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Let us therefore, having Food and Raiment be therewith content. 1 Tim. 6. 8.

Thirdly, To make us reftlefly to feek after fomething that may endure, even durable Riches and Righteoufnefs. Frov. 8. 18. Let us seek firft the Kingdom of God, and his Righteousness, and for Worldly Riches fet our Hearts at reft, having this fure Promise, that they shall be added unto us, fo far forth as our Heavenly Father feeth them needful for us. Mat. 6.

3. Obferve, That our bleffed Saviour directing us fo to use our Riches, as that we may be received when we fail into everlasting Habitations, affures us that fuch Habitations there are provided for Men to go into when they die. We know (faith the Apoftle) that if our Earthly House of this Tabernacle were diffolved, we have a Building of God, an Houfe not made with Hands, eternal in the Heavens. 2 Cor. 5. 1. In my Father's Houfe (faith Christ) are many Mansions. Job. 14. 2. These are the Habitations we should as long as we live in this World be feeking for. Here have we no continuing City, but we feek for one to come. Heb. 13 14. This is God's admirable goodnefs, and this fhould be our great comfort and rejoycing. For

There, First, are Habitations, Home-Steads, here we have no more but a time of fojourning. 1 Pet. 1. 17. I am a Sojourner (faith the Pfalmift) as all my Fathers were. Pfal. 39. 12.

THE

THE

PARABLE

OF THE

Ten VIRGINS.

THE

PARABLE

OF THE

TEN Virgins.

Matth. XXV. 1.

Then fhall the Kingdom of Heaven be likened to Ten Virgins, which took their Lamps, and went forth to meet the Bridegroom.

T

HESE Words begin a Parable, the main scope and Defign whereof is, as appears v. 13. to perfuade us unto a conftant watchfulnefs over our felves, and to be fo careful to keep our felves in a right Christian Temper, that whatever may happen, or how fudden foever any evil may befal us, or God may call us out of this world by Death, we may not be furpriz'd, or taken unprepar'd. To make us more fenfible, he doth, as it were, tell us a Story, which it will be very neceffary for us to apply unto our felves, as it is his meaning we fhould do. It is then as if he had faid thus. There were two Perfons to be married, and the Marriage was to be folemnly kept with Joy and Feafting. Therefore according to the Cuftom of the Place, ten Virgins were invited to be BrideCC Maids,

Maids, whofe Office it was to be ready with the Bride, when News was brought of the Bridegroom's coming, to go forth with Torches, or lighted Lamps to meet him, and conduct him into the Bride's Lodging, which was done in the Night. Now the Bridegroom not coming fo early as he was expected, they all fell asleep, and fome of the Virgins not being fo provident, as to bring Oil enough to keep their Lamps burning fo long, they went out whilft they flept. About Midnight, a time of Night wherein they leaft of all expected him, fudden notice was given, that the Bridegroom appcared, and all the Virgins were haftily called up to meet him. They whofe Lamps were burning prefently went forth to do fo, but the reft were at a Lois, and knew not which way to turn them. Their Lamps wanted Oil, and none could they get, and whilft they ran to buy, the Bridegroom with the Virgins which met him, entered in to Celebrate the Marriage; and the other Virgins coming too late, were shut out, and could not by any Intreaty prevail to be admitted, or fo much as taken notice of by the Bridegroom as any way related to him. And thus for want of timely forecaft and care, they loft for ever the Bridegroom's Favour, their Share in the Marriage Feaft, and all the Honour and Joy which they hoped for. The application of this Story is briefly this. Thus it will happen to us all one time or other. As many of us as take care to live in a continual Preparation, as our blessed Jesus hath in his Gospel taught us, for Death and Judgment shall by him be admitted into the everlasting Joys of Heaven; but they who through Negligence or Laziness, or any oother way, are diverted from this conftant care,

and

and are not always prepared to die, are in great danger to be furprized, and caught unprepared; which if they be, they are difappointed of all their hope, difowned by their Saviour, and muft be for ever miferable. Thus I have briefly laid the general and main Design of this Parable open before you, and we are taught by it (as we defire to be eternally happy, and would not,lose the Benefit of a Saviour) to live in an hourly expectation of Death, and fo to order our whole Converfation in the World, that whenever we fhall be called out of it, and how fuddenly foever Death, or any other Calamity before Death may come upon us, we may never be unprovided to welcome it as a Meflenger of Chrift, the Bridegroom of his Church, nor be in any danger of being difowned by him, or excluded from that everlasting Bleffedness which he hath in ftore for all his Faithful Followers.

Now let us come to the Particulars commended to our Obfervation and Learning in this Parable, taking them in order as they lie. Thus it begins Then fhall the Kingdom of Heaven be likened, &c. 1. Then, i. e. when Chrift fhall come. The whole Chapter before this, being Chrift's Answer to that Queftion of his Difciples. v 3. VVhat shall be the Sign of thy coming, and of the end of the World? Now the coming of Chrift there spoken of by him principally and literally, was his coming to execute Vengeance on the Jews who crucified him, and to destroy their Temple, City and Nation by the Roman Armies. And all the Signs he gives them relate properly to that; but figuratively alfo to his coming at the end of the VVorld to Judge every Man according to his VVosks, of which Day and Cc 2 Hour

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