A59665:776
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
Part 1 › Chapter 12 › Section 1: V. 2. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. SECT. I.
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. That some of them were sincere and wise-hearted to the number of five.
2. Others of them were foolish and false-hearted to the number of five more. So that the sum is this, one half of them were indeed Virgins, another half were in appearance Virgins; the one part were Virgins in the sight of God, who saith they are wise; the other were so in the judgment of man, and hence called foolish ones. In this general description therefore of them, we may note,
2. Others of them were foolish and false-hearted to the number of five more. So that the summe is this, one half of them were indeed Virgins, another half were in appearance Virgins; the one part were Virgins in the sight of God, who saith they are wise; the other were so in the judgment of man, and hence called foolish ones. In this general description therefore of them, we may note,
First, Their description from the number of each sort, viz. five.
Secondly, From their different qualities or qualifications, holy wisdom or prudence in the one, sinful folly in the other. He doth not say five were holy and five profane; five were friends to the Bridegroom, five were persecutors of him, but five were wise and five were foolish: Why the Virgins are described by the number of ten, I spake before, either because it was a perfect number, and so signifies the estate of all Virgin-Churches; or because it was the custom not to exceed the number of Ten, to honour them at their Marriage. Now why five of them were wise, and five foolish, as though the one half of them only were sincere, the other false, this seems to carry the face of Truth; but I am fearful to rack & torment Parables, wherein I chiefly look unto the scope, and that is this, that not one or two but a great part of them were sincere, and a great part of them false. And hence the Observations out of these words are these, omitting all the rest.