A59665:417
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.
3. Consider that the more difficult any duty is, the more sweetness shall you receive if you break through it: Men plead difficulty, I plead gain. Hence he that overcomes shall eat of the hidden Manna: Hence never any so comforted, honoured as Christ, because never any went through so hot a work for the Father as Christ, Phil. 2. You plead the difficulty of a christian life, and taste not the sweetness of that life: if you can do no more than what is easy, and pleaseth self, the Lord will never let you taste the sweetness of pleasing him. Have you not sometimes found your hearts dead to Prayer, yet you fell to it, and then would not but have took the season for a world.
3. Consider that the more difficult any duty is, the more sweetnesse shall you receive if you break through it: Men plead difficulty, I plead gain. Hence he that overcomes shall eat of the hidden Manna: Hence never any so comforted, honoured as Christ, because never any went through so hot a work for the Father as Christ, Phil. 2. You plead the difficulty of a christian life, and taste not the sweetnesse of that life: if you can do no more than what is easie, and pleaseth self, the Lord will never let you taste the sweetnesse of pleasing him. Have you not sometimes found your hearts dead to Prayer, yet you fell to it, and then would not but have took the season for a world.
4. Consider, let the duty be to Nature impossible, yet the Lord is at hand to help, even when no strength, Isai. 40. 29. Nay Heb. 11. 34. Out of weakness were made strong. If you had no Christ, no Spirit, no Promises to assure you of help, you might then cease acting, and say 'tis impossible I should ever overcome such evils, attain to that measure: but when Promises to assure, and Christ and