The Parable of the Ten Virgins Opened and Applied

1. A carnal heart, which cannot be satisfied with a spiritual good with Christ; hence he must have his Lust.

2. A convinced conscience, which cannot be quieted without Christ and mercy; hence men close with Christ, and their Lusts too. Look as it was with the stony ground, and thorny soil, they believed, but had a stone at bottom, but […] of bitterness, &c. These men can sometime plead acquaintance with Christ, Luke 13. 26, 27. yet workers of iniquity, 2 Pet. 2. 19, 20. Some had escaped the pollution of the world, that you may do, but a swinish nature lasts, that they never felt, or grew not in the feeling of it, and loosening from it: as with Apricot trees rooted in the earth, but leaning on the wal•; so they on Christ. Oh consider of this, let a man be cast down as low as Hell by sorrow, and lye under your chains, quaking in apprehension of terror to come, let a man then be raised up ⟨p. 128⟩to Heaven in joy, not able to live; let a man reform and shine like an earthly Angel, yet if not rent from Lust, that either you did never see it, or if so, you have not followed the Lord to remove it, but proud, dogged, worldly, sluggish still, false in your dealings, cunning in your tradings, Devils in your Families, Images in your Churches: you are objects of pity now, and shall be of terror at the great day, for where sin remains in power, it will bring Faith, and Christ, and joy into bondage and service of it self.

2. A convinced conscience, which cannot be quieted without Christ and mercy; hence men close with Christ, and their Lusts too. Look as it was with the stony ground, and thorny soyl, they beleeved, but had a stone at bottom, but 〈…〉 of bitterness, &c. These men can sometime plead acquaintance with Christ,