The parable of the wise and foolish virgins. 255 clxiii. time be exhorting each other daily, while it is called to-day, lest SECT. any by insensible degrees be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, (Heb. iii. 13); and let us always remember that every exhortation which we give to others returns with redoubled weight upon ourselves. SECT. CLXIV. Christ enforces his exhortation to watchfulness by the parable of the ten virgins. Mat. XXV. 1-13. MAT. XXV. 1. THEN shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten vir gins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the groom. bride 2 And five of them were foolish. OUR MAT. XXV. 1. SECT. clxiv. Mat. UR Lord, in order to impress upon the minds of his hearers a concern about the great and awful day of future judgment, to which the latter part of his preceding discourse x XIV.1 had so plainly referred, went on to represent it under a variety of most lively figures, and particularly by the following parable; saying, Then, or in that day of final account, when the faithful servant shall be rewarded, and the treacherous hypocrite so severely punished, shall the kingdom of heaven, or the state of things under the gospel dispensation, appear to be like the case of ten virgins, who, being invited to a marriagefeast (which, according to the custom of this country, was to be celebrated in the night), took their lamps as soon as it begun to grow dark, and went out together to meet the bridegroom, and to light him to the house where the banquet was to be kept. And it appeared by their conduct that five of 2 were wise, and five them were prudent persons, and five of them were foolish and inconsiderate, who made no provision against an accident which might very na3 They that were turally happen. They that were foolish, when 3 lamps, and took no oil they took their lamps, went forth with them lighted, but did not take any oil with them beside foolish took their with them. a Ten virgins.] This whole parable contains a plain reference to the custom which prevailed among the Jews then, and still prevails among many eastern nations: (see The Customs of the Jews and Indians compared, p. 41, & seq.) The bridegroom used to conduct his bride home in the evening by the light of lamps, which were used (as Elsner shews, Observ. Vol. I. p. 114, 115) by the Jews and Romans on the like occasion: they were carried by that bride-maids, who used afterwards to sup 256 clxiv. The wise, who were ready, go in with the bridegroom. 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with SECT. that which was at first poured in: Whereas the they carried with their lamps, to feed the flame 5 While the brideslumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight 5 But while the bridegroom for a long time de- there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him. 7 Then all those vir gins arose, and trim 7 Then all those virgins presently arose, and, to 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, 9 But the wise an great surprise said to the prudent, Give us some Give us of your oil, of your oil, for you seem to have a great stock for our lamps are gone with you; whereas our lamps are gone out, and out. 9 all our oil is spent. But the prudent replied swered, saying, Not [We cannot do it], lest there should not be enough so: lest there be not for us and you, and so we should all be left on enough for us and you; a sudden without light, and the bridegroom be but go ye rather to disappointed and affronted, but rather go ye to for yourselves. them that sell oil in the neighbourhood, and buy some for yourselves, as soon as possible, that ye may follow and join in the procession. 10 Mat. And while they went to buy it at that inconve nient time of night, the bridegroom and his retinue came; and those maidens that were ready to receive him joined the company; and when they came to the bridal-house, they went in with him to the marriage-feast; and, to prevent disturbance, the door was shut and fastened. And some time after the other virgins also came, XXV.11 and, knocking at the door, called with great b In the middle of the night.] Perhaps the tradition, which Jerom mentions, that asserted Christ would come to judgment at midnight, might be borrowed from hence; though to be sure it is a very absurd one, since that can be the case only under one meridian at a time.-A celebrated commentator has clouded this parable exceedingly, by attempting to explain it of the different effects Christ's admonition concerning the destruction of Jerusalem would have on different persons. im them that sell, and buy 10 And while they went to buy, the bride groom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward came also the other virgius, saying, c Buy for yourselves.] This seems merely an ornamental circumstance; and it is strange that any Popish writers should consider it as favouring their doctrine of a stock of merits in the church, founded on works of supererogation; since, if it referred to them at all (which there is no reason to imagine), it would rather expose than encourage any dependance upon them. open to us. Reflections on the parable of the ten virgins. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. : 257 clxiv. saying, Lord, Lord, importunity, saying, Sir, Sir, we desire you SECT. would open to us, who are also some of your guests, though by an unfortunate accident we Mat. are come a little too late. But he, being unwil- XXV.12 ling to be disturbed in the feast, and to open the door again, answered them, saying, Truly, I say unto you, I know you not whence you are my house is already furnished with guests, and I will admit no more. Thus these thoughtless creatures entirely lost both their labour and expence, meeting with nothing but disappointment and shame. And such will be your case if you content yourselves with a mere empty profession of religion, while you sink into a careless and negligent conduct, and remain destitute of that principle of real piety which ought to give lustre and vigour to it. 13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour man cometh. See to it, therefore, that you maintain a con- 13 stant watch, not presuming on preparations to wherein the Son of be made hereafter; for your removal may be much more sudden then you are aware, and ye know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of man cometh to receive his prepared people to himself, and for ever to exclude the hypocrite and the sinner from the