The Parable of the Ten Virgins, Collection of sermons · Sermon 7
SERMON VII. On Matthew 25. v. 1.
Then ſhall the Kingdom of Heaven be likened unto Ten Virgins, which took their Lamps, and went forth to meet the Bridegroom, &c.
I Have in ſeveral Diſcourſes, endeavoured to expreſs to you the Divine Senſe and Meaning of our Lord in this Parable, who (as I told you) Opened his Mouth in Parables; and in this Parable, in a very Eminent Manner; and hath made known things hid from the very Foundation of the World.
The Points that I have already Diſcourſed, it may be neceſſary to give you only juſt a Remembrance of; and to come to that, that is now to be propoſed: The firſt was this.
That the Kingdom of Chriſt, in all the motions, in all the parts, in all the Dates and Times of it, is the Kingdom of Heaven.
It is not to be looked upon, as an Earthly or a Senſual Kingdom, but the Kingdom of Heaven.
In the ſecond Place,
That True Chriſtianity is an Eſpouſal unto Jeſus Chriſt: The Scripture hath delighted to ſet it forth under the Reſemblance of Marriage and Eſpouſals.
Thirdly, That all the Eye of a Christian is, not to the preſent ſtate, (though it be neceſſary in the way) but it is to the future, and to the higher ſtate.
For, as I opened to you out of the Old Teſtament, it was the Command of God; That there ſhould be a Contract between the Perſon that had taken a Beautiful Woman Captive, and her that was taken Captive, if he deſired to Marry her; There was to be a time of Contract; Thirty Days God did preciſely appoint; That it might ſhadow to us, That the preſent ſtate is but a ſtate of our Eſpouſals and Contract. And therefore, our chief Intention, the Great Eye of the Soul, muſt be to the Solemnity and the Glory of the Nuptials of the Marriage it ſelf; The Virgins took their Lamps therefore, and went forth to meet the Bridegroom.
In the Fourth Place, I opened to you, the great Solemnity.
Fifthly, That notwithſtanding the Death, and Reſurrection, and Aſcention of Chriſt into Glory; there is a great Delay of his coming.
And though this ſeems very ſtrange and unreaſonable it ſhould be ſo; I endeavoured to open to you the Reaſon that Scripture hath given, why it is ſo.
In the Sixth Place, in the laſt Diſcourſe, I opened to you this, What a Drouſie, and Sleepy ſtate of Chriſtianity hath come upon Chriſtians, and upon the Profeſſion of Chriſt, by reaſon of the Bridegroom's tarrying.
I ſhall now go on to ſpeak of this, viz. At Midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the Bridgroom cometh, Go ye out to meet him.
I have conſidered, and weighed the Parable in all the parts of it in all the Scope of it; and I cannot find that it can relate to any thing, but to the very Glory of the Coming of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. For, immediately, it comes to this; That the Door was ſhut: They that were ready, went in with him to the Wedding, and the Door was ſhut. Chriſt profeſt to them without, when once the Door was ſhut; I know you not. And there is no ſuch thing as that, before the great coming of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. And therefore this Cry at Midnight, is no other, than that which the Apoſtle ſpeaks, in the 1. Theſs. 4. 16. For the Lord himſelf ſhall deſcend from Heaven with a ſhout, with the Voice of the Archangel, and with the Trump of God: and the Dead in Chriſt ſhall riſe firſt. This is the great Cry that ſhall be made, it ſhall be the Cry at the Trump of the Archangel, the Voice of the Archangel. And ſo in the 1 Cor. 15. The Apoſtle ſpeaks the very ſame thing, that it ſhould come to this; There ſhould be an immediate Raiſing of the Dead. Ver. 52. In a Moment, in the twinkling of an Eye, at the laſt Trump (for the Trumpet ſhall Sound) and the Dead ſhall be raiſed Incorruptible, and we ſhall be Changed. This therefore is the Midnight-Cry, Indeed, there may be ſome Reſemblances of it, by ſudden Judgments, and by ſudden Affrightments upon the World, As we may eaſily Apprehend, of late, at Jamaica, It was to them like a Day of Judgment.
I ſay, It muſt needs be like to ſuch a Midnight-Cry, when an immediate ſtroak of God came upon them; A Thundring, and Lightning, and an Opening of the Earth, and a Riſing up (as it were) of the Sea, to ſweep down the Inhabitants into it ſelf, this looked Juſt like the end of the World.
And though God gave us a little Item of ſuch a thing, though it did not ſo come upon us, as that beyond the Sea; yet we may eaſily Conſider, it might have been like a Mid-night, if God had done with us as he did with them.
But yet ſtill, this would not have been that Midnight-Cry, but even to thoſe that are gone down into the Depth, in that place: Yet ſtill there remains a Midnight-Cry that ſhall awaken them.
'Twas like a Midnight-Cry upon Sodom, when it was from Heaven Conſumed by Fire: But yet, it is very evident, that Midnight-Cry remains ſtill to come, upon that very Sodom and Gomorah. And therefore I ſay, Though I allow Alluſions to ſuch a Scripture as this, when any Judgment that has been, or may be is ſet out to us; there may be an Alluſion to it, even as the Scripture bears us out by its Authority to do ſo. but yet, I ſay to you, That it is very certain, That the Midnight-Cry remains to thoſe, that have been under ſuch a Midnight-Cry.
Saith Chriſt, Mat. 10. 15. It ſhall be more Tolerable for the Land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgment, than for that City, You ſee here, Sodom and Gomorrah are to be under the Cry of the Day of Judgment.
