Advantage 1. It will comfort thy heart against persecutions, temptations, and cross providences, as also James saith to his persecuted brethren; 'Be patient [my brethren, saith he], stablish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh' (John 5:8).
Advantage 2. It will through grace, wean thy heart and affections abundantly from this world, and the things therein. 'Who is he that overcometh the world, [saith John] but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?' (1 John 5:5). Who is he also that purifies his heart, but he that looketh for the second coming of Christ from heaven to judge the world? as in 1 John 3:3 compared with 2 Peter 3:10, 11.
Advantage 3. Hereby thou wilt be able to judge of all doctrines whatsoever, though they come never so nigh the truth, yet if they be not indeed the very truth, thou wilt find them and their doctrine liars (Rev 2:2; 1 Cor 2:15).
Advantage 4. If thou beest thoroughly set down in this doctrine, even in the faith of this doctrine which I have held forth unto thee, thou wilt not be taken with any other doctrine whatsoever. What is the reason I pray you, that there are so many giddy-headed professors in these days, that do stagger to and fro like a company of drunkards, but this, They were never sealed in the doctrine of the Father, and the Son? They were never enabled to believe that that child that was born of the virgin Mary, was the mighty God (Isa 9:6). No, saith Christ, he that is built upon this rock, (meaning the faith of himself, which is to believe that the son of Mary is the Christ of God (Matt 16:16)) the gates of hell shall not prevail against him (v 18).
Advantage 5. The faith of this doctrine, will make thee labour in the work of God in the world. Oh, it will liven thy heart in the work of the Lord; especially, if thou livest in the faith of thy interest in Christ, it will make thee labour to be found watching when thy Lord shall return from the wedding; that when he doth come, thou mayest open to him immediately (Luke 12:35,36).
Now seeing the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is so nigh, even at the doors, what doth this speak to all sorts of people (under heaven) but this?
Admonition 1. First, to see whether they have oil in their lamps or not; that is, to search and see, whether the Spirit of the Man Christ Jesus be in them or no; for he that hath not the Spirit of Christ in him, is none of Christ's (Rom 8:9). Thou that hast not the Spirit of Christ in thee, why, at that day (let thy profession be what it will) he will say to thee, Depart, I know you not (Matt 25), and if so, then thy latter end will be worse than thy beginning, as in 2 Peter 2:20.
Admonition 2. Then what will become of all the profane, ignorant, scoffers, self-righteous, proud, bastard-professors in the world? If the children of God shall 'scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly, and the sinner appear?' (1 Peter 4:18).
Admonition 3. Then what will become of all those that creep into the society of God's people without a wedding garment on? Why, it will be said unto them, Friends, how came you hither? Take them, and bind them hand and foot, and cast them into utter darkness; 'There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth' (Matt 22:11-13).
Admonition 4. Then what will become of all those that mock at the second coming of the Man Christ, as do the Ranters, Quakers, drunkards, and the like? Why read their doom in Matthew 24:50, 51, 'The Lord of that or these servants, shall come in a day when they look not for him, and in an hour that they are not aware of, and shall cut them asunder, and appoint them their portion with the hypocrites,' And 'there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'