tremble, thoughtless sinner! how can we speak peace when there is no peace? Oh the appalling suddenness of that cry to you!" And at midnight there was a cry made;"--at midnight, the hour when all is still and hushed, and deep sleep, deadly sleep, has enwrapped you; then shall the thrilling summons make you start with undefined horror, and sleep shall be never your's again. Now, you will not come to Christ that you might have life-then, you cannot; now, you will not work for God-then, the night will have come, when no man can work; now, you encircle yourself in the covering of indifference, on the bed of sloth and false security then, you shall find the bed shorter than that you can stretch yourself on it, and the covering narrower than that you can wrap yourself in it. Now, conscience cries, but the rush of tumultuous passions, or the constant dropping of busy cares, mar the sound; it reaches but the porch, it penetrates not the audience chamber of the heartthen, ear and heart, yea, your inmost soul shall be open to that cry, the forerunner of the everlasting doom; woe, then, to the trifler with God, who saith, "I go, sir, but he goeth not;" who coming to the prophet to inquire 1 Isa. xxviii. 20.

of him, puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, hath a lie in his right hand. Woe, then, to "those that are at ease in Zion," who never knew the plague of their own heart, and never therefore sought the hope that maketh not ashamed. To these, and such as these, that midnight cry bears with it, like Ezekiel's roll, "Lamentations, and mourning, and woe." For mark more particularly,

II. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT SUMMONS TO THE UNPREPARED. And the foolish said unto the wise, "Give us of your oil for our lamps are gone out." The proof of their neglect forces itself upon their notice," our lamps are gone out." They have long refused to grapple with Truth, and now Truth grapples with them. They have shut their eyes against the light, they now open them on darkness. They would not examine the foundation, and now the house falls, crushing them and their hopes together. Brethren! seek to know the truth about yourselves; count the cost; dig deep; such labour will well repay the pains. Many, alas! there are, whom we cannot persuade thus to do, they take for granted that all is well. "Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God," "Except ye repent

ye shall all likewise perish :" These and similar sounds of warning arouse them not, but in that night they will be able no longer to hide from themselves the unwelcome truth; the damps of the cold valley of the shadow of death, will put out every light not lighted by the Spirit of God. Notice, too, amidst the effects of the coming of our Lord on the unprepared, Their changed view of the true disciples of Christ. "Give us of your oil." is the request that the foolish virgins then make of the wise. Too often had their zeal appeared to them unnecessary, their strict and holy walk, it may be, been derided; they accounted their wisdom folly, but now they would fain that they, too, had trodden the same path; and since that cannot be, they would desire to borrow of their bliss, and to replenish their lamps with their oil. Brethren! it cannot be; "unprofitable servants" at best are they who do their Lord's will, how, then, can they have wherewith to impart to others?2 "None can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to

'Luke xvii. 10.

1

How plainly does this portion of the Parable bear witness against the doctrine of supererogation as taught by the Church of Rome. See xivth Article of the Church of England.

Every man shall Trim we then our

bear his own burden." 2 lamps, see we well to it, that the oil is in our vessels with the lamps; if any lack, now may we buy without money and without price; now, He invites who is willing to bestow ;-then past neglect can no longer be repaired. "If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" Observe next, Their fruitless appeal. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us: but He answered and said, Verily, I say unto you, I know you not." How utterly powerless would be the attempt, by any illustration, to add to the force of these few words of awful meaning! As on some unlooked for and overwhelming stroke of earthly trial, the heart refuses for a time to give it full belief, recoils from the sensation of misery that chills the very pulse of life, so here, albeit in vain they go to buy, albeit they are surrounded by that darkness that proclaims to them their state, the foolish virgins yet hurry to the shut door, and ask for that admittance which shall be sought in vain. He who abideth faithful, He who cannot lie, shall pronounce the fearful

doom, "I know you not." Oh woe unutterable as that expected answer comes!-then sad remorse brings back the past with fearful reality; sin indulged,-Satan served,-the world followed,-opportunities gone,-Christ rejected, hopes fled for ever; whilst fierce despair portends the dark and awful future, where the "worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." Brethren! in how blessed contrast to that "shut door" and those words of denial, do the promises of the Gospel, the invitations of the Saviour, now stand forth: "The Spirit and the Bride say, Come;" Jesus saith, "Come;" "As many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.' "Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord, and I will heal him." Oh enter ye in whilst still the message runs, "yet there is room,"-before the Master of the house hath risen up and shut to the door for ever.... The parable further sets before us shortly, but expressively,

III. THE BLESSEDNESS OF THE WATCHFUL SERVANTS OF THEIR LORD. "They that were ready, went in with Him to the marriage."

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They that were ready,"-who are these? they whose lamps are burning, they whose faith is real, whose hope is patient, whose