The Parable of the Ten Virgins Opened and Applied

Now there are two cases Gods own people may not desire to remove hence, where though there be some fire I confess, yet there is more smoke than fire, more sin than Grace.

Now there are two cases Gods own people may not desire to remove hence, where though there be some fire I confesse, yet there is more smoak than fire, more sin than Grace.

1. In case they meet with much unkindness from, and many sorrows in the world, and behold the sins of it. Thus it was with Elijah, 1 Kings 19. 4. Who when Jezebel threatened his life, fled, and would needs set sail presently and be gone; so 'tis with Gods people, when they see enemies without, the universal rot of Profession, that they think they are almost left alone; when God hath begun to do good by them, as by Elijah, but they think their best days are past, there is all they shall do, and God himself it may be meeting them with some crosses in this world; now presently they grow weary of their lives, and desire to die, which is nothing else but a pang of discontent, truly God will not suffer it, nor you ought not to desire it, to die away in such a snuff: No, the Lord hath work for them to do, and a journey to go. This desire is naught, and 'tis but a weed, and to be pulled up, that grows out of such a root as a discontented heart for crosses. I confess God useth sorrows as means to smoke us out of our Hive, and we may use them for that end, but not only or chiefly them, nor from a pang or moody fit of discontent.

1. In case they meet with much unkindnesse from, and many sorrows in the world, and behold the sins of it. Thus it was with Elias, 1 Kings 19. 4. Who when Iezabel threatned his life, fled, and would needs set sail presently and be gone; so 'tis with Gods people, when they see enemies without, the universal rot of Profession, that they think they are almost left alone; when God hath begun to do good by them, as by Elijah, but they think their best daies are past, there is all they shall do, and God himself it may be meeting them with some crosses in this world; now presently they grow weary of their lives, and desire to die, which is nothing else but a pang of discontent, truly God will not suffer it, nor you ought not to desire it, to die away in such a snuffe: No, the Lord hath work for them to do, and a journey to go. This desire is naught, and 'tis but a weed, and to be pulled up, that growes out of such a root as a discontented heart for crosses. I confesse God useth sorrows as means to smoak us out of our Hive, and we may use them for that end, but not only or chiefly them, nor from a pang or moody fit of discontent.