The Parable of the Ten Virgins, Collection of sermons · Sermon 3
SERMON III. On Matth. XXV. Ver. 1. and ſo on to Ver. 13.
Then ſhall the Kingdom of Heaven be likened unto Ten Virgins, which took their Lamps, and went forth to meet the Bridegroom.
I Have entered into this Great Parable of the Kingdom of Jeſus Chriſt: And to ſhew you, That the Kingdom of Chriſt is from the very Beginning, to the End of it, The Kingdom of Heaven; And that the Principal Point of the Kingdom, as Now, is, The Eſpouſing of the Spirits of his Saints unto Himſelf; That in the Glorious Solemnity of the Marriage of the Lamb, They may be Bidden to that Marriage-Supper: As the Expreſſion is in the Revelation.
I ſhall now go on, as I intimated to you the Laſt Day, to ſhew you, That This Preparation for the Marriage, or for the Ʋnion with Chriſt, in that Great Glory and Solemnity of his Kingdom, is Now: And all Chriſtianity looks to That: I ſay, It looks to that Glorious Solemnity. The Preparation is begun Now, and then is the Glorious Solemnity. But in the Time of the Preparation, in the very preſent Time, the Souls and Spirits of the Servants of Chriſt, move with an Earneſt Deſire towards that Glory. They are, They ought to be moved to a deſire of the Glory of the Kingdom of Jeſus Chriſt. And All our Religion, All our Chriſtianity, All our Praying and Hearing, and Preaching, All the Graces that we Labour after, our Faith and Repentance, our Holineſs, our Obedience; All theſe, they are to be Erected, they are to be lifted up, to be raiſed up to the Glory, and to the Kingdom of Jeſus Chriſt; So that we ought to have an Eye in Every Thing, to that State: For ſo you ſee it is here ſaid, Ver. 1. There were Virgins going forth to meet the Bridegroom. They took their Lamps, and they went forth to meet the Bridegroom. Though the Bridegroom delayed his coming, and did not come ſo ſoon as they might think, yet ſtill they went forth to meet the Bridegroom. All True Power of Grace and Holineſs, and (as we ſpeak) of Religion; To be Religious; It is to go forth to meet the Bridegroom: This is the Great Senſe of it. Not that we ſhall be perfect here▪ in any Regard; But our Perfection is in that Kingdom and Glory of Chriſt; It is in that Solemnity: And therefore it is our Great Miſtake, if we lay our Chriſtianity lower than This; If we don't Elevate, and Lift it up to This very Great Point, to meet the Bridegroom: Our Lamp (that is, our Profeſſion, and our Dealing in Chriſtianity now, and in all the Ordinances of it, and in all the Graces of it) is to this very purpoſe, That we might be Daily meeting of the Bridegroom; That we might be fit to meet the Bridegroom, and might bear up with the Glory, Greatneſs and Excellency of that Solemnity.
I ſpoke to you the Laſt Day, of the Captive Perſon, that appeared Beautiful in the Eyes of Him that had taken her captive: And, if it was ſo, that he deſired to Eſpouſe her, ſhe was to abide Thirty Days before the Marriage. That is, There was to be a Time of Preparation. But now, I beſeech you to conſider, All that very Time which we read of, in Deut. 21. 10. Her Head was to be ſhaved, and her Nails to be pared, and the Rayment of her Captivity was to be taken off from her; and ſhe was to continue in the houſe of him that loved her; and to bewail her Father, and her Mother, a full month. That is, Becauſe ſhe was taken Captive, and taken from her neareſt Relations; and was thus to be waſhed, and her Head ſhaven, and her Nails pared. She was to be under ſuch a Preparation all that full Month, becauſe a Pagan, a Stranger from the Commonwealth of Iſrael: As I ſaid to you, in the Expreſſion of David: Forget thine own People, and thy Father's Houſe: So Chriſt gives us a Time of Preparation, a Time of ſhaving our Heads, and paring our Nails, and taking off the Garments of our Captivity, of our Corrupt and Impure State: We have a Month for this: That is, ſuch a Time as God allows his Servants here in the World; and ſuch a Time as his Church hath before the Glory of the Nuptials, of the Wedding, and of his Kingdom. And they are all this Time to bewail that State, that loſt and undone State, wherein they are by Nature: And all rhat Time now, that ſuch Captives were under this Months Delay, under this Months Preparation; Undoubtedly, they had a Great Reſpect to the Honour, and to the Glory of the Nuptial Solemnity; they did every thing with an Eye to that, and with an Order to that: And if it had not been ſo to be Accompliſhed; All the Intention, All that was meant by that of ſhaving the Hair, and paring the Nails, and taking off the Garments of Captivity, had been to no purpoſe, ſhe had been turned out again, and been a Slave for ever, All theſe methods had been in vain; But becauſe there was ſo Honourable an Intention, as that of Marriage; That made all this eaſy and ſweet, and there was an Eye to it all along. In the very ſame manner, if we have not an Eye to the Wedding; If we Love and Deſire to ſtay in the State on Earth, and not to come to the Honour of the Nuptials, to be the Bride and the Spouſe of Chriſt; We lay all our Religion and Profeſſion too low.
And therefore, I ſhall deſire to diſcourſe this Point to you ſo, as may move you moſt to draw up your hearts, not to a Chriſtianity, as it is now, but as it ſhall be in Glorious Solemnity of the Marriage of the Lamb: And to teach you, that our Eye is to be all along upon that, and to diſcover to you the Greatneſs of the miſtake, in doing otherwiſe, I ſhall therefore diſcourſe theſe Heads upon it.
Firſt, To open to you, what it is to be a Chriſtian, and to be Religious, and to be Godly, as we uſually ſpeak, with an Eye to that future State, to that Glorious State of the Wedding of our Lord Jeſus, And of our ſelves to be Married in Glory to Him. And then,
In the Second Place, I ſhall ſhew you the Great Reaſons, why this, and nothing elſe, is the Truth and Reality of Chriſtianity. And then,
In the Third Place, I'll ſhew you how it hath come to paſs, that this great Aim and Deſignation of Chriſtianity is fallen ſo very low, as it is in the World. And then,
In the Fourth Place, I will Anſwer Objections to you by which you may ſeem to think, or it may ſeem to you, that this is not ſo neceſſary, and abſolutely needful Doctrine, as I hope it will appear to you; And then,
In the Laſt Place, I'll cloſe with the application of it.
