The Parable of the Ten Virgins, Part 2 · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
Of the desire of Grace that may be in Hypocrites.
SECT. I.
Give us of your Oyl, &c.
THat foolish Virgins may, and seriously do desire,Observation 3. not only Salvation, but Grace it self. For these Virgins did not only desire the Lord to open to them, but give us of your oyl; and this they do not desire in shew, but seriously, for they felt a want of it; our lamps are out, out oyl is spent, our misery is great; Oh now help us with your grace: This may appear in these particulars.
First, They may feel a loss and a want of it, and having some hope in this life to gain it, hence may seek it; thus not only the Virgins, but Simon Magus Acts 8. 24. when he was convinced he was in the gall of bitterness; he doth not only content himself with his own, but doth commend himself to the desires of the Church, and Apostles, Oh pray for me, that none of these things may come upon me, but that I may be brought into another estate, whereby I may escape all this, Amos 8. 11, 12. I will bring a famine, not of bread, but of hearing the Word, i. e. you shall feel a woful want of that, and of the consolation, life, and spirit of that, and you shall go from sea to sea to find it, and shall not: Oh that I had taken my time, will the careless ones say!
Secondly, They may have a high opinion of it, and see a marvellous excellency in it, and hence may be drawn to desire it, Ioh. 6. 33, 34. My father gives you bread from heaven, which Moses gave not, and such bread as gives life unto the world; then said they, Lord, ever give us of this bread; and yet they were carnal, and desires carnal, arising from the sight of the excellency of it; that Scribe Matth. 12. 33, 34. To love the Lord thy God with all thy heart is better than all burnt offerings and sacrifices; Oh that's admi…able, the Ordinances are good, and Creatures are good, but this is better: As a man when he admires the world, he ever desires the world, though he never hath it; so here, as in Balaam: Not only Word and Spirit may commend it, and so they may desire it, but the excellency of it in the lives of the Saints will commend it, so as carnal hearts may desire the company and love of such men above all in the world, Rev. 3. 8. Gen. 26. 28. We saw God was with th…e, …nd that thou w…rt blessed of the Lord; and hence there are some desires after it, 2 Pet. 2. 19. Men escape pollutions by Christ.
Thirdly, They have a taste of the sweetness of it, and hence may desire it, Heb 6. Iohn was a burning light, and they rejoyced in him, and all Iudea and Ierusalem flocked to h…s Ministery, and came into the wilderness after him; the savor of the grace of Christ may wonderfully draw desires after it, they may find such a sweetness in it, L…k. 13. 26. Many shall say, Lord, have not we can and drank in thy presence? that is, they find much sweetness there; the Lord taught among them; they desired him, and thought he was their own, yet shut out; and hence verse 24. Many shall se…k to enter in, and shall not be able.
Fourthly, They may and do grow up in a glorious profession in the ways of grace, and such a profession as to stand it out against persecution, as the thorny ground did, and may have some growth toward it, which cannot be without some desires and springings of heart after it.
SECT. II.
HEnce let this be an item to all the people of God, to preserve with all care, and not to lose,Use 1. but to make much of the Spirit of Grace inherent in them; for look as the Lord Jesus, when he would make his Disciples wonder at their blessedness, and make much of him, and his love, saith he, Many Kings and Prophets have desired to see these days, and have not seen them; so many professors of great parts and gifts shall desire to have that Spirit of Grace and Peace which you have, and shall never see it, never shall have it: when Davids heart began to be drawn away by the evils of the world, and then beheld the vanity of that, his desires are now turned another way, Oh it is good for me to draw nigh to God, that's good: As if he had said, though it be good to have the things themselves; yet it is not good for me to draw too nigh in my desires and esteem of them, but good for me to draw nigh to him. It may be sometimes your hearts are taken off from esteeming your condition, and what the Lord hath done for you; and hence no desire after the Lord or his Grace, but the lawful comforts of the world, not inordinately, but if I had so much, or as good as others, then well. Psal. 141. 4. David entreats the Lord not to encline his heart after any evil thing, no not after the wickeds good things, Let me not eat of their dainties; for grant that thou losest all these things, which others have; the time will come when the greatest Prince, and those that have their desires filled here, shall say, Oh that I was in that mans estate! Let the Lord therefore exercise you with many wants and sorrows; remember this, your end will be peace, which the worst would give a world for another day.
