The Parable of the Ten Virgins Opened and Applied

3. Because men know not the Spirit, never felt the presence, not power, nor comfort of it themselves; and hence men do as some Countries, because themselves are black, they paint the Devil whi•e. John 14. 17. The World cannot re•eive, because it knows him not. Give me any Christian living that ever found the sweetness of it, but his longings were to have more of that grace, to forget things behind, and reach to things before, even to the resurrection of the dead, whom I believe none will say want all habits of grace: I look upon the Opinion as coming with a curse from God: A man hath been a dry Professor long, Conscience saith, There is no grace in the heart, and hence is troubled; True, saith he, there is none in Saints, it is in Christ, and there he catcheth and deceives himself.

3. Because men know not the Spirit, never felt the presence, not power, nor comfort of it themselves; and hence men do as some Countries, because themselves are black, they paint the Devil whi•e. Iohn 14. 17. The World cannot re•eive, because it knows him not. Give me any Christian living that ever found the sweetness of it, but his longings were to have more of that grace, to forget things behinde, and reach to things before, even to the resurrection of the dead, whom I believe none will say want all habits of grace: I look upon the Opinion as coming with a curse from God: A man hath been a dry Professor long, Conscience saith, There is no grace in the heart, and hence is troubled; True, saith he, there is none in Saints, it is in Christ, and there he catcheth and deceives himself.

Secondly, Those that do acknowledge them, but any power or activity in them they deny; they say there is oil indeed in the Vessel, but it helps not, 'tis no means to make the Lamp to burn or shine; there is the life of Christ, but it is a dead life, they call them the graces of Christ, but they are but fruitless graces. I confess it, if you consider them without the Spirit of Christ, they are no true graces, much less active or living ones; but consider them thus, they have a power, as take the least grain of corn, there is a growing power in it, & fructifying too in it by dying first, though it actually doth not fructify presently, and though there must be rain, and Sun must shine also, and a providence accompanying of it, so it is in the graces of Saints: And hence its called a Law of the mind, there is a power of a Law, as of sing and hence as Christ grew in wisdom and stature, so all the members of Christ are like unto him.