EC alfo the other virgins, faying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I fay unto you, I know you not, Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day, nor "C the hour, when the Son of Man cometh.”— Jefus Chrift hath given a moft excellent leffon to all those who wish to inherit eternal life, and to enter into the marriage fupper of the Lamb; and has fhewn them the fatal effects of delaying the preparatives neceffary for conducting them, at all times, into this heavenly banquet.-Under this parable of the virgins, he hath likewife pointed out the state of all mankind, with respect to their heavenly Father. By the wife virgins, he means those who are always prepared to meet their Lord, not only when he calls them to follow him, in the ftate of regeneration, but even when he fummons their immortal part to quit its earthly habitation, they are always ready to obey him; and regard the inftrument which he has employed for that purpose with a smile of contentment, faying, Thou art death, but thou haft loft thy fting. By the oil which thofe virgins took in their lamps is meant the faith in the merits of the Son of God, which is reprefented as abfolutely neceffary to enter into the marriage feaft. Under the character of the foolish virgins is set forth the ftate of those, who although their lamps are trimmed, and they express a defire to be partakers of this joyful event, have neglected to provide themselves with the effential part, the

But, notwithstanding this fervant had received so much mercy and compaffion from his Lord, he would not forgive one of his fellow-fervants, who owed him only one hundred pence, although the latter fell at his feet, and begged him to have patience with him, and he would pay him the whole, but caft him into prifon till he should pay the debt.Whereupon the Lord, when he heard of it, called this fervant to him, and faid unto him, O thou wicked fervant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou defiredft me; Shouldeft not thou alfo have had compaffion upon thy fellow-fervant, even as I had pity on thee? And his Lord delivered him to the tormentors till he should pay all that was due to him." So likewife," fays Chrift, fhall my

66

heavenly Father do alfo to you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother "their trefpaffes."

The examples of which I have here taken notice, are fufficient to explain this fundamental part of the doctrine of Jefus Chrift, which points out the situation that we are in, with respect to the Father of fpirits. We may learn from hence, that we have all offended him, and, if his Almighty juftice alone was to take place, are liable to be delivered over to the tormentors; but that, if we will humbly pray for mercy, and acknowledge our faults, we fhall be freely forgiven, let our debts be ever fo great; but our pardon will be granted only on this condition, that we equally forgive all our fellow-creatures who have offended us.

No

No other preacher, or lawgiver, has ever given us fuch a plain and clear account of the tranfcendent mercy and goodness of the Supreme Being, or of his univerfal bounty and justice towards mankind. All that Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, and the principal of the ancient philosophers, taught their followers, or wrote upon this head, is fo full of obfcurity and confufion, that nothing certain is to be gathered therefrom. The voice of nature teaches us, that an Omnipotent Being, who has created us, and who is our Almighty Protector, fhould be juft and benevolent; but even this faithful guide never taught us the boundlefs mercy and goodness which, as we learn from the doctrine of Jefus Chrift, he is always ready to fhew even to his disobedient children, whenever they come to have a fenfe of their bad conduct, and, like the Prodigal Son, return again, and throw themselves at the feet of their offended Father.

Again, we are told, in another place *, that a certain lawyer came to Christ, and tempted him, faying, Mafter, what fhall I do to inherit eternal life? to which Jefus answered, What is written in the Law? How readeft thou? The lawyer, answering, faid, Thou fhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy foul, with all thy ftrength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyfelf. Jefus faid unto him, Thou haft rightly anfwered; this do, and thou

fhalt live. But the lawyer, willing to juftify himfelf, faid unto Jefus; And who is my neighbour? And Jefus, anfwering, faid, A certain man went down from Jerufalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stript him of his raiment, wounded him, and left him half dead. And by chance there came a certain priest that way; and when he faw him, he paffed by on the other fide, A Levite likewife came by that way, looked on him, and followed the example of the prieft. But a certain Samaritan, a ftranger, being on his journey, came by where he was, and, when he faw him, he had compaffion on him, bound up his wounds, fet him upon his own beast, carried him to the inn, and took all the care poffible of him. Now, fays Chrift to the lawyer, which of thefe three thinkeft thou was the neighbour unto him who fell among the thieves? To which the latter answered, He that fhewed mercy on him. Then faid Jefus, Go and do thou likewife.-We fee here a very juft reproof for those who imagine that the having the knowledge only of the laws, and of the commandments of God, and keeping up a fhew of godlinefs, is fufficient to fave them, and to fet them above the rest of mankind, without entering into the fpirit of it, or employing thofe talents which the Supreme Being has given them, for the ufe and benefit of their fellow-creatures, But, that no perfon fhould plead ignorance of this important point, Jefus Chrift hath fully explained it, and its confequences; by likening the king

dom

dom of heaven unto a man who was about to travel into a far country, and when he had called his own fervants, he delivered unto them his goods. Unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his feveral abilities; and then took his journey. Whereupon he who had received the five talents went and traded with the fame, and gained other five talents; and likewife he who had received the two, gained alfo other two. But he who had received the one talent went and digged in the earth, and hid his Lord's money. After a long time the Lord of thofe fervants returned, and reckoned with them; when he that had received the five talents came and fhewed his Lord other five talents that he had gained by them, and received his Lord's approbation, Well ་ done, good and faithful fervant; enter thou into "the joy of thy Lord." He likewife who had

received the two talents came and received the fame joyful welcome. But he who had received the one talent came, and faid, Lord, I knew σε thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where

thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou "haft not strawed." And, through fear, I went and hid thy money in the earth, that thou mighteft receive what is thine. But his Lord answered, and said unto him, Thou wicked and flothful fervant, if thou hadst known my character to have been fuch, as thou haft defcribed it, Matthew xxv.

thou