The Parable of the Ten Virgins Opened and Applied

2. Set a high price upon a little Grace; a man will be exceeding humbly thankful for the giving a little of that which he highly esteems, much more for giving much of what we value. The poor Woman of Canaan, Mat. 15. was glad of crumbs. How thankful do you think she was for loaves? that made her ready to receive all; Be it as thou wilt; so it shall be with you, for if you prize a little, Oh when all shall be given, this will swallow you up into Grace. And it's certain, there is never a mercy but 'tis great, if you consider him that gives it, who receives it, him that bought it. But the most of Gods Grace in us appears to be but small; hence we prize it not, and hence never ready to give all to the Lord again.

3. Learn to put a difference between your double being: for every Christian hath a double being: 1. In himself. 2. He hath a subsistence in Christ. Now look upon your selves as in your selves, you will ever complain there, ever dead, and never have your hearts ready to bless the Lord. If you only look on your selves in Christ, you will be proud, and never give the Lord honour. I say therefore, put a difference between these two, for men appropriating to themselves what is Christs, they rob Christ of his glory. Hence Paul so humble, 1 Cor. 15. 10, 11. For if you look upon your self, I am dead, guilty, damned, weak, here will be shame: if any life, or Grace, this is Christs. As a man on a Mount is the same man, no taller, only the Mountain makes him so: so think of thy self. Or as a mud wall, the sun shines on it, but in it self it is a mud-wall still; all the warmth and lustre is from the Sun.

4. Learn to love Grace; what we love we will seek the good of more than our own, and commend it.