Several works of Mr. Iohn Murcot, that eminent and godly preacher of the Word, lately of a Church of Christ at Dublin in Ireland. Containing, I. Circumspect walking, on Eph. 5.15,16. II. The parable of the ten virgins, on Mat. 25. from ver. 1. to ver. 14. III. The sun of righteousness hath healing in his wings for sinners, on Mal. 4.2. IV. Christs willingness to receive humble sinners, on John 6.37. Together with his life and death. Published by Mr. Winter, Mr. Chambers, Mr. Eaton, Mr. Carryl, and Mr. Manton. With alphabetical tables, and a table of the Scriptures explained throughout the whole.

Verse 10.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉—

HEre it seemeth they had no more wit then to go to buy of them that sell.

How difficult is it to beat a man off his creature-confidence and * 1.1 refuges which he hath for his soul?

For these foolish Virgins here, they had kindled sparks of their own, and walked in the light of their own sparks a great while, and all that while it was an exceeding hard matter to perswade them to the contrary, but their penny was as good silver as other mens; to perswade a painted hypocrite, while his paint lasts, that he is but a Sepulchre, and full of rottenness, and no resting in that conditlon, is as hard, as to perswade a man that looks up∣on his money baggs, he is a beggar. But now a man would have thought when this Lamp had gone out, and they saw their sparks of their own kindling would not endure to eternal life, that then they should have bethought themselves of a higher born flame, a higher principle that would endure to get that oyl, and that fire from heaven that would aspire, and never rest until it reached heaven: my meaning is, that when they saw the profession and form which they could by their industrie and parts work out of themselves, went out and failed them, they should have thought of going to a higher principle, but what do they do? they go to the creature you see, to the wise Virgins for oyl, & there they have another repulse; they had none to spare for them: By this a man would have thought they might have taken a hint, that sure it is not to be had then from the creature, we must look higher; if any creature could furnish us, tht wise Virgins, the Saints indeed could furnish us; but we have knockt at their doors, and it is not to be had there. And do they now bethink themselves of going to Christ? no, not at all. Let it be consi∣dered yet further, that they had a very sharp blow, to rap their fingers off the creature, which a man would have thought should

have made them afraid of ever laying hold upon an arm of flesh again, for this Irony, or holy mock of them, go to them that sell, if they understood it so, was a reproof as full of Vinegar as can be. As that of our Saviour, sleep on, now, (saith he) take your rest; now they are at hand, let us go hence; they had little list to sleep * 1.2 after such a reproof as that: and yet we see these foolish Virgins are so stupid, that this mock of them, it beateth them not off at all, but to the Creature they go still, to try whether there be any oyl to be had among them that sell; the flatterers and merit-mongers, they think not of going to Jesus Christ.

And whence doth this appear brethren? but first, From our corrupt nature, which hath departed from the Lord, and is now ful of enmity to him, and is loth to return to him; so proud we are, that as long as we can find any thing in our selves, we will go no further; but when we see our own gourd is withered, our tor∣rent is dried up, such is the enmity of our wretched hearts to God in the way of his Grace, that we would go any whither for succour rather then to God, to Christ; the Jews would not * 1.3 come to Christ, that they might have life; they might have it for coming for, but they would not, they would take any pains in their own works; men will rather put themselves to any pen∣nance, mortifyings and maceratings of the flesh, as the Papists some of them do; will be at any charge for their indulgences, from men, rather then they will go to Jesus Christ. Thus the Lord complains of his people, that they did wander from mountain to * 1.4 hill, expecting help here and there, but forgot God their rest∣ing place. The Raven would not return to the Ark, if she could get a place to rest any where upon the earth, though the Dove had no rest any where else but in the Ark. Ah what woful na∣tures * 1.5 have we brethren! so contrary to the God of love, and fulness of bowels and compassions; surely we can see nothing in him, wherefore we should be so averse, but the pride and re∣bellion of our own desperately wicked hearts; how should this exceedingly humble us!

