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A59665 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 ... Shepard, Thomas, 1605-1649.; Mitchel, Jonathan, 1624-1668. 1660 (1660) Wing S3114A; ESTC R23612 617,665 458

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when all is dispatched then to go up to Heaven and when gone there to be for ever rejoycing triumphing in the presence of God Almighty and now what it will be to be far off from Christ weeping never to be pitied more Oh he that was so full of pity no heart then to pity no hand to help I can but only paint this fire Oh that the Lord would help you here that so you might look out for him Saylors sleep in calms and so it may be have many here in this place of rest Others of you take heed I le tell you your bar It may be most estates are brought low and sunk when you see that now you either look back or look for Lots accomodations and such an estate as is lost it may be you will spy some hope of it and then follow the game and never look out till you die The Lord keep you from it You then will not look up for Christs coming at the last day or in his Ordinances here If thou dost so had it not been better thou hadst been buried in the Sea or left in sorrow on the Shore Oh take heed therefore look for the coming and company of Christ and let this be enough and because you cannot look for him in the the clouds now Oh look and wait for him in his Ordinances and consider if espoused ones look for his coming then and for perfect knowledge of him and communion with him then think Lord what a heart have I that look not for him here But Lord who will believe our report Thus they went out by hope and expectation of his coming Now the Second thing follows they went forth with longing desires after his coming CHAP. XI That Believers do long and desire for the appearance and Second Coming of Christ. SECT I. THat all those that are espoused to Christ and beloved of Christ they ought not only to look but to long for the coming of and their everlasting communion with the Lord Christ Iesus For the consummation of their marriage with him that though he be gone our hearts may be with him before our souls be or before our souls and bodies be that though we may die and lie down in the dust our desires may live and lie in Heaven and cry come Lord. Now do not think this point true and so far good if we could reach it but this is a high pitch for you must long for it God forbid a Christian espoused to Christ should plead that work too much which Hypocrites the five foolish Virgins in their kind attained to See Presidents for this in all ages Abraham and those in his time who was Father of the Faithful Heb. 11. 15 16. A better Countrey where they might have fellowship with the Lord and hence God is not ashamed c. As if the Lord were ashamed of all them to be his people that professe themselves so but desire not this In Christ's time Simeon Luke 2. 29. with 25. Where he waited for the consolation of Israel c. to enjoy more of him In the Apostles time 't is also that which they all felt 2 Cor. 5. 2. In this we groan earnestly c. But you will say It may be this was because of miseries and want of Ordinances c. Therefore see in the last age of the Church when the new Ierusalem was built and when peace and when Christ's face was seen in his House yet then the Spirit and the Bride say come Rev. 22. 17. They are the last breathings of Iohn and the Spirit in him Lord Iesus come quickly But Cent. 8. 14. The Church there intreats her Beloved to fly away to the Mountains of Spices that she might enjoy him out of this world SECT II. 1 BEcause they are bound to love Christ and his appearing to love his looks when he shall appear to the world 2 Tim. 4. 8. The Crown of Glory comes as it were by succession not only to me but to all them that love his appearing Now can there be any love of him and his appearing and not so much as any desire after him and after it Certainly there is no love or if there be any it lies languishing For answerable to our love to any thing is our desire what we love only we desire only what we love not at all or but little we desire not at all or but little so here Now therefore to question May a Christian desire it is to question whether a Christian ought to love the Lord Jesus or no. We are bound not to love earth hence bound to love Christ and his fellowship in Heaven Let him be Anathema that doth not so 2. Because the Lord Jesus longs for them Iohn 17. 