Ten virgins - Shepard - VI - Chapters 13 & 14

Required reading
Ten virgins by Thomas Shepard (Available from Amazon or free here).  Read Chapter 13 and 14.

My summary
Now Shepard begins to look at the fact that there are hypocrites in the best and purest churches, just as there were five foolish virgins along with the five wise virgins.

Shepard's first observation is that there is and will be a mixture of close hypocrites with the wise-hearted virgins in the purest churches.  This is because of:
(i) Satan;
(ii) the church leaders;
(iii) the hypocrites themselves;
(iv) the saints;
(v) Lord himself.

Shepard's second observation is that the most hidden hypocrites of the purest churches are gospel hypocrites.  This is because of:
(i) the power of the gospel;
(ii) the example of the church;
(iii) the gospel bringing sweet consolations;
(iv) the gospel yielding fair colours to man's sloth;
(v) Satan's cunning.

What grabbed me
Shepard made some really good points today about how the best of things can encourage gospel hypocrites, including the peace of the gospel: 'Hence a man, under the terror of the law and sense of curse for his sin, will make his last refuge hither and hide himself under the wing of the gospel, not so much out of love to Christ or gospel, but because they serve his turn, and give him ease. Like men scorched with heat, and almost ready to die, the shadow of a tree is now very comfortable, and therefore there they sit; so these. Or, as men with scalded arms, they put them into water, which gives them ease, no cure; but because it gives them ease, there they keep them; so here. Men have been scalded with wrath ; O, now gospel is very sweet, and so are eased by it, never cured by it. The law is the ministry of death; the gospel propounds great privileges, with much more sweetness to sinners, and hence hither men fly.'

Terrible that man can abuse the peace of the gospel so that he can abide peacefully in his sin.

Next week's reading
Read Chapters 15 and 16.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.