A59665:1309
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.
2. You will say, these fell from God, never looked to Christ, not left their sin; but I have done so. I have seen the mercy of God in the Gospel, the Lord Jesus hath been revealed there, and I have seen sin, I must part with my sin, if ever I have him, and so I have. And this you may have, you may see an excellency in Christ, and be so affected with hope of his mercy, and melt at the thoughts of his Love, as to cast off all outward evils that thou hast, or the world lives in, 2 Pe•. 2. 20. So that thou mayest escape these, by coming to him to remove them, and by seeing that else thou shalt have none of him; and hence hated thou mayest be of the world. The reason is, Christ hath only washed thy skin, but never changed thy nature as yet, so that you may thank God my Conscience is clear.
2. You will say, these fell from God, never looked to Christ, not left their sin; but I have done so. I have seen the mercy of God in the Gospel, the Lord Jesus hath been revealed there, and I have seen sin, I must part with my sin, if ever I have him, and so I have. And this you may have, you may see an excellency in Christ, and be so affected with hope of his mercy, and melt at the thoughts of his Love, as to cast off all outward evils that thou hast, or the world lives in, 2 Pe•. 2. 20. So that thou maist escape these, by coming to him to remove them, and by seeing that else thou shalt have none of him; and hence hated thou maist be of the world. The reason is, Christ hath only washed thy skin, but never changed thy nature as yet, so that you may thank God my Conscience is clear.
3. You may have not only outward acts, but for a time inward lusts quenched, that a man hath no mind nor heart to any sinful way, nor to the dearest sins he hath lived in, whilst horror lies upon him. As in Judas, when God did hea• his Conscience, his lust, after his Bag was gone, he had more mind to an halter; And hence flings away his pieces of silver, and innocent blood lies heavy. Oh •he mercy of a Christ that I have slighted! He thought he might have had his money and Christ escaped with his life, and his sin pardoned afterward. And hence its said,