Firſt therefore, I begin to explain it to you, what it is to order our ſelves ſo, as if there was nothing to come after, or as if we did not care how long the Month of Preparation and Purification were drawn out; And what it is in every thing to have our hearts raiſed and lifted up to this excellent end, to this Glorious Point and Concluſion of the Marriage.
Firſt therefore, you muſt conſider, that we are all naturally upon this, to fix a State here in this World; I ſay, we are naturally upon this, to fix a State, as much as we can here in this World; We would have the Intereſt of this World to ſtand; We would have Buying and Selling, and Planting, and Building, and Marrying, and Giving in Marriage; We would have theſe things continue, and the Breeding up of Children for it, in ſucceſſive Generations; And we never care nor deſire to have an End of this; but we would have the World go on, and we deſire to live as long in it, every one of us, as we can; And to have as much Intereſt in it, to have as much Enjoyment of it, to have as much of the Riches, and of the Grandeur, and of the Honour, and of the Pleaſure, and of the Enjoyment of it, as we can: This is natural to us.
But now, when we come to raiſe our Chriſtianity indeed; We are not ſo much upon this World, but our Great thought is, concerning the future State, the future Kingdom, and the future Glory: We are looking beyond this, we are dealing with this World, as that that muſt wane, that muſt Decreaſe and Decay, and we deſire it ſhould: We have inſpected it; We have weighed it, and found it too Light every way; And therefore we cannot be content with it; But we are weary of the ſtay, and of the delay of it.
When we go forth indeed, with our Lamps to meet the Bridegroom, We do thus; I ſay, we do thus. It is true indeed, we all profeſs this; We pretend to it; It is the very neceſſary obligation of our Profeſſion, to do thus, and to ſay, and to carry it before all, that we do thus: But now, if you do but attend, and hearken to the whiſpers of your own hearts, and to the diſcourſes that are in the VVorld, and that we have one with another, You may plainly find, we deſire, that the VVorld ſhould be Eternal.
It is noted to be the great miſtake and deception of ſome natural Phyloſophers, that they believed, the VVorld was Eternal, was from Eternity; That it was always; And ſo it is an Eternal VVorld, as they ſpeak a Parte-Ante; From the former part of it, it hath been always: And, Indeed, it is as Great, and as Ruinous a miſtake in point of Practice, that we deſire the World ſhould be for ever, that it ſhould continue for ever in this very State, wherein it is. It is true indeed, it is a very Atheiſtick Principle, to think, that the World was from Eternity; And it would follow, if ſo, that it muſt be to Eternity. But, I am not minding that Point now, but onelyonly allude to it; That as they thought the World was from Eternity, So we deſire it ſhould be to Eternity. And, it is as ſtrange a thing to us, to be made to believe the End of the World, and the End of the State of things, with any Definitiveneſs, or with any certainty, as it was to the Jews, when they came to underſtand that Chriſt did not intend an immediate Kingdom, in their Jewiſh State, and in that preſent World. This preſent World is ſo exceeding Natural to us, That you ſee Men Purchaſe, as if the World was ſtill to laſt Ages: And who knows when it ſhall have an End? And therefore Men deſire to Propagate all the Worlds concernments, even to Perpetuity.
But now, when a Chriſtian comes indeed to conſider; He always ſets the Bounds by his own thoughts to the World, he ſets Bounds to the preſent Condition, by Powerful and Effective thoughts of Eternity. Saith he, this World is not to laſt, I muſt deal with it, as with a World that is not to laſt.
Obſerve how the Apoſtle ſpeaks: Indeed, I might give you many abundant Scriptures, to ſhew you how much their thoughts were upon the End of things; The End of all things is at Hand. And the Apoſtle John tells us, the Faſhion, the Scheme of this World paſſeth away. And, in 1 Cor. Chap. 7. That I would deſire you to conſider of; Saith the Apoſtle, Time is ſhort: And it ſhall come very ſpeedily to that; That they that Marry ſhould be as if they Marryed not; And they that Weep, as tho they Wept not; And they that Laugh, as if they rejoyced not; And they that buy, as if they poſſeſſed not.. Ver. 29. Now this indeed▪ was ſpoken Sixteen Hundred Years ago; But we are now, as unwilling to believe, that time is ſhorter, as any could be in thoſe Days; And are as tender, that any one ſhould meddle with ſuch a Point, that the preſent State ſhould be at an End: And every one deſires Life, in his own particular; is afraid of dying, and afraid of Growing old, of growing near to the Grave; It is a very Melancholy proſpect, (as we ſay) a Melancholy diſcourſe, any thing that looks to this point.
But now, our going forth to meet the Bridegoom, it muſt be much otherwiſe; We read that the time is ſhort; And the VVorld continually paſſing and fleeting away; Therefore remember indeed, what you pretend to, whether you do it, or not; That you may bring your ſelves to the very thing, to do it; that is, that you are daily going out To meet the Bridegroom.
For, on this other ſide; A Servant of God, he looks (as I may ſay) Bolt upright; he lifts up his head, he raiſes up himſelf, to look up to that World to come, whereof (ſaith the Apoſtle) We ſpeak, our Diſcourſe is of that. VVe look Bolt upright to that, we deſire to get above this VVorld, and to call for, and pray for, and Covet that State of the World that is to come. It is indeed, ſo great an Expreſſion of the Apoſtle Peter, that I ſhall onelyonly make uſe of that, in this preſent Caſe, and ſo paſs on. 2 Pet. 3. 12. Saith the Apoſtle, Looking for and haſting unto the coming of the Day of God; VVhen we are in haſte, that that day ſhould come; This is to go forth to meet the Bridegroom, when our earneſt deſires are to that
VVe Love all the Exchangings of this Life, the variety of the ſpending of our Time in it; So much in ſleeping, ſo much in Eating and Drinking; So much in Dreſſing; So much in Buying and Selling; So much in viſiting, and going about to talk of things, that are of no moment. But now, a Chriſtian goes out with his Lamp to meet the Bridegroom: Even a Fooliſh Chriſtian pretends to this, But a VViſe Chriſtian really doth it. And therefore, what cauſe have we to conſider this? To be aſhamed, that we bear the Glory of this no more?