24. Throughout which Chapter he prays as if in Heaven already Hence I am no more in this world and where I am let them be also He was on earth but looks on himself as in Heaven That as it was with the High Priest he carries the Names of the twelve Tribes on his heart bese● with precious Stones very dear to him 〈◊〉 the Holy of Holies so Christ. Not that he sees any beauty in them of their own why he should desire them but because he freely loves them and dearly loves them as being given him of the Father and as having cost him dear and hence if he loves them he longs for them Now if he longs for them ought not they much more to long for him Psal. 27. 8. Thou saidst seek my face thy face Lord will I seek 1. He longs for thee now in Glory when one would think his thoughts and heart should be swallowed up with it and shall not we long for him here in the valley of Myrtle trees in misery on the dunghill 2. He longs for thee when thou hast nothing to make him desire thee he hath all that thy heart can desire being the very bosom-delight of God himself Rev. 22. penult He did but say he would come and Iohn desires Oh come But doth he long for thee Now not to long for him If this love be not worth longing for truly 't is worth nothing 3. Because this is our last and ultimate end that we are made for chosen for bought for called for sealed for that at last we might be with the Lord and be made perfect in one 2 Cor. 5. 5. He that hath made us for this is God c. For the whole Trinity enjoying infinite sweet fellowship with himself hence desire it might be communicated in Christ 't is so and now the last end is attained Now if this be our last end ought we not to desire it Then we ought not to desire to be blessed nor to desire the Lord may be glorified Nay you know that whatever we make our last end it will swallow up all our desires after any other thing This is the Center and rest and journies end of our tired weary spirits And
of Glory And I say this fills them in the room of this world How ar● men full of the world And what is the Spirit of Glory I shall 〈…〉 three Conclusions That the 〈◊〉 rest and peace of the soul it 's to be found only in the presence of God Almigh●y in this Being of Beings Hi● Perfections are in ●●●self and hence 〈…〉 ● A 〈…〉 to the Church to be 〈◊〉 God as ●e can ● The son of 〈◊〉 to whom the Promises 〈◊〉 made And then 3. King of Ierusalem the last and least He is that house and home of his people whether in fleeting or setled condition from one generation to another Psel ●● 1. So that the Prophet finding this to be most true I say stands astonished at men and because men had deaf ears here and their bellies could not hear he cries to the Heavens to be astonished at this Ier. 2. 12 13. This wine the Lord puts under his Lock and Key 'T is not to be found in earth in Church-Liberties you may soon see this Temple not one stone left upon another nor in Heaven simply nor in Fellowship of Angels onely 't is in the Lord drawing nigh to the soul in these and drawing the soul at last near to himself by these That all Reprobates being estranged from God and God from them are also strangers to this resty this life of God this life of Glory Eph. 4. 18. and therefore seek for it and seek it out of the Paps of the ●reature and that which is not God And thus their hearts are full of the world Psal. 17. 14. Dust they eat and upon their bell●es they go shift for it where they will they shall never find it in him And if they do find it any where else in this world let them fill themselves to the full for they have their portion they have their reward And hence they do ●● unregenera●e men living find their rest in somthing out of God rest to their Co●sciences in duties and somthing of God rest of their hearts in some Creatures either ●●lawful or ●●●ful Mat. 24. 38. And there is never a carnal bea●● but give him his imaginary content here and he would desire to live here as a●●xile from God and to be without him if there were no Hell no plagues etc. For here is their treasure not above here are thy good things and this is the very reason why a man lives without God nay when he stands convinced 〈◊〉 nay when troubled with thoughts of this and no duties can ease him because somthing out of God is his bottom to stand upon and his rest and peace It may be meat drink health sleep occasional delights and a quiet life That as 't is with Seamen they can endure winds and weather and rent Sayls and torn Masts because they live upon that Trade another will not So 't is here Though many troubles of mind yet they ply that Oa● 't is their living That all those whom the Lord intends good unto those he calls in time out of this world into his eternal Glory of rest and peace out of this world into another And as their hearts were filled with another world before so their hearts are filled with the Glory of this other world now Iohn 17. 14 16. 1 Pe● 5. 1● And this rest and peace in God is the Glory of the Saints That look as 't is with Reprobates What is their last and great woe 2 Thes. 1. 9. 