What would you have us do ? I will only press you to three things : —
[1.] Let your belief be sound and firm to the great articles of Christianity. It is faith enlivens all our notions of God : John vi. 69, ' We believe and are sure that thou art Jesus the Son of God.'
[2.] Let your resolutions for God be unbounded, Ps. cxix. 112. You never knew a man fall off from God, but he loved some secret lust, some corruption was left unmortified, though for the present it did not appear to the party himself ; this in time will break out, and cause some scandalous fall.
[3.] I would have you put it out of all question by the lively exercise of your grace, and by your diligence in the spiritual life, Phil. ii. 12 ; and in time it will grow up into an evidence, 2 Peter i. 5 ; Luke xiii. 3. Nothing will yield you comfort but the exercising and increasing grace.
SERMON II.
They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them : but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. — Mat. XXV. 3, 4.
Not only the openly wicked, those that eat and drink with the drunken, are rejected, but those that have some show of godliness ; yea, hopeful beginnings, but not improved, is the drift of this parable.
332 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. II.
We have considered wherein the ten virgins agree ; now, wherein they differ : they had so much wisdom to take their lamps with them, but so much folly as to take no oil in their vessels. These vessels were annexed to their lamps, or that part of the lamp which was kindled and lighted. By the lamps are meant outward profession, Mat. v. 16 ; by the oil, the Spirit, called ' the anointing which abideth in us,' 1 John ii. 27. Now the foolish virgins are such inconsiderate Chris- tians as content themselves with the name and blaze of outward profession, neglecting the great work within ; namely, an inward principle of grace, which should maintain their profession before men, and their uprightness before God ; they had only some transient motions of the Spirit, or inclinations to that which is good, enough to keep up their present profession, bat not to hold out and suffice at Christ's coming. But the wise virgins, that had oil in their vessels, with their lamps, are sound and solid Christians, who, with the lamps of external profession, are careful to be furnished inwardly with the graces of the Holy Spirit.
Doct. 1. It is not enough to have oil in our lamps, but we must have oil in our vessels also.
Doct, 2. This will be found to be our true wisdom, and the other to be the greatest folly.
For the first point, that it is not enough to have oil in our lamps, but we must have oil in our vessels also, let me explain this point in these propositions : —
1. Profession must not be neglected : both the wise and the foolish took their lamps with them. Burning profession is twofold — vocal and real. Vocal : Kom. x. 9, ' If thou shalt confess with thy mouth, and believe with thy heart.' Christ will be owned by those that are his. Christ's followers need not be ashamed of avowing their master. Faith should not, and love cannot be smothered and hidden ; therefore profession is as necessary as believing in its kind. Again, there is a real profession, not so much by word of mouth as by constant practice and conversation ; so Christians are bidden to ' shine as lights,' Phil, ii. 15. This is for the glory of God, Mat. v. 16, and the honour of Christ that it should be so ; therefore the apostle prayeth, 2 Thes. i. 11, 12, 'Wherefore we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power, that the name of the Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you.' It is not meant of the illicit acts, but the fruit that it produceth ; and it is for the honour of the truth. Suitable practice joined with profession puts a majesty and splendour on the truth, and recommendeth it to the consciences of beholders : Titus ii. 10, ' Adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour.' It is not so much by good words and expressions that Christians do put a loveliness and beauty upon the ways of God, as by ordering their ways with all strictness and gravity; so that this fair profession is of great use, especially the real part ; it is an evidence that all is right within, for the breaking out of sin and folly in the life clearly evidenceth the power and prevalency of unmortified lusts in the heart; therefore we must keep our lamps burning ; the foolish and the wise did both well in that.
Vers. 3, 4.] sermons upon matthew xxv. 333