SERMON XXXI.

BY THE REV. WILLIAM HOOK,

SOMETIME MASTER OF THE SAVOY.

WHAT

GIFTS OF GRACE ARE CHIEFLY TO BE EXERCISED IN order TO AN ACTUAL PREPARATION FOR THE COMING OF CHRIST BY DEATH AND JUDGMENT?

And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.— Matthew xxv. 10.

We have two large and weighty discourses of Jesus Christ to his disciples newly before his death: the one, to comfort them against his departure out of the world; (John xiv.-xvi. ;) the other, to prepare both them and us against his return to judge the world; of which the present chapter treateth, and part of the precedent. In the former chapter we have Christ's exhortation unto watchfulness against his second coming, urged from the uncertainty of the time of his return; (Matt. xxiv. 42;) and this exhortation is continued in this twenty-fifth chapter; in which there are these three parts: The first is contained in the parable of the ten virgins. (Verses 1-13.) The second, in that of the several talents given by the master to his servants, to be employed and improved by them against his return. (Verses 14-30.) The third containeth the description of the coming of Christ to judge the world. (Verses 31-46.)

My text lieth in the first parable; namely, that of the ten virgins; of whom "five were wise, and five were foolish." And whereas Christ very often opened his mouth in parables, none of them comes closer to the consciences of men than this, as I may have occasion to show hereafter. I shall not insist in opening the whole parable, seeing the following discourse will take-in most thereof: I will hasten, therefore, to that part thereof which I have now read unto you.

Now as for these ten virgins, they professed alike; and who were the wise, and who the foolish, lay undiscovered till the midnight-cry was heard: "Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him." "Behold, he cometh with clouds, he cometh to judge the earth; he shall judge the world in righteousness, and his people with equity." This was an awakening cry to slumbering virgins in the midst of the dark and black night, who little dreamed that Christ was so near at hand; but wise and foolish are startled and raised with it, and all of them betake themselves forthwith to the trimming of their lamps; when the foolish, finding theirs extinguished, desire the wise to communicate of their oil unto them. They speak like persons not well awake; for though there is a communion of saints in the exercise of their graces mutually among themselves, yet there is no communication of personal graces to each

other; and moreover "the just shall live by his" own, and not by another's "faith." What therefore say the wise? MyTотE, Nequaquam, "By no means," say they; "lest there be not enough for us and you;' we have no oil to spare; but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.' Salsa derisio, non cohortatio,* saith Beza. The wise answer the foolish wisely; yea, wittily upbraid them for their folly; for was this a time to get grace, when the Bridegroom was come, and time was slipped? Is that a time to have oil to buy, when we should have oil to burn? Or is this oil to be bought with money and price, which is most freely given in the day of grace and mercy? What, therefore, do the foolish do? As if they foolishly understood an exprobration for an exhortation, they are thinking now of buying: "But while they went to buy, the Bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage and the door was shut." In which words you have, 1. The going of the foolish to buy. 2. The coming of the Bridegroom to the marriage. 3. The preparedness of the wise to enter with him. 4. The shutting of the door after them. But not to insist upon these things distinctly, let me gather-up the principal scope of our Saviour in the words; which is, to show us,

OBSERVATION.

That very miserable is the condition of such, especially professors of the gospel, who have grace to seek and get at the coming of Jesus Christ; and as happy is the state of such who are ready to enter with him into the bride-chamber of eternal rest and peace. This is the point that I shall insist upon; which, in the application, will lead me to the question that is to be spoken to.

1. I say, Very miserable is the condition of such.-That is, of such in general; and not only of such as profess to Christ, but of others also that profess not to him at all, as to any show of godliness in their lives; such as are the far greatest part of men; yea, and commonly too, where the gospel is preached, who are, sure enough, to seek not only of the oil of grace in their vessels, but of light also in their lamps.

2. But more miserable is the state of such who are professors of the gospel, and yet have grace to seek and get at such an hour.-Yet so will it be, as you see in my text; for such are these foolish virgins, who go to purchase grace when the Bridegroom cometh.

3. Very miserable is their case, because the door of the bride-chamber is shut against them.-They profess to the Bridegroom in common with the wise; and now the wise are admitted, and the foolish excluded; for the everlasting doors of glory stand open unto saving, but never unto common, grace.

