The Parable of the Ten Virgins Opened and Applied

SECT. IV.

ALL you therefore that live under the light of the Gospel,¹ consider if it doth not nearly concern you to search and try your selves whether you, or some of you may not be Evangelical Hypocrites; the time is coming that you shall stand before the Tribunal of God, wherein the hidden things of darkness shall be brought forth to light, and it will be too late to know your selves then: Oh therefore search now. No mans misery will be so great as this, if your heart be found false. I shall speak in a manner but generally now.

ALL you therefore that live under the light of the Gospel,¹ consider if it doth not nearly concern you to search and try your selves whether you, or some of you may not be Evangelical Hypocrites; the time is coming that you shall stand before the Tribunal of God, wherein the hidden things of darknesse shall be brought forth to light, and it will be too late to know your selves then: Oh therefore search now. No mans misery will be so great as this, if your heart be found false. I shall speak in a manner but generally now.

1. 1Use 4.

1. Those that do believe,¹ and yet fail in respect of the efficient cause of Faith, it never had the right maker, never came out of the right shop, nor mint, it was never a Faith of Gods making, but a faith of your own making, so that it's a base bastard Faith, that though it be born in the House, it shall never possess the inheritance, because it was never begotten of the right Father, the Lord never wrought it, but themselves, for many a man is convinced by the Law, and spirit of bondage that he must die, and that he is a most grievous sinner, and that when he hath done all he is unprofitable, but yet he trusts to Christ, and Gods mercy, and so believes, he finds no great difficulty in this, nor no great need of the Almighty power of the Lord to work this, and all men living shall never make him think but that he doth heartily and truly believe: but ask him, have you no doubt of your estate? and of Christs not taking hold of you when you take hold of him? Yes, but seeing he hath been troubled about his estate, and repented of his sin (in his fashion) and reformed himself and Family, and loves the best things, he believes without question, and so misapplies promises to himself, never feeling a need of the revelation and donation of Jesus to him by the Father; and thus the Lord finds this man a Christ, and this man finds the Lord a Faith, and the Lord Jesus redeems this man by price, and this man redeems himself by power, and so the Father shall have some Glory for providing a Saviour, Christ shall have some Glory for paying a price, and the Spirit of Christ which only can draw to Christ, shall lose his Glory, and so this man may take it to himself. And is this good think you?