A59665:1166
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.
SEE hence what cause of thankfulness to all the people of God,1 that the Lord should make their souls the Vessels (which he might easily and justly have dashed in pieces) to receive and preserve this eternal anointing; I do believe there is no man that knows the bitterness of sin, the plague of his own heart, but when he sees Christ is his, yet it makes him mourn that there should be so little suitableness between the Lord and him, so little likeness between his life and Christ; what though the Lord love me, and yet my heart weary of him? what though the Lord bless me, and my heart abuse him? and hence this makes it thankful, Rom. 7. 24, 25. This is so far from dishonouring grace, as that the Apostle makes this the matter of admiration of Gods grace, Eph. 2. 3, 4. God who is rich in mercy, when dead in sins hath quickened us: Not only quickened our head, for hence is cause of eternal praise, but us; and hence he hath set us up in heavenly places in him: This is the state of all men, they cannot do one spiritual act; now that the Lord should help when all creatures left us, is wonderful, but that it should be with such a life, even the life of Christ Jesus himself, for the same Spirit that raised him from the dead dwells in us, and the same Spirit that is now in glory with him, is in us, 1 Pet. 5. 1. This is mercy indeed; that he should not only die for us, and live in heaven for us, but that he should love so dearly as to come and live in us, that when our sins had slain him, he should not only come and dwell in our houses, nor only lay his head in our bosom, but live in our hearts, where he finds such poor welcome, and ill entertainment at our hands, I tell you this is wonderful, to make his habitation in us, that before we go to live with him, he should live in us: Let them that never knew what this meant refuse to be thankful, but if you find it so, forget not this love, John 14. 17. Isle send the Spirit whom the World cannot receive, because it knows him not. The Lord sends the Spirit in common graces, and the World doth receive that also in prophetical and miraculous gifts, and it doth receive that; but this Spirit which God pours on the thirsty, this Spirit with which God fills the empty, they cannot receive this. Oh that you should have it, when as they know it not.