A59665:1093
The Parable of the Ten Virgins Opened and Applied
The parable of the ten virgins opened & applied being the substance of divers sermons on Matth. 25, I-13 wherein the difference between the sincere Christian and the ... hypocrite ... are clearly discovered ... / by Thomas Shepherd ; now published from the authors own notes ... by Jonathan Mitchell ... Tho. Shepherd, son to the reverend author ...The parable of the ten virgins opened & applied being the substance of divers sermons on Matth. 25, I-13 wherein the difference between the sincere Christian and the ... hypocrite ... are clearly discovered ... / by Thomas Shephard ; now published from the authours own notes ... by Jonathan Mitchell ... Tho. Shephard, son to the reverend author ...
London: printed by J. Hayes for John Rothwell, 1660
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
III. Motives to us especially in this Country.
III. Motives to us especially in this Countrey.
1. God hath put the price and wealth of the world, better than all Gold and Silver into our hands, who are most unthankful, most unworthy; and will you come so far for means, and here neglect them? Will you thus neglect the Lord? Like men in Consumptions, they long for any thing, and when it comes, they cannot touch it. If it were night, you might fall to sleep, but the day approacheth. Shall God plant his Vineyard, but you never come to eat the fruit of it?
2. Your Temptations are greater here to neglect the Lord. Others are tried with the scorching Sun, there is no sleeping there. God tries us with the shadow, sets us under the Vines of Ordinances; others are in storms, we in calms. When thou eatest and art full, saith Moses, Deut. 8. 10, 11. Oh forget not the Lord! You lose in your estates, and now you are hungry after the same again. Satan when Christ was hungry, assaults him. 'Tis a thousand to one if he makes you not fair offers, and overcomes. Things that cost us much, we prize, and keep, and improve, if of any use. When we go Twenty mile to a Sacrament, Oh then its precious! While under the bondage of oppressors, oh liberty of Conscience, and Ordinances are precious? But when at liberty, we have liberty to have them, hence take liberty to neglect them.