A Second Particular, in which I'll open it to you. A Man that is a Chriſtian, (But onelyonly a Fooliſh Virgin) he conſiders how much Religion will ſerve the preſent Turn, the preſent Caſe.
For, you know (and it is very evident) that the VVorld can be no more without Religion, than it can be without Meat and Drink, and without Light; I mean, ſome form, or ſome way of Religion; All Nations, and all Perſons have found ſome kind of neceſſity of it; For, firſt of all, we don't know how to put out that natural Light, that is in every Man's Conſcience; All the wit that ever has been in the VVorld, and the ſharpeſt Atheiſtical Reaſon, could never prevail to this, to caſt it out of the humane Underſtanding and Conſcience.
A Man may caſt it out of Practical Conſcience; But he can never caſt it out of that Intellectual, Convicting and Convincing Conſcience: Now, becauſe we muſt, and would have ſome peace in our ſelves; VVe muſt have ſome Religion; Or elſe Conſcience will grumble, and be diſquiet, and out of Eaſe, and out of Temper, if there be nothing to Lull it, and ſatisfy it, that there is ſome ſort of Religion in Men. And then, Governours, and Rulers, even down to Maſters of Families, they find a neceſſity of Religion to Govern Mankind: It would not be Governed, if there were not ſome Awe, and Power of Religion upon Men; If there were not ſome Diſcerning of Good and Evil. So this brings ſomething more of Religion ſtill. And then,
VVhen Laws of Nations come to make Religion a Faſhion, and to make it a thing (as we ſpeak) Eſtabliſht by Law; Then there comes a further neceſſity; For, if a Man does nothing in Anſwer to this; He is look'd upon, as a kind of a Boutefeu, one that diſturbs the world; And, Indeed, it is the greateſt Diſturbance to a Nation, to deny Religion; To deny the Being of a God; To deny the Diſtinction between Good and Evil. And then,
Men have hope that God will Bleſs them, when they are Religious; And therefore, if they do not Pray, if they do not Read the word of God, and do ſomething; How (ſay they) ſhould God Bleſs us? Here's a further reaſon of Religion. And then there is a Temper in Men, an Inclination, ſome in one way, and ſome in another.
And God is pleaſed in the way of Common Providence, and Government of the World to Imprint ſome ſenſe, and awe of himſelf upon ſome more than others; And yet all this may be laid to the very preſent State of this World, How elſe ſhould we live, Men ſay? or how ſhould we expect a Bleſſing from Heaven? And when Men are entred into a Profeſſion, and are in a way of Profeſſion; They ſay, my Credit depends upon it, and my Reputation bears upon it, that I ſhould maintain and carry on a Profeſſion.
But now, beyond all this, a True Servant of God, one that is truely Eſpouſed to Jeſus Chriſt, and hath Bride-like affection unto him, ſaith, tho there were not the leaſt reaſon of Religion, upon any Account whatſoever of this World; Yet I look for the Coming of the Bridegroom, and I deſire to be given up to him: For, there's my Happineſs, and my Eternal Enjoyment; And therefore I look not what will ſatisfy the World; For, if a Man be blameleſs in the Duties in Publick, and have them in his Family; All this is ſuited to the very Good of the preſent World; If a Man minded his Intereſt in the preſent World, He would take care of all this.
But now a Chriſtian will ask, what Godlineſs is that, that will be accepted at the coming of the Bridegroom? What is that Repentance, that Faith, that Holineſs, that Praying, that Hearing, that will be found unto Honour and Praiſe at the coming of the Bridegroom? What muſt that kind of Grace be, that will bear, and hold up, That will be as Oyl in the Veſſel, and in the Treaſure, when I meet the Bridegroom?
I am not concerned, whether the World ſpeaks well, or ill of my Profeſſion: Not, but that a Man ought to have Reſpect to that, which is truly Praiſe Worthy, and of Good Report.
But that, ſaith the upright Soul, is not my End: But I have all my Relation to the coming of my Bridegroom, and I look up to Him in all, how he is like to accept of my Way, and of my Services. And this the Apoſtle, in another Caſe, (But yet that may be very fairly, and well uſed in Relation to this) In that, 1 Cor. 7. 23. He that is Married, careth for the things, that are of the World, how he may pleaſe his Wife. He that is unmarried (ver. 32.) Careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may pleaſe the Lord. I would onelyonly a little vary, and ſay.
That that Man that deſires indeed to prepare, in every thing, to meet the Bridegroom; He takes care in every thing, how he may pleaſe the Lord; How he may Pray, and Hear, and Believe, and Repent, and Turn to God; How he may ſpeak, and think, and act in every Affair, and in every Buſineſs to pleaſe the Lord: For (ſaith he) with this, I am to meet the Bridegroom, And therefore I would know how it takes with him, and how it is accepted by him. And this is for a Man to go forth with his Lamp, to meet the Bridegrom, like a Wiſe Virgin, And not like a Fooliſh one. For the Fooliſh Virgins (undoubtly) they had enough to bear out in this World. I don't think, but our Lord's Intention in this Parable, was to ſignify, that the Fooliſh Virgins were every way as fair to the Eye, as the Wiſe Virgins were, in their going forth, and in their Lamps; But here lay the difference; The Wiſe Virgins Aimed at that, that would ſtand, in the day when the Bridegroom came; And they to go to the Marriage. And therefore, let's look back in every thing, and compare our ſelves, with what I have ſpoken: Let there be a Brief Application, and a Brief Reflection by every one upon our ſelves, ſo far as I have gone.