What then will become of them that never desired grace at all, because they are well enough without it!Vse 2. a man cannot live (say they) by praying, and hearing of Sermons; such duties are troublesom; hinderances, not desirable helps; and when any Ordinance comes, when will Sabbaths be ended? and as for the people of God themselves they can see no difference between them and other men, nay, they think them worse; if this be your Religion, God keep me from your Religion. Nay; they can see no beauty in Christ to desire him; they can desire that they were not kept inso much on the Sabbaths, not so much pains taken with them to instruct them; it may be these may desire that their hands be kept from stealing, their tongues from cursing, and their feet from runing to shed blood; but the life of Grace, and power of it, they desire not that, nor never did: I remember when David was in extremity, Lord, saith he, my groanings are not hid from thee; this was his comfort when he could not pray, Psal. 38. 9. But here it is otherwise: Canst thou if extremity should come upon thee, say, Now I am not able to speak, Oh remember my closet tears, my midnight groans, and daylight complaints, and those daily sighings after thee which have arisen from this sorrowful heart? did the Lord never work this in thee? if extremity comes, and thou hast no such thing to witness for thee, do you think that you shall meet the Bridegroom in peace? Oh no! go home, and make thy mo…n over thy own Soul; the Lord is far from me; if many seek to enter and shall never be able, what will become of me?
Hence see how many people deceive themselves in their evidencing of a good estate,Vse 3. who because they see no oyl in their vessel, nor see no shining in their lives, yet because they desire it, they think hereupon the Lord accepts them and their desires, and therefore the Lord will fulfill them; this very conceit keeps thousands in their sins and miseries, and that under conviction of them; yet I desire it were better with me; and they think Hypocrites make shews of this and that, yet they have not unfeigned desires; and here thousands rest, and this slays them, as Prov. 27. 5. The desires of the sluggard kills him.
SECT. III.
Quest. BUt doth not the Lord respect the groanings of his people? doth not Christ say, Joh. 4. 10. if thou hadst asked, &c. doth not the Lord look upon the inner man, the very frame, nay, desires that have been past?
Answ. Yes, there be some desires which are evidences; some which are not; I shall discover them that be unsound in the particular example of these foolish Virgins, &c.
First, Those are unsound desires, which arise in the soul easily, without feeling a need of the Lords almighty power and Spirit of life to work them at first; we shall finde that the desires of regenerate Christians do not come easily, but they finde a need of the Lord to draw them. Ier. 31. 10. Lam. 5. 21. but the desires of others spring up easily and quickly; as these foolish Virgins, they wanted oyl, they could quickly desire it; and they go to their fellow-breth…en for help, Oh give us of your oyl. Look as it is with wilde Rye and Pease, they will come up at the season of the year in abundance, without sowing or plowing, the ground bears them naturally; but other corn and grain will not come so easily; your ground will not bear it till plowed and digged, and then the hand of man must set it, and dye it must, before it can live again; so here, if desires come and spring up easily, it is a sign they are wilde; the Lord must break the heart, and then sow these, and plant these from heaven, and you must fetch it out of heaven, else it is naught; for when the Lord works saving desires indeed, he ever sows them in a broken heart, which is throughly broken indeed; when God sets the smoaking flax on fire (which are desires) he first bruiseth the reed it self.
