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8. At that time the wife Virgins having Oil in their Veffels, fupply'd their Lamps; But the foolish ones having no Oil, and finding that their Lamps were ready to go out, began to beg Oil of the wife: Thus at the Siege of Jerufalem, the Chriftians having been warned by Chrift, were ready to make their efcape; but the Jews were furpris'd in it: And thus fincere and good Men, at the approach of Death and Judgment,having before exercised themfelves to an habitual Practice of Piety and Virtue, and having laid up for themselves a provifion of good Works, are not greatly furpriz'd, but can readily frame and prepare their Minds for it; But thofe, whofe Religion confifts. merely in outward Form, finding that this will not bear them out in the Day of Judgment, fhall be greatly furpriz'd at the apprehenfion of it, and become follicitous to purchase true Virtue then at any rate.

9. But the wife Virgins told them, that 'twas impoffible for them to furnish them with Oil; and that they could not be fupplied with it any other way, than by going to thofe that fell, and buying it: Thus the unbelieving Jews found, when the City came to be befieged, that 'twas too late to provide for their Efcape: And thus wicked Men, under the apprehenfions of Death and Judgment, find too late that nothing will fupport them in that Day, without that Preparation which they ought in time to have made for it by a good Life.

10. In the mean Time the Bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the Feast, and the Door was fhut: Thus, When the City

I

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was fuddenly befieged, the Chriftians who had taken Chrift's Warning, efcaped; But the reft were fhut up: And thus while Men are variously employ'd, and contriving many things, Death and Judgment feizes them; and they who are then found ready and prepared, are received and rewarded by Chrift.

II 12. But the foolish Virgins, coming afterwards and defiring ad. mittance, were shut out and rejected: Thus the Jews, after their final Deftruction came upon them, cried for Mercy too late: And thus thofe, whom Chrift at Judgment finds unprepared, are, notwithstanding their earnest and too late Entreaties, difowned and rejected by him.

13. Watch ye therefore, and be always prepared, after the Example of the wife Virgins; becaufe ye know not the Time, when your Lord cometh to call you to an Account; and it will then be too late to prepare for it, when he is come to reward every Man according to his paft doings.

14. Again, the State of the Gofpel, and the Method of God's Difpenfations and Dealings with Mankind, may be fitly reprefented by this Similitude. A certain Man, being to take a long fourney into a far Country, divided his Stock amongst his Servants, to trade with till his return: Thus Chrift preached the Will of God to Mankind, while he continued here on Earth; and at his Second coming, will expect an Account of their Improvement under it.

15. Now to one he gave five Talents, to another two, to another one, according to each one's Prudence and Ability :

and

and then took his Journey; expecting that every one should make an improvement proportionable to what had been committed to him: Thus the Gifts and Abilities wherewith God intrufts Men, are many and various; and Chrift at his Second Coming will require an Account of each one, proportionable to his Power and Opportunities of doing good.

16 & 17. Then he that had five Tatents, traded and gained five others; likewife he that had two Talents, traded and gained two more: Thus fome Men improve, according to their proportion, thofe Gifts and Faculties wherewith God has endued them, to the increase of Religion, and the good of the World.

18. But be that had received one Talent, traded not with it, but hid it up, and it became ufelefs: Thus other Men make no Improvements of those Gifts wherewith God has bleffed them, but they live idly, and are ufelefs in the World.

19. After a long time, the Lord of thefe Servants returned home, and called them all to an Account. Thus Chrift, when the Time that God has appointed is accomplished, shall return and call all Men before him to Judgment.

20 & 21. Then he that had five Talents, gave in his Account, that he bad traded with them and gained five Talents more; And his Lord comxnended him for having been faithful in a fmall Trust, and advanced him to a Place of greater Honour, and gave him a very great Reward: Thus thofe who at the Coming of Chrift, fhall appear to have imployed and improved

to his feveral ability, and ftraightway, took his journey.

16 Then he that

had received the five

talents, went and and made them other traded with the fame, five talents.

17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.

18 But he that had received one, went and digged in the earth, and hid his

lords money.

19 After a long time, the lord of those fervants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

20 And fo he that had received five tacame and

lents,
brought other five
talents, faying, Lord,
thou deliveredit un-
to me five talents:
behold I have gained
befides them five ta-

lents more.

21 His lord faid unto him, Well done thou good and faithful fervant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over thou into the joy of many things: enter thy lord.

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23 His lord faid unto him, Well done, good and faithful fervant; thou haft

been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

24 Then he which had received the one talent,came and faid, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou haft not fown, and gathering where thou haft not strawed.

25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth lo there thou haft that is thine.

:

26 His lord anfwered and faid unto him, Thou wicked and flothful fervant,

thou knewest that I reap where I fowed not, and gather where

I have not ftrawed: 27 Thou oughteft therefore to have

their feveral Gifts, fhall be rewarded by him with Eternal Life.

22 & 23. In like manner, he that had two Talents, gave in his Account, that he had traded with them and gained two Talents more: And his Lord commended him alfo for having been faithful in a smaller Truft, and gave him likewife a great Reward: Thus those who have lefs or fewer Abilities than others, if they do but improve and use them in their several Proportions, shall yet likewise be rewarded with Eternal Life.

24 & 25. But he that had received one Talent, and made no ufe of it, began to excufe his own Negligence, by accufing his Lord's Severity in exacting more of him than had been committed to him: Thus wicked Men, who make no use of thofe Abilities which God has given them, think it a Hardship that God fhould require them to take Pains and improve his Gifts, and employ and use them for the Good of the World.

26 & 27. But his Lord answered and faid; You are an idle and flothful Perfon; If you knew that I expected an Improvement of what I left you, why did you not trade with my Money, that when I came home, I might have received my own with Increafe? Thus wicked Men at the Day of Judgment fhall be filenced and condemned, because though they knew that God expected they fhould imploy and improve his Gifts to his Honour, and to their own and others Advantage, yet they were flothful and did it not.

28, 29 & 30. Take away therefore from this flothful Servant his one Talent, and give it to him that has ten, that he may increafe more and more; and caft the unprofitable Servant out of doors into Darkness and Mifery: Thus God, to those who improve his Gifts and Graces, does in this prefent time add continually more and more affiftance, and finally rewards them with Eternal Life; But from thofe, who improve not his Grace and Affiftance, he in this prefent time withdraws even what he had already given, and finally condemns them to everlafting Punish

ment.

31. Now the manner in which Chrift fhall judge the World, is this. He fhall appear in the Glory and Majefty of God, accompanied with a numberlefs Retinue of Angels, and shall fit upon a Glorious and Magnificent Throne.

32. And all Mankind fhall be fummoned before him, Princes and mean Perfons, Rich and Poor, Jews and Gentiles, good Men and bad: fo that nothing fhall excufe any one from appearing And he fhall judge them with an impartial and unerring Judgment; and fhall feparate the Good from the Bad, as a Shepherd feparateth the Goats from the Sheep.

33. And the Good he fhall place by

themselves on the one hand, and the Bad by themfelves on the other.

put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with ufury.

28 Take therefore

the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

29 For unto every one that hath fhall be

given, and he fhall

have abundance: but from him that hath not fhall be taken away, even that which he hath.

30 And caft ye the unprofitable_fervant there fhall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

into outer darkness:

31 When the Son of man fhall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then fhall he fit upon the throne of his glory.

32 And before him fhall be gathered all nations; and he fhall feparate them one from another, as his fheep from the a fhepherd divideth

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