2dly, count it needlefs; for, think we, all these furely will not perish.

2. Molt do thus, because, . They gain by the name of Chriftians, the Privileges that Chriflians enjoy in the World, by Vertue of the Laws. 2. They would lofe by fincerity, the advantages which Hyerify and Sin bring them in the World, it being now contrary to what it was of old. Then the Name was crime enough and mortal; therefore few but fincere perfons profeffed it: Now the Name is profitable, and therefore every one for felf ends puts it on.

Matt. XXV. 2, 3, 4.

Et us take heed then of deceiving ourselves foolishly with a naked Profeffion. No Man fhall come to Eternal Life, but by patient continuance in well doing. Rom. 2, 7. We must do well, continue doing well, and tho' we lose or fuffer by it, continue with patience doing well. This it is to be wife unto Salvation, and to have Oil in our Vessels with our Lamp. This Oil, wherewith our Lamps must be fed, is,

I. A conftant care to mortifie our Lufts more and more, our Covetoufnefs, Voluptuoufnefs and Pride, thefe are like Water which keeps our Lamps from burning.

2. As great a care to fubdue and tame all our Paffions, and keeping them under good Government, fuffering neither Joy nor Sorrow, Boldness nor Fear, Love nor Hatred, Anger nor Tameness, Defire or Loathing, nor any other to be immoderate.

3. And earnest striving against, and checking all the corrupt Inclinations of our Vicious Na

ture,

ture, checking them in time, and by meditation, confideration, refolution, and watchfulness over our felves, and against Temptations, endeavour to alter and change them into better.

4. A daily exercife of all Chriftian Graces and Vertues, walking in obedience to God's Holy Laws, and doing our duty to God and our Neighbour, labouring to do what good we can in the World.

Unless we have this Oil in our Vessels, our Lamps will go out and fignifie nothing.

O how fain would we content ourselves without all this? How unwilling are we to think, that all this is neceffary to make us good Chriftians? See where our folly lieth.

1. We would fain be happy when we die, fo far are we Wife enough.

2. We would fain be happy here, and fo we might be, if we were Wife. For all the happiness we can have here, lies in the hopes of, and preparation for eternal happiness, by a cheerful fubjection to God's Will, a comfortable truft and confidence in his Promifes, quiet fubmiflion to his Providence, a pleafing contentedness with our State, and a moderate use of, and rejoycing in what we have.

But,

3. We would be happy in another World, and yet have a happiness, fuch as we fancy in this too. That is, we would have our Wills, and humour our Lufts, and follow our own Inclinations, and yet be blessed in the end. Here we are Fools indeed, to think that God will blefs us for ferving our Flesh in difobeying him. Or else,

4. We are carelefs and fecure, and think of no bleffedness, but in this World; and here we

are

are foolish again, knowing that we can never be made happy by that which is imperfect and perifbing, and fuch are all things in this World; and that God hath told us our bleffedness lieth in another World: Or

5. We would make an exchange with God, and hope he will take what we give him, instead of what he demands. We hope he may accept of a great deal of Superftition or Ceremony, or Formality, inftead of Crucifying the Flesh, governing our Paffions, cleanfing our Hearts, reforming our Lives, obeying all his Laws. And if this will do, we'll be at pains and coft enough. So the Jews would give him Sacrifices and Offerings, and Traditional Obfervances; but they will not part with their Sins. So the Papists will give him Maffes and Pilgrimages, painted Temples, and abundance of Cringes; yea, and Alms too in plenty, and many good Works, as to the matter of them; any thing to merit Heaven, and yet be allowed to enjoy their Lufts. And fo will the Proteftants too give him long Prayers, and fighs and groans, and abundance of their time in hearing Sermons, and all the Sabbath to a minute; or elfe they will go to Church every day, and often in the day to the Clofet, and bow or ftand, and be exceeding formal; fo that ftill they live at their pleasure.

Good God, that after all we have heard of thee, we fhould yet be fo foolish, as to entertain fuch childish thoughts as thefe of thee? As if God could not diftinguish between Wheat and Chaff, between Oil and a little Air in our Lamps. Thefe thin things without Subftance, will not feed our Lamps with Light. No, the Oil we must have, must be a living Faith, a fervent Love to

God

God and Man, a purifying of Heart and Life from all filthinefs, and a conftant and fincere practice of true Chriftian Piety, and a daily growing in Grace and Goodnefs of all forts. He that is found, when he dies, or when Christ comes to Judgment, without all these in Sincerity and Truth, will be found with an empty Veffel, and a Lamp gone out, and will be fent to feek his happiness amongst the foolish Virgins, which took their Lamps, but took no Oil with them. Only they who perfevere unto the end in the conftant practise of Righteoufness and Charity, Holiness and Godliness; and make it their Exercife, to have a confcience void of offence towards God and towards Men, are the wife Virgins who fhall enter into Heaven with the Bridegroom when he cometh. O that we were Wife, that we understood this, that we would confider our latter end.

While the Bridegroom tarried, they all Slumbered and Slept.

Ο

Ur Bleffed Saviour is the Bridegroom, to whom the Church, i. e. all the true Chriflians are efpoufed upon Earth, and shall live with him eternally happy in Heaven. At his coming then shall we ever be with the Lord,1 The 4. 17: But how long it will be e're he come, is a thing that he hath not thought good for us to know, but we are to live in a conftant expectation of it,

and

and be always prepared to meet him whenever we fhall be called; and how foon, or fuddenly that may be,we know not. This is all that we live for, that we may be fitted to live eternally. And is it not ftrange, that the only thing we live for, and which if it be neglected, we had better never have been born, fhould be the thing which we generally leaft of all think of, or confider. Alas, we are fpending our days as a tale that is told, they will be at an end before we are aware of it, and we little think what we have to do whilft we trifle them away. This, together with the reason of it, we are told in the Text.

1. They all Slumbered and Slept, even the Wife as well as the Foolish, both grew droufy and fell asleep.

2. Because the Bridegroom tarried.

The time of Chrift's tarrying, is the day of Grace, the time of Mercy all the time we Live, and indeed between his Afcenfion, and coming again to judge the World in Righteousness; but as to every one's own concern, it is the time that waits for his making ready, and fpares him in long fufferance. And this is the time that Christians fall asleep in, that they are apt to lofe, and grow fo carelefs in, as to neglect all neceffary preparation for their meeting the Lord. Here then we have these things to confider, 1. That we are all apt to fall asleep.

2. What's the difference between the Sleeping of the wife and foolish.

3. That the reafon of our Sleeping is Chrift's tarrying.

4. The unreafonableness that it fhould be fo. 1. That we are all of us apt to be droufy, and fall asleep. This needs no other proof, but our

own