; and then in that time which we have spent, and that strength laid out upon our returning again, what a considerable progress might we have made further in the way of God? as in the case of David: was it his wisdom, think you, or his folly when he turned aside out of the way, fetched a vagarie, a compass, I have done very foolishly, saith he in that place, I have gone out of the plain and pleasant paths of wisdom into this rough and thorny way, and now I have gotten a thorn in my foot, a wound to my soul; and so he did in the matter of Uriah: fools, because of their transgression are afflicted; now the circumspect exact walker, that keepeth close to God, he avoideth all these excursions, much of this trouble and sorrow; and is not this a notable piece of wisdom?

Fourthly, It is wisdom for a man to suit and shape his course according to the exigence of his condition: Ye are, saith our Savior, sent as Sheep among Wolves, therefore be wise as Serpents; that is a wise Sheep, that being among many Wolves, so carrieth it as to escape their mouths and cruelty; the people of God do walk among Lions, their way is full of Lions, roaring Lions, seeking whom they may devour. Now for a man so to walk as to avoid these, and yet to keep his way, this is wisdom indeed: you have heard before, how full of snares and stumbling blocks and offenses there are in the way; this is the exigence of every believers condition, some more some less; now is not this wisdom, so to carry it, as in such danger, neither to give offense, nor take offense? to keep his foot out of the snare when he walks among them? O surely, this is wisdom indeed; had not a man need of much wisdom that hath the eyes of so many enemies upon him, watching for his halting, ready to blaz • n his infirmities, catching at somewhat they may make a reproach, accuse him to the Powers, overthrow him? this is the manner of the world, as to the outward man; and this is the continual working of Satan by sin, and all his instruments, as to the inward man; now he that carrieth his Cup so even in such a case, as to keep the favor of the King, and avoid ruin, is he not a wise man? and so here in respect of the favor of the King of Kings; and who is this that doth it, but the exact walker with God? Noah had as perverse a Generation to walk among, as any, and doutless as many snares, a world full of temptation, and yet he walked with God, kept his favor, was saved in the Ark, and brought to the enjoyment of himself; this was wisdom indeed.

Fifthly, It is Wisdom for a man to do that in its season or time, which if neglected, he will afterwards wish had been done; and to omit that, which aftterward, he will wish had not been done. It is a great part of Wisdom, to know the season for an action, For everything is beautiful in his season: there is not a man that now liveth and heareth this word, but would when he cometh to die, wish he had remembered his Creator in the days of his youth: much sin had been prevented then, some provision had been made for his eternal state; do you think the young men that cheer themselves in their own vanities, when they come to judgment, and to stand before the consuming fire, ready to burn them up as stubble, they will not wish, O that they had fled youthful lusts, O that they had lived more by rule then by lust! but alas, then it is too late: now is it not great Wisdom, while men have the day, to work and walk? because the night cometh, wherein no man can work: Stultorum est dicere non putaram: I had never thought that my day was so near to an end, as now I find it; now the circumspect walker he hath the light; and maketh use of it while he hath it, because he knoweth he shall not always have the light to work by, nor walk by; He that gathereth in harvest is a wise son; that is the season for gathering; for a man to neglect that time, and let winter come on, which will spoil all his harvest, and to say, I had not thought this year had been so far spent, is very gross folly: well, this is another.

Sixthly, It is wisdom to go through stitch with a work, if it be a thing worth the while: what thine hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might, (that is to say) not by halves, carelessly: what folly is it for a man to take some pains for an end, and for want of a little more to lose all? a man draweth the bow, seemeth to take aim, but for want of a little more care and exactness, misseth the mark and loseth all: this is the case of hypocrites, they take much pains for heaven, they seem to run as fast as any, and keep as much ado in the way of God as any, they pray often and much, and hear, and receive, and for want of a little more, they fall short and perish, because they look not to the frame of their hearts, their uprightness before God in it, and disallow not themselves in their halting, and therefore they lose all, and their souls, and all, is not this folly? who did more then the Pharisees for Heaven, and those in the seventh of Matthew? But they wanted one thing more, they busied themselves about many things, but the one thing more they neglected, and therefore miscarried; for a man to run, and wrestle, and strive, and yet to miss the prize for want of a little care, to strive lawfully, a little exactness and acurateness in the manner as well as the matter of their working, this is folly: alas, how many are there that seek to enter, as the foolish Virgins, but because they add not a little more, and strive to an agony, therefore they are not able thus to seek; this is to lose all their labor.

Seventhly, Another Argument is this: It is Wisdom that takes a course for the fullest enjoyment of the last end, the chiefest good; there are, it is believed degrees of Glory in Heaven; all the Saints shall shine, but some like Stars, some like the Sun, one Star differs from another in Glory; everyone shall have a mansion, and unspeakably Glorious, but they are not everyone that shall sit on the right hand, and on the left hand of Christ in his Kingdom. It is a great Reward indeed that diligent Ministers of Christ have, that are so indeed: Christ is said to have a thousand, and they two hundred Sheckels, the Keepers of the Vineyard, (that is to say) a fifth part of what he hath▪ Indeed in other goods, we have less good in them, and a mixture of snares, specially in our time of flesh and weakness to wield them aright, they are not so desirable in the highest degree. David was loath to be the Kings Son in-Law; Seemeth it to you a light thing, to be 〈◊〉 Son in-Law to a King? it is a greater burden then yo 〈…〉 are aware of, to carry it answerably to such a condition; Favorites places are slippery and dangerous, many envious eyes are upon them, to watch their halting, much ado to keep the heart humble in such a case; but now this good, the chief good, there is no snare in the fullness of enjoyment of him, but the more fully, the more happy; the more Grace, the more Glory; and therefore for a man to take up with less here, is not Wisdom, but folly and great weakness; therefore the Apostle puts them on, That they should not lose anything of what they had wrought, that they might have a full reward; and so neglect not, slubber not over your services, be exact in them, lose not so many Prayers, so many Sermons, so many Sacraments as you do, when you do them so carelessly, for want of a little acurateness you lose them, and lose of your reward; for there is fruit redounding to your account in the day of Christ.

Eighthly, It is a piece of Wisdom also for a man to make sure his title to an inheritance, if worth the having; who would be so fooled as to neglect this among men, where the good is scarce worth the looking after? now here is an inheritance incorruptible that fadeth not away, an inheritance of the Saints in light and glory: and is it not wisdom to make it sure, not to be at uncertainties? sure you will all conclude it is: now this is the way, and no other, circumspect, exact and diligent walking; do all diligence, it is not an idle, loose profession Brethren, that is accompanied with assurance, no, but a diligence there must be, a working, and working out, and with fear and trembling; there must be an adding to Faith, Virtue, &c. for if you do these things ye shall not fall, and an entrance abundantly shall be ministered into the everlasting Kingdom. Now what wise Master of a Ship would come into his harbor tattered, and torn, full of leaks, and ready to sink, if he might come in with the sails filled, in a gallant manner, which he may do by an acurateness of stearing a right course to avoid the rocks and sands? who would choose to go through a narrow wicket, as it were, hard and sharp, when he might have a wide door opened to him? O brethren, it is wisdom to make your calling sure, every man in distrust will tell you so, and when you come to die and look death in the face, your souls will say, that it is wisdom indeed then to have assurance: well, an exact walking with God is that way to procure it: let men say what they will of peace and assurance, while they walk loosely they must give me leave to suspect all that I know, that sin will undo our peace, if we carelessly fall into it.

For the Application of this then.

In the first place it may serve to wipe off that slandero • s imputation of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the false accuser of the Brethren, and of the ways of God, and of God to us, that he casts upon Religion, as if it were a thing that were besotting, it made men fools; this is a slander the Devil hath gotten much by, and therefore he useth it much; men are loath to be accounted fools, and think that to take upon them the strict course of Religion, is the next way to it; they could never have the liberty, nor the free use of their wits, and wisdom, and policy, nor the free use of the Creature, nor the good that is in them anymore; Brethren, this is false; it is the greatest wisdom in the world • ure you will say, to be wise to Salvation; to be wise to a little Popularity and Fame by ostentation of Science, falsely so called, to be wise to get a good Estate in the World, to grow rich, this is a poor thing; Brethren, but to be wise to Salvation is that will stand a man in most stead, when for all his other wisdom, and the effects of it, he shall be at his wits end; Beside, indeed this is the way to be wise for a man's name, for a man's Estate; for his Posterity also; for who is it that giveth power to get wealth? is it not the Lord? and is not circumspect walking before him to all welpleasing, the way to be blessed? blessed in basket, blessed in store? and if he blow upon it, and curse it, you may sow much, and it will come to nothing, you may put it into a bag, but there are many holes, out of which it will run; so many lusts unhealed, so many holes; and for his name, you are mistaken, it is to be righteous, their name shall be had in everlasting remembrance, it shall be embalmed; the name of the wicked rotteth, and stinketh, the remembrance of them is loathsome; Wisdom it self is folly to a fool, and so is the Wisdom of God to Salvation, foolishness to the wise men of the World; but this their way and judgment is their folly; and no greater evidence of folly, then to judge the ways of God foolishness. Well, the foolishness of God (as you count it) is wiser then men; you think it is foolishness to spend so much time in the service of God, less ado would serve the turn, as the Heathen Seneca derided the Christians, that they lost the seventh part of their time, (that is to say) the Sabbath, because they spent it not in the service of the world and vanity, as they did; and so do you, when a man is diligent and exact in his times and hours, spends so much time in waiting upon God, you think he is a fool, he will be a beggar, but when you and he come to lie upon a death-bed together, then tell me, who is the fool: as very a fool as he was, thou wilt then wish thou hadst been such a fool; and oh that thou mightest die his death! So if some be tender, and scruple at the taking an unjust gain in his trading, that which others can easily swallow, they think this man is a fool, he will never do any good with his Trade, he will be a beggar. Alas, they know not that a little with Righteousness, with a good Conscience, is better then great Revenues without Right; a little with God's Blessing, which maketh rich, giving contentation, and giving the sweet of Mercy, making them give down their sweet to them, is better then much without it; and when thou hast heaped up Gold as the dust, and Rayment as the clay, and withal, hast gotten a wound in thy Soul, a worm in thy Conscience, the rot and canker eats into thy soul, what hast thou gotten? who will be the wiser man? when the sins whereby thou hast gotten this, beginneth, to stare like so many devils in thy face? though thou hast built thee an house, a fair house and chambers by wrong, and he that dwells in a tent, is contented with a meaner condition, with a good Conscience, when the stone beginneth to cry out against thee, out of the wall, and the timber out of thy chambers, and thy ears are full, and thy heart full of the cry of thy sins and guilt whereby this hath been gotten, who will prove the wise man then? O surely Religion maketh not men fools.

Secondly, It may be a word of retortion, and serve to fasten the folly then upon the wisdom of the World; Wordlings think the people of God fools for their preciseness, but the Saints know them to be fools; will ye believe when the Lord speaks? do not harden your hearts now, and say, thou speakest falsely in the name of the Lord. Read that passage of the Apostle, and tell me what you think then; The Wisdom of the World is foolishness with God; is not God the only wise God, and do you think the Lord can be mistaken? though we that are poor weak creatures, like yourselves (may be) mis-judge, yet sure the Lord cannot; he is wisdom itself, and it is foolishness with God, he judgeth it so; and believe it, they are wise, whom he maketh wise; and they are fools, and that is folly whom he accounteth so; by the rule of contraries it followeth; if to walk circumspectly, be to walk as wise men, then to walk loosely and at large, is to walk as fools, according to our Text; I will give you but two or three Demonstrations of their folly, it may be the Lord will convince some poor creature of the folly of his ways.

First, It is folly for men to pitch upon a wrong end, to place their happiness in anything but the chief good indeed; now this is evident enough, too plain, that men of the world they do place their happiness in worldly things, they have their god to worship as well as the Saints; The lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and pride of life, to which the Apostle reduceth all that is in the World, their pleasures, their riches, their honors, these are their ends, to which they drive on all their designs, and here they rest and sit down, and look no farther many of them; now is not this a gross mistake and grievous folly, to end so low as the earth, and what the would can afford? which will appear, if we consider, 1. That none, nor all these things will run parallel with the souls to eternity; therefore if they could make a man happy as long as he enjoyed them, yet afterward they would then increase his misery, when they leave him, fuisse faelicem miserum; It is perishing bread, uncertain riches, many times they make wings, and are gone, even he himself outlives them; a miserable happiness that a poor mortal creature can out-live; if not, yet the soul out-lives them; he can carry nothing away with him, saith the Text; the poor soul must appear in its nakedness before • he Lord Judge at that day of appearing, after death, and soul and body to eternity after the Resurrection shall never be the better for them; alas, the remembrance then of your pleasures, and honors, and riches will be but a sting to your souls to eternity, that such enjoyments you had, and used them no better. 2. As they continue not, so while a man can keep them, they cannot, they do not satisfy the soul; if any man could, Solomon might have picked out an happiness out of them, when he had so much wealth to procure them, so much wisdom to improve them, so gave himself to find out; but the sum is, vanity of vanities; not only vain, but vanity; and vanity of vanities, and all is vanity; the greatest vanity, they are empty, there is no substance in them, they will not satisfy the soul; there is no suitableness between such earthy things and a spiritual being, nor equality between their greatest vastness and the largeness of a soul; they can never fill it, and therefore it can never rest, but the more a man hath, the more he would have still; drinking doth but increase their thirst; and therefore well might the Psalmist bebeast and befool himself for setting such an esteem upon them. So foolish was I and ignorant, and even as a beast before thee, when he thought them to have more in them, then they had, and therefore that they were the happy men that flourished, and it was in vain for him to cleanse his heart, &c.