4. It must needs be, then, that the state of the wise is very blessed.— Because they are prepared, and their lights are burning, and their loins girded, and their oil of grace in exercise, when Christ is coming to them ; and therefore they are brought to the " King in raiment of needlework; " yea, with gladness and rejoicing they are brought, and "enter into the King's palace," where "the wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and even as the sun in the kingdom of their Father." "A sharp and derisive speech; not an exhortation."-EDIT.

But I shall not stand upon this second part of the doctrine,—to show the happiness of the wise prepared virgins; the time, and question to be handled, will not permit it only something I shall speak to it in the close of this exercise. Therefore, in opening of the other part, namely, the misery of such as profess to Jesus Christ, who have grace to get and seek at the coming of the Bridegroom; let me show you,

1. That there are such as profess at a high rate, and yet are no better than foolish virgins.-For such are these here in my text, who rise very high in their professions, as excelling the ordinary rank of pretenders unto Christ. "How so?"

(1.) They are virgins." And what is that?"

(i.) They have renounced anti-christian idolatry, and all the false worships of the mother of harlots.—And they will in no wise conform to the inventions of men; as it is said of the hundred and forty-four thousand which stand with the Lamb on Mount Zion: "These are they that have not defiled themselves with women; for they are virgins." (Rev. xiv. 4.) That is, they have abandoned the spiritual fornications of the great whore, and kept their garments undefiled in that respect.

(ii.) They have also renounced "the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." (2 Peter ii. 20.) -Τα μιασματα, "the puddles or sloughs" wherein the swine of the world do wallow; they "flee from "these, as the word doth signify: yea, they are not only αποφυγοντες, but also αποστυγουντες· not only "such as flee from" these puddles, but "such as," at least seemingly, " abhor them. For these virgins are too neat to defile themselves with the world's mire and dirt: they arise, you see, and trim their lamps; they are therefore trim virgins, who have not visibly defiled themselves.

(iii.) And more especially, they are virgins in professing espousals to Christ the Bridegroom.-Who, as it was prefigured under the law, marrieth " a wife in her virginity." (Lev. xxi. 13.) These virgins, therefore, are visibly espoused unto Christ, and joined in the same communion with the wise; for here is a fellowship between the ten : they stand at so great a distance from the world's defilements, that they profess communion visibly with the choicest saints. And, indeed, the saints in gospel-fellowship are virgins, and every church of Christ is a virgin. Hence saith the apostle to the church at Corinth, " I have espoused you to one Husband, that I may present you a chaste virgin to Christ." (2 Cor. xi. 2.) And therefore the members of the churches are to be reputed such, seeing they are parts of the same homogeneal body.* And thus you see how these professors are virgins.

(2.) They have their lamps, as well as the wise.

(i.) In that they are persons of light and understanding, guides to the blind, and lights to them that are in darkness, instructors of the foolish, and yet themselves but fools.

(ii.) The word is also "a lamp to their feet and a light unto their paths," so far that they will conform their actions to the rule: "For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light." (Prov. vi. 23.) And in

• Eadem est ratio partis et totius. "Those properties which appertain to the whole, belong also to every part."-Edit.

these two respects, their knowledge and external conformity, their lamps shine as brightly as [those of] the wise virgins do.

(3.) They profess not only expectation of Christ's coming, but make also preparation for it. In that they go forth together with the wise to meet the Bridegroom. And though at last they are found unready, yet they prepare so far that they go forth to meet him, as hoping to partake in the blessing and comfort of the nuptial day; whereby it appeareth that they had " tasted of the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come." And though they fell into their midnight's sleep, so did the wise virgins also: for it will indeed be such a drowsy time immediately before the coming of Christ, that not one of ten that profess unto him will be awaked; no, nor one in five of such as do truly love him. And at the first, too, they only "slumbered;" and neither slept nor waked; but by degrees they fall fast asleep; for security hath its gradual progressions before it be midnight with the soul. But this was not proper to these five, but common to all the ten.

(4.) They are no less awaked than the wise with the midnight-cry of, Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him."-For, saith the text, "Then all those virgins arose ; so that they take the alarm equally with the rest. Thus one may be awaked with the cry of the word of God, and yet be void of grace in his heart.