I come now to the ſecond thing; And that is, to prove to you, that if our Religion ſhould be no better, nor no higher; If It had no higher End, nor buſineſs, than onelyonly to comport to the preſent State of this world, It were nothing indeed, at all, if it be not raiſed much higher, in being prepared to meet, and to Enjoy the Bridegroom. Therefore we ſhould haſte on, that's the thing I am upon, to prove to you, that we ought to haſte on to the Day of God; And, I ſuppoſe a Man to live as unblameably, as every one would deſire he ſhould; To be as diligent in the Duties of Chriſtanity, as any one can expect from him; To be as ready to do good, and to be merciful to any one; And as Juſt, as Sober, and as Temperate, every way ſuch, as you would deſire him to be: And yet, if he hath not an Eye to this, to meet the Bridegroom; If he hath not a higher Aim, a higher Deſign of Soul, I'll ſhew you (I hope to the Conviction of every Perſon) that his Religion, his Chriſtianity, his Goodneſs, (whatever you'll call it) It lies much too low; And,
The Firſt Argument, by which I would convince you of it, is This.
Arg. 1. Suppoſe a Man never ſo Good in himſelf, yet it is plain, and undeniable, that there is a mighty wicked world, every way round about: Now, if a Man truely Loves God and Chriſt, the wickedneſs that abounds in the world and ſo over-flows, it would make him deſire that there ſhould be another State of things: Suppoſe he be a Man that Swears not, why yet, when he hears thoſe Vollies of Oaths and Blaſphemies, that are every where about him; And ſo in every other ſuch Inſtance: This is a reaſon for him to deſire, the Bridegroom ſhould come; Becauſe there is ſuch a wicked, ſuch an Intollerable wicked World.
God's heart cannot be to this wicked world, tho Noah, Job, and Daniel, and all the Great Worthies ſhould ſtand before him for this world; Yet his heart could not be to this world, becauſe of the abundance of wickedneſſes that are in it; Separate from it the conſideration of, in Compariſon, the few Servants of God in it; And Oh the abundance of wickedneſs that is in it, and of wicked Men!
There was undoubtedly a ſucceſſion of Holy Patriarchs to the Floud; And undoubtedly, they had many Godly Children, and Godly Friends, one with another; And yet for all that, God's Heart could not be to that Old World; But he muſt needs deſtroy it: And ſo, God's Heart cannot be to this world; That now is, but he is reſolved to burn it about the Ears of all the wicked that are in it.
And therefore, becauſe of this, a Good Man, tho he be never ſo Good, and Suppoſe, he have very Great and High Enjoyments of God, in himſelf; and ſuppoſe, he hath many Godly Friends, and Relations, and Acquaintance, that are really and truely Religious, and Holy Perſons; yet, for all this, I cannot (ſaith he) endure this world; Or for all that, wherein I walk with God my ſelf, or wherein I have any, or know any that walk with him; After all this, after all the Good, that you can find, or hope you can find in the world, yet there are ſuch an abundance of wicked in it, that becauſe of this, his Zeal riſes up to the coming of the Bridegroom, and to the meeting of the Bridegroom: He looks for, and Haſtens on to the Day of God, becauſe of this.
Now, certainly, this is a very undeniable Argument; Who can take Pleaſure? Knowing, that there are ſo many wicked Men Riding on Horſeback; (To uſe that Expreſſion of Solomon) That there is in all places, Employments, Cities, Towns, and Neighbourhoods, ſuch great Ignorance of God, and contempt of Him, and Jeſus Chriſt, and ſuch wicked Converſation; a Good Man cannot be ſatisfied, but he muſt deſire the Coming of the Bridegroom. Conſider that Example we have in 2 Pet. 2. 7. God delivered Juſt Lot, (as the Criticks obſerve, He was tormented after the manner of the Torments of Hell) vexed with the filthy Converſation of the wicked. For that righteous Man dwelling among them, in ſeeing and hearing, vexed his righteous Soul from day to day, with their unlawful deeds; or, with their enormous deeds. So I ſay, when we conſider the Great Enormities that are in the World, who indeed, that is a Chriſtian, but would ſay▪ Oh that the Bridegroom would come, and put an end to this? Wo is me, that I ſojourn in Meſech, that I dwell in the Tents of Kedar!
Arg. 2. In the Second Place, Suppoſe that we could overcome, and ſalve our ſelves of this Reaſon of Deſiring the Bridegroom's Coming, and might ſay, notwithſtanding this, That we and our Houſes ſerve God; and that our Converſation is as becomes the Goſpel; and that we deſire to converſe with Saints; and that we have an Heavenly Society upon Earrh; I ſay, ſuppoſe this could be ſaid, where there is not an High Senſe of the Bridegroom's Coming; yet David ſays, Horror hath taken hold upon me, becauſe they keep not thy Law. It is time for the Lord to mork: (I wonder thou ſtayeſt ſo long) for they have made void thy Law. And Rivers of Tears run down mine eyes, becauſe they keep not thy Law. All this, I ſay, plainly proves, That if a man could ſalve the firſt Conſideration to himſelf, yet he cannot bear out himſelf on this Account.
O! when any of us come to look ſeriouſly into our own Hearts, Lives and Ways; can we ſay, That we are what we deſire to be, and what vve vvould be? Have vve ſuch a Tenor of Thoughts, ſuch a conſtant Chain of Holy, and Serious, and Wiſe Thoughts? Do we keep our Mouths with a Bit and Bridle, while the wicked is before us? Do we take care to ſpeak always ſo, That our Speech is ſeaſoned with Salt, and that it miniſters Grace to the hearers? Are our Hearts ſo in the Enjoyment of God, and Communion with him; That we may ſay, It is Good for us to be here? Or, do we meet, in ſuch Ordinances Publickly Adminiſtred, with ſuch Power, and Powerful Preaching, Goſpel Adminiſtrations, The Lords Supper, Keeping and Obſerving the Lords Day, as we deſire? Do we find that there is ſo much in theſe, That we can our ſelves ſay, we have Reaſon to reſt here, or to continue in this State?
Or, do we not find a continual complaint? Like that of Paul, Rom. 7. The Good, that I would, I do not: But the Evil which I would not, that I do. I find then a Law, that when I would do Good, Evil is preſent with me. And ſo in Verſe 24. He comes to cry out, O wretched Man that I am, who ſhall deliver me from the Body of this Death.