And ſo I ſay, Thoſe under that Judgment lately in that Colony that part of this Nation, though beyond the Sea, there remains ſtill, and they are bound under the expectation, and waiting for a Midnight-Cry; though they have had ſuch a one already upon them. And, if ſuch a Judgment ſhould come upon this City, or this Nation, that would not excuſe any that were ſwallowed up; but they muſt expect ſuch a Midnight-Cry to come upon them.
And, this I deſire you to take notice of, That it may open to you, and inform you of this Midnight-Cry. Whoſoever therefore ſhall go down into the Grave before the Coming of Jeſus Chriſt; you muſt lie down with this aſſurance, this certainty; That though you go never ſo quiet to the Grave, though you are conducted to thoſe Lodgings and Apartments of Death, with never ſo much order, and with never ſo much ſilence; yet there muſt be a Midnight-Cry to awake you out of thoſe Graves; every one of us muſt be awakened by the Midnight-Cry, and all that have gone before us, muſt awake, by this Midnight-Cry; Ariſe every one, and go forth to meet the Bridegroom.
Now this is the Point therefore, that I ſhall endeavour to open to you, concerning the Caſe and Condition that perſons ſhall be in, when they are awakened thus of a ſudden: For I told you, thoſe Slumbrings expreſs the Drowſie State of Chriſtianity that is even now; but this ſleeping properly expreſſeth Death; And the Midnight-Cry that awakens out of that ſleep, it is that Trump of God, and that Shout and Voice of the Arch-Angel: And that will be a Cry indeed, and ſo ſhrill, that no Grave can hide, or remove us from it; but it ſhall certainly ſound in the Ears of the Dead, that they ſhall preſently, at that very Summons, at that very Cry, they ſhall riſe up immediately, and whether they will or no, They muſt go forth and meet the Bridegroom.
I ſhall therefore propoſe to Diſcourſe this Point:
That in the very ſame circumſtances (pray conſider) that any of us lie down in the Grave; in the very ſame we muſt be awakened up again; We muſt be called out of the Grave, in the very ſame State.
Whoever has gone out of this preſent World, a Believer in Jeſus Chriſt, a truly repenting perſon, a ſanctified and juſtified perſon, as ſuch, they ſhall riſe at that Cry.
And they that have gone out in their ſins, in their Luſts, in their Impurity, in their falſe profeſſion of Chriſtianity; in that very ſame condition they muſt riſe again.
The Virgins that were wiſe, they riſe wiſe Virgins at the Midnight Cry.
And the Virgins that were fooliſh; they are not mended by all that time that they have ſpent; either their Bodies in the Grave, or their Spirits in what ſtate ſoever, but they riſe fooliſh Virgins: For ſo you ſee here, (ver. 8.) The Virgins all aroſe, and trimmed their Lamps, and the fooliſh ſaid, the fooliſh were fooliſh ſtill; and they ſaid unto the wiſe, for the wiſe were wiſe ſtill.
I ſhall therefore Endeavour to make this Point as plain to you, and as forceable as I can, by way of Practice and Engagement upon us, to look well about us, and to conſider what our State and Condition is, becauſe we ſhall riſe the very ſame that we lie down.
And therefore I ſhall lay it out in theſe Heads of Diſcourſe:
Firſt, I ſhall open to you, That thoſe that riſe at that Midnight-Cry, They ſhall certainly preſently know, what their State and Condition is; and yet notwithſtanding that (which is the great wonder of the thing) they ſhall ſo act, and they ſhall ſo endeavour to demean themſelves, in mending their circumſtances, wherein they lay down, as this Parable repreſents, and yet ſhall not be able to do it. This indeed, may ſeem very wonderful, as I ſhall endeavour to open to you. And then,
In the Second place, I ſhall ſhew you how every perſon ſhall riſe in ſuch a kind of circumſtance, like one that hears the Midnight-Cry.
But more particularly, I ſhall open this in a Fooliſh Virgin ſtate; that is, in a State wherein we ſeem to be truly Chriſtians, we hope ſo of our ſelves, and others hope ſo of us, and yet we are not ſo.
And, I ſhall open to you, what a kind of ſtruggle there will be, notwithſtanding ſuch fooliſh Virgins muſt needs know their State in the main; yet the thing will be adminiſtred by God in ſuch a marvellous manner, That they ſhall endeavour to mend and to change the diſadvantage of their preſent Circumſtances. And then, I ſhall conclude with Application.
Firſt, Therefore, I ſhall begin with this; That Every perſon, at that Midnight-Cry, muſt needs preſently know his own State, his own condition, with relation to Happineſs or Miſery; And This I ſhall open to you, in theſe three Evidences or Arguments, That every perſon muſt needs at that Mid-night-Cry, immediately know and diſcover what their State and Condition is.
1. The firſt Argument or Evidence of it is this; Becauſe the Spirit of a Man comes to the riſing of the Body, with the Notices, and with the Impreſſions of what State it hath been in, from the time of Death, to the time of that Reſurrection.
The Spirit of a Man, I ſay, that hath gone out of the Body, it comes full of the ſence of that ſtate and condition, wherein it hath been in all that time: For, there is not ſuch a kind of oblivion, or forgetfulneſs, or ſlumber upon the Spirit, by being reunited to the Body, that it does not know, nor underſtand the caſe, or the condition, that it hath been in all that time.
Dives indeed, in Hell, knew his own State and Condition; but it may be ſuppoſed, That when a Spirit hath been out of the Body, when it comes into the Body again, it only knows what it was in the Body, when it left the Body, and not what the State and Condition hath been all along ſince it left the Body. But we ſhould conſider, when the Scripture ſpeaks theſe things, we have great reaſon to believe, as I ſhall ſhew you, theſe Repreſentations ſeem ſo diſpoſed, that we may underſtand, men ſhall endeavour to change their circumſtances then, yet for all that, they come under apprehenſions of that ſtate and condition they have been in all along.
