A59665:923
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.
The main ground of this their conceit hath been double.
1. False observation, in beholding many fall off that were not Stars, but Snuffs, glorious Professors for a time; and lest they should be mad without reason herein, they search the Scriptures, and in four thousand years find but four or five that fell away, David, Solomon, Hymeneus, Alexander, and Dumas, none of which if examined will serve their turn.
1. False observation, in beholding many fall off that were not Stars, but Snuffs, glorious Professors for a time; and lest they should be mad without reason herein, they search the Scriptures, and in four thousand years find but four or five that fell away, David, Solomon, Hymeneus, Alexander, and D•mas, none of which if examined will serve their turn.
2. A great mistake of the work of Grace, together with their own experience, for they conceiving Grace to be but a mean thing, and not understanding it, because they never felt it in themselves; hence make no difference between one man ⟨p. 135⟩and another, and hence maintain apostasy from Grace. I hope I need not stir you up to abhor this conceit, considering what hath been said. I grant indeed a man may fall away from Grace, considering Grace without Christ to keep it. But yet 'tis in it self such a living Fountain, as in it self doth not perish, though it may; and in respect of Christ, it cannot.
2. A great mistake of the work of Grace, together with their own experience, for they conceiving Grace to be but a mean thing, and not understanding it, because they never felt it in themselves; hence make no difference between one man