Secondly, If they should, or do propound a right end, yet they miserably miscarry in the means towards this end; For, First, There are some that are wise to do evil: but to do good, they have no knowledge at all; and if men make God and Heaven their end, is this the way to it? will the way to the devil, and the way to hell bring a man to Heaven? and yet this is the course that most men run, as if men would be saved by contraries, and were Christians by antiphrases, because they are most unchristian; surely Brethren, the Spirit of God and the Scriptures everywhere hath determined sin to be folly, and calleth sinners fools, therefore we read of working folly in Israel so much now; if one part of Wisdom be to aim at the right end, surely Wisdom agreeth notwith itself, if this be another part of Wisdom, the Wisdom to do evil, which indeed is improperly called wisdom; but it is a cursed skill and ingenuity which men have, whereby they are more industriously wicked; this is so far from Wisdom, that it is the very height of folly.

Again, Secondly, It is the Wisdom of the World to get a name of Christianity, and therewith satisfy themselves; take the power who will, so they have the name, and pass for Saints; gain is their godliness, and when they have gotten the gain by it, the Godliness they care not to walk in, but in their pleasures of sin; the show of Religion is profitable, but not the reality, it is burdensome; is not this folly with a witness? can the Shadow be profitable, and not the Substance? the Shell and Husk, and not the Kernel? can that be profitable, whose Praise is of men, and not that whose praise is of God?

Again, As the top, and crown, and quintescence of their folly; they are wiser in their own conceit, then several men that can render a reason, as he spaaks of the sluggard; and such are all those that will not be at pains for God and for Heaven: if men might devote all the flower of their youth, the ripeness of their age and strength to sin, and when they come to die, have Heaven drop in their mouths, many would be saved; but if they must be at such pains for it, walk so circumspectly, strictly, in a frame, by rule thus, and be exercised in mortification, renewing their repentance, so much ado with searching and trying their ways, they think the wisest course is to sit still; it is better sleeping in a whole skin, and seven men that can give a reason, are not so wise as they; let Ministers say what they will, they will not believe but they are the wiser men of the two; O he that is thus wise in his own conceit, there is more hope of a fool, then of him; well then, if the world pass for fools, they are the fools indeed in grain; and when Saints and sinners, the strict walker with God, and the formal Hypocrite shall appear before the Lord at the last day; then (if before you will not believe) you shall know who were the wise men, and who were the fools.

Thirdly, Then let Wisdm be justified of her children; you that are the true sons of Wisdom, and not bastards, and pretenders, justify Wisdom then, though all the world run a contrary course, and count it folly to walk thus circumspectly; do you count it your Wisdom, as the Lord counteth it, to be strict and exact in your walkking; no matter though the world stigmatize you for fools, that you neglect your concernments other ways sometimes, to gain a nearer approach to Christ, if the Lord judge you wise men; the argument is very strong: for what man can bear the imputation of folly; indeed every man would be wise, Vain man would be wise, though he be born like a wild Asses Colt; but the Saints methinks, that know in some measure what the Wisdom which is from above doth mean, should labor to approve themselves wise men indeed, by a circumspect walking with God. And you that profess the Name of Christ, though it may be not all of you, in truth you would be wise, though you walk not circumspectly; shall I bespeak you in the Prophets words, how say you, we are wise, and we have the Law, &c. when you walk not by this rule; Ah take heed you prove not foolish Virgins when all is done: it is not Wisdom to dally with Religion and with God, he will not be mocked. Then you that are wise indeed, and do in a good part walk exactly, shall I beg of you, that you would yet more and more labor to approve yourselves wise men and women, in a great exactness of your walking, avoiding all appearance of evil; as the Apostle speaks, in following after whaever is comely, of good report; you know what the Wise man saith, A man that is in reputation for Wisdom, that passeth for a wise man and a close-walking Saint; a little folly is like a dead Fly in the Box of Ointment that maketh it stink; by how much the more the Lord hath done for you this way, be so much the more careful: O it is this Wisdom that will make your faces shine, Brethren: so it did the face of Moses and David, but a little folly in a David, what a blemish it casts upon it, and what a reproach and blemish upon the beautiful way of holiness?

O then, I beseech you Brethren, Labor to cease from your own Wisdom: for indeed this is folly, and contrary to the Wisdom of God; He that hearkeneth to counsel, is wise: It is a sad thing when the People of God are not advisable, are so full of self-will and self-wisdom that they cannot cease from it; so David in numbering the people, he had good counsel given him, though by a man far enough inferior to himself in spirituals, but was not advisable, and what a blot did he bring upon himself? we profess to give up our wills and wisdoms to him, and yet when it cometh to the pinch many times, we must have our wills, and we must have our own contrivances go forward, or else we cannot aquiesce; I said in quietness and confidence should be your rest, but you would not.

Again, Then beg this Spirit of Wisdom more earnestly, greater measure of it, for it is he that giveth Wisdom to walk exactly; this Wisdom from above, which is pure, and peaceable, and gentle, and easy to he entreated, so that a child may lead such a man or woman, if he present anything of light and God to them: And then Brethren, when you have the Spirit, walk in the Spirit, in the Power of this Spirit of Wisdom, let it prevail over your own wills, and your own opinions of your own ways, subject all to him, and you shall find that he will guide you by his counsel, and afterwards receive you to Glory. Thus much for this Observation.

These were his last Lecture-Sermons, the last words; viz. Redeeming the Time, because the days are evil, He stayed not to finish.

The Parable of the ten Virgins.

A Parable is a representation of some truth to the understanding, under such things as are obvious to to the senses, and familiar to us in our ordinary use, and experience in the Gospel, yea the Scriptures Old and New, are full of them. I lift not to trouble you, to speak much to their Nature, but I understand, they be a kind of a similitude, as the Parable, Chap. 24. 32, 33. Learn a Parable of the • ig-tree, when it putteth forth leaves and the branches are yet tender, the Summer is nigh ye know, it was a thing familiar to them in experience; so likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know it is near, even at hand. A metaphor is a simile contracted into one word, an allegory, a continued metaphor, and a Parable much what of the same nature. Sometimes they hold out a truth more clearly, and sometimes more darkly; if the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 only be given, or laid down, the truth is concluded more obscurely, and lies hid under the broad leaves of the similitude. As, of the Sower, that went forth to Sow, (which you know the Disciples understood not, until our Savior had opened it to them,) saith he, to you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom, but to them it is not given, therefore he speaks to them in Parables, in such a manner delivering them, as that thereby the truth is more shadowed, though it be clear when it is explained, that seeing they might see, and not perceive. It is a Judgment to a people, to have teaching in such a manner as darkens the truth, so as they cannot understand. Now he explaineth it to the Disciples, and showeth them what is meant by the several sorts of ground which received the Seed, the same Seed; but none brought forth (except one) to perfection. Now (say his Disciples) speakest thou plainly, and speakest no Parables? so (saith he) I have spoken to you in Parables, or Proverbs, but now I will show you plainly of the father.

Now this being delivered to his Disciples privately, (as you have it, Chap. 24. for they came privately to him to ask him the sign of his coming, and when the destruction of Jerusalem should be, which he had immediately before prophesied of:) he continueth his speech to them throughout that Chapter, and continueth it in this, thererefore he speaks somewhat more plainly, and clearly, not only laying down the proposition, but the reddition. He not not only speaks of the ten Virgins, but tells them, what it is that is compared to them, even the Kingdom of Heaven.

It is a field more large then ordinary, and therefore that we lose not our affections in it, and be not out of breath before we get over it, I shall endeavor to speak with more brevity, to the things therein couched, which are doctrinal and practical; though me thinks the great variety that is in it, should prevent a nauscating of it.

For the cohaerence of the words, you see they are a continnation of our Savior's Sermon to his Disciples occasioned by their request, that he would tell them, when those things should be, Jerusalem should be so ruined, as not a stone should be left upon a stone; and what should be the sign of his coming, and of the end of the world! Haply they might think they would not be much separated in time, and thererore they wra • t them up in one question, to our Savior. He answers them in this Chapter, somewhat to the one, and somewhat to the other, I cannot stand at large upon this, I should detain you too long from the Text. But he tells them whatever sign were given them, yet the day and hour of his coming, no man did know. And therefore it lay upon them to watch, lest it should find him in a secure condition, as in the days of Noah, &c. And therefore exhorts them all to watch. We know not when the thief will come, be ready for him always, watch, for he will come in an hour, ye think not. And then showeth them the happy estate, of a servant, a faithful and wise servant, whom his Master hath set as a Ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season. Which seemeth specially to concern the condition of the Disciples which were to be set over the house of God, which is the Church of Christ, and to break the bread of life to his people, happy is that Servant, whom his master when he cometh, shall find so doing, in the simplicity of his soul. When my Savior cometh, would ye have him find me idle (saith Calvin) oportet episcopum concionantem mori. Oh to be spent for Jesus Christ, 〈◊〉 Master spare thyself, was the envious man's counsel, when he whispers that into Ministers ears, and can lull us asleep with such a requiem: he knoweth what he hath to do, while they slept he sowed tares. Surely brethren we have been very sleepy, else there would not have been so many tares sown. And he showeth them the sad condition of them. if they presume upon the delay of his coming, and eat and drink with the drunken, and beat their fellow servants, bite and devour one another. Ah dear friends, if Jesus Christ should now come, would he not find many of us thus doing? But now, as he had quickened them up to watch for his appearing, to be doing their work, so now he inculcates the same not only upon them, but upon all in the words of the Text, as appears (v. 13.) by the application of it, watch therefore for ye know not the day nor the hour wherein the son of man cometh.

For, the scope of it which I think meet first to hint to you, I conceive it to be this; To stir up all that profess Jesus Christ, and that have their hope not in this world, but in the world to come; to look to their state and condition that they be sure to be ready and prepared for him, that they make sure of such a viaticum, as will carry them through life and death, and to persevere, that they may be crowned, and when they have such a state, to continue watching and waiting for his appearing; but the main is perseverance; that they be sure to have such a work of grace wrought upon them, not to rest without such (I say) as will hold, least they fall short of the glory of God. This is the general scope, which being understood, we must know that every particular is not to be squeezed too sore, least it give blood instead of milk. And yet some interpretation of the main things we may with sobriety (as the Lord shall enable) expound. Our Savior is a President, expounding the Parable of the sower, showing us what is meant by the seed falling by the high-way side; the stony ground, the thorny, and the good ground. And so in that of the tares, telling us; who is the sower, and what is the seed; the good seed, and the Tares, and the Reapers, the Angels, the harvest, the end of the world, and the field, &c. And therefore by that little measure we have received of the same spirit, we may humbly adventure to speak somewhat to the main things in this parable.

Herein is held forth to us the relation and mutual deportment of Jesus Christ to his Church, and his Church to him, both in this life which is the way, and at death and Judgment which is the end; and therefore that which concerneth him, and that which concerneth the Church towards him; being even as the warp and wafe of the parable, we will consider them a little apart, and run each of them apart to their end, as far as the Lord enables us, and not confound the considerations of them.

Only before I proceed to that, we must know, that the parable or similitude is taken from the manner of solemnizing Nuptial rites, which it seemeth by some very learned to have been thus carried on, that is to say, When two persons were espoused, and 〈…〉 de sure each to other, and the time of the solemnizing the marriage come, the man came to the house of the Spouses Parents to take her; the time usually in the night, and aged men, and grave accompanied the man, and Matrons the woman, and with solemnities of prayers, &c. they did it wherein the Christians are said to imitate the Jews, and if all things be sanctified by the word, and by prayer; me thinks that should be but an unholy marriage that is kept without them; that by the by. Now when he returned and took the Bride with him, then it should seem the younger men and Virgins did meet them in the night with Torches, among the Romans and others; with Lamps among the Jews, who had not the use of such Candles or Torches. And there is somewhat seemeth to favor this of their meeting of him in his return, in that place of Luke, Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning, and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord when he will return from the wedding; that when he comes and knocketh, they may open to him immediately; there is a Simile of men waiting at night with loins girded and lamps burning, that when their Lord cometh from the wedding, to return home, to bring his Bride with him, they may be ready to open when he knocks; a little difference there is from this here, The Syr. and the vulgar Lat. here do add the Spouse, to the Bride-groom; that they met her as well as him, and some others have so read it, and of great name also; and if so, that would more make for this understanding of the manner of the marriages among those people, whereto there is a respect in this Similitude. I will not spend time about that, though others do conceive that otherwise, they went to meet the Bridegroom accompanying the Bride, as Psal. 45. The Virgins her companions, shall be brought to the King in raiment of needle-work; and so they meeting him, brought him into the Bride-Chamber, and young men I find (not old in Scripture) to have been companions of the Bride-groom; as in Sampson his wedding, they brought him thirty young men to be his companions; these were children of the Bride-Chamber, which rejoiced with the Bridegroom; however it was, they met him it seemeth in the night, and with Lamps, to light themselves and others, and this is the ground of the Simile, the protasis. Now the Kingdom of Heaven is compared to this.

But that I may the more methodically open it, (leaving the Application of it to be taken in, in the uses of some of the Doctrines, from the words) I will begin with that which is spoken of Christ himself: And then that which is spoken of the Church, and as briefly as I can, paraphrase it as I go, that I may reach some point to be handled at this time.

First then, the Bridegroom Jesus Christ, is set forth by that relation of one ready to consummate the marriage, with such as he hath espoused, he is the Bridegroom. T 〈…〉 e Lord Jesus (brethren) by the Gospel goeth a wooing to all the world without any respect of persons, be we high or low, rich or poor, more or less sinful, leprous, poor, defiled, naked, indebted, imprisoned, loathsome, nasty, never so; his ambition is to win our hearts, to gain our consent, to espouse us to himself: Well, when he hath done this, and hath obtained, then he cometh to make up the marriage.