If this World could ſtand, Yet This Body of Sin and Death is ſuch, that I could wiſh it were at an End. Who ſhall reſcue and unchain me from this Body, wherein I am Fettered and Held, that I cannot do the things that I deſire to do, to the Glory of God in it? So that there is a Chain upon our Minds and Hearts, That the very conſideration of it ſhould make us earneſtly deſire the coming of the Bridegroom.
3. A Third Conſideration: Suppoſe now, neither of theſe Reaſons ſufficient, why we ſhould deſire the coming of the Bridegroom; Yet, I beſeech you, conſider, whether the Glory of Chriſt be not a proper and Condign Object of our deſires? Whether it be worthy of him, that he ſhould have no higher, nor more Glorious State in this World, than he yet hath? Can you be content, that the Nations ſhould be given to Idolatry, or Mahometaniſm among the Turks? Would you be willing the Papiſts ſhould have ſo great a part of the Chriſtian World, ſtill under their Darkneſs, and Superſtition? Would you be willing that ſo many Tyrants as have, and ſo many as are ready ſtill to do it, ſhould be Riding over the Heads of the Saints and Servants of God, and that his Worſhip ſhould be caſt down to the Ground? And that the Sanctuary ſhould be Trodden underfoot by the Gentiles? And that the Abomination of Deſolation ſhould stand where it ought not? Could any Man, that Loves the Glory of God, and the Glory of Chriſt, be content with this? Who does not (that is ſeriouſly a Chriſtian) long, That might be fulfilled? From the Riſing of the Sun, to the going down of the ſame, Thy Name, O Lord, ſhall be Great. That Chriſt ſhould have his Portion given Him with the Great, and with the Strong; That the Ends of the Earth ſhould be His; That Knowledge ſhould cover the Earth, as the Waters do the Sea. If any Love God, and Love Chriſt; I appeal to you, whether we could be content, Things ſhould be as they are, and not as they are thus foretold?
Let me make a plain, and a Familiar Compariſon, and bring it to our ſelves: I would ſuppoſe now, as I know, there are many that are Zealous in this Nation, for King James: They know he is out of the Nation, and (as it were) an Exile from them: And tho they may have a Great, Plentiful, Competent Eſtates, and Great Riches: Yet they think, things are not well, and as they ſhould be: Becauſe they ſay, things are not as they ſhould be, to exclude a Juſt and Lawful Prince as they think.
I make onelyonly this Alluſion; My Judgment is enough known.
Suppoſe, any Profeſs to Love Jeſus Chriſt; Then think with your ſelves, whether it can conſiſt with your Loyalty to Chriſt, with your deſire of his Glory, and his Kingdom, that it ſhould be at ſo low an Ebb as it is? Now I am ſure, if you weighed theſe, and much more that might be ſaid, and all of them together; You would plainly ſay, that there can be no Truth, nor no Loyalty of Chriſtianity, without an Earneſt Deſire and Preparation in your ſelves continually, for the Bridegrooms coming. Surely, to be Rich onelyonly, as to this world, and after the rate and paſs of it, and to our ſelves, can no way ſatisfy a Wiſe Virgin in Chriſtianity.
But now, Alas! We may ſee it very much otherwiſe; who can but obſerve it every where, and with all manner of Perſons, that we may converſe with, of the Higher, and Lower Degree, even of the Firſt Three (as I may ſpeak) in Chriſtianity; (As it was ſaid of David's Worthies) I ſay, if you take even thoſe of the Firſt Three; We cannot but ſay, there's too Great a Byaſs, too Great a Propenſion, too Great an Inclination and Poize of Men, towards this VVorld; They are for every thing Pleaſing, and Deſirable, and Pleaſurably affecting in it: And they hold off as much as they can from a belief of the nearneſs of the coming of Jeſus Chriſt.
Now, how comes this to paſs in the VVorld? Give me leave, very briefly, to Repreſent the reaſons of this to you, and the way, or method, how theſe things have come into the VVorld.
I am ſure, I may, without any uncharitableneſs, or untenderneſs, ſay, that the Religion and Chriſtianity of not one of a Hundred, but is onelyonly Calculated for the preſent State: And they would, that all the State, and Trade, and Government, and the VVealth, and Peace, and Plenty, and Proſperity of it, ſhould go on ſtill, Than that there ſhould be an approach of the Bridegroom and Kingdom of Chriſt. The Reaſons of theſe things, I'll give you in theſe three Particulars.
1. The firſt is; It comes to paſs by the Bridegrooms Delaying his coming, that hath given the Advantage and Opportunity to this State of Things; if Chriſt had come as ſoon as he Roſe, as ſoon as ever he ſent forth the Apoſtolick Preachers; Things would have been found in a far other temper, than now; For when I come, (ſaith Chriſt) Shall I find Faith on the Earth? But now it was ſo neceſſary for Him, in the Wiſdom of the Father, and in his own wiſdom, to delay his coming, that, he Swore; It was a thing of ſo great concernment, Dan. 12. That there ſhould be Time, Times, and Half a Time, before his coming ſhould be: So he did Chronize, he drew out Time, till his coming; And that hath given Advantage to all that Deadneſs of Chriſtianity, to all that low poſture of things. So the Apoſtle ſaith, 2 Theſ. 2. That day cannot come except there be a falling away first. Thus the day was Poſt-pon'd, it could not come; And ſo obſerve, Mat. 25. Where the Bridegroom Delayed his coming, they all ſlumbred and ſlept. Ver. 5. While the Bridegroom tarryed, they all ſlumbred and ſlept.
