The Parable of the Ten Virgins Opened, Parable · Verse 13 · Question 5
Queſt. 5. Why hath the Lord ſo Ordered it, as that No Man ſhall Know that Day?
Anſw. 1. To ſhew his Sovereignty, by keeping ſomewhat Secret to Himſelf. His Secret (in the General) is with the Righteous, Prov. 3. 32. who are (All of them) Privy Counſellors, Compared with the World, John 15. 15. and ſome of his Saints have more Peculiar Secrets hinted to them, Dan. 2. 19. theſe are his private Cabal: But as all unrevealed Secrets belong unto the Lord alone, Deut. 29. 29. and as ſome of his Judgments are unſearchable, Rom. 11. 33. ſo are ſome other things kept ſecret by him till ſuch a Time, Rom. 16. 25, 26. Thus Manoah might not Know that Angels Name, Judg. 13. 18. and good Eliſha had ſomething Hid from him, 2 Kings 4. 27. nor was it for thoſe Apoſtles to Know the Time and Seaſon, which the Father hath put in his own Power, viz. this Reſtauration, Acts 1. 6, 7.
2. That ſo Chriſt's Coming in theſe Latter Days might Eminently Anſwer unto its being a Type or Sign of his own Perſonal Coming at the laſt. This ſeemeth to be that Sign of the Son of Man, Mat. 24. 30. Now, Signs muſt Anſwer unto what is thereby ſignified; and Anſwering in a Chief Reſpect (ſuch as This is) doth hint the Eminency of ſuch a Sign. Therefore Melchiſedec was the Higheſt Type of Chriſt, becauſe he was moſt like the Son of God, in that peculiar and moſt ſignal point of Everlaſtingneſs, Heb. 7. 1. 3. Some other Diſpenſation (as that of Babylon's Fall, Iſa. 13. 10. 13.) might Reſemble Chriſt's Laſt Coming, in ſeveral other Reſpects, Luke 21. 25. but Abſolute Secrecy as to the Time, is Eminently reſerved for this Diſpenſation, as being its peculiar Sign.
3. To Exerciſe a Spirit of Enquiry in his moſt Inlightned ones: As God will be Enquired of, with reference unto the Matter of Redemption, Ezek. 36. 37. ſo with Reſpect unto the Time thereof, 1 Pet. 1. 11. as being of Special uſe, Jer. 8. 7. Thus Chriſt oft ſpake in Parables, to make his Diſciples the more Inquiſitive, and to bring Hidden Matters before this Altar, 1 Kings 8. 31. Thoſe do Miſtake his Drift, who argue from a Secrecy, unto their being bound from ſearching into it, ſave when that ſearch is abſolutely Forbidden, as Judg. 13. 18. Johns Revelations are full of Myſteries; yet Bleſſed is he who Reads that Book, Rev. 1. 3. Thus are we taught to Aim at that Perfection, which yet is unattainable, at leaſt not Actually (or Already) apprehended, Phil. 3. 11, 12.
4. Elſe that (Immediately foregoing) Hour of Temptation, would be no Trial in compariſon; which yet it is Intended for, Rev. 3. 10, 11. It is there call'd an Hour, to keep from ſinking: but yet that Hour, is the ſame with thoſe Ten Dayes, Rev. 2. 10. to make it Trying. In caſe, Late Perſecutions ſhould Now Expire, the Certain foreknowledge of ſo ſhort a Time would have Prevented (probably) that which its being Hidden hath Experimented. But Abraham's being Ignorant, how long he might have been without his Iſaac, was that which Tempted him unto the height, Gen. 22. 1. 12. though he was onelyonly Exerciſed with a meer Affrightment, and but of three dayes Continuance, v. 4. and this made way for that Affectionate Bleſſing afterwards, in way of ſeeming Righteouſneſs, v. 15, 16, 17, 18.
5. Elſe would not Others be ſecure, as they muſt be, at ſuch a Time, Luke 21. 35; but in the ſight of any Bird, the Net is ſpread in vain, Prov. 1. 17. ſome cannot Dig, Luke 16. 3. as they muſt doe for Hidden Treaſures, Prov. 2. 4. yea they are Glad of ſuch a Plea for Slothfulneſs, who therefore Ju…y meet with Parables, Mat. 13. 13. But with reſpect unto ſelf-preſervation, no good man of the Houſe would ſuffer it to be broken through, in caſe he Knew what Hour the Thief would come, Luke 12. 39. Now if this Day had Clearly been Revealed in the Scripture, it then might have been Known, unto the Cheriſhing of a ſleighty Spirit in ſome, untill the laſt preceding Minute, whom Chriſt will not ſo Gratifie; and therefore John wondred, who had forewarned ſuch, as to His Day, Mat. 3. 7.
6. Elſe would none Watch; as Chriſt here ſignifies: whereof more Afterwards.