And therefore (John 5. 28.) our Saviour ſeems to ſpeak, that they do (as it were) come right forward into the ſtate of Condemnation that have done evil.
Marvel not at this, for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the Graves ſhall hear his voice, and ſhall come forth, they that have done good, unto the reſurrection of life, and they that have done evil, unto the reſurrection of damnation. They come immediately forth, each to their own ſtate; that ſtate wherein they have been ſince Death, and at Death: So Dan. 12. 1, 2. There ſhall be a time of great trouble: And many of them that ſleep in the duſt of the Earth, ſhall awake, ſome to everlaſting life, and ſome to ſhame and everlaſting contempt. For the Spirits that have been with God and Chriſt, they come with the bleſſed aſſurances of that ſtate and condition: And they that have been in Chains of Darkneſs to the Judgment of the Great Day, under the knowledge of that, they come under the Judgment of eternal fire; as the expreſſion is, in the Apoſtles Peter and Jude.
Every one, They come (as it were) breathing, and carrying upon them, the favour, the odour of that ſtate and condition wherein they have been.
The Spirit of a Man knows its own ſtate, even when it returns into the Body: And there is this great Scripture that doth aſſure us, if you ſhould think, that what I have already given, doth not riſe up to the very Point, Rom. 2. 15. You ſhall ſee in what manner all come forth at that day, They ſhew the work of the Law written in their hearts, their Conſcience alſo bearing witneſs, and their thoughts, the mean while, accuſing, or elſe excuſing one another: in the day (obſerve that) in the day when God ſhall judge the ſecrets of Men by Jeſus Chriſt, according to my Goſpel: Here's the manner in which they come forth in that day; they come with Thoughts either accuſing or excuſing: And then (ſaith the Apoſtle) is the time when there is that vigorous Accuſation or Excuſation of Conſcience; it is in the day when God ſhall judge the ſecrets of Men by Jeſus Christ, according to my Goſpel: So that Men riſe, even in that Midnight-Cry, when they come into Bodies, with Thoughts full, either of Accuſation or Excuſation; They come with all their Thoughts about them, they do not leave their Thoughts either in Heaven or in Hell; but they come with Thoughts either accuſing or excuſing. That's the firſt Argument.
2. The ſecond Argument is this, They know in what Company they come, and whether they are in the Glorious and Bleſſed Company or not: For it is very evident, the Saints come together with Chriſt; and therefore they are aſſured, becauſe they know the Company they come along with: So in 1 Theſ. 4. ſaith the Apoſtle, The dead in Chriſt, God will bring them with him: So they come with Chriſt; they know that they come in his company, and they are aſſured.
There is a great deal of difference (you know) between thoſe that come along with the Judge, and make a part of his Honourable Retinue and Attendance, and thoſe that come out of Priſon, and behold the Face of the Judge, as ſitting in Judgment upon them, 1 Theſ. 4. 14, 15. For if we believe that Jeſus died, and roſe again, Them alſo which ſleep in Jeſus, will God bring with him. For we ſay unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we which are alive, and remain unto the Coming of the Lord, ſhall not prevent them which are aſleep: They ſhall certainly come with Jeſus Chriſt; And ſo, Zach. 14. 5. The Lord my God ſhall come, and all the Saints with thee.
They come in the Glory of the Company of Jeſus Chriſt. And this our Saviour calls, a Being ſet at the Right Hand. It is the very ſame thing with that, Mat. the 25. He ſhall ſet the Goats on the Left Hand, and the Sheep on the Right; That is, they come with him on his Right Hand. And in that Scripture, Rev. 19. It is ſaid, The Heavens opened unto Jeſus Chriſt; and the Armies which were in Heaven, they follow him on White horſes. Ver. 11. And I ſaw Heaven opened, and beheld a White-horſe, and he that ſat upon him was called Faithful and True: His Eyes were as a flame of Fire. Ver. 12. And it is ſaid, The Armies which were in Heaven followed him upon White-Horſes: Ver. 14. That is, The Saints in Bodies of Glory; For the White Horſes, and the Fine Linnen White and Clean, that are there named, mean the Glory of the Saints, in Bodies of the Reſurrection. On the other ſide, the Wicked, they come Aloof; they come no nearer, nor no faſter than they muſt needs; they are forced and called for, as Priſoners in Chains and Fetters muſt come, that are brought: And ſo they muſt come in this way, Sinners and Wicked Perſons, that have not Repented nor Believed in Jeſus Chriſt; that have not the White Horſes to Ride upon, and the Fine Linnen White and Clean to be Arrayed in. And it brings in,
The Third thing. For, the very Bodies, the very Cloaths, that the one and the other will have on, do enough aſſure them, exactly what they are, whether the Saved, or the Miſerable; whether the Happy or the Unhappy: I ſay, The garments wherewith they are Cloathed. For, while Saints have Linnen White and Clean; the Wicked, they are Dark and Duskie, they are in Priſon-Cloaths, and Priſon-Raggs, they have Fetters about them: They know by that, as well as Men know by theit Garb, what the State and Condition of one another is. Now this I look upon, to give the Reaſon to that Expreſſion, Rev. 16. Juſt when Chriſt is coming, he ſaid, Juſt at the very time when he is coming (Ver. 15.) Behold, I come as a Thief; Bleſſed is he that Watcheth, and keepeth his Garments leſt he walk naked, and they ſee his ſhame.
Bleſſed is he that watcheth, &c. That is, Bleſſed is he that looks well to it, that when he riſes again, he may have a Robe of Immortality; That he may have a Garment ſuitable to that State, Suitable to the Glory and Excellency of that Time.