And in Match. 24. Pray obſerve, how the Spirit of God Inſiſts upon this, that there was a delay of the coming of Chriſt. ver. 48. But, and if that Evil Servant ſhall ſay in his heart, my Lord delayeth his coming, &c. So here's the ſleep, and ſpace given, for the poſſibility of ſuch ſleep, ſuch a low State in Chriſtianity, as there is by Chriſt delaying his coming. Some are ready to ſay, he'll never come, there will never be any ſuch thing: Why is it not ſooner? Why has it been ſo long? Men have time to do ſomething elſe; We muſt find ſomewhat or other, to paſs away the Time, till our Bridegroom comes: And ſo they fall into a ſlumber: As many, in Morality have diſcourſed the great degeneracy of humane nature, ſay they, the Intellectual Life is Slumbred by the Animal Life; And, as ſome have deſired to Allegorize the Hiſtory of Adam and Eve; Adam, when Eve was taken out of him, fell into a ſleep; you know, God cauſed a deep ſleep to fall upon Adam; And ſo (ſay they) that lower Soul came to have the Predominancy, and to get above, becauſe the Life of Adam was in a ſlumber, it was in a ſleep:
Give me leave by this to expreſs to you, my ſenſe in what I am now upon; as ſoon as ever the Profeſſors of Chriſtianity did perceive that the Bridegroom did not come: The lower Life began to get above, and the Chriſtians, even of the firſt Times, began to ſlumber and ſleep: We have many inſtances of it; Demas hath left us, having Loved the preſent World. Demas was not onelyonly a ſingle Example; But he was a Peculiar Pattern of the State of Chriſtianity, Having Loved this preſent World; So ſays the Apoſtle, there is no Man like minded to Epaphroditus, that naturally cares for your State: For all Men ſeek their own, not the things which are Jeſus Chriſt's, Phil. 2. So I ſay, here was preſently a Slumbring of the Power of Chriſtianity.
And then, there's a Great Example of this Worldly Grandeur riſing, in that of Diotrephes, in the third Epiſtle of John ver. 9. He Loved to have the pre-Eminence. Now, as I ſaid of Demas, ſo I ſay of Diotrephes; It was not onelyonly a ſingle Example, But the Biſhops of the Churches of Chriſt, began to Love Preeminency, to Love Grandeur; To Love Prelation, and to ſet up one above another: And thus the Apostacy began to creep in: And ſo Chriſtianity degenerated into a Worldly Intereſt, a Worldly Gain, a Worldly Greatneſs, a VVorldly State. And here the Life and Power of Chriſtianity fell aſleep; It was in a Slumber: And this Spirit went from one to another, and from hand to hand. And tho the Reformation amongſt us, hath made a great change among thoſe, that are called Proteſtants, yet, we are not awakened. The Bridegroom muſt be nearer his coming, before the Proteſtant Churches will awake.
And, beſides, you ſee, even to this day, that Men in the Profeſſion of the Goſpel, in the ſeveral ways of Men, Make Chriſtianity a Point of Intereſt in the concernments of the preſent Life; I ſpeak not this, by way of Cenſure or Reproach, but to repreſent things plainly to you, how it is, and how it comes to paſs, that we are not more in haſte and earneſt for the coming of the Bridegroom. And then,
3. In the third Place; (And that indeed, which in part I have prevented my ſelfe in) the Apoſtacy hath come to ſwallow up ſo great a part of Chriſtianity; Even ſo openly, and avowedly in all the Papal parts of the VVorld: And there are ſuch Roots, and Remainders, and Twiggs, and Twines of it, about the Proteſtancy; That it cannot be, till Chriſt is nearer his coming, that the VVorld will be awakened to ſee the entry of his coming, Even the Proteſtant World, and the moſt profeſſing part of Chriſtianity.
I come now to the Second Head I propoſed: And that is, to open to you the Anſwers to the Objections, that may be made.
Obj. 1. You may ſay (in the firſt Place) If this be the tendency of ſuch a Diſcourſe, it ſeems a kind of Monkiſh ſuperſtition; a kind of Living alone, and minding nothing in the World; it brings in a kind of a Pennance an Endurance, like that among the Papiſts; whereas the Scripture ſeems to allow us a free Enjoyment of the World, and of the things of it.
Anſ. Now, in Anſwer to this, I would onelyonly ſay, that one ſort of extream is ready to ſwallow up another, if we do not take heed; A Man may remove ſo far from ſuch Ideas and Apprehenſions as theſe are, that he may fall into a perfect Worldlineſs, an Enjoyment of this VVorld: I dare not ſay any thing againſt a VViſe, and Sober, and Holy, and Temperate uſe of the things of this world, and a Diligence in our Places and in our Stations; But I ſay, we have every one of us great need to take heed; For, we tread upon the Brinks of danger, we tread upon the very Brinks of Deſtruction: And therefore, we ſhould walk with the greateſt VVarineſs, and with the greateſt Jealouſy; There is, undoubtedly, an allowance of theſe things. And yet for all that; Seeing it is ſuch a State of the world, as it is, (As I ſhall ſhew you preſently) we have Reaſon upon all Accounts, to deſire that it ſhould be at an End; Becauſe we walk ſo much upon Snares, and Temptations in the preſent State; Notwithſtanding, I don't ſay as they, take heed ye Touch not, Taſte not, nor come near to any of theſe things.
But this I am perſwaded, There are ſome Remains of the Purity of Chriſtianity, in that which ſuch perſons pretend to, though they have Debauch'd them: They have turned them into abominable Superſtition, and into Great and Deteſtable Idleneſs and Sloth, and to Horrible Impurity and Luxury, under the pretence of ſuch a Separation from the World. But yet ſtill (I ſay) at the firſt, there was ſome Vein of the Contempt of this World, and of Deſpiſing Things here below; In the Juſtice of God, leaving Men to themſelves, This was corrupted into Hateful and Abominable Superſtition, it is a Thing very Remarkable: You know there are thoſe that are called the Mendicants, or thoſe that go up and down, and profeſs nothing but Begging: But then, on the other ſide, There are no Courts ſo ſplendid in the World, as that of Cardinals, Biſhops and Archbiſhops. So that it is a kind of Expedient, and Trick, to hold up the Pre-eminence of the Roman Church, by a ſeeming Contempt of the World, in the other part. I told you, Religion is neceſſary for this World, for the preſent ſtate of it; ſo the Beggery and Superſtition of thoſe that profeſs Poverty among the Papiſts, it is abſolutely neceſſary to uphold the Greatneſs and Splendor of the Court of Rome, and thoſe that depend upon it, on one ſide, by that Poverty on the other; For it ſeems to Cogg Men into a belief, that there's an excellency in the Popiſh Church, by producing in it ſuch an Example of Contempt of the World; Theſe are the Lying Wonders that are amongſt them, and fair pretences, by which they delude. But ſtill I ſay, tho we have loſt it, it cannot but be allowed, there ought to be now, and much more there ſhall be a State of the management of the preſent World, according to Chriſtianity, ſo as not to run into Superſtition; And yet to raiſe the Glory of Chriſt, and his Kingdom far above this World.