(5.) They likewise fall to trimming of their lamps no less than the wise virgins do. That is, they fall to furbishing of that profession which had contracted scurf and foulness in the time of their midnight-security. For now they looked upon themselves as espoused unto Jesus Christ, and begin to deck and trim themselves with ornaments against the nuptials, as conscious that preparation is most necessary for those who desire to be found of Christ in peace at his appearance; for there is no meeting him with lamps untrimmed and lives unguided by the word.

(6.) They persevere unto the Bridegroom's coming. They were guilty of security, indeed, and so were the wise also; but here is neither apostasy nor discovered hypocrisy thus far; namely, until the midnight-cry. They held out to the last, and die at heaven's door, and, like the Levite's concubine, with their "hands upon the threshold." (Judges xix. 27.) Thus they professed far; for such a sort, I say, there is, that rise thus high, and yet are foolish virgins.

2. In the next place, let us consider where the defect is, and wherein the folly of these virgins lieth.-For you have heard of their virginity in their separation from and profession against anti-christian idolatry and men's inventions, and also in their escaping the world's pollutions; and you have seen their virginity in their espousals unto Christ, and visible communion with the wise in the enjoyment of gospel-ordinances; you have heard also of their light, their hopes, their awaking, their trimming their lamps, and how near they came to heaven. But here now was the one thing lacking, that all this was the effect only of an external and ineffectual work, wherein though there was something internal, it was but light and transient, which never wrought a thorough and powerful change of the heart: whereas the wise had an inward and powerful call to Christ, insomuch that "the gospel came to them not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Ghost; "

whereby they were made to "know wisdom in the hidden part," and became virgins in affection and disposition, as well as in profession and action. Meanwhile the operations of the Spirit are languid, weak, and transient, upon the hearts of foolish ones; as we see in the stony ground, in which there is no thorough, powerful, and abiding change. And hence it is said, "The foolish took their lamps, but took no oil with them;" they wanted the oil of the Spirit of God, and his saving gifts, in the vessels of their hearts. Briefly: the wise virgins were sincere professors and followers of Christ; the others, mere hypocrites and foolish builders, who laid their foundation on the sand. And yet I do not say, that foolish virgins have always saving grace to seek at the coming of Christ; because there is repentance and pardon to be had in time for hypocrites. A foolish professor may go forth to meet the Bridegroom with his lamp only in his hand, and no oil at all in his heart; and yet he may meet with timely awakenings by the way, and Christ may infuse the oil of saving grace into his heart before the midnight-cry; whereby he becometh wise in the latter end, who was a fool in the beginning; for Christ calls upon hypocrites, as well as others, to repent. (Matt. xxiii. 26; James iv. 8.) Hypocritical Sardis is called hereunto, as well as the other virgin-churches of Asia; and many unsound professors have been effectually converted, when many others have lived and died in their hypocrisy; and perseverance in profession unto Christ is no argument of a good estate to a dying virgin, except she be found in the way of wisdom.

3. There remaineth one thing more to be spoken to for the clearing of the point; and that is, that very miserable is the state of such as these, who have grace to get when Christ cometh.-For " the door is shut upon them. In which words is declared their punishment of loss, which some have thought to be greater than that of sense; which I shall not dispute, but briefly discourse of that of loss, as mentioned only in the text; which is inevitably followed by that of sense.

(1.) All the profession of these virgins is lost.—Their prayers, praises, humblings, external reformations, communications both of their worldly substance and likewise of their parts and gifts; and so are their sufferings and their witness-bearing to the truth, &c. All these are excluded from God's acceptance of them, through want of an interest in the Bridegroom; for none of these were offered up in Christ; and the greatest and most glorious services, without unfeigned faith and love, are nothing. (Lev. xvii. 5, 6; Heb. xiii. 15; Col. iii. 17; 1 Cor. xiii. 1—3.)

(2.) All opportunities and means of grace are now lost, never to be enjoyed more. The door of opportunity (as the apostle calleth it, 2 Cor. ii. 12; 1 Cor. xvi. 9) is for ever shut against them; they have survived all their seasons, which now give place unto eternity. For the Bridegroom cometh first by death; and "it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment; " not, "After this, and further means of grace; not, "After this a sabbath, or a sermon, or a time to pray and repent; " but, "After this the judgment." And what, then, succeeds the judgment? The perpetual execution of it; in which respect it is called the "eternal judgment; " (Heb. vi. 2;) so that the door of opportunity is now for ever shut.