entertainments of his heavenly kingdom. IMPROVEMENT. LET us apply our hearts to the obvious instructions which this Mat. well known parable so naturally suggests. We are under a reli- xxv. 1. gious profession: our lamps are in our hands; and we go forth as those that expect to meet Christ; as those that desire and hope to be admitted to the marriage-supper of the Lamb. But, alas, how few are there that are truly prepared for such a blessedness! Would to God there were reason to hope that the Christian church were so equally divided, that five of ten in it had the oil of Divine grace in their hearts, to render them burning and shining lights! Let even such as have it be upon their guard; for our Lord 5 intimates that the wise as well as the foolish virgins are too apt to slumber and sleep, and carelessly to intermit that watch which they ought constantly to maintain. There may be, at an unex-6 pected I know you not.] This circumstance in the parable is not absurd; for nothing intimated a personal acquaintance with them, and guests asking admittance with such a pretence might have been multi- a To 2, 3, 4. 258 clxiv. The parable of the talents. SECT. pected time, a midnight cry. Happy the souls that can hear it with pleasure; being not only habitually but actually ready to obey the summons! Happy they that have their loins girded, and their lamps burning! (Luke xii. 35.) 8, 9 The foolish virgins saw their error too late; they applied to the wise; but their application was vain. And as vain will the hope of those be who trust to the intercession of departed saints, or any supposed redundancy of merit in them, while they are themselves 10--12 strangers to a holy temper and life. In vain will they cry, Lord, Lord, open to us. The door of mercy will be shut for ever, and the workers of iniquity utterly disowned. The day of grace has its limits; and for those that have trifled it away there remaineth nothing but the blackness of darkness for ever! (Jude, ver. 13.) SECT. clxv. SECT. CLXV. Christ repeats the parable of the talents in a form something different from that in which he had before delivered it. Mat. XXV. 14-30. MAT. XXV. 14. MAT. XXV. 14. heaven is as a man delivered unto them his goods: ESUS, having delivered the preceding para- FOR the kingdom of ble of the virgins, went on farther to illus- travelling into a far Mat. trate the subject, by the repetition of a parable country, who called XXV.14 resembling one which he had used some time his own servants, and before (Luke xix. 12-27, sect. cxliv.); and said, Let me again remind you of the great im portance of preparing for my coming by a diligent improvement of your gifts; for the time when [the Son of man] shall come, and the grand administration of judgment attending it [will be] as the proceedings of a man [who], going a long journey, called his servants together, and 15 delivered his effects to them. And to one of them he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his re- to another one; to spective capacity to manage the sum, and to the every man according a To one he gave five talents.] According to Dr. Prideaux's calculation, if these were talents of gold, the value of the five must have been 36,000 pounds sterling, and if silver, 2250 pounds (See the Preface to his Connection, p. 20.) And perhaps this great sum was chosen to intimate the value and importance of those capacities and opportunities committed to every reasonable creature, and especially prospect 15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and 10 The faithful servants are rewarded for improving them: 259 clxv. to his several ability: prospect there might reasonably be of his im- SECT. and straightway took proving it: and immediately he went away, and set forward on his journey. his journey. 16 Then he that had received the five tawith the same, and made them other five lents, went and traded talents. 17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 18 But he that had received one, went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. 19 After a long time the lord of those ser oneth with them. Mat. And he who had received the five talents, went XXV. and engaged in business, and traded with them in 16 so diligent a manner during the absence of his master, that he doubled the sum, and produced five talents more. And in like manner he who 17 [had received] the two, was so industrious in employing them to the best advantage, that he also gained two more. But he who had received 18 but one taient, being displeased that he had been intrusted with no more, was seized with sullen indolence and servile fear, and went away directly, and attempted no improvement of it, but privately digged [a hole] in the earth, and hid his master's money in it, till he should return home. Thus the matter passed off for a while; but 19 vants cometh, andreck- after some considerable time the master of those servants comes home, and makes up his accounts with them, demanding from each the sum with which he had been intrusted, and inquiring what was the interest he had gained by it. talents: behold, I have him, Well done, thou 20 And so he that And he who had received the five talents came 20 had received five talents came, and brought near, and brought other five talents with them, other five talents, say- saying, Sir, thou wast pleased so far to intrust ing, Lord, thou deli- me, that thou didst deliver to me five talents, veredst unto me five when setting out on thy journey; and such is gained besides them the improvement I have made of them, that befive talents more. hold, I have doubled the sum, and gained to them 21 His lord said unto five talents more. And his master said unto 21 good and faithful ser- him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant", vant; thou hast been thou hast been faithful in the management of a faithful over a few few things; and, having proved thee to be so in ruler over many things: this lower trust, I will prefer thee to a higher, enter thou into the joy and set thee over many more valuable things than these: in the mean time, enter thou into the joy of thy master, and share with me in the banquet prepared for myself and my friends on this happy occasion of my return. things, I will make thee of thy lord. 22 He also that had He also who had received the two talents came 22 received two talents, forwards, and said, Sir, thou wert so indulgent, thou deliveredst unto that thou didst deliver to me at thy going hence came and said, Lord, |