Object. 2. I come to the Second Objection; How ſhall the World be maintained, if all were ſuch Earneſt Purſuers, and Haſters on to the Day of God, as now, what I have diſcours'd of, ſeems to lead to? Certainly Families would be at an End; all Buſineſs would ceaſe; and the maintaining of Kingdoms; of Laws and Rights of Government; There would be an End of all Theſe.
Anſw. Now therefore I ſay to you, If any Man have his Soul preſt upon the Kingdom of God, and the Coming of Chriſt, and the Coming of the Bridegroom; Let us conſider what an Anſwer Jeſus Chriſt gives, Luke 9. 59. Chriſt had called one to follow him: Saith he, Whither ſhall I follow thee? I am willing to do it; where muſt I go? Saith Chriſt (Verſe 58.) Foxes have Holes, and Birds of the Air have Neſts; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his Head: That is, you muſt not take care for this, where you ſhall have a Reſt, and whither you ſhall go; you muſt Reſign up All: But he ſaid, Lord, ſuffer me firſt to go and bury my Father. And Jeſus ſaid unto him, Let the dead bury their dead; but go thou and preach the Kingdom of God: That is, The Kingdom of God is of Greater Neceſſity, then even that which ſeems to be ſo great a peice of Piety, and Humanity, to Go, and bury a Father.
But you may ſtill urge, How great would the Inconvenience of this be, if Men ſhould do thus? How would there be any ſupport of the preſent State of the World?
For that therefore I would refer you to another place, that is in the ſame Evangelist, Luke, Chap. 14. 16. The Kingdom of Heaven (ſaith he) is like unto a certain Man, that made a Great Supper, and bade many. That Supper is the Beginnings of Grace here, even to the Marriage▪ Supper of the Lamb. But they all with one conſent began to make excuſe: The firſt ſaid unto him, I have bought a peice of Ground; I am a Purchaſer; You muſt excuſe me from being ſo Religious; I am upon a Purchaſe. And another ſaid, I have bought five Yoke of Oxen, and I go to prove them; I pray thee have me excuſed: I am an Husbandman, and I cannot take care ſo of Religion: And another ſaid, I have married a Wife, and therefore I cannot come, upon that account. And in another Evangeliſt, They went to their Merchandiſe: I have a Great Trade, and I cannot carry on the preſent State, if I mind ſo much the Kingdom of Chriſt. And therefore I ſay, The Purchaſing, and Husbandry, and Merchandiſe, and the Enjoyments of this World, and Relations, they are great Hinderances indeed, to the Glory of the Kingdom of Chriſt. But then,
The Second Thing I would ſay to you, which may give you Great Satisfaction as to this: If there were ſuch a Spirit poured out from on high; Don't think the World would be ſo Inconvenient by it; It would be brought into a more High, a Better, and more Excellent State; I am ſure, If the Spirit were ſo poured out upon the World; That Men did not excuſe themſelves from the Kingdom of Heaven, by their Trade, Relations, and Families; And by their Intereſt in the preſent VVorld; I am ſure, that the Trees of the Wood would yeild forth of themſelves to us: The Hills would flow down with Milk, and the Mountains with Wine. VVhenever God will bring the VVorld into a Religious State indeed; Don't take care as if the State of the VVorld could not be upheld; For, it ſhall be upheld, and be more Happy and Bleſſed, than it is now, Joel 3. 18. And it ſhall come to paſs in that day, that the Mountains ſhall drop down New Wine, and the Hills ſhall flow down with Milk, and all the Rivers of Judah ſhall flow with Waters, &c. Every thing ſhall be Happy and Proſperous; Inſtead of the Thorn ſhall come up the Fir Tree, and inſtead of the Bryar ſhall come up the Mirtle Tree, and it ſhall be to the Lord for a Name, and for a Memorial. When God comes to make the world truely Good, to bring in a Profeſſion of Chriſtianity, not in Word, but in Power; I ſay, when that comes to paſs, there ſhall be ſuch a ſtrange plenty to the World, ſuch a ſtrange Providence over the Creation: All that, which we take ſo much care about, and with ſo much Sin, and hatred, and envy one at another; It will come ſo freely, there will be no need of diſturbance of, and diſtracting our ſelves, or one another: When we come in High ſenſe to be the Servants of God, and to be in ſuch a State; All Creatures in Heaven, and Earth, would come, and lay down their Service at our Feet. The Heavens would hear the Earth, and the Earth would hear the Corn, and the Wine, and the Oyl; And they would hear Jezreel, Amos 9. 11. Behold, the days come, ſaith the Lord, that the Plowman ſhall overtake the Reaper, and the Treaders of Grapes him that ſoweth the Seed; That is, the Harveſt ſhall be ſooner than the very Plowing.
All Creatures, in Heaven and Earth, would offer themſelves to us: And all the Riches, that we dive for now, ſo deep into the Bowels of the Earth, and into the bottom of the Sea, they would come up, and be at our hand, in that Day, when the Kingdom of Jeſus Chriſt ſhall be thus Univerſally upon the World, and when the Deſire of Nations ſhall come.
I would ſhut up this, in a very Brief Application to you.
Ʋſe. 1. In the Firſt Place; Let it move us ſeriouſly, to fill up our Religion with this Character of it; The Virgins went forth to meet the Bridegroom: There was the great mark in their Eye, the great deſign in their Eye; Now, ask your ſelves, I beſeech you, is your Religion in meeting the Bridegroom? Is not your Praying, Morning and Evening, becauſe it is good Family-Order? It is a good thing for Reputation, and Credit: Is it not becauſe you are afraid, if you Riſe up and Lie down without Prayer, God won't Bleſs you that Day, nor give you good reſt that Night? He won't ſucceed you in your Calling; And in the Duties and Buſineſs of it? Is it not becauſe natural Conſcience would cry out, and ſay, what! Do you live like a Heathen, yea a Brute, and like a Beaſt?