Secondly, The subject in which these desires are; a man hath a Son and a Servant; the Son hath all his desires granted him, because he hath a sonly spirit; all the Father hath is for him, that may be good for him; a Servant desires importunately, but he prays from the spirit of a Servant, and all that his Master hath is not for him; and therefore if he pray for the inheritance or a part of it, of the portion of the Son, shall he have it? no, he shall have what is fit for a Servant; so it is here, the Lord hath some Sons in his Churches; these praying and desiring from a son-like spirit, all that God hath being theirs, they shall have it; and hence Psal. 145. 18, 19, 20. He will fulfil the desires of them that fear him, and love him, and delight themselves in him; for that is the son-like disposition; when he is cut short of all comfort in the world, nay, when he may have his fill of them, yet he delights in his Fathers face, love, and grace, and fellowship, and house, Psal. 27. 4. For they are heirs and coheirs with Christ, being Sons; but now there are Servants in the house of God; shall they have their wills and lusts? no; thus it was with these foolish Virgins; they were only Servants in the house, no true Spouse or Sons, and were foolish at best, and had not the spirits of Sons, but had their lusts; never were espoused savingly to the Lord Jesus himself, nor laid up all their hope in him, but were foolish and that is the ground why others desires are heard, not theirs.
Thirdly, Unsound desires make after a certain measure only, whereas the desires of Saints seek after this Grace without measure; and thus the foolish Virgins fell short of the wise; all that they could get was little enough for themselves; but the foolish look after some of their oyl, as many a man looks upon the gifts and parts of another; Oh, saith he, if I was as honest, as humble a man as such a one! and many a man sets up such a measure, and if he hath that, is well, while he wants that miserably: Look wistly upon the foolish Virgins, they did content themselves with a measure, and now they are in want of it, seek for it; at first a little did content them, and now when it is spent, a little will serve them again: And what is their measure?
1. So much as will beautifie and adorn them before men, our Lamp is out.
2. So much as will comfort them against the coming of Christ; for now they were troubled that their oyl was spent, whereby they might meet the Bridegroom: he that desires it for a little measure of it, his desires are certainly unsound; so much as will serve his turn (he cuts his coat according to his cloth) but he that desires it without measure, è contra, as Paul, Phil. 3. 12. That I may apprehend by any means, that for which I am apprehended: As Chrysostom calls Paul that insatiabilis Dei cultor; for he makes it his last end; as he that desires wealth without measure, though he gets not all the wealth of the world, yet the more he hath, the more he craves; this his fleshly lust is his last end.
Obj. But he may desire it without measure for his own ends.
Ans. I confess 'tis true; for men may desire honor and no honor but by gifts, and no gifts but by grace; and hence may desire infinitely, but yet it is but a measure, viz. to serve his own ends, but not the Lords ends; to set up himself; true desire of grace, is for that which may pull down self, and make God all, Psal. 119. 4, 5.
Fourthly, It is not their only desire, or the only thing they desire, viz. the good Spirit of the Lord, and that they might not live or any thing else in them, but that the Lord may live, and his Grace and Kingdom may prevail in their hearts; the desires of Saints are only after this; or if their desires are after other things, the Spirit lusts against them, 2 Sam. 23. 5. As carnal desires are after life, and the comforts of it, so spiritual desires are after the life of Christ in them, and the comforts of the Lord thereby, Psal. 27. 3, 4. One thing I have desired, and that I will seek for; what was it? a Crown, a Kingdom? no, but that I may dwell in the Lords house for ever, and visit his Temple: Notable is that example of Abraham, Heb. 11. Two things he met with that might draw down his desires.
1. He came to a land which God promised to give him, where he lives among enemies and in fears.
2. He might have returned to another Country, and now have been better.
3. God blessed him, &c. but it was nothing he desired, only another above; hence God is not ashamed to be called his God; but the foolish Virgins fell short of this, and hence they now seek only in times of extremity: And this is the frame of many graceless hearts in time of extremity. 1. When all grace is gone. 2. When death is come, then they seek earnestly after the Lord, and Grace; Oh their sin lies heavy! Oh then an humble heart is sweet! but before their hearts were overcome with lusts after other things; and this double heart every carnal heart hath, Ephes. 2. 3, fulfilling the lusts of the mind, i. e. Diabolical lusts, and lusts of the fl…sh, i. e. sensual and beastly lusts, it's the state of all men; and hence promises are not made simply to mens seeking the Lord, for they may miss, but to them that do it with their whole heart Psal. 119. …2. Ier. 29. 13. this they never do; and hence men pray daily, and live in their lusting all the day after; men long in misery, but are cool in peace.