Secondly, Concerning him, it is said that he tarried; came not so soon happily as ordinary. It is likely that their marriages were before midnight, usually the beginning of the night; and to that, there may be a respect in this expression, he stayed somewhat longer, for it is said, the cry was at midnight, v. 6. So the Lord Jesus may stay somewhat longer haply then is expected. It is said by them in the Revelations, the souls under the Altar cry out, how long Lord, holy and true. It may be the expectations of some of the Saints are for his appearing sooner to take them to himself, they have a desire to be dissolved and to be with him, and to them it is a tarrying long. And to sinners it is a tarrying, they think Jesus Christ lingers his hour of a Judgment, and a resurrection, but these are things afar off. And therefore they affected not them much, except a man could preach, as if Christ in flaming fire to render vengeance, were at their backs, it affecteth them not at all: All things continue with you sinners as they were, and where is the promise of his coming? A promise to the people of God, a threatening to sinners and hypocrites it is, as Janus is said to have two faces, and as that in Gen. 3. the seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head, a promise and a threatening both in one. Now sinners they are bold, to eat and drink with the drunken, until he come and sweep the second world away with fire, as the first was drowned with water; this is the second.

Thirdly, the cry that goeth before his coming, which Calv. saith is metaphorically put for the suddenness and unexpectedness of his coming, because when any great thing cometh upon a people at unawares, they use to make a cry for tumult, and it may be so haply that then being unready they cry out, as when people are surprised by an enemy, they cry out, O arm; arm, make ready, prepare to meet them; but thinks it rather is a Voice that goeth before the Bridegroom, which indeed is a quickening to them that are his indeed, that were not ready altogether, and it crieth, make ready, prepare, for he is coming; and this may be interpreted divers ways. Whether there were any such thing in the rites of their marriages, I know not, but for that it is not much material; the comparison holds in the main.

(First) Then there is a cry by the Messengers of Christ: they cry, prepare the way of the Lord; prepare your hearts to meet the Lord. We are exhorted, commanded to cry, and cry aloud, that we may awaken sinners, for that is the case here, as afterward you will find. Cry with a Stentors voice, ut Stentora vincas, saith Trap upon it. Alas all will not raise lazy sinners, we may cry our hearts out, but who believeth our report? we tell you, the Judge stands at the door, Christ is at hand, it is not long before you must appear before him, and if you be not ready, you are like to be shut out; you believe it not.

(Secondly) A Cry of Affliction, especially that visitation which is the fore-runner or harbinger of death: that cry from the Rod hath a voice, and that voice is God's voice, he speaks in it, and it is not an ordinary voice, but a crying voice; the word, it whispers, the loud crying of the word, is but a whispering, in comparison of the voice of God in the Rod: it crieth, hear the Rod and who hath appointed it: Mind it, if a Judgment be upon a City, (is there any evil in a City, and he hath not wrought it?) it crieth to the whole City louder then Jonah did, repent, repent, for you may perish and come to the tribunal within less then 40. days, or hours: So every disease in a family crieth to the family, crieth to the person, prepare, make ready, that we need not such a message as the Prophet Isaiah brought to Hezek. the voice of God in the Rod crieth, prepare, make ready, for he is coming; here is a blow that the Tabernacle of Clay is ready to tumble, and then soul, where wilt thou appear, if thou be not ready? Or else,

(Thirdly,) by cry, it may be meant, as Chrysost. Theophyl. Jer. Hilary, Aret. and others understand it, of the last trump of the arch-Angel, Arise ye dead, and come to Judgment: this will be such a cry Brethren, as will make all the world ring of it indeed; that will pierce to the bottom of the deep, to make it give up its dead, to the bowels of the earth, to make it give up its dead. Then shall all arise, the dead in Christ shall rise first. Well this cry goeth before, or accompanyeth this coming of the Bride-groom.

Fourthly, Then he cometh. For the heavens now must contain him until the Consummation of all things, and then he will come to judge quick and dead; he that shall come, will come; though he seem long to the people of God, he that shall come will come: then mockers shall know where the promise of his coming is, they shall know their Judgment lingers not, nor damnation slumbereth not. He will come soon enough for all, too soon for many poor creatures: the Lord grant none of us be found in our sinful condition.

Fifthly, The time is at midnight: The Jews have a tradition, that the coming of Christ to Judgment will be at midnight; and hereupon the Primitive Christians, it should seem, did use to watch all night the Eve of the Pass-over, expecting his coming, as Jerome reports, saith Beza, but to be wise above what is reason, you see whether it leads men in the dark, for what is more directly against our Savior his own words; Of that day and hour knoweth no man; no not the Angels in heaven, but my father only. At midnight, with respect to the solemnity of the marriage, that is to say, later then usually, and therefore unexpected, when all was silent, nocte intempestâ; when deep sleep useth to seize upon men. The man of the house, at midnight his eyes are sealed up with sleep, and when he least dreameth of the thief, then he cometh, and surpriseth him. So the Lord Jesus, like a thief in the night, when men usually are least aware, most uncomposed, and unfit for his coming for the most part.

The rest of his actions in this Parable, will come in under the other part, which is the Church, for you have in the general;

(First) the subject of this comparison, the Kingdom of heaven, and what that is I shall not need here to speak much of, it hath various expressions in Scripture; It is not I conceive here taken for the Kingdom of glory, for there are no foolish Virgins members of that Kingdom: No, nor the Kingdom of grace which is within the Saints, for the same reason. Nor yet for the Administrations of the Kingdom, as sometimes it is taken; But it is taken here, for the visible Church of Jesus Christ, wherein some are wise, some are foolish. Some hold out, some fall short of heaven, and the glory of God, and some are crowned, enduring to the end; and thus much for the opening of that expression.

(Second) thing in general to be noted, is, the time: Then shall the Kingdom of heaven be likened, compared or shall be like; then, when? even when the Son of man shall come, Brethren, to solemnize the marriage with such as he hath here espoused to himself; then, when we come to appear before him all together, it shall most evidently appear to be so. But in a sort, it is so in every man's particular Judgment at his death, or dissolution, there is a Specimen given to the truth of this parable; and this appears from the connection of this Chapter with the former; the last ver. of the former Chapter he speaks of cutting in sunder that evil servant, that presuming upon the Masters delay, should beat his fellow-servants, and eat and drink with the drunken; he shall cut him in sunder, and give him his portion with hypocrites; where is weeping and gnashing of teeth forever: Then shall the Kingdom of heaven be likened to ten Virgins. And though then the spirits of many just men be already made perfect, and many hypocrites already in the everlasting chains of darkness; yet because they have been members of the visible Church in a sort, all such may come under such a consideration, at the great and terrible day of his appearing, when the sheep shall be set upon his right hand, and the goats on his left hand, as you have it in the latter end of this 25. Chapter.

Now for the Church visible, compared to ten Virgins: There are two sorts brethren in a visible Church, such as are Saints indeed, and do enjoy the Lord Jesus, and have that Kingdom of God, even righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy-Ghost within them; and such as are only so, nomine tenus, they go for such with men, who cannot search the heart, ought not to judge the heart immediately, but tenderly, and always with the greatest favor, to judge of men: Now such is this Kingdom of heaven here mentioned: And therefore we will consider what is said of them two ways; cast it two ways, haply it may appear the more clearly and distinctly to our understanding.

(First,) We will consider what in the parable is common to them both, to Hypocrites, and Formal Professors, with real Saints, who possess and enjoy Jesus Christ.

(Secondly) We will consider what is peculiar to either of them, and set contraria juxta se, they will give light each to other, and this briefly.

First then for the things wherein they agree, or which are common to Saints indeed, with Saints in appearance only, or seeming and real Saints. They are all of them called Virgins, not in commendation of virginity, as Jerome did childishly conceive, as Calvin noteth. But to Virgins they are compared, either only because in the marriage solemnity the Virgins used to go forth to meet the Bridegroom, and bring him to his Chamber; So here they must go forth to meet the Lord Jesus. Or else there is more in it, and I know not but we may consider Virgins according to their state and condition here. Now the Church is so called, or compared to Virgins, not in respect of their glorious unconquered outward condition, as sometimes in Scripture, even strange Nations, yea Idolaters are called Virgins, as Zidon, thou shalt no more rejoice O thou oppressed Virgin daughter of Zidon, arise pass over to Chittim, there also shalt thou have no rest. So Babel, Come down and sit in the dust O Virgin daughter of Babylon; thou that as a Virgin hast hitherto abode in thy fathers house in a glorious beautiful condition, thy pomp and glory now come down. And so Egypt, go up to Gilead and take balm O Virgin daughter of Egypt, in vain shalt thou use many medicines, thou shalt not be healed; (though the Papists make this a note of the Church, the glory and outward splendor of it; that is quite cross to that of our Savior, in the world ye shall have tribulation, and how often have they been scatterd by Persecution.)

Nor yet are they called Virgins because of their priding themselves, and setting forth themselves, as Virgins with their Ornaments.

Nor yet in respect of the first Constitution of the Church of Christ, when they were all, or most of them Virgins. There were 12. and but one of them a Devil: But I conceive, It respects the condition of the visible Church, as then it shall be specially. And what is that? how are they compared to Virgins? Specially in these two things.

(First) Because all that profess the Lord Jesus and become visible S ^ts , they profess to renounce their Idols; the Apostle saith, that he turned them from Idols to the living God. Now Idolatry in Scripture is counted you know, whoredom, if they have been married to the Lord, owning his Covenant; or else fornication, nothing more ordinary; it is enough to hint it to you, and therefore when there is a renouncing of Idolatry, there the Scripture looks upon them as Virgins; So when Judah and Israel had played the Harlot, that is to say, had worshipped and served Idols, God chargeth their spiritual whoredom upon them. But when they reformed, as Judah did; you know in many Kings days Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, &c. And in the days when Sennacher. came up against them and blasphemed them; the answer the Lord gave to Hezek. by the Prophet was this, the Virgin daughter of Zion hath despised thee; now having renounced her Idols, he so calls her, and having betaken herself to the shadow of his wings alone, from thence, from the hole in the rock, she despised the Assyr.

And (secondly) Because also, now taking upon them the profession of Christ, they escape and forego the pollutions of the world, then gross scandalous sins they forsake, even Hypocrites as well as others, in which respects they may be called Virgins, though their hearts be not right with God.

Secondly, they had all of them Lamps; they took their Lamps, saith the text; they have all of them a Profession of Christ, they make a show before men. The Lamps I cannot take for anything inward, but merely somewhat outward, appearing unto men, they are Christians outwardly all of them: Even those really, believers with the heart they do confess Christ with the mouth to salvation, they are not ashamed to own him before men, and their light of good works and knowledge shines before men, that the world may see it, there is the light of the Lamp. And truly herein hypocrites may go far; they have a form of godliness, and as glorious a form as any others, and they do as many good works, materially good as others do; and so they have a light shining before men as well as others. So the Pharisees, you know they made as many prayers, did as much Alms, fasted as often as others, made a glorious show, here are Lamps.

Thirdly, their lamps it seemeth were burning all of them. Concerning the wise Virgins there need be no Question of it. But for the foolish, I think it will be gathered from that where they complain, that their Lamps were gone out, extinguished; though it is true, they were not fed with a right principle, and therefore they went out, yet they did burn, they made a show of heat and light also before men, as Jehu you know did, he seemeth to make a greater blaze in his zeal for God, then Elijah himself did; And so for light also, knowledge aboundeth many times brethren in an hypocrites head, a clear head, and a muddy heart, a sound head, as the notion, and a rotten heart may be together; well, this is the third, I hasten.

Fourthly, They all took them and went forth to meet the Bride-groom; they all have their faces Zion-ward, heavenward, to meet Jesus Christ, only the hypocrites they have faces one way, and row another way, as the Mariners do; this I take to be their seeming to make for heaven all of them, and the one to be as fair for it as the other, for they go as it were hand in hand to meet the Bridegroom, yea a hypocrite may go far indeed in externals, as far as a child of God, as afterward we shall have occasion to say; you may have your faces Zion-wards, and seem to go forth to meet the Lord Jesus, and yet miscarry.

Fifthly, When he delayed his coming until midnight, they all slumbered and slept.

We must not understand this of giving up themselves to security, and the wallowing in the sinful pleasures of the world, the pleasures of sin for a season. For this cannot suit with the truth of grace, and therefore cannot agree to the wise Virgins, he that is born of God sinneth not, cannot 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , not work sin, but his work is righteousness, though he may have many by-blows in his work, many mis-carriages, yet his work is righteousness.

Nor can it for a great part stand with the very profession of a hypocrite, to return again to the pollutions of the world, which once he had escaped, secretly; haply he may roll a sweet morsel under his tongue, and be loath to part with it, but the pollutions of the world, which are open, like wallowing in the mire, will not stand with their profession, therefore this is not meant by slumbering and sleeping, but either,

(Secondly) Is meant by it the sleep of death in part, for death is no more to the Saints, though it be a sleep, and a killing sleep to hypocrites: our friend Lazarus sleepeth; or else,

(Thirdly,) Also partly a security and heaviness which groweth upon the Saints, on this side death, and me thinks the words seem to carry much for this, there are two words, they slumbered, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and they slept 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and the latter seemeth to be more then merely Expository of the former. The former signifieth only a little drowsiness when a man doth nap or nod a little, as a man sit • ing, or standing may sometimes, but presently awake, aliquando bonus dormitat Homerus. But then the sleep is a deeper security, when the eyes are altogether closed, and a man is fast, though some sleep faster then others do; some set themselves to sleep, they give themselves to it, others are overtaken with it, it seizeth upon them like an armed man sometimes, and herein they agree, the Saints and hypocrites, formal and powerful professors of Christ, they all slumbered and slept, they were all it seemeth overcharged with the cares of this world, or somewhat or other, that their watch was down, and they were surprised And alas Brethren, if the day of the Lord Jesus should come upon us almost any day, would it not find us sleeping, or if not sleeping, yet slumbering at least; but of this more afterwards.

