Ten virgins - Shepard - VII - Chapters 15 & 16

Required reading
Ten virgins by Thomas Shepard (Available from Amazon or free here).  Read Chapters 15 and 16.

My summary
Today we finish Shepard's teaching that there are hypocrites in the best and purest churches.  Shepard gave us his first two observations about this last week, this week we see his last two observations.

The third observation is that there are certain special, saving qualifications of heart, whereby arises a great internal difference between sincere-hearted virgins and the closest hypocrite.  Four reasons are given why this is so:
(i) in regard to the infinite love of the Father;
(ii) in regards to the death and blood of the Lord Jesus;
(iii) because the true Christian's graces are the same with Christ's;
(iv) if there should be no difference, then evil would follow.

The fourth observation is that the main principle of evangelical sincerity or hypocrisy lies in the understanding or mind of man.  Two reasons are given why this is so:
(i) Because all divine light of glory is ever powerful to change the heart;
(ii) Because the mind is the first inlet of all sin and grace.

What grabbed me
I particularly liked one of Shepard's warnings: 'Never enter into dispute with Satan, or thine own self, about thy estate, but taking and making Scripture and word to be the judge of the controversy. Fears come in you shall never have mercy, never have power. Who told you so ? Doth the word say that? The Lord never gave himself to me, I fear it! Doth the word say so ? Never was any as I. Doth the word say so? or, doth not the word say so? God delights to pick out the vilest, to send the physician to them that be sick. I can not see nor conceive any mercy. Doth the word say so? Are not the Lord's thoughts above thine? I have not that peace that others have, therefore the Lord intends none toward me. Doth the word say so? O, but others, if they knew me, would loathe me. Doth the word say so? Look on Paul warring against Christ,, and yet the law of Christ in him also. Luke xiv. 25.'

Never trust your own thoughts which tell you that you are too vile to come to Christ. 

Instead trust the Word which tells you that no man was ever too vile to come to Christ.

Next week's reading
Read Chapter 17.

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