next. When Satan destroys the souls of men, he shall answer for it as a murderer only, not as an officer that was intrusted with the care of the soul. But if the steward doth not provide, if the shepherd doth not feed, if the watchman doth not warn, they shall answer not only for the souls that have miscarried, but for an office neglected, for a talent hidden, and for a stewardship unfaithfully administered. Woe unto us, if at the great day we have distressed souls roaring out their complaints, and howling forth that doleful accusation against us; "Lord! our stewards have defrauded us, our watchmen have betrayed us, our guides have misled us."

CHAP. XXV.

Our blessed Saviour, in the close of the foregoing chapter, had exhorted all Christians to the great duty of watchfulness, and to be in a posture of readiness against his coming. Which duty he is pleased to inculcate again in this chapter, and accordingly he urges the necessity of it from two eminent parables; the former, Of the ten virgins ver, I. and the latter, Of a man travelling into a far country, ver. 14.

THEN shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

2

By the kingdom of heaven here, is meant the state of the visible church on earth; it cannot be understood of the kingdom of glory, for there are no foolish virgins in that kingdom; nor yet of the invisible kingdom of grace, for therein are no foolish virgins neither. But in the visible church here on earth, there.ever has been a mixture of wise and unwise, of saints and. hypocrites. Five of these virgins were wise, and five were foolish. Where observe, Our Lord's great charity, in supposing and hoping that amongst the professors of the gospel the number of sincere christians is equal with hypocritical professors. Five were wise and five foolish. Teaching us, that we should not confine the church of Christ within a narrow compass, nor confine our charity to a few, and think none shall go to heaven but those of our own party and persuasion, but to extend our charity to all christians that hold the foundation with us, and to hope well of them. Lord! let me rather err on the charitable hand, than be found on the censorious and damning side! This is to imitate my Saviour, whose charity supposed as many wise as

foolish virgins, as many saints as hypocrites in the church. All these virgins are said to take their lamps and go forth to meet the bridegroom. For understanding which, we must know that our Saviour alludes to the ancient custom of marriages, which were celebrated in the night; when usually ten young men attended the bridegroom, and as many virgins attended the bride, with lamps in their hands; the bridegroom leading home his bride by the light of those lamps. By these virgins are shadowed forth the professors of christianity. The foolish virgins are such as satisfy themselves with a bare profession, without bringing forth fruits answerable thereunto. The wise virgins are such as walked answerably to their profession, persevered and continued stedfast therein, and abounded in the graces and virtues of a good life. They are called wise virgins for the purity of their faith, for the purity of their worship, and for the purity of their conversations.

3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

By the lamps are meant an outward profession of faith and holiness. By the oil in the lamps, is to be understood that solemn profession of repentance and faith, which all christians make in baptism. By oil in their vessels is meant the sanctifying and saving graces of the Holy Spirit; the growth and improvement of them, with constancy and perseverance in them. Observe here, wherein the wise and foolish virgins agreed, and wherein they differed: they agreed thus far, that both took their lamps, both lighted them, they both had oil in their lamps; the difference was not that the wise had oil, and the foolish had none; but in this, that the wise took care for a future supply of oil to feed their lamps, when the first oil was spent. Some professors, like foolish virgins, content themselves with a blazing lamp of an outword profession, without concerning themselves to secure an inward principle of grace and love, which should maintain that profession, as the oil maintains the lamp. As the lamp will not long hold burning without a stock of oil to feed it; so a profession of religion, though never so glorious, will not be lasting nor persevering, without a principle of faith and love in

the heart to support and maintain it. Learn hence, That the true wisdom of a christian consists in this, to take care, that not only the lamp of his life may shine by outward profession, but that the vessel of his heart may be furnished with the graces of the Holy Spirit, as a prevailing and abiding principle.

5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

That is, whilst Christ delays his coming to persons by death and judgment, they are not so diligent as they ought, to prepare themselves for death and judgment. Instead of being upon their watch and guard, they slumbered and slept. Note, That not only visible professors, but the holiest and best of christians, are very prone to spiritual slumber. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. Spiritual slumber consists in this: when graces are not lively and kept in exercise, particularly faith, hope, and love; when there is an abatement of our love and zeal, an intermission of our care and watchfulness; this is a degree of spiritual slumber yet the saints' slumber is not a prevailing slumber; it is not an universal slumber, it is not in all the faculties of the soul; if there be deadness in the affections, yet there is no searedness in the conscience. I sleep, says the church, but my heart awaketh, Cant. v. 2. Still there is a principle in the soul which takes God's part, and the christian groans under the burden of his dull and drowsy state. But the greatest wisdom is, to maintain a constant watch, that we may at no time be surprised by the bridegroom's coming, or be in a confusion when death and judgment shall overtake us. Blessed are those virgins whose lamps always burn bright!

