your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

spiritual slumber. While the bridegroom || trimmed their lamps. 8 And the fooltarried, they all slumbered and slept. Spirit ish said unto the wise, Give us of ual 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

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. Then 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 virgin's 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, 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 || neither the day nor the hour whereexercise. It is no time to get grace when in the Son of man cometh. the Bridegroom is come, and the day of grace is past and over.

with the servants' negociation. Some traded with, and made improvement of, their talents, others traded not at all; yet it is not said they did embezzle their talent, but not improve it. Learn, It is not sufficient to justify us, that we do not abuse our talents; it is fault enough to hide them, and not improve them; the slothful servant shall no more escape punishment than the wasteful servant.

19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents; behold, I have gained besides them five talents more. 21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst|| unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents besides them. 23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Note here, 1. That the wisdom of God dispenses his gifts and graces variously, as so many talents to his servants, to be employed and improved for his own glory, and his church's good. 2. That all such servants (as have received any talents, must look to reckon and account for them: that this account must be particular, personal, exact, and impartial. 3. That all such servants as have been faithful in improving their talents, at Christ's coming shall be both commended and rewarded also. Well done, good and faithful servant; enter thou into the lo Toy. the joy of thy Lord. Where observe, 1. That 2. That the joy which the blessed partake of, is the joy of their Lord; that is, the joy which he provides, and which he possesses. 3. That the way after which the saints partake of this joy, is by entering into it, which denotes the highest and the fullest participation of it. The joy is too great to enter into them, they must enter into that: Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.

24 Then he which had received

VOL. L-17

the one talent came, and said, Lord, I
knew thee that thou art an hard man,
reaping where thou hast not sown,
and gathering where thou hast not
strawed: 25 And I was afraid, and
went and hid thy talent in the earth:
lo, there thou hast that is thine. 26
His lord answered and said unto him,
Thou wicked and slothful servant,
thou knewest that I reap where I sow-
ed not, and gather where I have not
strawed: 27 Thou oughtest therefore
to have put my money to the exchang-
ers, and then at my coming I should
have received mine own with usury.

Observe here, 1. That he that received
but one talent is called to an account as
well as he that received five. Heathens that
have but one talent, namely, the light of
nature, must give an account for that one
talent, as well as Christians that have five
must account for five. Observe, 2. They
slothful servant's allegation: I knew thee to
be an hard man, and I was afraid. Where
note, His prejudice against his master, and
the effect of that prejudice, he was afraid;
and the fruit of his fear, he hid his talent in
the earth. Learn hence, That sinners enter-
tain in their minds very hard and unkind
thoughts of God; they look upon him as a
hard Master, rigorous in his commands,
and difficult to be pleased. Learn, 2. That
such hard thoughts of God do naturally oc-
casion slavish fear, which is a great hin-
derance to the faithful discharge of our
duty to God. Observe, 3. The master's re-
ply to the slothful servant's allegation,
which contains an exprobation, or unbraid-
ing of him for his sloth and negligence;
Thou wicked and slothful servant. Where,
note, 1. That the slothful servant is a wicked

servant, as well as the unfaithful servant.
2. The wicked and slothful servants, to ex-
cuse themselves, will not stick to charge
their miscarriages upon God himself: Thou
wert an hard man. 3. That no excuses
whatsoever shall serve either the slothful
or unfaithful servant at the bar of Christ.

28 Take therefore the talent from
him, and give it unto him which hath
ten talents. 29 For unto every one
that hath shall be given, and he shall
have abundance; but from him that
hath not shall be taken away even
that which he hath. 30 And cast
ye the unprofitable servant into outer
darkness: there shall be weeping
and gnashing of teeth.

These words contain the sentence denounced by Christ upon the slothful servant: his punishment is first a punishment of loss: Take ye the talent from him. Learn hence, That not improving the gifts of God given as talents to us, provokes God to take them from us, as well as misimproving. From him that hath not that is, from him that improveth not, shall be taken that chach he hath. 2. Follows the punishment of sense: Cast him into outer darkness, where is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Learn thence, That hell is a place and state of inexpressible misery and torment; a dismal place, as being deprived of the sight and enjoyment of God, of Christ, of saints, and of angels; a doleful place, full of overwhelming sorrow and despairing grief. The gnashing of their teeth, signifies their being full of rage and indignation against God, against the saints, and against themselves. 31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And be-ward than to punish, to save than to defore him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

that have lived shall be summoned to the bar of Christ: persons of all sects, of all ages, of all nations, of all conditions; having gathered them together; he shall next separate them, as a shepherd his sheep., Thence learn, That though there be a mixture and confusion of the godly and the' wicked here, yet at the day of judgment there will be a separation made betwixt them, and they shall never come together more. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

Here follows the sentence which Christ will pronounce upon the righteous and the wicked at the great day: first the sentence of absolution upon the righteous; then the sentence of condemnation upon the wicked. Learn thence, That at the day of judgment wicked are condemned. The reasons are, the godly shall be absolved before the because it is more delightful to God to re

|bring them near to himself, and to set them

stroy; because it is suitable to Christ's love to begin with his saints, and to be admired by them: also to put his saints out of fear, as to their eternal condition, and to upon the throne with himself, as assessors and judges of the wicked world, 1 Cor. vi. From hence to the end of the chapter, we 3. Know ye not that the saints shall judge the have a draught and scheme of the general world? Lastly, With respect to the wicked, judgment. Where observe, the person judg- that they may be the more affected with ing, the Son of man; the persons judged, their loss, and have a vexatious and torgood and bad; the one called sheep, for their menting sense of that happiness which they innocency and meekness; the other goats, have refused. Observe next, The joyful for their unruliness and uncleanness. Ob- sentence pronounced, Come, ye blessed of my serve also, The manner of his coming to Father. Where note, 1. The joyful comjudgment, most august and glorious: glo- pellation, Ye blessed. Which term is op rious in his person, glorious in his attend- posed to these two things: 1. To the world's ance. Learn, That Christ's appearance at judgment of them, which accounts them the great day to the judging of the world, vile and accursed. Here is an absolution will be a splendid and a glorious appear- from their unjust censures. 2. To the ance: He will come with power, and in great sentence of the law, which pronounces all glory, in regard of the dignity of his person, its transgressors accursed, Ĝal. iii. 19. But, and the quality of his office, and the great- says Christ; I, that have redeemed you ness of his work. He will appear as a from the curse of the law, pronounced you king in the midst of his nobles, to take off || blessed. But why blessed of my Father? 1. the scandal and ignominy of the cross, and To point out the fontal cause of all our as a recompense for his abasement and happiness, the love of the Father; this humiliation, to strike the hearts of his ene- prepared the kingdom. 2. This expression mies with dread and fear, and to fill the shows how the divine Persons glorify one souls of his people with joy and confidence. another. As the Spirit glorifies the Son, so Let us therefore propound it to our faith, the Son glorifies the Father, and refers all to believe it; to our fear, to tremble at the to him. Therefore Christ says not, Come, thoughts of it; to our hope and love, that my redeemed ones; but, Come, ye blessed ones: we may expect and wait, look and long not, Come, you that were redeemed by me; but, for it. Observe farther, The work of this Come, ye blessed of my Father: it is his good Judge: he shall first gather all nations. pleasure to give you the kingdom. Learn Learn, That at the general judgment all hence, That the Lord Jesus Christ at his

second coming will adjudge all his people || took thee in? or naked, and clothed into a state of glorious and everlasting thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, happiness, which his Father has prepared, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

ye clothed me: I was sick, and yeful visited me: I was in prison, and ye