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2. We must go to the Bride's Lodging, to the Church, that must prepare us for Chriit, when ever he comes.

3. Our great end in all is to meet the Bridegroom, to wait conftantly for his appearance, that we may be ready to enter with him to the Marriage Feaft: Alas, who doth this?

Matt. XXV. 2, 3, 4.

And five of them were Wife, and five were Foolish, they that were Foolish took their Lamps, and tock no Oil with them; but the Wife took Oil in their Veffels, with their Lamps.

WH

Hen Chrift comes to Judgment, or when he calleth any one of us out of the World by Death; it will then be found true, that it will fare with all the Profeffors of Chriftianity, as here it is faid to have done with the ten Virgins, who in this Parable reprefent to us all Chriitians in Profeffion, who have taken the Lamps, i. ė. have entered on the Profellion of Chriftiari Religion, and are gone forth; i. e. by Vow have engaged themielves to Renourice the Devil, the World, and the Flesh, and pretend to meet the Bridegroom, to wait Gill Chrift come, hoping to be entertained in Heaven by him.

Now obferve, our Blessed Saviour here shows us, v. 2. of what forts of People, the Visible Church, or Society of Chriftian Profeffors confifts.In the two next Verfes he diftinguifheth them one from another, and lets us fee how they dif- fer.

1. He fhews of what forts of People the Vifible Church confifts, Good and Bad. All in Dd 2 Profeflion

Profeffion good, all Virgins,as they pretend, and would be accounted, Pure and Holy; but all are not fo in truth and fincerity, who make fome fhew of being fo. Some are fincerely, what they feem; and fome are Hypocrites, and feem what they are not. Some are wife, and fome are foolish.

This teacheh us, that we are not to expect a vifible Church fo pure on Earth, as to have no bad People in it. Nor muit we fpate from every Church which bath any corrupt Members in it, for then (as the Apoftle faith -) we must go out of the World, at leaft we muft forfake all Church Communion, and go alone by our felves. The wife Virgins were not fhut out, tho' they had all the while till the Bridegroom's coming, been of the fame Company with the Foolish. Let every one therefore Labour to keep himself wife and good, and do as much as in him lieth to make others fo too. And when Chrift cometh he will not reject him, because he had been among those whom he would have had as good as himself, but could not make them fo.

Now, whereas our Saviour here faith of the Ten, that five were wife, and five were foolish; we are not fo to understand it, as if the number of the good Chriftians were equal to that of the bad. For Chrift hath told us himself, that his Flock is a little Flock, and that they are but few that find the ftrait Gate, and go in thereat, whilst many enter in through the wide one that leadeth to Deftruction. Mat. 7. 13. But as he mention'd ten Virgins, because that was the moft ufual number of fuchVirgins; not ftraitning the number of Profeffors thereby to any certain number, fo he also takes the number five as moft obvious, to fig

nifie fome, or a part of them that profefs Chriftianity, not meaning to divide them into two equal halves: but 'tis all one as if he had faid, fome of them were wife, and fome were foolish, And if we should understand it otherwife than thus indefinitely, then mult we be tied to believe contrary things, for in the next Parable of the Talents, improve their Talents, and enter into Joy, and one only is said to hide his Talent, and to be condemned for it. And Mat. 13. in the Parable of the Sower, one fort of good Hearers we find, but three of unprofitable ones. But our Saviour feems to speak carelefly in this Matter on purpose, to teach us not to be curious about it, as a thing that little concerns us to know. And therefore when one, Luk. 13. 23: ask'd him, if few should be faved? He gives no Answer at all to his Question, but bids him ftrive to enter in at the ftrait Gate; mind his own Salvation. So let us be of the number of the wife Virgins, be they more or fewer. So much for the diftinction of Profeffors in v. 2.

2. He fhews us how thefe two forts do differ the one from the other. The one are called wife, the other foolish.

v. 3. He tells us what was the Folly of the Foolish, that is, that taking their Lamps, they took no Oil with them. He means, that tho' they had Oil in their Lamps, yet they took with them no more than juft what was at prefent in them: So they fay v. 8. Our Lamps are gone out, that is, their Oil was fpent, and they could not keep them without more.

v. 4. He tells us what was the Wifdom of the Wife, that is, they took not only Oil in their Lamps, but they took Oil in their Vessels with Dd 3

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their Lamps, fo that they provided fufficiently to fupply their Lamps with fresh Oil as fast as it fpent.

By both thefe forts of Virgins 'tis our bleffed Saviour's defign to teach us, what it is to be a Christian to any purpose, for be fure, we had as good be no Chriftians fo much as in Profeffion, if we be not Chriftians to fome good purpose, that we may get fome good by being fo. And our Saviour calls fuch an one a Fool; and it must needs be granted he is fo. If thou be wife, thou shalt be wife for thy felf. Prov. 9. 12. Thou fhalt reap Profit by thy Wifdom. But how wife foever any one thinks himself, 'tis certain he's a Fool, if he do himfelf no good by his Wifdom. Now he that takes his Lamp lighted at prefent only, and takes not care enough to keep it burning to the end, that is, he that undertakes the Profeffion of Chriftianity, but continues not really foto his Dying Day, is the foolish one that is a Chriftian to no purpose; and he only shall gain by his Religion, who takes care to perfevere, and hold out to the end of his Life. We learn therefore hence how to judge of our felves, whether we be wife or Fools, Chriftians to any good purpofe, or to none. For 'tis evident hence, that three things are neceffary to make one a Chriftian to purpose.

1. That he go forth with his Lamp in his Hand. That he conftantly, notwithstanding any danger he may incur by it, profefs his Religion openly in the Face of the World, not like them. Mat 13. 21. who made a Flourish for a while, but in Tribulation, and Temptation fall

away.

2. That

2. That he have Oil in his Lamp, and that his Lamp burn and give light; that Men by his fhining Light may fee his good Works, Matt. 5. 16. That he bring forth the Fruit of the Spirit, in Love, Joy, Peace, Long-Suffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meeknefs, Temperance, Gal,

5. 22, 23.

3. That he have Oil in his Veffel enough to fupply his Lamp to the end, that he hold out or perfevere as long as he Liveth, fhining as a light in the World, holding forth the word of Life, not fuffering the Devil by his Temptations to blow our, nor the World with its allurements to ftifle, nor the Flefh with his Lufts to extinguish his Light. He alone that is faithful unto Death, fhall have a Crown of Life. Rev. 2. 10. If the Righteous fall from his Righteoufnefs, in vain was he Righteous at all. Ezek. 18.

It is for want of ferious confideration of this, that tho' we have among us many Chriftian Profeffors, we have few wife Men or good Chriftians. Tho' we have been baptized, and keep Company with Chriftians, doing as we fee others do; yet we, it may be, never once thought in Soberness what it is to be a Chriftian, and therefore we continue most of us Fools, making a vain fhew of what we are not, and hoping for that thew to be happy in the end, and this is our great folly; for what pains we take to be thought Christians, or to be faved by Chrift, is all loft; and we have been labouring only to deceive, and undo our felves. And is not this the part of a Fool? It will appear fo when the end comes, How comes this? 'Tis too eafy to fee.

1. The greatest part of Chriftians do no more, and therefore are ft. afhamed to do more; and

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