The Parable of the Ten Virgins Opened and Applied

Thirdly, That by the inward principle of Spirit, and Graces, our lamp burns, and shines, our actions issue. The Spirit enables a man to know, & hence the act flows, he doth know the Lord. The Spirit enables inwardly for to love the Lord, and hence it doth love him. That as Christ saith, a good tree brings forth good fruit, from an inward sap received from the root, and by abiding on the root; So here.

1. Those that are renewed to Adams image in their measure, have according to that measure, power to act; or in those Graces there is power to act, for he had power so to do. Every creature in the world had a Law of Nature to carry them to their end; and so were carried to it. But Adam had a Law of Divinity, whereby he being a cause by Counsel, was enabled by God to carry himself toward his end. Now we are renewed to that image in part, Eph. 4. 24. I know there is difference between Adams power to act, which had no Faith, ours that hath. And do not think that this doth advance nature, & the power of man, no more than the execution of the Promise of the Covenant of Grace, doth destroy Grace and advance nature. For the writing again the Law in our hearts, is that which this Covenant promiseth; nay, this doth honour the riches of Grace: that a man being under the power of sin, and cannot get deliverance, the Lord should now give an humble conquering Spirit: never a precious heart but will be thankful for it.

2. Because the Graces in us, are received from the Lord Jesus his fullness, John 1. 16. Now the Graces in Christ are not dead, but living, are not weak, but powerful; the Spirit of Grace 'tis now triumphing in him, 'tis so in us only: 'tis in him in the highest degree, in us in a lower. And therein consists our likeness to Christ,