A59665:1593
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.
1. Take heed that there be not found in your hearts a root of bitterness to grow up and choke you, Hebr.12. 15. If your house be left empty, and yet one living lust left in it, seven Devils will enter again, and your latter end will be worse then your beginning. You do not know what hearts you have. Am I a dog, saith Hazael, ever to fall so? Let there be a lust after any creature, you will find the spirit of prayer die; then to think them too long in the Word, then to forsake the assemblies of Saints, then when your lust is met with, to oppose men, Ministers, &c. One reigning lust will bring all into captivity to it self, it will slay some, and make others serviceable to defend it self, Psal. 106. 14, 15.
1. Take heed that there be not found in your hearts a root of bitterness to grow up and choak you, Hebr.12. 15. If your house be left empty, and yet one living lust left in it, seven Devils will enter again, and your latter end will be worse then your beginning. You do not know what hearts you have. Am I a dog, saith Hazael, ever to fall so? Let there be a lust after any creature, you will finde the spirit of prayer die; then to think them too long in the Word, then to forsake the assemblies of Saints, then when your lust is met with, to oppose men, Ministers, &c. One reigning lust will bring all into captivity to it self, it will slay some, and make others serviceable to defend it self, Psal. 106. 14, 15.
2. Take heed of taking on you the profession of a Christian course without finding the rest, peace, joy, sweetness of such a course, Prov. 2. 10, 11. There is a satisfying pleasantness in promises, commands, Ordinances, you will never hold out else; for where-ever the heart finds rest, there it will abide, and for want of that it dies. As in Creatures, if it had rest there, the soul would not be unquiet, if in God, it would never go to the creature. Some sweetness you may find, but look to find full rest; as men do find some sweetness in creatures, and so in Ordinances; yet being used to them, they grow weary of them, because they find no God there, no fullness of rest,