such an hour as we think not the Son of Man cometh, the day of judgment arrives. The day of our death is in effect to each of us the same as the day of judgment.v. 44. 74. What does he mean by saying, Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? A. He is asking the disciples, who then will be found a faithful minister of the Gospel, who will strictly and conscientiously endeavour, by the grace of God, to discharge his religious duties, and to feed his flock, who are of the household of faith, with the spiritual food of the Gospel ?— v. 45. 75. What does he say respecting the treatment that servant will meet with? A. He says, Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods. v. 46. 76. What is meant by an household? A. A family; its figurative meaning here is the flock, whom a minister is bound to teach and instruct in the knowledge of the Gospel. 77. What will be the consequence, if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken? A. That the Lord of that servant shall come, in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.-v. 49. 78. What is meant by this? A. That if any minister of the Gospel be not faithful in the discharge of his duty; and if, instead of setting an example of good conduct to his flock, he lives inconsistently with his sacred profession, such a minister will be visited by the vengeance of God, when he least expects it, and consigned, at the second coming of our glorious Redeemer, to endless punishment'. 1 For more ample information on the very interesting and important contents of this chapter, I must refer the inquiring reader to Doctor Hales' Scripture Chronology, Part ii. vol. ii. page 1270. CHAPTER XXV. 1. To what does Christ liken the kingdom of heaven? A. To ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five foolish.-v. 1. 2. What did the wise virgins do? A. They took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 3. What did the foolish virgins do? A. They took no oil. 4. Did they meet the bridegroom immediately? A. No; He tarried and delayed his coming.-v. 5. 5. What did the virgins do in the mean time? A. They all slumbered and slept. 6. At what time did they hear of his coming? A. At midnight there was a cry made, Behold the bridegroom cometh.-v. 6. 7. What were they told to do when they were awakened by the cry? A. To go out and meet him. 8. What did they all do? A. They all arose, and trimmed their lamps. -v. 7. 9. What request did the foolish virgins make of the wise ones? A. Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out. v. 8. 10. What did the wise virgins answer? A. Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy.-v. 9. 11. While they went to buy, what happened? A. The bridegroom came.-v. 10. 12. Did any of the virgins go in with him to the marriage? A. Yes; those that were ready (and had oil :) and the door was shut. 13. Did the foolish virgins, who went to buy oil, endeavour to get in? A. Yes; they came to the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.—v. 11. 14. What did he answer? A. Verily, I say unto you, I know you not.—v. 12. 15. Who is represented by the bridegroom? A. Our Blessed Saviour. 16. Had he ever before been called a bridegroom? A. Yes. Chap. ix. ver. 14. 17. What is meant by the marriage feast? A. The joys of heaven, to which all men are invited, but which none but the righteous will be allowed to enjoy. 18. Who are meant by the wise virgins? A. Those who not only profess to be religious, but who also put the precepts of religion in practice. 19. Who are meant by the foolish virgins? A. Those who make a profession of religion; but who do not endeavour to obey the commands of God; whose piety, like that of the Pharisees, was only in their mouths, but not in their hearts. 20. What are meant by the lamps? A. Their profession of the Gospel, in which they all declared their faith, as is expressed by their all having lamps. 21. What are represented by the vessels for the oil? A. The hearts of mankind. 22. What is meant by the oil? A. That grace and assistance from God, which alone enables us to bring forth good works of faith, charity, and obedience. 23. What is meant by the cry? A. The call of death, which is attended with the same consequences to us, as if the end of the world had arrived. 24. What is meant by the wise virgins taking oil in their vessels when they went to meet the bridegroom? A. Their not depending upon mere profession as the condition of going in to the marriage, but upon their being in a state of preparation. 25. What is meant by their all slumbering? A. It alludes to the infirmities of human nature, which are such as sometimes to cause even the most eminently pious to forget the great object of their expectation, namely, the coming of the bridegroom. This checks their presumption, and shows them that it is not on their own merits or on their own strength and sufficiency they are to depend, but on the merits and atonement of our Blessed Redeemer. 26. What is meant by their trimming their lamps? A. This can only refer to the wise virgins. The others only endeavoured to trim them. It shows us the folly of not being sufficiently prepared by a life of faith for the hour of death, without which preparation it will be to very little purpose for us to endeavour to make our lamps burn, when we have nothing to supply them with. We are thus instructed in the necessity of keeping our lamps constantly burning, and letting our light shine before men. 27. What is meant by the wise virgins refusing to give any of their oil to the others? A. It proves to us that we cannot depend upon receiving assistance from any human being at the last day; no person has oil more than sufficient for himself. The merits of any mortal will not avail to recommend us to God, and to procure us pardon for our sins, in the other world. 28. What is meant by the wise virgins telling the others to go and buy? A. Their referring them to the place where they got their first supply of oil; that is, they tell them to pray for pardon and assistance from God. 29. What is meant by the bridegroom coming before they have obtained a fresh supply of oil? A. That they have no time even to pray or collect their thoughts, before the hand of death is upon them. It shows us the extreme folly of any persons putting off their repentance until they are on their death-bed; sickness or sudden death may effectually prevent our repentance. 30. What is meant by the wise virgins going in with the bridegroom? A. The righteous, who are supplied by the mercy of God with those graces necessary for their acceptance, being received into the joys of heaven after death. 31. What is meant by the others calling, Lord, Lord, open to us? A. The wicked, when they perceive their folly in having neglected their eternal interests, will cry out to God for pardon when it is too late; they will cry out for mercy when it is time for justice. 32. What is meant by, I know you not? A. Christ will say to the wicked, As you did not approach me with prayer or spiritual conversation, and as you showed you were not in the number of my disciples, by your not obeying my commands, neither will I recognize you now, nor admit you into my kingdom. 33. Have we ever before met with the expression of, I know you not, in this Gospel? A. Yes. verse 22. Chap. vii. 34. What is meant by their being shut out? A. Their being condemned to eternal punishment. 35. What does our Blessed Lord say to his disciples at the end of the parable? A. Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh.-v. 13. 36. What does he mean by that? A. He tells them to be ready and in a state of preparation for the hour of death, and the only way in which they can be prepared is constantly to employ themselves in obeying his commands, as they know not when the awful summons will arrive. 37. What other parable does he speak to them? says, The kingdom of heaven is like a man travelling into a far country, who called his servants, and delivered unto them his goods.-v. 14. A. He 38. How much did he give the first servant? A. Five talents.-v. 15. 39. How much did he give the second? A. Two talents. 40. How much to the last servant? A. One talent. 41. What is meant by, to every man according to his several ability? A. According as their master knew their several capacity and skill to manage a greater or less sum. 42. What is the value of a talent? A. A talent of gold is worth £3750, of silver £375, but a tenth part of the talent of gold. 43. What did he do after he had distributed the talents? A. He straightway took his journey. 44. What did the first servant do with his five talents? A. He went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. -v. 16. 45. What did the second do with his? A. He gained also other two.-v. 17. 46. What did he do that had received the one? A. He went and digged in the earth, and hid his Lord's money. -v. 18. 47. When their Lord cometh back, after a long time, what does he do? A. He reckoneth with them, that is, asks them what they have gained.-v. 19. |