Sixthly, They all arose saith the text when the cry came at midnight. It was high time then to awake, as soldiers that watch for an enemy; they fall asleep, set some to watch, suddenly there is an out-cry, an alarm, O how quickly are they raised! If the last trumpet be the cry, it shall raise all both hypocrites as well as Saints, only the dead in Christ shall rise first, be awakened out of the sleep of death. If the cry be the Ministry of the word by some smart visitation, it will rouse them all, let hypocrites be as secure of their condition as they will, they shall have a time of awakening,

Seventhly and lastly, They trimmed their Lamps. Some say only the wise Virgins trimmed their Lamps, for the foolish had only dead Lamps, such as gave no light, shining before men, but why then are they said to be extinguished or to be gone out? Beloved, the words of the Text carry it for all, they all arose and trimmed their Lamps, the copulative joines both sentences together, and therefore the universal reacheth the latter part as well as the former, except there were some limitation. It should seem, Brethren, that hypocrites may make as fair a show and deceive themselves, or being deceived by their own hearts, even very long, to the very last, they thought now to arise with Sampson, and shake themselves, when they have been sleeping upon the lap of their Delilah, but alas their Lamps were out, they trimmed them, and stir'd them up to see if they would burn any longer, but they were gone out, or going out as some render it. A sad thing, Brethren, for us to deceive yourselves even to the very last cast until there be no remedy. O what treacherous hearts have we!

Eighthly, They agree also in the number, here in the Parable, five were wise, and five were foolish, for this we must remember what was premised, that every particular is not to be squeezed and pressed too sore; nor can we conclude from hence an equal number of real Saints, or painted hypocrites in the Church, no more then where there are Chap. 13. three evil sorts of ground, and but one good; we can conclude that there are three to one unsound professors who receive the word, to one honest and good heart, which bringeth forth fruit to perfection, there may be more, there may be less, our Savior in the general tells us, many are called, but few are chosen; he might therefore here haply have some respect to the number of Virgins which might accompany the Bride; which some say were five, because the number consists of the first equal, and the first unequal number, even two and three, because in a marriage, a superior and inferior, male and female are joined together, but that is a nicity; however this we may take up from it in the general, that there are some which are not what they profess, some are foolish, and some are wise in the Church.

Now I come to speak somewhat to that which is distinguishing in the Parable, between formal and real professors of Jesus Christ in this Kingdom.

First then in the general, the one are foolish, and the other are wise; all are not wise that are within the Church, there are some fools. Why, but is it folly then for any man to prosess Christ? No, it is not folly simply considered in itself, but a duty to confess him, and hold him out before men; but to stick here is folly, as we shall see more hereafter, blessed be the Lord that there are some wise, though there be many foolish, some that will not be put off with forms nor shadows, but must have the substance, the bread of life; and not husks, they will not satisfy them. O that we were everyone of us such, Brethren.

Secondly, The foolish, they took no oil in their vessels, though their Lamps burned, & afterward were extinguished, when they should stand them instead to enter with the Bridegroom, they had no oil: What is meant here by oil, and what by vessels? for the first some say one thing, some another, some as the Papists, say good works is the oil which is the life of faith, without which it is dead, which is as if a man should call the flame of a Lamp, the oil that feeds it; therefore, Brethren, according to the Scripture expression, elsewhere, by oil I understand the saving grace of the spirit of Jesus Christ; true justifying faith, repentance, never to be repented of, and love out of a pure heart; unfeigned faith, unfeigned repentance, unfeigned love, and indeed all the graces of the spirit. These are they that feed the flame in the Lamps of the Saints; whatever hypocrites have which maketh a flame, and their Lamps do burn by it, of which more afterward, because I would not stay you too long in the opening of it, this they wanted, they cared not to make sure of this, to have this true saving grace; so they had but as much as would make a blaze among men, that they might be seen to have Lamps burning and shining as well as others, the rest they cared not for.

(Secondly,) For the vessels; some say the Lamps they had no oil in them; but me thinks the Text distinguisheth between the Lamps and the vessels, they took no oil with their Lamps, he doth not say in them, but with them; and the next verse, the wise took oil in their vessels with their Lamps, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , it is of a large extent, but it signifieth, somewhat believed, the Lamp: It is likely they had some vessels they carried about with them, full of oil, that when the Lamp needed, they supplied it still, else it would go out, so here, the vessel may be meant the heart, brethren; a truly contrite heart, is the vessel into which the Lord pours the oil of his grace and spirit, and hence there is a continual supply, like the oil in the Cruse it fails not. Now this the foolish they cared not for, but they had somewhat at present that would make their Lamps burn; for holding out, they forecast not for that, therefore provided no oil in their vessels, no true sound, saving, durable grace, in their hearts; the Lord grant, Brethren, this be not the case and condition, of many a glorious professor among us, our age hath given, as large a testimony to this truth, as ever time did.

Thirdly, When the cry came, and they went to trim their Lamps all of them, the foolish Virgins Lamps were gone out, verse 8. The wise, their Lamps had need of triming, as the Lamps of the Sanctuary were to be trimed every day, every morning they gather some dross and filth which would dim the light, but now the others they were quite gone out, when they had most need of them, they failed them: And indeed, such a thing is an empty profession, it will not carry a man through all conditions, as we shall have occasion to speak afterward.

O how sad a condition will every hypocrite be in, when he falls under such a disappointment of his hope, then which to a reasonable creature, there cannot be a greater vexation, he thought he was as fair for heaven as another, and yet when all cometh to all, in the hour of need, the Lamps quite extinguished, put out in obscure darkness, the beginning of that utter darkness where their portion is like to be forever.

Fourthly, The foolish Virgins then are on the begging hand, and the wise on the denying hand, and they send them to buy of them that sell: Here I know not, that we are to press every particular; as if the foolish were so foolish as to beg grace of the wise, to have a part of others, except the Papists, who will have no other Church of Christ but themselves by no wise, and then that, to go to their Merit-mongers and Indulgencers, and the Church-treasure for righteousness, rather then to Jesus Christ. Nor is it any harshness, if the Saints deny them, for alas brethren, it is not in them to give, lest they have not enough for themselves and them also; there is no super-erogating 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Some say, the speech is defective, an ellipsis of the refusal, and the reason only is here given; others read it thus, least there be not enough for you and us, go to them that buy; and so there is no such defect, the sense is the same, Who is it that selleth but Jesus Christ indeed, and that without money and without price, as you have it in that place of Isaiah? But we may look upon this answer, not as a monition, or serious advice what to do, but ataunt rather, a derifion of them, go to them that buy: and so it suites wonderful well with the Papists: now go to your Merit-mongers to buy. So Elijah, cry aloud he is a God, either in a journey, &c. So the Prophet to Babylon, threatening ruin upon her, thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels, let now thy Astrologers, Stargazers, monthly prognosticators, stand up and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee. That which is plainly and undeniably held forth to us therein is, that the foolish Virgins are to seek their grace, when they should use it; then they see they have none, whatever they deceived themselves with before, the Lord grant this prove not our condition to any of us.

Fifthly, that while they are thus unready for the appearing of Christ, and go to buy, the rest that had oil, that are ready, enter into the joy of their Lord; when once the time cometh, there is no longer delay, but as many as are ready he takes in with him, and then the door is shut; it is shut against all those, that are unready, have their work to do; when their time is gone, when they expect 〈◊〉 glory, they want their grace, when they would have the Crown▪ they 〈…〉 begin their race. Ah Brethren! if this prove the condition of ourselves, sad will it be with us, that others shall enter in, that we thought in no better a condition then ourselves, and ourselves shut out because we are not ready; he will not then stay any longer, he hath waited upon us long enough.

Sixthly, Yet the foolish Virgins, though they have no oil, and their Lamps be out, they come and they cry, Lord, Lord; they cry with earnestness to have the door opened. Ah Brethren! you that now content yourselves with a mere formality, and nothing will stir you up to be zealous and to amend, then you will cry either at your death-bed, at that summons, or at the judgment, O Lord, Lord, open to us, the strange presumption and confidence in poor sinners hearts, though they know they have no oil, yet will expect to enter into heaven, though they know they have loytered and trifled away their time of getting grace, yet they would have admittance, they would have heaven in the end, though they care not for working out their salvation with fear and trembling, they leave that to others to do, yet expect the salvation in the end as well as they. And see how far hypocrites may go, they come to the very gate, and there they cry, Lord, Lord, open to us, but, all in vain.

Seventhly, The answer the Bridegroom giveth them: Verily, I say unto you, I know you not; there is need of an asseveration to press it upon them, their confidence was so high that they should enter in with the Bridegroom: What? take all that pains to provide Lamps, to take them to go forth to meet him, to raise themselves up to trim them, yea afterward, to go out to get oil, and yet shut one; this will hardly down with them? Verily, saith our Savior, whatever you may presume upon, and vainly hold up your hearts with, be assured, I know you not. O this is a word will kill the st • u • est hearted sinner, when it cometh to the pitch! and the most swell 〈…〉 g confident hypocrite in the world, it will make his heart sink within him like a stone; I know you not, and therefore there is no reason I should let you in, I never knew you; though they had neglected to acquaint themselves inwardly with Christ, to procure his favor, for that is the knowledge; Words of understanding with the hebrews, are pregnant and carry, or are big with affection also I know you not, so as to approve you: to favor you so 〈…〉 y, as to admit you. Yea, I never thus knew you: 〈◊〉 have I known, saith the Prophet concerning Israel, that is to say, so known as acknowledge, owned, favored. Now I say, the hypocrites will scrape acquaintance with Jesus Christ, O they are the people, and they have served him, and worshipped him, and kept Sabbaths to him, and Preached in his name, and heard him preach, and now not know them! This how strange will it prove to many a poor creature? A • blessed souls that know the Lord Jesus, or rather are known of him! And sad is the condition of such as shall thus be shaken off by Jesus Christ, and shaken into hell indeed.

You have the Parable, though many more things might have been observed to you, and by a curious eye, more distinctly to you. Yet pro modulo I have endeavored to make it plain to you. And I hope so plain, as that now every understanding is able to take up many Doctrinal Observations, from them thus explained. For the Application, or inference, from all, Watch therefore, for you know not. That we shall make use of likely in some of the Applications, of some of the observations from the words.

There is much variety in them, and I had hoped to have reached one, at least from the connection of this parable, with that which goeth before, he inculcates the same thing upon them, by another parable, which he had taught them immediately before.

The first Doctrine shall be from the consideration of the words, with what went before; much of the former Chapter was spent before, in stirring them up to watch for the appearing of Jesus Christ by a double Argument. Taken from the end of such as watch, the end of such men is blessedness and peace, blessed is the man, whom the Lord shall find so doing. And the end of such as watch not, but presume upon his delay, to give liberty, and the reins to their lusts, they that have time enough to repent, he will come in a day he thinketh not off, and will cut such a servant asunder. Beloved, the former Arguments, the uncertainty of his coming, &c. one would have thought, now, here had been enough said upon this argument, for what could be more plainly spoken, and what more cuttingly, and pressingly, then this? Are there any weightier Arguments, then lif and death: the best of lives, even a life of blessedness, and the worst of deaths, a portion with hypocrites, who have the Free-hold, and sink deepest into the lowermost pit: and there is no question, there was no affection wanting in Jesus Christ, when he spake to his Disciples, and therefore it may seem considerable, and it is so surely; that sometimes he is pleased to prosecute the same Argument again all along through this whole Parable, and the next is not much unlike it neither.

It is requisite to inculcate and beat upon hearers the same truth, the same things again and again. Surely, if it had not been so, the Lord Jesus would have spared this pains, he did all things well, and as he was no niggard, so he was no prodigal of his pains; if he would not have the Fragments of the bread to be lost, he would never crumble away the bread of life in vain, to no purpose; but that there was a necessity for it, and sure we may follow his example safely herein, for there is nothing extraordinary in it, but rather a great condescension in Jesus Christ, stooping to the weakness, and necessity of his hearers, his Disciples; he spake as never man spake, and therefore if it had been sufficient at any time, or for any person to tie themselves up to such a strictness of speaking, as never to repeat the same things again, surely it had been sufficient for him, who spake as never man spake, with that Authority, and Majesty, and commanding efficacy, many times; but yet you see he is pleased to go over and over, things again and again, and to inculcate, and beat things upon his Disciples. We need not go further then our Savior his example for it, for as he said of Goliath's sword, there is none, to that. So there is no pattern to this of Christ, the great feeder of his people with knowledge and understanding, who stands and feeds them, in the strength of the Lord. And I doubt not, but many of you can make it out, from many other instances, in his example, how he did often beat the same things upon his Disciples; how often doth he press upon them that of humility; Learn of me, I am meek and lowly? And except you be converted and become as little children, ye cannot enter into the Kingdom, and so in his washing his Disciples feet. How much ado hath he with them, to beat upon them, that his Kingdom was not of this world, but spiritual; they would be fitting some on his right hand, some on his left hand, and he told them often, his Kingdom was not of this world, that he came to suffer, and not to reign among men, and so how often doth he press it upon them, the Doctrine of love one to another, or takes not up with once, one exhortation, as if that would answer the end of his coming, to reveal to his Disciples the whole counsel of God, which he had heard of his father: no but again and again, he presseth it upon them. It is given as a command to Parents, I wish, we that are parents, and have children, who have souls either to be saved or perish, would remember it, thou shalt whet these things upon them saith the Text, these things which I command thee this day shall be in their heart. I, if we were of Mary's spirit, to lay up the words there: or David's, to hide the Commandments in our hearts: or took Paul's advice, let the word dwell richly in us, if we had a treasury there, we should have, to draw forth continually, as occasion serveth: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shall talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up, &c. diligently teach them, the word is, whet them upon them; It is not the drawing the knife over the whet-stone once, that will set an edge upon it, but often, again and again. The best of us are too like children in understanding, and had need of it, or at least many of us.