Bleſſed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his Garments; hath ſo taken care, to lay off the Cloathing of the Body; that when he comes into it again, it may inſtead of all the Darkneſs and Corruption, In which it lay down, it may be a Body of Glory; a Body Incorruptible, as it is ſaid, in the 1 Cor. 15. 52. The Dead ſhall be raiſed Incorruptible. They ſhall be Raiſed, He ſpeaks evidently of the Saints of Chriſt, They ſhall be raiſed in a moment Incorruptible.
And that's the firſt thing that I have laid down and endeavoured to Argue to you; The time of Chriſts coming, That will be the time, when that Midnight-Cry ſhall be, and that when we ſhall be in the firſt hearing of it, and come forth, we ſhall know in what ſtate and condition we are.
Firſt, By the Notices given to us from our Spirits, from our Thoughts Accuſing, or Excuſing at that very time, in that very day. And then,
Again, from the Company we are in; whether we come with Chriſt, or whether we are thoſe that are brought before him, whether we will or no. And then,
Thirdly, By that Habit of Body, wherein we ſhall be; either a Body of Glory, or a Body of Shame and Contempt.
And yet, notwithſtanding This, which is the wonder of the Thing: and I confeſs, after my utmoſt thoughts and enquiry into it, I cannot ſatisfie my ſelf how it ſhould be: That notwithſtanding this, Men are juſt in the ſame Circumſtances wherein they lay down, and as if the Day of Judgment had taken them then, in the State and Condition that they had been in in the World, that which was their Prevalent, and their Superiour, and their Final State, that which truely gave them their Denomination.
Now, I ſhall only give you this Account of it; though indeed I do not know how: It is a Wonder of the mighty Wiſdom and the mighty power of God, that a man ſhould ſo riſe; That theſe Fooliſh Virgins muſt have notice, that they are Fooliſh Virgins, by what I now Argue to you; and that yet they ſhould Endeavour to make the beſt of their Condition,
And I would do it in a word or two, becauſe I would diſcourſe the Point of the Fooliſh Virgins, eſpecially to you at this time, and according to this Parable. Suppoſe a Man be a common Swearer, a common Drunkard, a common Impure, Luxurious Perſon, a Perſon that lives in Debauchery: This Man, ſuppoſe ſuch an one die without having repented, and having returned to God, or the change of his courſe: This Perſon ſhall riſe, he ſhall riſe in all the horrour of ſuch a ſtate when Judgment comes upon him: However, Men will not be perſwaded of it now, or be brought to abhor or change ſuch an inſolent way of life, as they live in, nor will conſider it now; yet they ſhall be raiſed in circumſtances ſuitable to that very ſtate in which they died.
As now, ſuppoſe a Man ſhould be taken in an Earthquake, or by ſuch a Judgment as they in Jamaica, or any other place; and that he was ſenſible of it a little before, what a danger he was in, and that it ſhould come upon him while he was in his Cups, and Roar of Prophaneneſs; when he was ſcoffing and laughing at Religion; What do you think ſuch a Perſon would do, if he had but a little notice of it before? I'll give you a plain Repreſentation what a Caſe ſuch a Perſon would be in, by the very ſame Caſe, by a precedent (as I may properly call it) that hath been before. If you look therefore into Dan. 5. you ſhall find the very ſame Caſe, Belſhazzar (ver. 1.) made a great Feaſt to a Thouſand of his Lords: And they brought the Golden and Silver Veſſels, and they drank Wine, and Praiſed the Gods of Gold and of Silver, &c. In the ſame hour came forth Fingers of a Mans Hand, and wrote over againſt the Candleſtick, upon the Plaiſter of the Wall of the Kings Palace, and the King ſaw part of the Hand that wrote. Then the Kings Countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, ſo that the Joints of his Loins were looſed, and his Knees ſmote one againſt the other. This is the very caſe of ſuch Perſons.
I may boldly pronounce it in the Name of Chriſt, and in the Word of the Goſpel, and of Truth; Look upon your Swaggerers, and thoſe that make nothing to ſcorn Religion; That make a Scoff at Sin; That never open their Mouths, but with an Oath, or in a Blaſphemy; That theſe very Perſons, ſuppoſing they die in this State, and with theſe Sins unrepented of, They ſhall riſe in the very ſame, and with the horrour of Judgment on them. They ſhall ſee (as it were) the Fingers upon the Wall; and their Joints ſhall be looſed, and their Knees ſmite one againſt another: They'll ſay to the Rocks, Fall on us, and to the Mountains, hide and cover us: Diſtreſs and Anguiſh ſhall come upon them, as it is ſaid, Prov. 1. It ſhall come like a Whirlwind: Then ſhall they call upon me, and I will not anſwer. Men that ſcorn and ſcoff at Religion now, they ſhall be forced then to cry, but they ſhall not find God; But then I'll laugh (ſaith God) at their calamity, and mock when their fear cometh.
In the ſecond Place, Take a covetous Worldling, that does not ſo much as think there is any thing more, but to look well to this World, and he guilds his Covetouſneſs over with ſo much Religion as is neceſſary for his preſent Concernment, to ſecure him from any thing of danger: I ſay, he keeps all his Worldlineſs within compaſs, with ſomething of Religion; but he does not really conſider what a great ſtate, a ſtate of Eternity is, and what a little, the preſent ſtate of the World is.
Now, would you know in what a Caſe ſuch a Man ſhall riſe in? He ſhall riſe in an amaze, and ſay, I never thought of the World to come, I thought of the preſent World; I knew how ill it would be with my Family, if I did not take care of that; but never thought of the other World; I had ſo much Silver and Gold, and Fruits of the Earth laid up for many years, and ſaid, Take thine eaſe, my Soul, Eat, Drink and be Merry; and he never conſidered the greatneſs of this Eternal Condition.