2. Not only nature, but it should seem, they were accustomed to it also, and that increased the natural inclination to it; at first their sparks were of their own kindling, they would have fire out of their own flint, and oyl from within: well, this failed you, so they went to the wise Virgins, and were habituated in it, it was a

rooted evil, and well watered; and therefore no marvel, if at the very last, they thus go to them that sell, Can the Ethyopian change * 1.6 his skin, or the Leopard his spots? no more can ye that are accustomed to do evil, learn to do well; here is a first nature, and a second nature, nature upon nature, and what is harder to carnality then nature, while it remaineth unchanged? naturam expellas, &c. You may keep a Woolftame, and train him up like a Dog to follow you, but he will retain his woolfish nature still, and if he have occasion, will manifest it; where a Creature hath been used to betake it self for refuge, thither will it go in time of need, the Chicken to the wing, the Conies to the rocks, the Fox to her holes, and the Child of God to the rock; what time I am afraid, * 1.7 I will trust in thee, as before; and poor Hypocrite to the Creature, this or that, somewhat in himself, or somewhat in some other, as you see: for this he is accustomed to, to go to his prayers, to the opinion of flattering persons, &c.

3. Another reason may be this, in Professors that have long rested in a formality, and now at last come to see their nakedness, God plucks off their plumes, letteth them see they are naked, and yet they go not to Christ, it may be, because he holds their eyes, hideth this wisdom from their eyes: alas, if the * 1.8 Lord shew us not the path of life brethren, we can never find it out our selves, we shall grope at noon-day, though we have never so * 1.9 much glorious light about us, and Christ be held out never so plainly to us: we shall grope and wander, and never have a heart to come to him, as it is said of the Israelites, God did not give you to this day, a heart to understand. O saith the Psalmist, Teach * 1.10 me thy way, and I will walk in thy truth. Now God and Christ, in a just displeasure against us in such a case, may hide himself from us, a••d will not be found: either we shall not have an heart to seek him at all, or else not an upright heart to seek him, and therefore though we seek him, he will not be found.

As this should teach us all to be humbled before the Lord for wickedness and averseness of our hearts to Christ, that we will not come to him, so long as we can get a drop out of our dry Bottle: we will not come to the Fountain, but wander up and down, and weary our selves to seek rest anywhere then in Jesus Christ. Hast thou been a Prodigal, and hast thou known this by experience? hast thou shifted, and shuffled, and lick•• thy self

whole as often as thou couldst, and born it out by head and shoulders, the Convictions thou hast had sometimes, when thy Lamp hath been dying? O how should this teach thee now, if the Lord have, notwithstanding this, shewed thee the path of life, shewed thee the Fountain, the Olive, whence the oyl is to be had indeed: this should teach us I say, to loath our selves: Ah wretch, wretch that I am, that should carry such a heart toward Jesus Christ!

2. It may serve to advance and magnifie the justice and mercy of the Lord: on Hypocrites justice and severity, that since they have loved to wander from Creature to Creature, and would never come to Jesus Christ. Now at the last, when they must come to close with him or never, he should be hidden from their eyes: Is * 1.11 not this a righteous, a severe hand? are they not paid in their own coin? the Lord grant we fall not any of us under this stroke of Divine justice, to be left and given up to a wandring heart, because we love to wander. O methinks, this severe hand of God upon them, lying upon them to the very last, should affright poor Formalists, that have nothing else but a few broad leaves to be their refuge: when these wither, what will you do? what must shadow you from everlasting burnings? you will say Jesus Christ; but do your hearts say so indeed? and why do you not now make sure to close with him? for if you wander thus up and down from Creature to Creature, who knoweth whether he may not make you examples of his displeasure, and suffer you, yea, give you up to wander, as those foolish Virgins, that you shall never be able to look after him, because he will never look after you again.

And then it serveth to magnifie the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ, that notwithstanding this be the natures all of us, and we practise accordingly, and have made many a poor shift likely to quiet a guilty, accusing, galled Conscience, sometimes with one, sometimes with another shift, sometimes with a duty, a prayer or tears; O if we could but weep for our sins, all would be well; this would make a calm, and we are at peace; sometimes the opinion of others, or sometimes our own opinion of holiness and our selves, to which we have done all that we have done it may be. Well, that after all this, now the Lord Iesus after so long being slighted, and such forms, and duties, and fig-leaves, and any