I shall give a few Arguments to consirm it, and then Apply it.

First, The understanding is very dull in many: though there be some it may be more acute, to whom it may be a dulling to beat their earsoften with the same things; yet for the most part, Brethren, we are dull of understanding, children's capacities we have; you know the Disciples were so, our Savior upbraideth them with it, and yet they were good men, do you not yet understand; are ye also yet without understanding? And when he was risen from the dead, he expounded the Scriptures, the Prophets concerning his death and resurrection; alas until he opened their understanding, though he had often told them this, had preached it to them again and again, and even before his death immediately, and alas, yet they understood not, until he opened their minds. But you will say, this was before the pouring out of the spirit, there was more need then, but that unction, that teacheth us all things, was given in so large a measure, &c. I answer, It is true the spirit is given now in a larger measure, and therefore the greater shame is the dullness of our capacities many of us, I speak not of all, Brethren, neither of them that are strong men and women in Christ, nor yet of such as haply natural incapacity is a great hindrance to. But were we not many of us, much wanting to ourselves in reading, meditating on the word of truth, we might be much more apprehensive then we are; we are in a strait indeed, for some are so acute, that we can scarce touch lightly enough upon things, least they nauseate, others are so dull, we cannot dwell long enough upon them almost, to make them understand something. Well this is the first Argument.

Secondly, Because men are exceeding slow to believe things. O fools, saith our Savior, and slow of heart to believe the things which the Scriptures, &c. Concerning the Messiah, how he must be rejected, and cut off, and rise again the third day. Might he not upbraid our Congregations, brethren, in the like manner; how often have we heard the same things, and it may be, given assent to the truth of the same, but yet are slow, to believe! And this Argument will stand good against the acutest hearers, though they may out-run the speaker haply in apprehension, they may be slowpaced enough in believing. Now it is true, it is not all our inculcating and pressing the same truths upon men, that can work their hearts to believe, until the arm of the Lord be revealed to them; yet we know not when, and how far he may reveal his arm: It may be a little at one time, and a little at another; Agrippa hearing Paul once discourse of Jesus Christ, was almost persuaded, haply if he had had another opportunity to hear the like things again, it might have proved a through work: Felix trembled at the first Sermon upon Judgment to come, if he had heard it the second time, who can tell how far it might have wrought? This the second.

Thirdly, Alas Brethren, our memories are such leaking vessels, we are full of chinks, hac illac difluxerimus, and therefore as from thence the Apostle infers, we should give the more diligent heed to the things which are spoken, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , least we run out So should we also inculcate the same truths again: who is there that hath not woeful experience of this, other things evil and vile, they have such impression upon our memories; O how much ado is it to raze them out, injuries are graven upon us, even as with the pen of a Diamond, vain words, wicked speeches, we have heard long since, we cannot forget: but a thing that is good, O how much ado there is to remember it? had not a riddle need often to be put into the water, it will hold nothing else? be not forgetful hearers of the word, saith the Apostle, but doers of the same; how many of us are even high-way seed hearers! The word is gone from us, before we are out of these doors, or the most part of it. So the fowls of the Air, the evil spirits, they steal away the word from us; so that we had as much need to hear it again, as when we came. O saith Peter as long as I live, I will put you in remembrance. To do good and to communicate forget not, saith the Apostle; no Question they had been taught that lesson again and again, and yet they were apt to forget, and therefore the Apostle goeth over it again to them, to put them in remembrance.

Fourthly, It is requisite because our affections are so dull; they had need to be often quickened, therefore whet the word upon your, children: It is not one whet, that will edge a dull knife, but over and over with it again and again, as many times in Scripture a repetition of a thing (in prayer, in preaching) speaks the affections of him that delivereth it, so it stirs the affections of the hearers, Phil. 4. 4. saith the Apostle, rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice, is that a tautology, or a vain repetition? no, sure the Apostle was not guilty in that kind, but it was needful, to stir the affection to the duty; our hearts indeed are like so many dead Seas, and it is not a little breath once upon us, that will move, but when the wind passeth often, and strongly over us, then it may affect us haply; the word is therefore compared to the words of the wise, which are like goads, not the words of fools, who are no orators, senseless, and know not what belongs to the Art of speaking rightly, but the words of the wise are like goads, sharp, and they are to be often used, we are like oxen in duty, creatures that will often need to be pricked up, therefore the metaphor is used; therefore saith the Apostle, I put you in remembrance of the things you knew before, and were established in, even to stir you up; there is need of quickening the affections; a man may deliver the same truth haply more stirringly, one time then another, and the spirit may breath in it, one time more then in another, and then the affections are stirrd indeed to purpose; that is a fourth: Gutta cavat lapidem non vi sed saepe cadendo.

Fifthly, because of the inconstancy of our hearts, if we be a little affected with a truth at one time, how long doth such a frame continue upon us? David was sensible how fleeting the frame of our hearts are: And therefore though himself, and his people, were in as sweet a frame as any we read of almost, when they offered with a perfect heart, willingly, and so willingly, as that David rejoiced in it, and blessed the Lord for it, that they had hearts so to do; this was a precious frame indeed, yea David rejoiced at the willingness of others, not envied at it, saith he, that the Lord would keep this frame forever, Keep this upon the imagination, or figments of their hearts forever. Alas if he keep it not, it is gone presently; now upon Eagles wings soaring, by and by, with our bellies cleaving to the earth, Psal. 119. 24. thy testimonies are my delight, and 25. v. my belly cleaveth▪ to the dust. And therefore, the words of the wise, they are as goads and nails, nails to take hold, and fasten things together, that they may abide, and if they be driven to the head, yet how quickly may it be loosened again, is there not need of the same hammer to fasten it again, therefore saith the Apostle Peter, though you be established in the present truth already, yet I Judge it meet to stir you up, by putting you in remembrance.

Sixthly, because we are so slow to do what we know, which indeed is the main thing, we do but build Castles in the Air, Brethren, if we hear and do not, and yet who is clear in this point? yea how often may we hear a practical truth, pressed upon us, before we practice it? yea when we are convinced to do it, and resolved we will, and yet with the Son in the Gospel, I go Sir, but he went not; now this is the Learning indeed, a man hath never learned a lesson in Music, or learned a Copy, until he hath practiced it, and can do it. Ah dear friend, do not our hearts blush sometimes, when we consider how often we have had this watchfulness pressed upon us, and yet how little have we done to bring our hearts to it? And so for weanedness from the world, for self-denial, for any other duty almost; and therefore it is requisite, Brethren, that the same things, should be repeated and inculcated; but so much for the Arguments.

For the Application of the Doctrine: It is a plea then for a standing Ministry in the Church of Christ according to that of the Apostle, he hath set some Pastors, some Teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints; and also, while there are so many necessities upon them as you have heard, how are they perfect? So saith Peter, I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though you know them, and be established in the present truth, yet I think it meet as long as I live in this Tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance. Alas Brethren, suppose you are many of you so well acquainted with the mysteries of faith as that you need not to be further instructed in these things; yet it is a Peters duty you see, I think it meet or just to put you in remembrance, yea and as long as I live to do it, though I have nothing now to present you with, and though you be established in the present truth, yet I must put you in remembrance. They that despise prophesyings under that pretence that they have an unction themselves within them, which teacheth them all things, I doubt they will find by woeful experience, they quench the spirit of God in themselves (and what in them lies) also in others by weakening their hands, but who is like to pay for that?

(First,) Remember but that of the Apostle John in that same place, you have an unction whereby you are taught all things; what need John then to have written this Epistle to them? you will say, or some may say, he might have spared the pains, that unction of theirs is a supersedeas to him, and all other Ministers whatsoever, they have no need of them; what saith he, I write not these things to you, because you know them not, but because you know them. It is for confirmation, for quickening; there is need enough of it, else sure the spirit of God in him would not have wasted such precious pains upon them. The Thessalonians have no need that he write to them touching Brotherly love, they were nearer perfection, then, for ought I see the Churches of Christ now are, love is the fulfilling of the Law, and therefore had less need of the Apostles pains in writing to them; but yet you see he bestoweth it, and surely not in vain; he exhorts them to abound more and more, to continue in well-doing to encourage them, and strengthen their hands; this is none of the least works of a Messenger of Christ.

(Secondly,) Here is a pattern for the Teachers of God's people: Let it not be grievous to you, brethren, sometimes to beat the same things upon the people, if that man's wisdom might be heard to speak, and carnal reason, it would say it becometh not an exquisite Orator for men to insist too much, nor too often upon the same things, That is implied in that of the Apostle, to me it is not grievous, to others haply it might; It is not more tedious to a curious ear, then it is to a quaint tongue, to speak the same things again and again, but let us not consult with flesh and blood in these things, but tread in the steps of our Savior; Surely there was never such a treasury of wisdom and knowledge as was in Christ; in him were hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and it had been easy for him still to have brought out of his treasury things new and not any old. But you see what manner of Preaching is his to his own Disciples. We are called upon in Timothy to exhort with all long suffering and Doctrine, and be instant in season, out of season. Aug. would rather speak broken La • then the people should not understand, and he would have Preachers press a point upon their hearers, until they might even read the print of it in their faces; think not a light touch will do it.

And yet let me not be mistaken here neither, for I mean not hereby to make a Cloak for any Ministers idleness or slothfulness, who therefore may dwell longer then is meet upon a thing, or often go over with a thing, because they will not be at more pains to bring forth new as well as old, no, far be it from me, the Apostle giveth us another rule, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , be thou in them that thy profiting may appear to all. A Scribe instructed to the Kingdom of heaven, brings forth both new and old: but if there be need to press things harder or more then ordinary upon people, let it not be grievous to us; it must not then be a carnal self-love, love of our own ends, but the love of our poor souls, and their profiting that must lead us to it, else it is nothing; for you, saith the Apostle, it is safe that I write the same things; and what was that? even the warning them of false Teachers, it was safe for them to hear it again, and it was no such pleasing string for the Apostle to harp upon, but yet because it was safe for them, he denied himself in that: If the Ministers of Christ do sometimes more then ordinary strike upon that vain, instruct tenderly, it is necessary surely, or they think it so, else it is no such pleasing thing.

(Again) there is much wisdom to be used also by us, in pressing the same things, making a difference between persons and persons upon whom, least we grieve or dull some, instead of quickening them, therefore the Apostle he doth with a kind of modesty, use this freedom with them, he acknowledgeth indeed, that they did know the things he writ, he would not have them think, he took them to be so ignorant, or to be so fickle and wavering, but they were established in the present truth, and yet saith he, I hold it my duty sometimes to put you in remembrance, and to stir you up. So John, not because you know not, but because you know these things, therefore I write to you, 1 John 2. And so the Apostle, you need not that I write to you concerning brotherly love, you do love one another, but continue in it, abound in it more and more. See how sweetly doth he insinuate into them; if he had to deal with other people, he knoweth how to speak after another manner, to come with a rod, if there were need.

Again, there is much wisdom to be used in the dressing the same truth again and again, for the truths which you are necessarily to know, they are not for number infinite, and you will easily find, if you consider the Scripture, how the same truths are proposed to us in the Scripture, an 100. ways, several ways, because the Lord knew our frame, that naturally, we would have somewhat new, and were affected with variety, therefore he giveth us the same truths, under divers dresses, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , saith the Apostle, the Preacher chose not acceptable words, though It would not feed that itching humor that is in some, yet I would allow as much as love and prudence examined together would advise, because of the weakness and frame of men; and if one therefore diversely dress the same truths: omne tulit punctum: will the Lord seal this instruction to such of us as it concerneth. And, Brethren, pray for us that we may be wise-hearted, and know how to fit ourselves, and bait the hook, so as it may be most drawing.

Thirdly, It may serve to humble us for our dullness then, and those many other defections which are the rise of this necessity to beat the same things upon us again and again. Dear friends, we swallow much every Sabbath, every opportunity, how little doth incorporate with us, how little abideth with us, what pains is the Lord fain to take with us, line upon line, and precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, in season, out of season, and yet, Brethren, how little the better are we for it. May we not all of us lay our hands upon our hearts; is it not matter of humbling, we should put the Lord and his Messengers to so much pains with us, and be yet little the better for all? O let us magnify the longsuffering of God, and bless him for the longsuffering of his servants with us, that he is pleased to follow us up and down with this and that necessary truth! It may be thou hast heard some things which now thy soul hath the experience of, thou wouldst not loose for a world, and many a time thou hast heard them, but it hath been like water spilled upon the ground; and at last, the Lord hath fastened the nail to the head, if it had had but one blow, it would not have stuck.

Fourthly, It may caution us, brethren, against nauseating Divine truths, because they are so often beaten upon us, it may be the same things; It is safe for you, brethren, it is good for you, if you know the things belong to your peace, say not then, occidet mis • ros crambe repetita Magistros: What shall the Disciples say to Christ because he so presseth them to watch for his appearing, here is nothing but harping upon one string, nothing but watching and watching pressed upon us, we would have somewhat else, we are weary of this? No, but rather continue, O sure it is needful, our dullness calls for it, and it is much tenderness that he will not give us over until he hath wrought it upon our spirits. Should the Philippians cast it in Paul's teeth, he had told them often of those unruly masters, that they had heard enough of that? O no, now he tells them with tears, with more melting then before, the same thing in a more affected manner, they had no reason to loath. It was the great sin of the Israelites you know, they had manna every morning. this was their daily bread; at last they grew weary of it, nothing but this manna: our souls loatheth this light bread; for a while it was excellent and delightful, but after a while they loathed it; It seemeth it had not a taste to suite every man's palate, what was most delightful to everyone, as some thought, then they would not have loathed it; but they might dress it divers ways, and yet they loathed it; this was a lust which put their mouths out of taste, and so far, as that they prefered Garlic and Onions before it. It is nothing to be taken with the word, when a Teacher is as one that plays skillfully upon an instrument, toucheth every string, and in such a manner as the variety maketh sweet melody, but this harping upon one string is not so pleasant: here is a trial of your love to the word as it is the word, whether in its nakedness and simplicity you can love it, and though you have nothing but the word, and the word the sincere milk.