Now, Obſerve what Chriſt ſpeaks Luke 12. 19. when he ſaid, Soul, Take thine Eaſe, Eat, Drink and be Merry, for thou haſt much Goods laid up for many years: Then God ſaid to him, Thou Fool! This Night ſhall thy Soul be required of thee: And then, whoſe ſhall theſe things be which thou haſt provided? So is he that layeth up Treaſure, and is not rich towards God.
I never thought (ſaith this Senſualiſt) of ſuch a thing as that, this was a ſtrange Notion in my life-time; a Notion, that I did not know how to underſtand, or to think it any thing but Fancy, and meer Diſcourſe; but now I find what it is, not to be rich towards God.
And ſo I ſay, By theſe two Perſons, I have briefly ſet out to you, what the Circumſtances ſhall be in which Men ſhall riſe that have not minded God and their Eternal Condition.
But, according to the Subject that is before me, I ſhall open to you, eſpecially, the Fooliſh Virgins, that we may all take care; for it is indeed, a very nice Caſe; I ſay, a very nice Caſe; That a Man ſhould be a Virgin; that any Perſon ſhould be a Virgin in the account of Jeſus Chriſt; and yet, becauſe he is a fooliſh Virgin he is utterly undone: That is a Virgin, that hath the Truth of Religion, that hath the Truth of Doctrine, the Truth of Worſhip, and he muſt needs be ſuppoſed to be a Perſon of a ſober outward Converſation; or elſe, he could not deſerve the Name or Appearance, or Stile of a Virgin; He muſt not be a Swearer, Drunkard or Unclean Perſon; He muſt not be one that wallows, or tumbles in evil; for who would call ſuch an one (with relation to God and Religion) a Virgin? And yet, notwithſtanding this, becauſe he is a fooliſh Virgin, all the Miſery here expreſt, comes upon him.
Let us therefore conſider our ſelves; I would hope, That we might have a very good Title and Pretenſion to this Stile of a Virgin; and that we hold the Truth of the Goſpel, and the Purity of Worſhip, and the Holineſs of Converſation, in regard of all outward Appearance; and yet, let us look well to this, That we are not Fools therein: And therefore, I'll ſet out to you, in ſeveral particulars, according to the Wiſdom of our Lord Jeſus, in this Parable: I'll ſhew you the danger of being a fooliſh Virgin, and in what kind of Circumſtances they ſhall riſe, and how it ſhall be with them (as it were) from firſt to laſt; as our Lord hath here given to us, and yet I'll do it with brevity; for the things will be very plain: And if we would be but faithful to our ſelves, in taking notice of them, and laying them up in our hearts, and examining our hearts according to them; There needs not much to be ſaid, but thought and conſidered, and meditated upon much by every one of us, in relation to each particular.
The Firſt thing which expreſſes the circumſtances in which fooliſh Virgins ſhall ariſe, is this,
They will preſently begin to make the beſt of that Name of Profeſſion, and that Name Virginity that hath been upon them: They'll be ready to ſay, I have had a Lamp; I carry that to be ſure with me, I have had a Name of Profeſſion and Chriſtianity upon me: I have Endeavoured to Hear and to Pray, and to Receive the Lords Supper, and to keep the Lord's Day: I'll be certain to take that along with me; for all the Virgins aroſe, and Trimmed their Lamps. The wiſe indeed had Right to do it, and they did it upon good grounds, and the fooliſh did the very ſame thing, and therefore it is ſignificantly expreſt in the Text; All thoſe Virgins, not only wiſe but fooliſh, They aroſe and Trimmed their Lamps: That is, they ſet out their Profeſſion as large, and as favourable, and with as much advantage as they could.
Now therefore, Here is our great Point, to look to this, That we have not only the Lamp of Profeſſion; but that we have the Truth and Sincerity of Faith and Repentance, of Holineſs, of an Intereſt in Chriſt, and in his Bloud: I'll give you two Scriptures to this caſe, one on the ſide of the wiſe Virgins, and one on the ſide of the fooliſh Virgins, and ſo paſs on. And I would deſire you would take notice of theſe Scriptures, that may be helpful to bring theſe things to your Minds; That all of us may enter into deep Reflection, and ſerious Examination upon it. In the 1 Pet. 1. 22. ſaith the Apoſtle (ſpeaking of theſe things) ſeeing ye have purified your ſouls in obeying the Truth through the Spirit, unto unfeigned love of the Brethren, &c. Being born again, not of corruptible ſeed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God; and, now obſerve how he had Diſcourſed of this Point before (ver. 17.) And if ye call on the Father, who without reſpect of perſons judgeth according to every mans work, paſs the time of your ſojourning here in fear. In what fear does he mean? not in a ſlaviſh fear (as I ſhall ſhew you preſently) but in a holy care, in a holy awe, in a wiſe and judicious ſearch into things; and ſo he ſpeaks (ver. 7.) That the Tryal of your Faith being much more precious than of Gold that periſheth, though it be tried with Fire, might be found unto Praiſe and Honour and Glory at the appearing of Jeſus Chriſt. O let every one take this Scripture into Mind, into ſerious conſideration, and paſs the time of our ſojourning here, in a holy, and wiſe, and judicious Awe and Fear: That the Tryal of our Faith, though it be tryed with Fire, &c. Obſerve how notably the Apoſtle ſpeaks, as if he ſhould ſay, Your Faith will be tryed with Fire, with the Fire of that Day, whether it be true and right Faith or not; And it will be tryed in a moment, and inſtantly, becauſe a ſhort work will the Lord make upon the Earth. For (as I told you) it will appear preſently, by the Thoughts we have about us, by the Company we come with, by the Bodies we have on; And this will be in the Face of the Fire you muſt come; and if it be only a droſſy-Faith, it won't ſtand the Fire; it won't be able to endure: If it be only a painted Faith, it will preſently come to nothing: And (therefore ſaith the Apoſtle) look that your Faith be found to Honour, and Glory, and Praiſe at the appearing of Jeſus Chriſt.