'T is separation from the Lord So this is the great Glory of the Saints to enter in to him as M●s●● did into the Cloud and so to rest in him I go to my God and your God Hence the Saints are said to sell away all for this Treasure for this Pearle for the Lord And so the Lord is in stead of all and better to them than all they had before They can live royally upon him having but one thing to look to and having all things 〈◊〉 this one thing and more royally than the Prin●●● of the world can upon their Lusts and earthly Treasures This is the rest and 〈◊〉 the Saints have 〈◊〉 4. 3. They that beli●●● do enter into rest God 〈◊〉 them out of the world by some bitterness of it or by some cloying and 〈◊〉 and making their hearts weary of the sweetness thereof and then they enter into Glory The Lord sees nothing can fill their hearts no● stop their cries 〈◊〉 him and now this Sea of Glory breaks in upon them and fills their hearts And this the Lord doth two waies according as there are two things in that good that fills the heart 1. Proportion 2. Propriety So there are two Raies of eternal Glory chiefly whereby the Lord give full rest and peace and so Glory to his people 1. He reveals the good they are to enjoy in another world in its full proportion viz. what is the riches of the inheritance of the Saints Eph. 1. 17 18. For no good satisfies till 't is known in its greatness though yet there be degrees of this For we shall see many Christians have assurance where is the joy of it No● affected with it because he knowes not what it is at that time At another time his heart is above all the world because he sees what is that Glory the Saints 〈◊〉 and that he hath it it swallows him up and confounds him Why me Lo●d And this is the reason why the Saints doubt whom the Lord hath loosned from their lusts and all things here What so vile and all that 〈◊〉 And this the reason why when doubting so that there is nothing in this 〈◊〉 that doth quiet them nothing from God that doth ease them yet their hearts are sweetly eased Their desires are after him and their delights in his company better go to Hell thus than in my sins and the thoughts of the Lord are sweet because he hath and doth secretly fill their hearts Somthing they have or do see in him Isa. 26. 8. And hence is the reason of the sorrows of them when their hearts are worst now though they have the world yet are not at rest because they have and do see somthing of this 2. He reveals by the Spirit and Light of Glory that this good is theirs their propriety The first gives rest to the soul viz the Spirit of vision incompleatly This Spirit of Faith whereby the soul knows all this good is mine this gives it compleatly Now the New Ierusalem is come dow●●rom Heaven and God is among men 1 Pet. 1. 8. For if a Christian sees the greatness of this glory but not as his the soul will never cleave to the Lord indeed nor finde full rest and hence when the riches of Gods grace is revealed and the Feast set before them they do not eat because they fear they were not bidden Now both these give full peace and rest to the soul when the soul hath the Lord
sometimes to come to the fellowship of the Saints 2. Hence if they do come they come late 3. If timely yet without prayer or prizing of them they have felt no good and now they expect little 4. If conscience force to duties yet they think them too tedious or too frequent Ezekiel 11. 21. they are losing and dying no man will tell you so particularly but the Lord tells thee so now 3. The Lord visits them with many sad and outward evils and strange unexpected Trials which they thought they could beare but indeed cannot puts them upon great losses and leaves them to sad wants their estates decay they run into debt and provisions are scarce c. and now they secretly repent themselves of the fellowship of Gods people but accout their course and hazards they have run either madness or rashness Moses Heb. 11. 25. did choose affliction and suffering that he lotted upon and upon nothing else hence forsook honour and preferments and pleasures men not doing thus hence choose the world and forsake the wayes of God the Israelites brought to the Wilderness they would go back why they questioned whether God was with them why because they wanted water bread and variety of blessings N●●b 16. 13 14. And this sets them off as a man that loves his friend very well but when he puts him to so much cost and is so costly by his company let him then even go so do many men the Lord and his Ordinances 4. Hereupon they come to call all into question again which were without 〈◊〉 before the wayes and Ordinances of God What warrant now say they have you for Covenant such constitution on of Churches of Saints st●ict exami ing of members and why not a forme of Prayer and why not a Ceremo●y lawful and now they want but a temptation and then they fall 2. Thess. 