Another Caution shall be this, to take heed of that humor which reigns in abundance among us all, affecting novelties. O such itching ears would not have suited with our Savior his manner of Preaching! they have the same again and again from him: A new light, though it be but a Comet, draweth more eyes after it then the Sun, because he daily runneth his course, this is a great vanity in men's minds, and truly it is so in spiritual things; A new Doctrine, Oh how it bewitcheth men! as that did the Galatians; it is more then ordinarily taking with us, else the power of darkness and error had not been so great in our days as it hath been, and truly when we begin to be weary of the eternal Gospel, which never waxeth old, and cannot away with the same things after we have once heard them, which argues we receive not the love of the truth, embrace it not because of itself, but its dress or its novelties, or some such accident: we are in the very high-way to delusion; as the Apostle saith. I am sure, Antiquity was the commendation of the Apostles Doctrine even to the Romans themselves, he brought no new Gospel but what was from the beginning. Is it not the same spirit surely that works so mightily among us, whereby men would commend anything for its novelty? It is horrible pride both in Preachers and Teachers; Lucifer-pride, and a strong savor of the old Adam, that rather then we will be confined to a course, and dwell upon such things as have been received as truths in Jesus, we will have somewhat new, or else we will to our own inventions for it: the Lord deliver us from such a spirit.

And lastly, brethren, it is necessary that the same things be thus inculcated upon us, then surely we may hence learn, that there is somewhat more for us to learn still in every truth we hear, it may be often we have heard such a duty pressed, such a sin descried, there is somewhat in it, that God meeteth thee, it may be everywhere with the same message, they spoke with one mouth the same thing to thee; Is there not cause to fear? Surely that is one consideration; and the Lord in mercy to thee will not let thee alone, but one Bell in Aaron's ring sounds louder, then all the rest in thine ears. Surely, surely, there is somewhat unhealed that everyone thou comes near doth grate upon. It may be, brethren, to come a little nearer, thou hast long heard of coming to Jesus Christ, that thou mightest have life, and thou hast been as much wooed and entreated as many others, and thou art even weary of this lesson. What ado is here about coming to Christ, what do we not come to him, do we not follow him? Ah dear friends! It is the work of your whole lives, and why may it not be the work of our whole lives? yea it is to be feared, thou with whom so sweet a word relisheth no better, that thou hast never known the worth of it experimentally. Be not deceived, brethren, you may be mistaken, and far enough off from him, when you think you come to him▪ but suppose you are come to him, may you not draw nearer then you are come; have you not many backslidings? Do you not miss a stroke sometimes, and are carried down the stream, the Lord knoweth how far: and had you 〈◊〉 need of hearing then of coming to Christ, renewing your acquaintance with him? Alas Brethren, if many of us had not had this truth beaten upon us often, we had never come to him, canst thou tell how often thou hadst in the Gospel a crucified Christ held out to thee; before thou hadst a heart to look on him, and mourn over him, and over thyself, whose hands have been imbrued in his blood, here thou hast seen him here crucified, and there crucified, in this Sermon and that Sermon, in this Sacrament and that Sacrament; and yet all • s! thy sullen heart would not bleed; now if thou hadst never heard of him more, it had not been pressed upon thee anymore, what had become of thee, if notwithstanding all this thou hadst been sealed up in hardness and unbelief forever. What narrow-mouthed bottles are we receiving, now a drop and then a drop, though much be poured out, many times little stays, or if our heads fill, our capacities being large, apprehensions quick, and memories strong, how little is it that sinketh any further, there is need of pressing and boring, and unspeakable mercy it is, if at last the passage between head and heart be opened, that so what we have known long it may be; yet now we may come to know after another manner, even as we ought to know it, not to be puffed, but humbled, to be warmed, melted, changed by it.

How often Brethren, have we had the Doctrine of love pressed upon us, even as John had nothing else in his mouth almost, my little children love one another, my little children love one another; when he could not go, as the story saith of him: and can we hear it so often, but there is somewhat yet to learn that we have not learned, may we not grow in it, abound in it more and more, as the Apostle saith to them, even the Thessalonians? Ah where is a heart wherein it abounds, love to Christ, love to his people, a little unlikeness to ourselves in a thing of no great moment, is able to quench our love, so far it is from being as strong as death; a little earthly enjoyments, a house, a wife, a company of sweet children, pretty taking vanities, they have such a hold upon our hearts, that they stifle our desires, to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, O we see not, nor have learned how far better it is to be with him! is there not more to be learned by us all, in this point? And if we can or do love the Saints in whom the Image of Jesus Christ is, alas may we not do it more fervently then we do? if there be some fervor appearing, may we not do it with a purer heart, merely because Christ hath loved them, who is the beloved of our souls? what meaneth else our having the faith of Christ with respect of persons, what meanth else our loving men more for their gifts, then for their graces, for the common then the special inspiration of the spirit upon them? Do we not know men after the flesh? and yet, haply are ready to be weary of the Doctrine of love; What needeth so much ado to press it upon men, the Lord show us our shortness and humble us under it?

But I will come a little nearer to the purpose, in the Text and the thing in hand, which lies before us, the Ordinance to which some of us are now called, for this of watching for the appearing of Jesus Christ, I might have raised indeed a closer observation, and more particular when I had finished this, but I would not hold you too long upon this, which is but the coherence of the words we shall likely meet with it, before we have done with the Parable. And that is the necessity of pressing this great duty of watching for the appearing of Christ, much upon people, for this is the thing here our Savior so muchin sists upon, and often in many other places, What I say to you, I say to all, watch; And so Luk. 12. 35. Surely there is somewhat more in it, then ordinary; The duty is more spiritual, then ordinary, and then our carnal hearts are as hardly drawn to it, as a Bear to the stake: It hath many a time, I know been pressed upon us all, to get ready, and stand ready, to wait and watch for his appearing; Have we done it? How many of us, brethren, if Christ should come this day would be found sleeping, some dead asleep upon the lap of the pleasures, and honors, and riches of this world and 〈◊◊〉 to be disturbed, we never dream of his coming; Would men, think you, if they had learned this lesson, dare to multiply incumbrances in the world upon them? and with so much diligence, be casting out their roots in the world; as if they would never be plucked up, as if their portion were here below? how often have we been warned in the name of Jesus whose the warning is, take heed your hearts be not over-charged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day take you at unawares? hath this sunk with us? have we made conscience any of us, to ease ourselves of any unnecessary incumbrances, that we might wait upon him without distraction? What day almost, brethren, goeth over any of our heads, or what hour of the day wherein we shall be ready to open, if he should knock for us? Alas some of us, brethren, care not how long he defers his coming, if he would never come, we should be the better pleased, for our hearts tell us, it will be a woeful day to us, we have no oil in our vessels, we have no grace in our hearts, nor any do we look after, we know we are not in him, nor are we solicitous to be found in him, we are for our building, and planting, and rejoicing in our youthful vanities, and leave these serious things to melancholy Spirits. Ah dear friends, had not this truth need to be pressed upon you? your danger is great; if you could as easily put by the coming of Christ, as you can make a shift to smother the thoughts of it, your hearts indeed might cheer you, and your condition were something like: But he will come; and though you be asleep in the Arms of your lusts, know that your judgment sleepeth not, and your condemnation slumbereth not. And make what haste you can to be rich, or to be honorable (and such persons are not innocent) make what hast you can in your career of sinning, it travels as fast you, and will be sure to meet you at the gates of death and hell, if not sooner. But it may be, we think we have done this great work, we are through grace acquainted with the Lord Jesus, and his spirit, which hath effectually wrought in us to believe in his name, to love him, the main is done with us, and therefore sure we may have more liberty then others now: Is it so? but is this all that must go to watch for his appearing, do we not find our hearts thrusting away from us that day; and our hands fail, and security setzeth upon us? the Disciples were in danger to be surprised as well as others: Is there any of us so liveth as that we could readily and cheerfully meet the Lord Jesus at an hours warning, a days 〈…〉 and who knoweth he shall have so much to set his house in order? O there is need to press this duty upon us all, brethren, be our condition what it will we have yet somewhat to learn of it, and shall have, let us hear it as often as we can; But I will leave what further may be said unto its proper place, in the handling the Parable.

A word or two to the present occasion, we are many of us now called to this sealing Ordinance: And though we have been often stirrd up and taught our duty concerning it, is there not need to chafe the oil in upon our hearts, our affections still? Alas how often have we heard, that what it findeth it sealeeth; And yet do we not dare to come some of us with hard hearts, with covetous hearts, uncircumcised hearts, I would not speak, brethren, to grieve the heart of any, the Lord would not have grieved, as they that have least cause will be most sadly assailing themselves with condemning thoughts; but the Lord grant there be none found among us guilty kind. As often as ever we come we hear how dangerous a thing it is to come unworthily prepared to it, and yet the Lord knoweth how often we have thrust in here some of us, without a wedding garment; And that you have not been bound hand and fooe; bound up in our grave-clothes, and cast out of his sight forever, it is unspeakable mercy; O that this might melt us and humble us! and though blessed be his holy name, I believe there are many poor trembling souls, who go about these things with trembling hearts, least they should miscarry, and grieve him, and bring his blood upon their heads, I doubt there may be some of us found whose hearts are far from such a frame; had we not need then to be put in mind and remembrance again and again of these things? It may be we have faith and love to Jesus Christ, it may be we have humility and self-loathing, it may be we have a mourning spirit over our sins that have grieved the Lord Jesus, put him to all that grief for us, it may be we have a thankful heart; but are these graces now in action, are they upon the wing? how often have we been minded thereof, that we must be actually prepared? Alas! alas haply some of us have not taken the pains with our hearts which we might, and which others would have done if they had had the hearts which we have, haply some of us have been striving, but in our own strength. and have done little, haply others may have been helped in the preparing our hearts to seek him herein, but by our pride or carnal confidence, have lost our frame again. It may be some of us brethren have not been very negligent, but yet not so diligent as we ought, O brethren! how needful are these things! bear with me if I do press you to them, it is not tedious to me, because I hope it is safe for you, O! that I could do it, with such a spirit, and such bowels, as the Apostle did! the Lord set it upon all our hearts, we are exceeding dull to believe, and more dull to practice, and do his will revealed to us; Though the good be our own, the glory only his. But I will not insist any further here, the Lord give us understanding and believing hearts.

Now for the words of the Text.

The Kingdom of Heaven is like to ten Virgins which went forth to meet the Bridegroom.

I shall begin according to the former method. And first speak concerning Jesus Christ with respect to his Church. And touching him there are many things in this Parable. First he is the Bridegroom. 2. His delay of his coming. 3. The cry before his coming. 4. The coming. 5. The time of his coming, at Midnight.

To begin with the first,

The Bridegroom, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ; However it be that the scope of the parable be to stir up all men that profess the Lord Jesus to a perseverance in watchfulness, to stand ready for his coming, which being apprehended, there is no necessity of pressing each particular in the parable, yet I conceive, according to our Savior. His opening of other parables, we may insist upon the chief things therein, as where HE would let us see what need we had to take heed What, or How, or Whom we Hear, by the parable of the several sorts of Ground, receiving the seed of the Word, he not only tells us the difference of the Grounds, but what the seed is, and who the Sower is, or else in that parable of the good seed and the Tares, he tells us particularly what is meant by each. And therefore I must not here pass over this of the Bride-groom. The Virgins went forth to meet the Bridegroom.

The note will be The relation between the Lord Jesus and his people, He is the Bridegroom, and stands in that relation to his people. that this is so, we need go no further, then this parable, for who else is it that cometh, and with whom they that are ready, do enter into the M • rriage, then Jesus Christ, who is our life, who appearing, we shall appear with him in glory. Again the foolish virgins cry to him Lord Lord open to us. Who is the Lord, but Jesus Christ, as will appear by comparing this with that speech of our Savior. Not everyone that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy Name, in whose name, but in the name of Jesus Christ: and in thy name cast out devils, whose name, but the name of Jesus Christ? Again, who is it that passeth the doom and Sentence upon poor souls, but Jesus Christ, who shall judge both quick and dead, he saith I know you not, in this place, depart from me, for I know you not. I never knew you, in that place of Matthew. Again in the winding up of all, in the Application we have an explication of this part of the parable, Watch therefore for ye know not the day n • r hour wherein Son of man cometh, and who is this Son of man that cometh so uncertainly: but the Bridegroom, for whom the Virgins watched a while, but he not coming the time they thou ht, they fell asleep, and were found unready; therefore watch, and who is the son of man, but the Lord Jesus? You know he often calls himself so in the Gospel. I suppose this is the most solid and near proof of the Doctrine. Which is fetched out of the parable, yet a parallel place or two more, I will add to it, in that place of John, where he answereth his Disciples, who seemed to envy at it, that all the people followed Christ, and not their Master, O saith he, he that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom but the friend of the Bridegroom standeth and heareth his voice and rejoiceth. I am not the Bridegroom, saith he, but only his friend, for I have not the Bride, she is not mine, but his; I have only prepared a people for Christ, being a voice crying, prepare ye the Lord his way, make his paths straight, but he is the Bride-groom, who hath the Bride; that is to say Jesus Christ, for the comparison is between him, and the Lord Jesus, only so he giveth the honor to Jesus Christ, and is willing to be Out-shone by him, as the morning-star, by the Son when it ariseth, appeareth not anymore. But one more, and that is of Matthew, when again the Disciples of John, being in a mourning condition, as it should seem for their Master, now in the Paw of that Lyon that crafty Fox Herod, they had cause to mourn and fast, if by any means they might prevail, for his deliverance, as the Church afterward made continua! supplication for Peter. Now they saw not the Disciples of Christ to fast and mourn, and therefore they had a little emulation at them, and were quarrellous, and complaining to our Savior, Why do we and the Parisees fast often, but thy Disciples fast not. Our Savior again answers, How can the children of the Bride Chamber mourn, while the Bridegroom is with them, but the days are coming when he shall be taken from them and then shall they mourn. Is it sit or convenient for them to mourn while he is with them, for that is meant by (they cannot) the impossibility set forth interrogatively, for the Affirmative interrogation, hath the force of a strong Negation, Can they, that is, in no wise, they cannot mourn, the meaning is, it is not suitable, it is not convenient, so Nazianzen. It is reasonable that they should now mourn. You all know who are meant by the children of the Bride-Chamber, even the Disciples, and the Bridegroom is Jesus Christ, who yet a little while was with them, and ere long should be taken away from them, and then should be a time of mourning to them. But I will not here stay you longer, the rest of the Scriptures we shall consider, in the opening of the Point to you.