SECT. IV.
Quest. BUt seeing there is in Saints two Natures, flesh lusting against the spirit, and spirit against flesh; and a double heart in a Reprobate, whereby he desires grace and other things, how shall we distinguish them?
Answ. 1. The lusts after grace and worldly things in an Hypocrite agree together in the same heart; but those lusts which are after the flesh and spirit in a regenerate heart are contrary one to another, and like fire and water one seeking to destroy the whole being of the other. Exem. gr. A man wants the things of this world, he seeks and desires after them, riches, honor, rest, and peace; but thinks he, if I have no more but this, I may to hell; if no Grace; hence he desires that, and so doing now he hath peace, and all is quiet with him, and goes on sweetly in a way of profession a…d prayer; and a gracious heart is ready thus to do, and to make his head lye soft with two pillows, but yet the Spirit riseth up against this, that the soul thinks, I shall fall by this heart; Lord, how apt to rest in these lees!Gal. 5. 1. lusts in Hypocrites are like brethren, that help one another, to this end to get peace; but here as enemies, to destroy such a cursed peace as that is in the Godly.
2. In a false heart, lusts and desires after these things are dear to them, like their limbs and best members, they cannot be nor cannot do without them; but in Saints they are sores and blains, and so hated of them; ex. gr. Let a man have a full table, and fair estate, and outward blessings, promising much, and the Ordinances of God, and a heart to follow God there; now see him lively in the service of God; but let him be brought to extremities, and want of all this, and fears of poverty, estate wasteth, poverty appears, many rates come in, and the wife crys out; now he falls down to the earth in discontent or worldliness, and his life and affection to Ordinances, or the fervants of God, is now gone; as it is with a bird, when she hath two wings she can flye, but when she hath only one, then she falls, and the fowler takes her, because it was a limb precious to her; so here: Thus it was with Davids servants at Ziglag, 1 Sam. 30. 4. all wept till they could weep no more; but here it was otherwise with David, he could flye to God without those wings; so when God gives a man a condition not so great as he would, and the heart lusts after so much, and God crosseth; he cannot be content with a little, or with a mean estate, because his lust is his limb, he cannot suffer it to be cut off, or be pa…d; if a man hath a wooden leg, he can cut it answerable to his shoo, but if but a limb, he must have his shooe cut answerable to his leg; because it is his limb, no cutting of that le…s; oh it is dear: So it is with a man that hath a lust after any thing, it is dear, and hence he is said to live in them, and to be in the flesh; but the desires after these things in a gracious heart, they are blains, they can be without them; Oh never such a happiness if the Lord would dead them to me, Gal. 5. 24. they that are in Christ have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts thereof.
3. The lusts and desires in a false heart are reigning lusts, and make the lusts after grace and holiness serve them; but è contra in a holy heart. Ex. gr. A man prays for the love of God, and the Spirit of grace, and 'tis affectionate, but yet 'tis ever for some lust: Iam. 4. 3. a man desires grace to perfect his gifts, and gifts to deck him, and purchase him honor before men; a man desires grace to quiet his conscience in assurance of Gods love, and pardon of sin, that he may live the more peaceably with his sin, Isa. 58. 3, 4. Now in a gracious heart, the desires of these things serve the desires after grace; for he desires the things of this world to be the more holy, Prov. 30. 7, 8. Feed me with food convenient, that I may not tempt thee; he desires, and hath them for Israels sake, 2 Sam. 5. 12. Like a Tradesman, he buys and sells, but it is for gain, Phil. 1. 20. Oh consider of these things, and if your hearts have had only such false desires as these, know it, that as verily as these Virgins were shut out, so shall you another day.