again of the Kingdom of God not "coming with observation," but, as it were, creeping into a man's heart,—imperceptibly, and by degrees establishing and lodging itself there, till at length it makes it its own. It is in accordance with the same view that we find St. Paul speaking of some of the Corinthians as "weak brethren," and again of others, more advanced in Christian perfection, as "strong." "We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak." All these passages of Holy Writ, I say, would lead us to the notion, that the renewal of the image of God in the corrupt heart of man is commonly a work of time, — God's Spirit effecting it gradually, by successive advances, rather than on the instant and at once; that years, in short, are wanted in which to form the perfect Christian, as years are wanted in which to form the perfect man. From all which

I would draw two practical conclusions, with which I will make an end.

First, that a death-bed conversion I will not say is impossible, for with God all things are possible, but is not according to the ordinary course in which the Spirit of God is represented in Scripture as effecting man's conversion A death-bed conversion must be a sudden and almost instantaneous change of a man's soul from one nature to another,— from a nature delighting in wickedness to a nature delighting in godliness. Now such a manner of the Spirit's acting does not accord, we see, with the representations made of it in Scripture, with the increase of wisdom, and of favour with God, which Jesus experienced with His increase of stature, -with the gradual advance in the spiritual character observable in the Apostles,—with the tenor of the parables pertaining to this subject, such as the grain of mustard seed, and the leaven,—or with the language or phraseology of that Apostle who reveals to us more of the doctrine of

grace than any other, the blessed Apostle Paul. And accordingly, to feel any confidence in such death-bed conversion, is to feel confidence without much scriptural ground for it; and to presume upon it, is a blind presumption, there being no sound warrant for it—a presumption which may serve us to lean upon, as an arm of flesh would without a bone.

The other conclusion I shall draw is this, that all Christians who have God's good Spirit stirring in them, must feel themselves in progress in their Christian character-not standing still; for the testimony to the Spirit's active presence, we have seen, is that it shall wax stronger and stronger, take possession of the person more and more, grow; it being just as natural for the healthy soul to increase in wisdom, and in God's favour, as for the healthy body to increase in stature.

Wherefore, my friends, we must look that we rest not, till we find ourselves, after the counsel of St. Peter, adding to our "faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity." Then, if these things be in us and abound, "we shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

97

SERMON XII.

WATCHFULNESS NECESSARY THROUGHOUT THE
WHOLE COURSE OF LIFE.

ST. MATTHEW, xxv. 1, 2.

"Then shall the Kingdom of Heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish."

THE parable of the Ten Virgins is in continuation of a discourse of our blessed Lord, recorded in the chapter before it, which had for its object the necessity of watchfulness on the part of all Christian people, seeing that none can tell when their Lord shall come-watchfulness throughout their whole course, and not a mere awaking at the last. A bridegroom is supposed to be bringing his bride to her home ; he has made preparation for her honourable reception, by appointing ten maidens to that office and instructing them to be ready when they should come. The hour was uncertain, but it would be at night. The virgins all went with their lamps-they waited long-and at last were taken by surprise. There was a cry at midnight that the bridegroom was at hand. Five of them had provided against all surprise, by taking care to have oil in their vessels from the very first; five of them had exercised no such forethought, and were running about for oil just when

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their lights were called for. The former, therefore, went in to the marriage; the latter were shut out. And when they, by and by, came and knocked, no entrance was allowed them. "I know ye not," was all the answer they could get.

parable is against a And to those who

I need not say that the moral of this death-bed repentance, as it is called. secretly lean on the hope of it, and allow themselves in sin in the mean season, I recommend it strongly for consideration; for it holds out very little hope to them, and, taken in connection with what follows in the same chapter, excites the very strongest apprehensions.

The bridegroom in the parable was not unreasonable; he had told the women beforehand that he should come soon, though he did not say how soon, and that when he came their lamps must be found ready. There was oil enough to be had near at hand, for at the last extremity the foolish five knew where to look for it, though they had neglected to look for it till then, Neither - it was to be had therefore. was he unreasonable in having the door shut against them, when, after the warning he had given them and the means he had put in their way, they had still to seek when their services were required.

In all these particulars, Christ Jesus stands in the like position with respect to us His creatures. He has given us notice that He will come soon to call us to account, and may come suddenly. He has put into our way the means of grace, so that there can be no cause or excuse whatever for our being taken off our guard. If therefore, after all, He finds us off our guard when He comes, He will not wait till we can prepare ourselves then, but will accept those that are ready and reject for ever those that are not; shutting the door of heaven against them.

This application of the parable seems to be the plain and obvious one; and, as I said, speaks very intelligibly against the efficacy of a death-bed repentance.

The principle upon which this dealing of God with His creatures goes seems set forth in the other parable of the Talents which immediately follows this, and the purport of which is, to show that the Gospel is not so much a thing to die by, as a thing to live by. If, in the former instance, the late efforts of the five foolish virgins had been accepted, it would have argued that religion was for a man's latter end only; that a death-bed was its proper field, and that, provided that it was found then and there, it was enough. But the rejection of their services then showed that that time did not suffice. And a second lesson to the same effect, as I have said, is read in the parable of the Talents, which backs up the other. Here are servants represented as furnished with divers gifts by their master, to whom they are to account for the profitable use of them when the time of reckoning should come. Leisure is allowed them for improving those gifts; and he who has traded with them, and bettered them, has his reward, and he who has neglected them, and buried them, and turned them to no profit, has his punishment; the whole teaching us this -even the same lesson as before- that religion is a thing to live by, and not merely to die by. For these talents are religious principles, gospel knowledge; - godly means, in short, which God imparts to men and leaves with them, to see whether they will improve them, and live according to them, and make them fruitful— that is, they are principles which are to be cherished through life, and not in death only. For men trade with their money and put it to the exchanger whilst they are living men, and not when they are dying men ; and