A59665:511
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.
SECT. V.
Hence see a necessity of seeing & knowing Christ,1 before a man can believe, or if ever the soul believe; for if Faith closeth with the person of the Lord Jesus, the same Faith must first see that person: If it takes the Bride-groom himself, it must see and know him first. Did you ever see any espoused together that did not first see and know each other? the eye must first see, my meaning is, there must precede this act of the understanding to see Christ, before a man can close with Christ by his will: for I aim not at this, whether it goes before in time, but in order of nature it does precede, and absolutely necessary it is: hence John 6. 40. He that seeth and believeth in the Son hath eternal life: this is so necessary to Faith, that Faith it self puts on this name, Isai. 53. 11. By his knowledge, Luke 19. 41. Oh that thou hadst known. Isai. 46. 22. Look unto me and be saved. And hence unbelief in Scripture is expressed by being blinded, Rom. 11. 7, 8. for though Christ be absent from us on earth, yet that's the excellency of faith, it makes things absent present, and sees unseen things, Heb. 11. 1. John 8. 56. Abraham saw my day; and that's the wonderment of Saints; there is light in Goshen when all Egypt is dark, when others are blind they see, Isai. 60. 1, 2.