The Parable of the Ten Virgins Opened and Applied

2. To the right closing with his person, this is also required, to taste the bitterness of sin, as the greatest evil: Else a man will never close with Christ, for his holiness in him, and from him as the greatest good. For we told you that that's the right closing with Christ for himself, when it is for his holiness. For ask a whorish heart what beauty he sees in the person of Christ, he will after he hath looked over his Kingdom, his Righteousness, all his works, see a beauty in them, because they do serve his turn to comfort him only. Ask a Virgin, he will see his happiness in all; but that which makes the Lord amiable, is his Holiness, which is in him, to make him holy too; as in marriage, it is personal beauty draws the heart. And hence I have thought it reason that he that love; Brethren for a little Grace, will love Christ much more. Hence if a man feels not the want of Christ, the bitterness of sin, as his greatest evil, he will never see nor admire Christs beauty, much less close with it. Hence John 16. 9. Convinceth the world of sin, because they believe not in me, i. e. of that chiefly. Oh these wrongs done against the Lord! Why not of wrath and Hell? Oh sin is the evil, and then it appears exceeding evil, when not against God simply, but against a Son. Paul why persecutest thou me? Acts 9. Why? Did he not live in lusts and self-confidence? Yes, but in all these he saw he persecuted Christ. And after saddest search, I have feared the want of this, is the great cause of all a mans closing amiss with Christ. I would but ask where was Judas wound? Was it resting in a Pharisaical righteousness without Christ? Without Christ, no, for he forsook all and followed Christ. Was it want of profession of him, preaching for him? No. Was it for want of communion with him? No: one sin he lived in, he had his bag. And hence when many went from him, he stuck to him, John 6. Judas still cleaves to him: yet even then Christ calls him a Devil, which if ever he had tasted the bitterness of, he would not have lived in, not dyed desperately, some think impardonably without Christ, and so sin more against him. Let any man living show me how he can close with Christ, and yet love one sin: I'll be his bond-man, that can say, I close with Christ as my Husband, and yet I love my Whore too.

2. To the right closing with his person, this is also required, to tast the bitternesse of sin, as the greatest evil: Else a man will never close with Christ, for his holinesse in him, and from him as the greatest good. For we told you that that's the right closing with Christ for himself, when it is for his holinesse. For ask a whorish heart what beauty he sees in the person of Christ, he will after he hath looked over his Kingdom, his Righteousnesse, all his works, see a beuty in them, because they do serve his turn to comfort him only. Ask a Virgin, he will see his happinesse in all; but that which makes the Lord amible, is his Holinesse, which is in him, to make him holy too; as in marriage, it is personal beauty draws the heart. And hence I have thought it reson that he that love; Brethren for a little Grace, will love Christ much more. Hence if a man feels not the want of Christ, the bitternesse of sin, as his greatest evil, he will never see nor admire Christs beauty, much lesse close with it. Hence