The Parable of the Ten Virgins Opened and Applied

1. Because mans acting from himself is best able to attain his own ends, to which you know a man is gently and necessarily carried: for no man out of Christ, but his own ends draw him; now Christ crosseth a mans own ends, and to live on him is to live on him that will confound them of their own ends, or else no life there: Hence they live from themselves. As 'tis with a Crafts-man, or Artificer, propounding the gain or credit they may get by being excellent in their Trade, may by their own study and frequency of acts, grow dexterous, and very skilful at last, and hence delight in it, so here, profession and practise of Religion may be a mans trade which he may drive for his own ends and gain, and hence may desire to be excellent, and by endeavour be excellent, and profit exceedingly in many excellent endowments: hence he acts and works for himself, Rom. 1. 14.

2. Because a man naturally knows not how to fetch it from Christ from Heaven, Rom. 10. 3. Hence 'tis with them as with a Child cast off by the Father, and put to some hard Master, because they have no Father to maintain them, they most live as they are, and do as well as they can. A man comes to pray, knows not how to fetch strength from Christ, and he must pray, and hence prays as well as he can.

2. Because a man naturally knows not how to fetch it from Christ from Heaven, Rom. 10. 3. Hence 'tis with them as with a Child cast off by the Father, and put to some hard Master, because they have no Father to maintain them, they most live as they are, and do as well as they can. A man comes to pray, knows not how to fetch strength from Christ, and he must pray, and hence prayes as well as he can.