The Bridegroom, being a relative, must have a Correlate and that is the Bride. And therefore first we will speak a little to that, who this Bride is, for it seemeth not to be intimated in the Text, but the Bridegroom to stand alone. And then a word or two to the person, and quality of the Bridegroom.

For the Bride, the Text seemeth not to show her to our view, for here only, the kingdom of God, the Church visible, is compared to ten virgins, some wise, some foolish, and this may seem hardly to be the Bride, for the foolish you see, they are disowned, and Jesus Christ certainly espouseth none to be his Bride, but he communicateth of himself to them, who is the wisdom of the Father, and hath all treasures of wisdom and knowledge in him; and therefore his spouse, cannot be the foolish virgins, they have no fellowship with him in his wisdom. And for the wise, though it be said they entered with him in to the marriage, yet they are here spoken of, but as virgins which are companions to the Queen, as it is in the 45. Psal. v. 14. which in weddings it seemeth did accompany the B • ide to bring her to the Bridgr. but these were not the spouse, and therefore it may seem there is nothing here intimated of the Bride which is the correlate of the Bridegroom. We answer, In propriety of speech indeed, the Bride is the Queen, and the Virgins her companions they are not one and the same, but in these tropical speeches they may be one and the same, and are so doubtless, for herein we must know that the Church, and people of God admits of notions, of divers relations unto divers conditions As in another Parable, where the Communications of Christ to his people are set forth by a Marriage Feast as afterward we shall show you, here you know the King prepareth a feast for his Son, that is to say, for Jesus Christ a marriage feast it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a marriage itself, though by that be meant a marriage feast, now many guests were invited, and they make this and that excuse, at last he retcheth them in from the high-way sides, and heals the poor scattered contemned Gentiles, brought in when the Jews refused, here is the communication of himself to them as a Church visible, for so it must be understood because there was one there without a wedding garment; It seemeth there was a custom to put on their best apparel, somewhat suitable to the occasion. Well, the rest they had such a garment. But if this be but a marriage feast for Christ and the Bride, What are those Guests then that are invited to it? It should seem they are not the Bride herself. Why truly here the Answer is the same, in this Tropical speech they are one, and the same, though here they be not considered as such. And so in our Text the real believers, and Saints in truth, are set forth by the wise virgins, and all such have Christ, and Christ hath them as the Bride, only here they are considered indeed according to the comparison, as the virgins her companions which go forth to meet the Bridegroom. Yet indeed and in truth they are the Bride herself. And he said in that place of the Revelations, Blessed are they who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb, and so called as to come to it, but if they were not the spouse, had not an interest in the Bridegroom, as such, truly there would be no hapness in it to behold him, and not to enjoy him; and therefore this is but the same thing with that in the New Jerusalem; the holy City, coming down from God, even out of heaven as a Bride adorned for her husband, and the Angel said, come and I will show thee the Bride the Lambs wife, where the Bride and Guests are one and the same surely, only considered under a divers notion, according to the nature of the similitude or comparison, and so it is in this place. Yea, that which seemeth farther off in the comparison of the prothesis in the apodosis cometh as near, that is to say of young men, the friends of the Bridegroom, the children of the Bride Chamber, they also are a part of the Bride, for they are these Virgins also, though in the comparison male and female are distinguished, yet in Christ, no difference.

Well then, these virgins, the wise virgins, though considered here only as accompanying the Bride, the Queen, to the Bride-groom, Yet they are the Bride herself indeed, now herein is the mystery of the Saints communion with Christ transcendent and wonderful, that though they be married to him, yet they are virgins still; It is true an espousal of a virgin deflours her not, but she continueth so, until the consummation of the marriage, though the Jews had another manner of custom, sometimes to espouse by copulation; though afterwards it was forbidden with them. See Goodw. Antiq. Jud. yet when the Saints have the fullest, nearest marriage, communion with Jesus Christ, yet they are virgins, yea the purer their virginity is, then the Idols of their hearts, they are fully cleansed from, according to that Gospel-promise, I will cleanse them from all your Idols, then it is done fully. And this is the virginity of the Saints, it lies in their union and fellowship with Jesus Christ, and none else; thus saith Theophil. from Chrys. is a wonder that she should be married, & yet a virgin and the more, for marriage communion, the Church with J. Christ the purer her virginity is, the more perfectly is she cleansed from Idols and all uncleanness. The truth is brethren we are never virgins, until we come to be espoused to him, but all filthy fornicators and unclean persons, wallowing in our filthiness, and now when once the Lord Jesus lays hold upon us for his, we begin to be virgins, where again the transcendency of grace above nature, which is the ground of the comparison, if it reacheth not the thing compared to it. And so though they go a whoring afterward from the Lord Jesus, play the Harlots, as he complains of Judah and Israel, you know often in the Prophets, that is to say by going after other objects of worship, then himself, other lovers, yet when they return to their own husband again, why then they become virgins. Now though Judah had been woefully corrupted with Idolatry in the days of Ahaz, that Ahaz. There is a brand set upon him worthily by the spirit of God, for he corrupted the people above measure, shut up the doors of the House of God, had Altars in every corner of the City in the open places, as the Pharisees prayed in corners, the places where many streets met, impudent whoredoms in the face of the Sun, they discovered their sin as Sodom, yea, they cut in pieces, many of the vessels of the Temple, and brought in so much filthiness into it, as that they were sixteen days cleansing it. Now they played the Harlot, and therefore wrath was against them, and all Israel for that. But now when in Hezekiah his days, the doors of the house were opened, they repented, he called upon them to turn to their God, set up his pure worship again, though to his own cost and charge, for the daily burnt Sacrifice, a high example for godly Princes, you have the memorable story in 2 Chron. Well now when Sennacherib cometh up against them, saith the Lord, The virgin daughter of Zion hath despised thee before an Harlot, an impudent one, committing abominations in the very corners of the streets, now the virgin daughter of Zion, here is indeed wonder upon wonder in this, but I doubt I stay too long upon these things.

The next thing is the Bridegroom, The Person that stands now in relation to the Bride, who is it, but the Lord Jesus, Immanuel God with us, Married to us in our nature taking that upon himself, It is no mean Person brethren that is the Bridegroom, but he who is God equal with the father, and counteth it no robbery to be equal with him. He who is the shining forth of his fathers glory, the express image of his fathers person, this is he brethren. What shall I say brethren, Alas, I doubt I shall dishonor him by speaking of him.

1. If you look upon his birth, who can declare his generation, It is that, people do much look at, in their marriages, and there is somewhat in it; though happily, not so much as men place in it among men, but here there is very much, He is the Son of God. The Jews looked upon it as so high above him, seeing no farther then Haman, that they cried out of blasphemy, that he made himself equal with God, he is the Bridegroom then, the Son of God, his own Son, as the Gospel hath it, his only begotten Son; He w • o by a divine, infinite, incomprehensible communication is one in essence and nature with his father, he it is (brethren) that is the Bridegroom. We, by Birth, what are we? but the basest, our Father an Amorite, our Mother an Hittite, yea a seeed of evil doers, a generation of vipers, worse then worms, and the vilest; And yet the Lord Jesus the Bridegroom bearing such a relation, to such as we, and taking us into such a relation to himself.

2. If we look upon his beauty brethren, Alas! if we turn our eyes towards it, we are dazzled, a beam or two he showeth us in a glass darkly indeed, that yet rightly understood, would amaze us; as to behold the glory of the Sun reflected by a glass, or a piece of burnished metal, it dazleth us, we cannot behold it, when he saith, he is the shining forth of his fathers glory 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the shining forth of his fathers glory, which considered as God-man, is a glorious expression of his beauty. But considered as he is the Son of God, it falls much below it, for the beam of the Sun, though never so glorious, is far below the essence of the Son, but he is, one in essence with the father, He is as God-man, the express Character of his fathers person. A poor dull carnal eye that looked no farther then the veil of flesh, and saw him a man of sorrow, acquainted with grief, his visage marred more then any man's as he saith, Smitten of God, or a smitten God, alas, there was no beauty to be seen why he should desire him. But his beauty is inward, he is white and ruddy, the chief among ten thousand, either his divinity and Humanity, or his fullness of Grace, and his bloody Merits in a sweet exact mixture. O how beautiful do they make him, he is fairer then the sons of men! If that beauty will carry it, he is the very Paragon of Heaven.

3. For Riches there is none like to him. This is a great allurement you know indeed, for the most part men do marry the gold and riches of the world rather then the person, though this be a madness; an Heir to a great estate likely will not need a wife, Why, the Lord Jesus is heir of all things, all things in Heaven and Earth. He is the only Son of God, the heir apparent of heaven he is, being the Son of God, so that what ever we want, it will be abundantly supplied in him. Abraham his servant wooing saith, his Master was rich, and had only one Son, and he heir of all. Gen. 24. 35▪ 36.

4. If Honors will do it for that is somewhat which much takes with men, he is no less then a King, and no mean one, he is the King of Glory, a glorious King indeed, as he is called in that Psalm, Yea the King of Kings; and Lord of Lord's, Rev. 17. 14. A most high and eminent Kingdom, who hath all other Kings at his command, a hundred seven and twenty Provinces were a great Dominion, but not only all the Kingdoms of the earth are the Lord's and his Christ's, but by him Kings rule, and Princes decree Justice, it is by his permission, any of them exercise their power.

5. For Power as well as Authority, and Majesty, he it is that can do what he pleaseth, he is indeed the Mighty God, and what then can stand in his way. He is our Maker, and there is much in that, thy Maker is thy Husband, thy Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts is his name; thy Maker, he that gave thee thy being when thou haddest none, by a word of his mouth. O here is power indeed! he that could give us a spiritual being by the same word, there, is yet more power, for in the first there was no repugnancy but here there is, he is the Lord of Hosts; It was much to Israel to consider who was their Husband, even the Lord of Hosts, he that could Redeem them out of Egypt, sink all their enemies in the Red-Sea, go as a Captain before them, drive out the Canaanites, notwithstanding their Iron Chariots, the Anakims, that were a terror to them. He now was their Husband He is a man of war, and a most mighty man of valor, for that Goliath himself which defies the Armies of Israel, is nothing in his hand, the roaring Lyon, is nothing in his hand, he can tear him in pieces, and bruise him under his feet, even as a Lyon tears a Kid. It is very much brethren, this to commend the Lord Jesus to us, he can fight our battles for us, so that if we can but stand still we shall see the salvation of the Lord.

6. For a lovely sweet disposition, which is none of the least desirable things in a Husband; O never was there like to Jesus Christ for disposition, he is love itself, and tenderness itself, bowels and compassion itself! there is many a one, though they have beauty and riches, a • d honors, and birth and power in an Husband; yet if there be an unsuitable disposition, there be rigidness, and harshness, it imbitters all; O do but observe how sweet a disposition he was of, so far from harshness to his people, that he melteth over his very enemies that refused him, Ah that thou ha • st known in this thy day &c. O how he is touched with our infirmities, afflicted in our afflictions! A woman that hath such a husband, what a sweetening is it to all her afflictions; If love will do, he •• ll never take any other course, never any estrangement of himself from a soul, here is a Bridegroom indeed. But I will not speak any further, Brethren, you have heard much, and much better of the excellencies of Jesus Christ, then I am able to speak to you; this only for the second thing.

There are yet to be considered the Causes, which according to their several influences, concur to the making up of this relation between Christ and the Church, of a Bridegroom and a Bride, whichwhen I have spoken somewhat to, I will proceed.

1. Then, The Father, he giveth them to his Son, and the Son to them. This is above comparison, though the Father of the Virgin give her, give his consent, and so the Parents of the Son, they give their consent. But here is God the Father who doth all, he giveth his son for his people, and to his people, as you have it in that place, he so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him might not perish, but might be brought in to the nearest unity with him, might have life everlasting, in communion with him. If thou hadst known the gift of God, saith he to the woman of Samaria, and who saith to thee give me drink, or, And he giveth us to his Son, that is to say, as many as were in his purpose of grace, thine they were, and thou gavest them to me; they were thine not so much by Creation, for he speaks of many that yet were not created, nor are to this day likely, created, but in the purpose of grace they were h • s, and as absolute sovereign over all, so they were his to do with them as he pleased, to have made them vessels of dishonor if he had pleased; as Ananias was it not thine own, mightest thou not have done with it what thou wouldest? So here, we were the Fathers as Sovereign, all of us and his Christ's, not only so, but in his purpose of grace he gave them to his Son, to be his Spouse, his wife.