broken Cisterns, empty Bottles, and husky vanities, preferred before him, that yet he should manifest himself to such, to any of us, and give us that true oyl of Grace in the heart, whereby the sinfulness and emptiness of all our former shifts have been discovered to us. O what shall we render to the Lord for his love! behold what manner of love is this, that will overcome all our slighting of him, that will not let us alone under our fading gourds, until he bring us under his own shadow, and never suf∣fer us to wander up and down from him any more; have our souls tasted of this his love? O bless him, magnifie him, make your boast in God, let the humble hear thereof, and be glad, live * 1.12 his praises; what, can you do too much for him who hath thus loved you? but so much for this.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Here we have had the sad surprisal of these poor Creatures, that have their Grace to get, at the last they are taken, before they are ready for Christ; for alas, their Lamps ware out. Let men put off the coming of Christ as long as they will, and trifle away their day of Grace, though he tarry a while, yet he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry. Well, now he cometh.

But that is not all neither, he cometh upon them, not only while they are getting their Grace, but while they are seeking up and down to the creature for it, and never look at him at all; and this maketh it so much the sadder indeed, when Jesus Christ shall come to judgement, particular or general, to find men with their backs upon himself, and their faces upon their formalities and profession, upon their flattering false Teachers, that at a venture cry peace, peace, though there be no ground; will it not be sad brethren? The Lord help us every one to look to it, for I intend not to stay upon this; either we are such as seek our oyl of Jesus Christ, we live by faith in him; or else we seek to the Creature, we hang our hopes upon somewhat else; if so, whatever it be that relieveth us in the time of our trouble on this side Jesus Christ, this is the ob∣ject of our whoredom; Now shall the Bridegroom find us in the very act of whoredom, playing the whore, in departing from him, and will this be peace or comfort to our souls? How will you lift up your faces before him? brethren, how can a Woman that pretends faithfulness to an Husband, if he take her in the very act, how can she hold up her head to him? O the confu∣sion

and amazement will be upon us, if Jesus Christ find us in the like Coudition! can you think how poor creatures will hang the head, and be filled with their shame, whether shall they cause their shame to pass from them?

O then brethren, If you have neglected the day of Grace, and while oyl hath been offered you, and that upon easie terms, without money, and without price, and now you be convinced of your want of it, because you know not how soon it may come upon you. Let me beg of you, that whenever he cometh, he may not find you going up and down to buy of the Creature, but coming to him, waiting upon him, (as the Apostle did) that you may be found in him; hence the poor thief upon the Cross found mercy, * 1.13 though it were at the last. O take heed of deceit here, for every one will say, that they have no other hope but in Jesus Christ, and him they wait upon all the day: O that it were so brethren; but I doubt he will find many of us going to buy, when he com∣eth, and not of him, but of them that sell; then they are run∣ning to their flattering parasitical Preachers, then they must have an absolution, a comfortable word, though they have lived never so wretchedly, as if a few comfortable words of a daubing Moun∣tebank, would transform them from Devils incarnate, into Saints in a Moment, which is not much better (if any thing) then the Priests mumbling over the bread and wine, to change it into the body and blood of Christ. Then when Christ is coming, the Bride-groom cometh; doth he not find many running then to a prayer, then to a Sacrament? if they can but have that, they think they are secure enough; poor ignorant creatures! what is this, but to go and buy of them that sell, instead of going to Jesus Christ? Well surely, as this will much concern him to find men so un∣dervaluing him, who is a Saviour to the utmost, to go any whe∣ther, rather then to him; so will it be confusion to your souls, if you be found in the very act; there will be no denying, no excu∣sing of it; you will have nothing to say for your selves; therefore let us be warned to take heed of this. But so much for this.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Doctr.
• * 1.2

  Mat. 26. 45.
• * 1.3

  Ioh. 5. 40.
• * 1.4

  Ier. 50. 6.
• * 1.5

  Gen. 8. 7.
• * 1.6

  Ier. 13. 23.
• * 1.7

  Psal. 56. 3.
• * 1.8

  Psal. 16. ul••.
• * 1.9

  Luke 19. 41.
• * 1.10

  Deut. 24. 4. Psal. 86. 11.
• * 1.11

  Ier. 14. 10.
• * 1.12

  Psal. 34. 2.
• * 1.13

  Phil. 3.