2. 10. They receive not the truth in love Why not because they feel loss by the truth or feel not the spiritual good of the truth and hence are given up to believe lyes the first beginning of which is to question the Truth not from tenderness of conscience though that be pretended but from carnal lust and hence Ezekiel 11. 24. whose heart goes after that derestable thing and this they are hardned in if any good men by violence of temptation fall therein Thus men fall from fellowship and sit l●ose you will fall if you look not to it which I say is fearful And as Christ said By this shall all know you are my Disciples if you love so all men shall know you are none of Christs if you fall here if you sit loose c. I have been searching and discovering that which is working in sundry and lies as leaven cast it out of your doores We may see hence one just ground of that diligent and narrow search and trial Churches here do or should make of all those whom they receive to be fellow-members with them the Lord Jesus will make a very strict search and examination of wise and foolish when he comes and will put a difference between them then may not men not Churches imitate the Lord Jesus according to their light now If indeed all the Congr●ation of the baptized were holy then as Korah said They take too much upon them if Christ at his coming would make neither examination nor separation not only of people baptized at large but of professours and glorious professours of his Truth and Name if Churches were not set to disce●●e between Harlots and Virgins foolish Virgins and wise as much as in them lies that so some of the glory of Christ may be seen in his Churches here as well as at the last day then the gate might be opened wide and flung ●● the hinges too for all comers and you might call the Churches of Christ the Inn and Tavern of Christ to receive all strangers if they will pay for what they call for and beare scot and lot in the Town and not the house and Temple of Christ only to entertaine his Friends But Beloved the Church hath the keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven and what they binde and loose following the example and rule of Christ is bound and loosed in Heaven and they judge in the room of Christ. 1 Cor. 5. 4 5. 2. Cor. 2. 10. Whom the Church casts out and bids depa● to Satan Christ doth whom the Church receives to it self Christ doth we should receive in none but such as have visible right to Christ and Communion of Saints None have right to Christ in his Ordinances but such as shall have Comm●nion with Christ at his coming to judge the World hence if we could be so Eagle-eyed as to d●scern them now that are Hypocrites we should exclude them now as Christ will because they have no right but that we cannot do the Lord will therefore do it for his Churches yet let the Churches learn from this to do what they can for the Lord now There is a foure-fold Glory of Christ shining in his separating foolish and wise at the last day which when Churches imitate now they hold out now First Hereby he shews his wisdome in discovering the secrets of darkness and all the wily knots men have tyed to hamper themselves in their own miseries so Churches shew forth this wisdome not only in discovering such whom you may feel to be hairy rough Esaus with M●●onson but such as have Iacobs voice and are very wily when the secrets of hi● spirit are discovered they will say if not proud and passionate God is in you hence the wisdome of Christ Rev. 2. 2. Secondly Hereby the Lord Jesus shews h●s holiness who withdrawes himself from those that are foolish though outwardly most glorious for he will be sanctified so the Churches shadow out the holiness of Christ ●erein who are bound to be holy as he is holy Thirdly Hereby the Lord keeps the Communion of his Saints pure this is a wonderful glory in Heaven that only the Elect and faithful of God shall lie down together and is the last and greatest glory that ever shall be seen in this world Revelations 21. 27. One man or woman secret'y vile which the Church hath not used all means to discover may defile a whole Church and bring it under wrath as Achan and make work and sorrow enough for many a day and year after and bring that blemish and scandal as will not ea●●ly be worn off again and then men will wish that they had kept their communion pure Fourthly Hereby the Lord abundantly vouchsafes his presence to his people in Heaven when the Goats are separated now come and take your fill of love and possess your Kingdome so the Church hereby gaines more of the presence of Christ Jesus in publick and private when ●das is gone out now Christ comforts the hearts of his Disciples when the Lord hath his Spouse alone then he sports himself with her Isaiah 4. ●●●