Shepard - BT378 T4 S44 1660

1)2. T'he Parable of the --~· DoCl ,r. I dr~ams. Time was when thou waf!:_deceived, now rhe Lordhlth made thy eyes bnghrer than the Sun, ro fee fuch thtno-s as are htd from oreat ones in the world Oh thoug~ it b~ bu~ a little, yec if real ~nd Caving light, bleffe him. A man rh a~ hach been_m mtdll of Sands, and wirhouc a Pilot, afrcmvards looks back and fairh there I mtghc have fplic. Oh this is wonderful to him ! ' Oh Chrilt did rhus ! } thank_thee tholl haf! hid, &c. Mat.I r .2 5. The Lord bath hid chem from heads and hearcs ofmany Wtfe and prudenr, and everrhey 11ull be hid, and e contra, revealed chem eo thee, a babe, a weak one, a poor ignorant one, Mac.r6.r7. Flefh and klaod hath ~·r revealed it, fo as to build here on this righteoufneffe, ~o fetch all hghc and ltfe fr~m Chntt, and c~eave alone to him. Oh remember you are- called out ofdark_nejfe mto marvel/am l1ght to fhew forth hu vertues ? What canll detire more than eternal life? And this is ir, I 'f~hn 5.20. John 17·30. CHAP. XVI. That Hypocrites difco"Ver themfehes in a11 unejfeElual ufe of the Means of (jrace. Secondly, The difference ~ttween the wife andfoo!ifb rirgins , i• fa down mQrt partict~larly, v.3>4· l 1 , SECT. I. i ' j TH I S particular difference is declared by the different praetife of the fo:r ! hlh and wife Virgins each fro:n orher. 1 I. That the Fooli01 though they had fo much ~~irdo~ (like the wife) as to rail! Lamps, yet fo much folly was bound up 111 chetr hems, as chat they took_'!o Oyl in their Yef!elsfor :heir Lamps. · . . I 2. That che wtfe did n0c only hghrtbetr Lamps, our they dtd atfo fill thetr Veffels 1 wi~h Oyl, that eirher their Lamp might never g~ ouc, or if it did, ic ruight be foon kindled again.More p!Jinly,The Foolil11 contented th,emfelves with the name 1 and blaze of outward Profeffion, kindled fi·om fome inward, yet lighter and more fuperficiall f!:rokes of Gods Spirit, neglecting the great work within: But the 1 wife did nor only carry their Lamps of outward Profeffion, but they filled their _.1 Veffels, and got an imv,ud Principle cf the Spirit of the Lord Jefus eo maintain their profeffion before man, and cF1<:ir upri~hmeffe before the Lord. So that mechinks .here is a double difference, the nrf!: is implied, the fecond plainly exprell. I, 1Tlm which is implied is this, that che Foolilh made choice ofagood end, vi<-· eo meet Chri(t , but it was wich an ineffectual ufe ofmeam to tbac end ; their Lamps were to li ~bt and lead then to Chrif!:. "There Lights might ~laze for a rime, bur they woul~ confurne without Oyl. They negleCt that, the wtfe were better inf!:rueted ~han fo. ' 2. The Fooli01 <>lory in an outward Profel!lon, as al fo in fome fuperficiat affection, wirhout at~ inward Principle of the gracious ,prefence of the eternal.a- ·noinring and Spirit in chem; bm che wife have it, and are carried to Glory by It. 1 1And more attbis tirr.e of the Lamps and Veffels I 11Hll nor fpeak. I, · That the clofeft HJpacritesof Virgin-Ch11rches difmmthemfelves ( atleaft he• fore the Lord) in lfn inejfeflu11l uft ofthofemeans that do c6nduce tow-'lrds their deftred 1 ~tnd expe8ed end. _ ___ The

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