The Parable of the Ten Virgins Opened and Applied

1. When men serve their turn of Christ. There is never a Hypocrite living but closeth with Christ for his own ends, for he cannot work beyond his Principle. Now when men have served their own turns out of another man, away they go, and keep that which they have. An Hypocrite closeth with Christ as a man with a rich shop; he will not be at cost to buy all the shop, but so much as serves his turn. Commonly men in horror seek for so much of Christ as will ease them, and hence profess and hence seek for so much of Christ as will credit them, and hence their desires after Christ are soon satisfied. Appetitus finis est infinitus.

1. When men serve their turn of Christ. There is never a Hypocrite living but closeth with Christ for his own ends, for he cannot work beyond his Principle. Now when men have served their own turns out of another man, away they go, and keep that which they have. An Hypocrite closeth with Christ as a man with a rich shop; he will not be at cost to buy all the shop, but so much as serves his turn. Commonly men in horrour seek for so much of Christ as will ease them, and hence professe and hence seek for so much of Christ as will credit them, and hence their desires after Christ are soon satisfied. Appetitus finis est infinitus.

2. No Hypocrite though he closeth with Christ, and for a time grow up in knowledge of, and communion with Christ, but he hath at that time hidden ⟨p. 112⟩lusts, and thorns that overgrow his growings, and choke all at last; and in conclusion mediates a League between Christ and his lusts, and seeks to reconcile them together: Christ saith out with every Lust, and let more of my self come in; no saith sin, let me stay here, remember what ease, what honour I bring you, I cannot leave you: Now a man moderates, I'll keep my Lust because I love it, but I'll •eep it as my burden, that I may have Christ with it. Christ calls to seek for more of him, Lust saith no, the work is hard, and duties are difficult. And 'tis it may be to no purpose to seek, you have other irons in the fire, many worldly businesses: Now here men moderate; Do not say thou wilt seek no more after him, nor indeed use means diligently for more of him; be sure only you give him some desires to be better, and this will serve the turn. The Lord Jesus woos many a soul whom he never matcheth himself; one comes and wins the heart afterward, and makes the match: so here, The lsts of a mans heart grow sweeter than Christ and his Ordinances, and hence there is no heart to seek after more of Christ, when the Match is once made with the world, and affections won,