And then, on the Side of the Fooliſh Virgins; Conſider That in the 13th Chapter of Luke 26. Then ſhall ye begin to ſay, We have eaten and drunk in thy Preſence, and thou haſt taught in our ſtreets. They ſhall begin to ſay; when they find the Door ſhut upon them, They ſhall begin to ſay, Lord, We have Eat and Drunk in thy Preſence, and thou haſt taught in our ſtreets. But he ſhall ſay, I tell you, I know you not whence you are; depart from me all ye workers of iniquity, ver. 24. Strive to enter in at the ſtrait Gate, for many, I ſay unto you, ſhall ſeek to enter in, and ſhall not be able.
I expound it Eſpecially (though I don't deny, that at this time, there are ſome Half-ſeekers that cannot enter) But it is eſpecially at that time, of the coming of the Bridegroom; They ſhall ſeek to enter, and they ſhall not be able. When once the Maſter of the Houſe is riſen up, and hath ſhut the Door, &c. Then ſhall ye begin to ſay, We have eaten and drunk in thy preſence, and thou haſt taught in our ſtreets.
So here's the Firſt thing; they endeavour to make the beſt of their profeſſion, that they have had here in the World. So will all fooliſh Virgins do in all their Duties, of all that they have ſaid for God, or any good works; but If the power of theſe things have not been, it will not be able to carry any out, though we ſhall endeavour to make the beſt of our Profeſſion; that's the firſt Deſcription of the State of the fooliſh Virgins, when they aroſe.
2. I come to the Second thing that our Lord here mentions, And that is,
They ſhall preſently be ſenſible (pray obſerve that) that their Grace doth not hold out, that they were but counterfeit, that they were but droſs, that they were but Tinſel: For preſently they ſay, they want ſupply, Give us of your Oil, for our Lamps are gone out: It is a ſad and woful thing, That a Man ſhould loſe all the Prayers, and all the Profeſſion that he made here in the World: And yet, when he comes into his Body again, though he was ſent out of the World with Prayers and Duties (I don't ſpeak to diſcourage you in any of theſe things, but to provoke you to it, to look to the Life, and to the Power) preſently ſay, My Lamp is gone out; all my Hearing and Praying is come to nothing, they did not go down to the root, to the bottom of my Heart and Life, they are become nothing, Our Lamps are gone out: This is ſuitable to the expreſſion we read in the Proverbs: It is ſaid, that the Lamp of the wicked ſhall be put out in obſcure darkneſs. O how great will that Darkneſs be, when that Light that is in us, ſhall be plainly found, and felt, and perceived to be Darkneſs! O what a miſerable thing is it, when a Man ſhall be forced to ſay, All my Religion and Profeſſion, it is gone out, it is a Lamp gone out! Our Lamps are gone out: It is a moſt hideous Repreſentation of the thing, as could be made: We walked in the Light of our Lamps, when we were here in the World; And now, when all comes to the Tryal of the Day, and of the fire, when it comes to be Examined, indeed, Our Lamps are gone out. Juſt as if a Man were entring into ſome dark Vault; as you know, Miners, they go with Lights, and as ſoon as they come into the dark and black of the Vapours, their Lights preſently go out, and they know not which way to go, nor how to guide themſelves: And ſo in that Day, it will be a very lamentable and terrible ſtate to us, to be forced to ſay, That Our Lamps are gone out.
3. In the Third place, you may conſider this now, that they would light their Lamps again: They would furniſh themſelves with Oil from thoſe that they have joined with in the World, while they were here in the World; They ſaid unto the Wiſe, Give us of your Oil, for our Lamps are gone out. There is an Endeavour to pin themſelves (as it were) upon the Saints and Servants of God, with whom they held a Converſe and Correſpondence here: They ſay, Give us of your Oil; Shall we be no better, That you have prayed and profeſt with us; and that you have heard the Word of God with us, and that we were joined with you; ſhall this do us no good? Give us of your Oil. But you ſee,
4. In the Fourth Place, There is no manner of Relief that way; no good at all will be done us, if we have not the power of Faith and Repentance in our ſelves; If we have not real converſe, and Communion with, and Union to Jeſus Chriſt, it will do us no good at that Day, that we have had our Converſation and Worſhip, that we have had our Communion with the Servants of God.
It is ſaid (Matth. 8. 11.) That many ſhall come from the Eaſt and Weſt, and ſhall ſit down with Abraham, and Iſaac, and Jacob, in the Kingdom of Heaven, but the Children of the Kingdom (there's the great Emphaſis of the thing) ſhall be caſt out into outer darkneſs; there ſhall be weeping and gnaſhing of Teeth: Though they were the Children of the Kingdom, and though they had a Right Abraham, Iſaac and Jacob, in regard of the Glorying they had made of being their Children: So that it is not our Converſe and Communion with Saints, or our being of a Church; it will do no Man any good to be the Son or Daughter of ſuch a Church, (as ſome Men love to ſpeak) or to be a Member of ſuch a Church, as others ſpeak: I ſay, theſe things will do us no good, if we have not the Power and Life of Grace in our hearts, Let every Man prove his own Work (as the Apoſtle ſaith) and then he ſhall have rejoicing in himſelf, and not in another. And ſo in this regard, we may further underſtand the Circumſtances, in which the fooliſh Virgins ariſe: They cannot have the leaſt advantage, or the leaſt good, by all the Saints that they have known, and have kept company with, or heard, or Received the Lords Supper with: Nay, though they had Eat and Drunk in Chriſt's Preſence; and if they had heard Chriſt himſelf, it would have done them no good, without the Power wherewith Chriſt taught them in. I ſpeak not this, that we ſhould ſlight the Society of Saints, but that we ſhould love them entirely, and our delight ſhould be in them, as in the Excellent of the Earth. But ſtill, we muſt have the ſame ſpirit of Faith with them, or elſe it will do us no good: No, ſay they, not ſo, leſt we have not enough for our ſelves and you.