I acknowledge, theſe are valuable Reaſons in their kind. But ſure, there is a Higher, a Greater Reaſon to go forth to meet the Bridegroom; Becauſe, throughout all the Account, that can be given, why Men are Religious, if this be not Principal, if this be not the Supreme End, that I would meet the Bridegroom; It is not of the Excellent True Alloy; Therefore Buoy up your Spirits, raiſe them, wind them up to this great height, I'll go forth to meet the Bridegroom. I pray this Morning, that I may meet with the Bridegroom; I go to hear this day, That I may meet with the Bridegroom: I would not have theſe great things wound up onelyonly within the Circle of this Life, in this manner; Here comes Buſineſs, and here comes Prayer; And ſo there's Sleep, and Eating, and Drinking; All comes in a Round, and we would have this Round always obſerved; And it calls to Publick Prayer, and to other of thoſe Duties: Now, if we turn about onelyonly in this Circle, we run on Endleſsly about; But our care muſt be higher, Viz. To meet the Bridegroom.
Ʋſe. 2. In the Second Place; I Beſeech you, conſider whether your Religion be of this excellent kind, that you would be willing to meet the Bridegroom?
Is it that, which I believe in my Soul, enlightned by the Spirit of God, my Conſcience bearing me Witneſs in the Holy Ghoſt, that it will pleaſe the Bridegroom? Are my Thoughts, Affections, manner of Converſation ſuch?
And what reaſon have we, and do we Humble our ſelves before our Bridegroom, when we conſider this will not pleaſe; when we conſider, this is not fine enough, Ornamental enough to his Glory, of value enough? I would not meet him with Tinſel, inſtead of Gold, and real worth.
I would not meet him with falſe Diamonds inſtead of real ones. So I would not meet him with Hypocritical, formal Prayers without real Grace. And then,
Ʋſe. 3. In the third Place; I beſeech you conſider; I don't expect, there ſhould be many Subſcribing to that Account of Time, that I have given out; Tho it be upon great and ſtrong Foundations in the Word of God; Yet I challenge nothing from any, but ſo far as they ſee in that Light.
But I would onelyonly ask you this Queſtion, upon the occaſion of it; Suppoſe it a true, and real Scripture Account, that I have given out, and that, within ſo little a Time, there ſhall be yet ſo great a change of the World; And Men ſhall begin to unhinge from the Earth, and Earthly Foundations; Would you be glad of it? Or, have you not a ſecret Trouble and Enmity againſt it? And that you would have the World ſtill go on, and Ages to run on ſo; I ſay, try your ſelves, as to this; I think, it cannot be any Injury, for any to propoſe this; Seeing we ſhould be continually upon our watch, for this very thing, when our Lord will come.
Ʋſe. 4. In the fourth Place; I beſeech you conſider the great difference between the City of the Servants of Chriſt, of thoſe that are of the true Wiſe Virgins in Chriſtianity; And between the City of thoſe that are not, or are Fooliſh Virgins. I would but very briefly repreſent that to you in Scripture-Expreſſion, and ſo I will conclude.
If you conſider the City of the Servants of Jeſus Chriſt, conſider it in that of the laſt Chapter of Ezekiel, and the very laſt Verſe, the End of that Propheſie; And the Name of the City, in that day ſhall be, The Lord is there. There ſhall be the Bridegroom; There ſhall be the Glory of the Prince himſelf: That's the City wherein Chriſt will entertain thoſe, that have the Bride-like Affection. And, Rev. 21. 2.
I John ſaw the Holy City, New Jeruſalem coming down from God out of Heaven, Prepared as a Bride adorned for her Bridegroom. Here's the City of thoſe that are Virgins in Spirit to Chriſt, in the ſincere Love of him, that ſhall be preſented at that day, as Chaſt Virgins to him.
But now conſider on the other ſide, You have the Name of another City; And it is very admirable, And I cannot but propoſe my Obſervation to you, that God hath been pleaſed, very lately to cauſe me to conſider, and to obſerve; There is the Name of another City, I ſay; And it is the Name of the City of the Multitude. Ezek. 39. 17. The Name of that City ſhall be Hamonah. And they ſhall cleanſe the Land. The Name of that City ſhall be Hamonah. Or, The Multitude thereof: Or its Multitude. That is, The Dead; Thoſe that are ſlain with the Sword of Chriſt's Mouth: The Gog-Magog: Tho they are Dead; That is, as to the ſenſe of Glory, and Life, and Happineſs, and Peace, and Enjoyment, yet they are in Being, for they have a City.
It were but in vain, that meer Dead ſhould have a City; But thoſe Dead, that is, they that are not Partakers of the firſt Reſurrection; Their City, the Name of it is Hamonah, the Multitude of the World are of that City, and belong to that City, and are taken at laſt into that City. Multitudes, Multitudes, as it is ſaid in Joel 3. Multitudes, Multitudes, in the Valley of Deciſion, and the Valley of Exciſion: They are not onelyonly Judged, but cut off; They are ſlain with the Sword of Chriſt's Mouth; As it is ſaid, Rev. 29. 5. They lived not again till the End of the Thouſand Years. That is, they lay in Chains, under the Footſtool of Chriſt; At the End of the Thouſand Years, God gave them leave to move a little, and they make a New Attempt. And then Fire comes down upon them, and caſts them into the Lake.
And if you think all this is too Metaphorical, or too Nice, and Curious, and that you cannot underſtand ſo well; I'll conclude all, with that of Matth. 7. 13. Where you ſhall find the very Hamonah in plain, Doctrinal, Practical Diſcourſe it ſelf. Enter ye in at the ſtrait Gate▪ for wide is the Gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to Deſtruction; And many there be which go in thereat.
As the New Jeruſalem hath its Gates, and an Angel before it; So the City here is the City of Deſtruction, as it is called, Iſa. 19. It hath its Gate; But it is a Wide Gate: It lets in every one, that is not taken up into the New Jeruſalem; There be many; There is a Hamonah, there is a Multitude, that go in thereat.
Therefore, let us ſeriouſly take heed, Look diligently to this, leſt any of us fail of the Grace of God, of the true Bride-like affection, by which we may enter with him, with the Bridegroom, into the Wedding, when he comes, &c.