2. But yet Alas they would be under the hands of sin and Satan enslaved in an Iron Furnace, hard bondage, he must redeem them, if he will have them, they are sold under sin and Satan, the Prince of this world; therefore he must pay the price, they were obnoxious indeed to his Justice, or would be in time; and therefore he must provide a satisfaction or else they could not be set clear. It was the manner in some Countries brethren, to give Dowries for their wives, to buy them before they had them, quite contrary to what is among us, Ask me never so much dowry, saith Shechem, and I will give it, he was now in love with the Virgin, and nothing was too much for her now; so here the Lord Jesus, as well as his Father, he before the world was, foresaw what a happiness it would be to poor Creatures, and what a glory and joy to himself, and them forever one in another, and therefore he delights now in the habitable parts of the earth in the sons of men. O now what ever is required I will give, if I must take flesh, an infinite condescension, I will do it, as if a Prince should say, if I must be clothed with rags; yea with clods, yea with worms, I will, rather then I will go without such a poor worm to be my spouse, If I must part with my dearest blood, and extend it to the last drop, I will; Ask me any Dowry, yea if I must give myself for them, who am God, and equal with thee, as well as afterward man, I will do it, my kingdom for them, my glory for them, my blood for them, O brethren the Lord Jesus is worth a hundred thousand worlds! well he will buy us, he hath done it, at a dear rate. Indeed David bought Michal at a dear rate, by the death of the Philistines, and afterward two hundred foreskins of the Philistines, it pleased him well, what is this brethren: If David must have parted with his life for her, have been so much debased, as to have lived a poor despised contemptible life for her, a h • wer of wood, or drawer of water, or ground at a Mill, or to have been as Job continually, a man of sorrows, and upon the dunghill, this had been somewhat, but nothing to this of Jesus Christ. Satan was there spouse, bought at so low a rate as the Church of Christ was. I have read of some that must not marry a woman until they had killed an enemy, and other until they had killed, or overcome their Corrivals, and happily this might be hard: But the Lord Jesus, he must grapple with his Corrival the Law, the former Husband as the Apostle calls it, as it is the strength of sin, and slay that, and take away the Curse, & break the commanding power, the streaming power of the Law, before he could take us to be his. And so he must grapple with principalities and powers, and spoil them,, and lead captivity captive, scatter him in his temptations, break him in his policies, undermine him in his depths and methods, over-power him, in his malice, he must destroy all these enemies. Yea more then all this the wrath of his father that was against us, and against which there was no standing, he must interpose, and screen us from it, and O! How it scorched him, though he quenched it! As the Passover was roasted in the fire; so the Lord Jesus our Passover, was even roasted alive in the displeasure of his Father.

3. Then he cometh a wooing, for when all this is done brethren, we are unwilling it may be to have him, are well contented to continue with our former Husband, to be yet under the Law, and the commanding power of sin, and see no such beauty in him, as to desire him, nor any such freedom and comfort in being one with him as to desire that. Yea if we be convinced a little of this, yet happily our wills or hearts are not towards him; and therefore he is fain to w • o us, when all is done; himself came in the days of his flesh, and what was his work before his suffering, but to woo poor creatures to accept of him. How did he woo the woman of Samaria, If thou hadst known saith he, the Gift of God, thou wouldst have asked him insinuating, there was more in him then she yet saw, as appeared when he told her her sins, what they had been? How often would I have gathered thee, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, saith he; O I have been ready to spread my Skirts over you, but you would not: Sometimes entreating, sometimes lamenting their condition; sometimes displeased at the hardness of their hearts. It is much for a King to come a wooing himself, a great King. They use to send, as David to Abigail, Abraham, to Rebecca: but here, he cometh himself a long journey, from Heaven to Earth, and contented to take on him the form of a servant, that we might not be dazzled with his glory, and no pains doth he refuse. How did he go up and down on foot until he was weary? Blessed Savior, he was weary at the well there by Samaria, and all was that he might everywhere woo and entreat poor creatures to accept of him. And 2: not only by himself, but by his Messengers, now he is in his glory: now he sends by his Messengers to this end. You see Abraham his servant went to take a wife for Isaac, and David his servants, went to Abigail. So brethren, do the Messengers of Jesus Christ his paranymphs or pronubi. They speak now a good word for Jesus Christ; so the Apostle, I have espoused you saith he to one Husband. Such are friends of the Bridegoom, as John was, that did what he could to bring the people to Jesus Christ, even the people of the Jews, and would fain have had all the people to close with him. But

4. In this espousal to Jesus Christ, we are to consider several things, what is done 1. By the spirit, he is indeed the great wooer, He is sent forth to convince of righteousness and of sin, the burden of the work lies upon the Spirit, and happy it is for us that it doth so, for how fruitless would our endeavors be to you, else brethren, we might spend ourselves, and be spent, and when all is done complain, We have spent our strength in vain, for Israel is not gathered, How sad for you? How uncomfortable for us? No no, the great persuader is the Spirit: he cometh and he openeth the eyes, and then the poor soul seeth, O he is aere alieno obrutu • , so deep indebted to the Justice of God, that whatever he can do or suffer to pay it, eternity is little enough to pay it in, O now for a Husband, now how happy a creature should I be if some that were able to bear the debt would discharge it, would take it up for her. He then insinuates somewhat further, and convinceth of Righteousness, that there is enough in Christ if we owed a thousand Talents more, O then that I had it saith the poor soul: O he is willing, he is willing saith the Spirit; therefore he is Preached to every creature. Thus if this Arm of the Lord were not revealed, our report of Christ would never be believed. But what then do the Ministers do?

Yea their word, the word of Faith which they preach, it is the vehiculum Spiritus. It is that wherein the Spirit breatheth. It is the spirit brethren, ordinarily in the Law which convinceth of sin, or the Gospel preached legally, as the great aggravation of men's sins; and it is the spirit in the Gospel preached Evangelically as that which holds forth a ransom, a propitiation for sinners, whereby the Spirit convinceth of righteousness. Where, as in a glass the Spirit of Christ doth hold out The beauty, excellency, love, and loveliness of the Lord Jesus, which is most transcendent and ravishing to the soul that seeth it, but a little more particularly then.

1. The Spirit by their word ordinarily, not excluding other means, though the Spirit always is the great wooer, and worker in this kind. I say the Spirit, by their word doth work to the revealing of a poor creature, breaking that enmity that was in the heart to Jesus Christ: So the Apostle, I have espoused you to one Husband, so we read it, which Beza disalloweth not, but he readeth optavi, Erasmus adjunxi, the word is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 I have joined them to the Lord saith he, Eras. vel • t ea quae glutine aut ferrumine comittuntur, but yet me thinks, saith Beza, the the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that I might present you as a pure virgin to one Husband, &c. confutes is, speaking afterward of a nearer joining to Christ then now, therefore he readeth it I have fitted you for the Lord, wherein

1. Is a reconciling of the persons to Jesus Christ. We beseech you saith the Apostle, be ye reconciled to God. In Christ's stead we do it, as if he did beseech you himself, we pray you be reconciled and O that we could do this brethren! but with such bowels as the Lord Jesus, or as this Apostle did. We are soon answered, and take a denial of you for you practice a denial, and we are too easy to take it. O I beseech you saith the Apostle, be you reconciled. Alas poor sinners, you are enemies to Christ, and how will an enemy be married to an enemy while such, you think you are not enemies, and you are not so indeed, in word, and profession; but in your deeds you are enemies. You do nothing but wound and tear his name, and are you not then enemies, you hate the strictness of his ways, and his people that walk in them, and are you not enemies; you are in love with your sins, which were the very spear at his heart the knife that butchered him, and are not enemies? Ah! how many such here this day, Now our work is to entreat you first to be reconciled, as for his part he is ready to forgive, and forget all, and to look upon you, as if you had never had offended him, if you had but hearts given you towards him as his is towards you.

2. Not only, but then there is the espousing brethren, and that is when there is a mutual promise past between the Lord Jesus and the soul, he will be a Husband to thee, and marry thee to himself, and thou wilt be faithful to him, wilt never follow other lovers anymore, Thou wilt be his, and his alone, if he be pleased to be thine. Now the Gospel which we preach is the word of this faith. It is indeed the spirit brethren, which is received by the hearing of faith, by the word of faith, as the Apostle spake, that doth persuade a soul to this, to close with him, to take him, upon his own terms. He will be his virgin now forever.

3. There is yet further an adorning her, when so espoused, and so fitting her for him to be presented him a pure virgin. That I might present you, not only chaste, but all manner of purity, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and this is nothing else brethren, but the integrity and uprightness of the soul, the abounding of the soul with all the graces of the spirit, wherein there is a growth by degrees. And this is the work of the servants of Jesus Christ, a part of their fitting of them for him To labor, to carry on his work so in his people's hearts, that they may be adorned and meet for such a Bride-groom.

There are but two things more to be hinted, before I come to the Application of this. And the next is The manner of this espousing or betrothing, but before that we must note, That as there was a betrothing of virgins some time, before the completing of the marriage which custom is commendable, you know Joseph had Mary espoused to him, before he took her to his family, as completely and fully. So among the Heathens, also placuit despondi nuptiis hic dictus est dies, saith the Comic. Terent. only to the faith of the marriage. Now they were counted by the people of God, and by the Law, man and wife, Husband and wife (*). It was death for them to violate that betrothing as well as if they had been never so completely and solemnly married, whereby it appears God would have them look upon it as a perfect marriage, though the consummation of it were not until afterward the taking of her home, and solemnly engaging de presenti as they say. So here, the consummation of this marriage is deferred a while, as you have it in the very Text at last, at midnight the cry was, Behold the Bridegroom cometh, and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage, that is to say into heaven. Then when Isaac took Rebecca and brought her into his Mothers Tent, and became one with her more nearly, she became his wife indeed so hereafter, when he takes us into his fathers house brethren, when he takes us into Heaven, there is the marriage consummated indeed.

But for the manner of his espousals, First, remember this in all He doth it freely. For alas Brethren, what can the Lord Jesus, now if he come into the Congregation this day, see in any of us that he would take for his spouse, what can he see in us, there is nothing desirable nor lovely in us, we are like poor Infants cast out in our blood; not washed, nor salted, but stinking, loathsome, the navel not cut nor bound up, cast out to the loathing of our person. Ah Brethren! while poor sinners are in their sins, they smell not the loathsomeness of their souls, they have stinking nostrils, to which the savor of sin is suitable; and therefore they smell it not, we are as persons that have been long in a filthy Jakes or Dungeon, and by continuance of it, we feel it not, it is so habitual, or indeed connatural to us, but now bring a man out of this place, a little while, and put him into it again, O then how loathsome it is to him, yea, bring him to the door of it, O it is ready to sink him, so it is in this case, you see it not, poor creatures, O that such of us, as the Lord hath made sin loathsome to, could tell how to pity you, but sure you will find it so, if ever the Lord Jesus do espouse you, he will first let you know what you are, to whom he doth this, Alas, what can he see in us brethren, or hath he seen in any of us, that he stands in this relation to, for birth, you have nothing but baseness, The Devil is our Father, and his works we will do. I mean as to corruption that is within us, whence is it, but from Satan. For Beauty, there is none, but all deformed wounds, and bruises, and putrefied sores, full of corruption, that stink and are loathsome, and what beauty can there be in such a person. Alas! our hands are withered, as to anything that is good, and our Legs are Lame throug Hypocrisy, we halt between two, we are very Cripples indeed; no strength, not so much in our Ankle-bones as to stand upon our Legs. We are blind and cannot see, deaf and cannot hear, pride like a Tympany swells us. All manner of deformities gathered into one are the very picture of a poor sinner, O brethren, who could affect such a creature were not this free, altogether free. We must have something or else we cannot take a person into such a relation. we must have beauty and parts, and birth, and wealth, and wisdom and what not. we are blacker then Ethiopians, more brutish then fools, viler then the earth, poor and naked and miserable, and what not, and O that ever the Lord Jesus should take such as we are, in such a condition, well this is the first.

2. He doth it so willingly as to rejoice in it: It may be it may make a man more serious and Melancholy, in such a condition, if he be sensible of the weight of the things he goeth about, but now the Lord Jesus knowing the issues of things, and that it will be eternally happy for the poor soul, and he shall have glory in it; he doth it, and not only so, but he rejoiceth in it, even • s a Bride-groom rejoiceth over his Bride, as the Prophet hath it. The words of the Text are very Emphatical, as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry Thee, he speaks of the Church of the Jews their sons, shall abide with her, as one that marrieth another, and dwells with her, and they shall not be removed: but a young man marrieth a virgin, a chosen young man, the freely chosen 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 happily because they used to choose young men for expl • its in war, or otherwise as being of more strength and activity, such an one marrying a virgin, not an old man, a virgin, nor a young man marrying a widow or Ancient woman; but a young man, a virgin, so an old man, an old woman, the reason of it is that hereby God might set forth how every way (there being a suitableness to give full content and satisfaction) he rejoiceth therefore over his people he thus espouseth as a young man over his virgin, his Bride that he marrieth; therefore she is called Hephsibah, my delight is in her, and Beulah, she is married. And this, if it be not full enough, take another place, and it is that of Zeph, where he prophesieth in like manner of the restoring of Jerusalem, and God's taking her again after she was put away, as it were, the Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty, he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy, he will rest in his love he will joy over thee with singing. Mind you, he will rejoice over thee with joy, that is to say, exceedingly rejoice, as in another case the friend of the Bridegroom, rejoiceth with joy 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 he rejoiceth with joy, that is to say GREATLY, yea he will rest in his love, he