Which ſhews indeed, the Vanity and Folly of Popery, in carrying Men upon the hopes of other Men; the Merits of ſuch a Saint, and ſuch a Saint: It is a thing ſo ſilly, and ſo fooliſh and beggarly in Religion, that I don't think it worth the ſpeaking of; but there have been times, when ſuch Foppery and Foolery hath taken place upon Multitudes of this Nation; but bleſſed be God it is not ſo now: Though there be multitudes of Perſons that would have gone upon the Faith and Holineſs, and the Charity, even by way of Judgment and Opinion, of ſuch a Saint heretofore: But I think it not worth the ſpending much time on the Opinion, but on the miſtake of Profeſſors now. I go on to the next Particular: And that is, They went to buy.
What is the meaning of this but only this; their vehemency, if it were poſſible for them to mend their Faith, to mend their Repentance at that time: It is a ſhadow of this, O that it were poſſible now, That inſtead of the falſe Faith I have, I might have a true Faith; I would have a true Repentance upon any Terms whatſoever. O the Cry that Fooliſh Virgins will make, when they have had Opportunity, and loſt their Opportunity! While they went to buy, the Bridegroom came; and they that were ready, went in with him to the Wedding: They that were ready, that had true Faith and Repentance, juſt at the time that the others went to buy: And the Door was ſhut, and they came and ſaid, Lord, Lord, Open to us; But he anſwered and ſaid, Verily I ſay unto you, I know you not. Wherein
Firſt of all, We may obſerve, as I ſaid, They would have it at any rate, if it were poſſible to be had, the Truth of Faith, and the Truth of Repentance, and the Truth of Holineſs, and of the Spirit of God dwelling in them; But while they were endeavouring to amend, and to repair what they had ſo miſerably been miſtaken in while they were here; They find, There's no Amendment in that State, They find, that there is no going over the thing again. Work therefore (ſaith Chriſt) while it is day; for the Night cometh when no Man can work. And therefore, let us look to it, while we are here in the World.
I ſhall therefore cloſe the Diſcourſe, in the brief Application of it.
1. In the Firſt Place, it teaches us very ſeriouſly to conſider, and ſo far as any of us have Opportunity, to Propogate the koowledge of this thing, among all the Prophane and Wicked of the World; ſo far as (I ſay) they will bear it; or that we can have place to ſpeak ſo much to them; To conſider, if fooliſh Virgins will not be accepted in that Day; O! What will be the End of thoſe that are ſo boldly and inſolently prophane and wicked?
It were a happy thing indeed, in regard of the preſent ſtate of things, and of the hopes of ſomething better; That we could prevail upon Perſons that we know, are prodigiouſly Contemners of God, and bold in Sin, and Railers at, and Scoffers of every thing that is good, and that wallow like Swine in the Mire, and that are drinking up the Vomit of their Sins perpetually, and doing the ſame things over and over again. O that Perſons would be prevailed with to read the Firſt of the Proverbs! And to draw the Land-ſcaph of their Caſe, by looking upon Belſhazzar, and reading his Story: I ſay, That they would be prevailed with: Men that are Carouſing and ſhewing their Contempt of God, and of every thing ſacred, Oh that they might be prevailed with. For (as the Apoſtle ſaith) If the righteous be ſcarcely ſaved, and fooliſh Virgins periſh, where ſhall the Wicked and Ʋngodly appear? And
2. In the Second Place; Then let every one of us, as I hope, upon the generality, there may be drawn this Title of a Virgin, without any injury done to Chriſt; I hope, we do make a Profeſſion of God and Chriſt, ſeriouſly; We do Pray and Hear, and wait upon God in his Word, and read the Scripture, and we are ſerious in drawing nigh to Chriſt at his Table; I ſay, I hope the Title of the Virgin may be put upon many of us, in theſe regards.
But, Let it not be grievous to any of us (either Hearer or Speakers) to conſider this, That there are Fooliſh Virgins, as well as Wiſe: You may have a very deſirable and commendable Profeſſion of Chriſtianity upon you: We may have this, and yet be fooliſh Virgins.
Conſider ſeriouſly, If there be folly in our Virginity, it will utterly ſpoil it, it will be ſuch a Dead Fly in the Ointment of Virginity, that it will certainly ſpoil and poiſon all: As our Lord ſpeaks, If the Salt have loſt its ſavour: The Word in the Greek is, if it be fooliſh Salt, it goes to the Dunghil: There may be Virginity, but if it be fooliſh Virginity, it will come to be ſaid, Our Lamps are gone out: We have heard and profeſt Chriſtianity with you, but lo! now Our Lamps are gone out! We cannot hold out; Immediately the Fire of that Day (as we ſay, the Sun will put out thoſe little Fires) So the Fire of that Day, the Glory of that Day, will put out our Lamps.
But this is that Point, That I ſhall eſpecially Diſcourſe to you, next, To ſhew you, Wherein is the difference between a Lamp that goes out, and a Lamp that is furniſhed with the Treaſure of Oil ſtill within it ſelf; That hath ſtill new ſupply, that hath a Fountain to ſupply it; That doth not go out, upon the very ſpot, as we ſay: And, if the Lord enable me to clear ſo great a Point, (to the Conviction of every one, that both hears and ſpeaks) How great might the advantage be? For, I would not diſcourage any from his Profeſſion; God forbid, that any one ſhould be ſtopp'd or hinder'd in the way of Chriſtianity, ſo far as they have proceeded; but yet you ſee, this is a neceſſary faithfulneſs, to be told of our danger, and perſwaded and convinced of it, if by any means we might eſcape out of the Snare, that the Snare might be broken, and we eſcape.