6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

At midnight, that is, at the most dismal and unseasonable time, when all the virgins were fast asleep; and, when awakened in great affrightment, could not on a sudden consider what to do. Such is the case of those who put off their repentance and preparation for another world, till they are surprised by death and judgment. Lord, how will the midnight cry of the Bridegroom's coming terrify and amaze the unprepared soul! What a

surprising word will this be, Behold, the Bridegroom cometh! Learn hence, That the Bridegroom will certainly come, though at his own time; and then all shall be called upon, both prepared and unprepared, to go forth to meet him. Reason says he may come, because there is a just God, that will render to every one according to his deeds, and reward both body and soul for all the services they have done for God. The body shall not always remain like a solitary widow in the dust, but shall meet its old companion, the soul, again. And as reason says he may come, faith says he will come, and argues from the promise of Christ, John xiv. 3. and from the purchase of Christ from Christ's affection to us, and from our affection to him: faith has seen him upon the cross, and determines she shall see him in the clouds. The Bridegroom will certainly come at his own time: happy they that are ready to go forth to meet him.

7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

Then

The virgins' arising and trimming their lamps, doth denote, their actual preparation for Christ's coming and appearance, and their putting themselves into a posture of readiness to receive him. Thence learn, That a believing apprehension of the certainty and suddenness of our Lord's coming and approach will rouse us out of our spiritual slumber, and prepare us to meet him with joy and assurance. they arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out. Observe here, 1. A request made, Give us of your oil. There is a time when the neglecters of grace will be made sensible of the worth of grace by the want of it. Such as now undervalue, yea, vilify the grace of God, will be heard to say, O give us of your oil. Observe, 2. The reason of the request, For our lamps are gone out. Thence learn, That the lamp of profession will certainly go out, which has not a stock of grace to feed and maintain it.

9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather

to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

Observe here, 1. The wise virgins' denial, Not so; they will part with no oil. Learn hence, That it must be the care of every one to get grace of his own, otherwise the grace of others will do him no good. It is not what others have done, nay, not what Christ himself has done, that will save us, without our own endeavours. Observe, 2. The reason of their denial, Lest there be not enough for us and you. Thence note, That such christians as have most grace, or the largest stock of grace, have none to spare; none to spare in regard of their occasions for grace on earth, and in regard of their expectations of glory in heaven. Observe, 3. The advice and counsel given; Go to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. Some take this for an exhortation, others for a mocking derision. Go to them that sell: That is, say some, to the shop of the ordinances, where it may be had. Thence note, That such as would have grace, must have timely recourse to the ordinances and means of grace: Go to them, and buy. Others understand the words ironically, and as spoken by way of derision, Go to them that sell, if you know where to find them, and either buy or borrow for yourselves. Learn thence, That it is the greatest folly in the world to have oil to buy, when we should have oil to burn; to have our grace to seek, when we should have it to exert and exercise. It is no time to get grace when the Bridegroom is come, and the day of grace is past and over.

10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage and the door was shut.

Observe here, 1. Christ will come at the great day to his people as a Bridegroom, and to the wicked as a Judge. The relation now begun betwixt Christ and his church shall then be publicly solemnized. Observe, 2. The qualifications of the persons, who shall enter with the Bridegroom into heaven: Such as were ready went in with him. The readiness is two-fold, habitual and actual; habitual readiness consists in the state of the persons, justified and pardoned; in the frame of the heart, sanctified and renewed; and in the course of life, universally and perseveringly holy

and righteous, consists our actual preparation. Observe, 3. The doleful condition of such as were unready: the door is shut against them: the door of repentance, the door of hope, the door of salvation, all shut, eternally shut, and by him that Learn hence, shutteth and none can open. The utter impossibility of ever getting our condition altered by us, when the day of grace and salvation is once over with us. Woe to such souls, who, by the folly of their own delays, have caused the door of conversion and remission to be everlastingly shut against their own souls.

11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you

not.

Observe here, The virgins' petition, and the Bridegroom's reply: the petition, Lord, Lord, open to us. Learn hence, That how negligent soever men are of heaven and salvation here, there are none but will desire it earnestly and importunately hereafter; Afterward; that is, when too late. Observe farther, the Bridegroom's reply, I know you not; that is, I own and approve you not. There is a two-fold knowledge that Christ has, a knowledge of simple intuition, and a knowledge of special approbation; the former knowledge Christ has of all men, the latter only of good men. Learn hence, That it will be a dreadful misery for any persons, but especially for such as have been eminent professors, to be disowned by Christ at his coming, to hear that dreadful word from the mouth of Christ, Verily, I know ̧ you not.

13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour where

in the Son of man cometh.

Here we have our Lord's application of the foregoing parable, to be always upon our watch, continually upon our guard, to meet the Bridegroom in death and judgment, because we know not the time of his coming and approach. Learn hence, That watchfulness and a prepared readiness is a great duty that lies upon all those who believe and look for Christ's coming and appearance. Happy souls! who are found in a posture of readiness at the Bridegroom's approach, standing, with lamps trimmed, loins girded, lights burning! that is, improving and exercising their graces, abounding in all the fruits of

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