A59665:779
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.
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.
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 prophane; five were friends to the Bridegroom, five were •ersecutors of him, but five were wise and five were foolish: Why the Virgins are described by the number of ten, Ispake 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.
1. That when the Churches of Christ Jesus prove Virgin-Churches,1 and are most pure, yet even then there will be some secret Hypocrites that shall mingle themselves with them. Or, There will be a number of Hypocrites, mingling themselves with the purest Churches.