The Third Application I make is this:
3. That according to the aſſurance I have given you, and that I profeſs in the Preſence of God, with greateſt ſincerity, upon dueſt Conſideration, to be more and more aſſured, That the Kingdom of Jeſus Chriſt draws very near, and very hard, and very faſt upon us; That therefore you would have another Conſideration of theſe things, than thoſe that lived a great way of of the Time. For, though it is true, if any of us come to die, it will be the ſame caſe, as if the Day of Judgment were juſt now upon him; but yet ſtill, the Scripture makes uſe of this, as a further and higher Argument, It is high time now to awake, the Night paſſeth, the Day is at hand, your Salvation is nearer; And therefore, I beſeech you, That you would ſeriouſly take it into Conſideration, and to Heart, That the ends of the World muſt needs be upon us; For, if the Apoſtle ſaid, that the Ends of the World came upon them, ſo many Hundred Years ſince, how can it be, but that the Ends of the World muſt be upon us? We are on the very laſt Sands of the Glaſs of the World: And therefore, Let this Preaching of John the Baptiſt, and Chriſt be in all your Ears and Hearts, Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand: Look to be wiſe Virgins, for the Bridegroom will not long delay his coming: He hath delay'd it ſo long, but will not delay it long now: And then,
4. In the laſt Place, I beſeech you, be not ſo afraid of the Coming of the Kingdom of Chriſt: This will be your great advantage; If any would chooſe, they would chooſe to ſee the Kingdom of Chriſt in its ſucceſſion: For, I have always taken care to diſtinguiſh to you theſe two.
There is a great Difference betwixt the Kingdom of Chriſt coming in its Glory, as it ſhall be at the Time▪ deſigned by this Text and Parable; and another thing intended by its Succeſſion, Rev. 11. 15. As a King Entring upon his Reign; which you know, is immediately, and as ſoon as the former King went off, and (as they ſpeak) Demiſed, It is another thing, his Inauguration: You know there is a diſtance of Time, between the Entring in of the Reign, and Succeſſion; and the Coronation, the great Time of Glory: And ſo there's a difference betwixt Chriſt's coming, when the Midnight-Cry ſhall be, and his coming into the Succeſſion of his Kingdom: For, there ſhall be a wonderful pouring out of the Spirit of God, as ſoon as ever the Kingdom of Chriſt ſhall come into its Succeſſion: There ſhall be a mighty Preaching of the Everlaſting Goſpel; Chriſtianity ſhall grow much higher, much more pure, much more efficacious; there ſhall be bringing in multitudes of Gentiles, that are now Unbelievers in Chriſt, Mahometan or Pagan; Antichriſtians, and the Ancient Iſrael coming in, as I have often ſaid: Who then can be perſwaded, that it ſhall be poſſible to ſee the Jews and Gentiles flocking in to Chriſt, and that there ſhould be any, that ſhould not believe in Chriſt, and receive his Goſpel? And therefore, I ſay, know aſſuredly, That it will be a great advantage to you.
And, for my part, There's nothing that I more earneſtly defire, or have a greater value for, than to ſee the Dawns of the Kingdom of Chriſt; Oh! That God would give any of us leave to ſee this, We ſhould have great advantage of making our Calling and Election ſure, of working out our ſalvation with fear and trembling, of being perſwaded of the things that pertain to the Kingdom of God; we ſhould have great opportunities every way; And therefore, as Chriſt ſpeaks, when he propounded the Parable to them, Matth. 13. 17. I ſay unto you, That many Prophets and Righteous Men have deſired to ſee thoſe things which ye ſee, and have not ſeen them, and to hear thoſe things which ye hear, and have not heard them: So if God ſhall continue any of our lives, but a few years, to ſee the Kingdom of Chriſt appearing in this Firſt Glory; O happy and bleſſed ſhall we be! For, from the very beginning and foundation of the World to this day, Many Prophets and Righteous Men have deſired to ſee thoſe things which we ſhall ſee then, and have not ſeen them; and to hear thoſe things that we ſhall hear, and have not heard them.
In the mean time, Let none of us be diſcouraged, if God call us ſooner out of the World; For, as the Apoſtle ſaith, All thoſe that are Chriſt's, he will certainly bring with him: And, it will certainly be a happier and ſecurer ſtate, to be ſleeping in Jeſus, and dying in Jeſus; For though we do not ſee theſe things here, our Spirits ſhall ſee them above; and our Bodies ſhall be raiſed in Glory for us to come with Chriſt in: And as to thoſe who are not as they deſire to be, for my part, I know not any thing can be ſpoken for better Tydings, or any thing that ſhould more earneſtly engage our Faith, and Prayer, than to have that great opportunity, to wind up our Faith and Love, and Repentance, to their own height; even that of the Coming of the Kingdom of Chriſt into its Succeſſion, and to ſee thoſe bleſſed things, and to hear them, that many excellent perſons have deſired to ſee, and hear, and have not: And therefore, let none be offended, that the Kingdom of Chriſt is near at hand; for, we ſhall have greater, and more bleſſed advantages and opportunities, to make our Calling and Election ſure, when that time comes.
Let us therefore deſire, to hear thoſe loud Voices from Heaven Proclaim, That the Kingdoms of this World, are become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Chriſt: On which will ſoon follow that pouring out of the Spirit, and the Preaching the Everlaſting Goſpel.