3. Others think a habitual readiness will serve the turn. They mind present duties, but do not enliven them by the remembrance of the coming of the Lord ; or they have not done their main work, and therefore take more liberty about the world than others, and a greater liberty in the delights of sense; and therefore we have that caution,
VER. 10.] SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. 403
Luke xxi. 24, ' Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and the cares of this life ; and so that day come upon you unawares/ That will make you wither and contract ; deadness and drowsiness hinder your comfort and peace, and that cheerful testimony you may give for God to others ; as Peter's question, 'Lord, speakest thou to us, or to all? ' Luke xii. 41.
4. Many are ready, but think themselves unready. It concerneth them to study gospel grounds of comfort and peace, if they can endure the touchstone, though not the balance. Where there is a sincere bent of heart to please him, there is a law of liberty, James ii. 12 ; a law of liberty, not for the carnal, but the sincere ; not a law of trial, but of gospel liberty.
We now come to the third thing in the text, ' And the door was shut.' The shutting the door noteth the impossibility of getting our condition altered when the day of grace and trial is once over. There is a twofold door : — ■
1. Janua misericordicc ad ignoscendum — the door of Christ's pity and mercy to returning sinners : Mat. vii. 7, • Ask, and it shall be given you ; seek, and ye shall find ; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.' And John vi. 37, ' Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast off/ But then this door is shut.
2. Janua gratia*, ad convertendum — there is the door of repentance and conversion ; but there is no repentance when we are in termino. They may have a sense of their misery, but their habitual hatred to God remaineth : they that have wittingly and wilfully rejected his counsel, remain so still. The fire of hell doth not soften, but harden them ; their self-love may make them sensible of their pain.
Reason 1. His love to his people. Though Christ waiteth long for the preparation of the wicked, yet he will not always delay the desire of the godly.
Reason 2. His justice. It is fit that they that live so long in their unbelief, and disobedience of the counsels and precepts of the gospel, should at length find this dispensation continued, who grow unteachable and hardened in their negligences : Ps. xcv. 7, 8, ' To-day, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.'
Use. Is to press us to begin with God betimes. You that are young, take warning this day ; do not think there is time enough hereafter. You that are old, do not think it is too late, nor be ashamed to begin now. (1.) The present time is the only opportunity of salvation, or embracing the offer of God's grace, Heb. iii. 7 ; Ps. xcv. 7. Oh ! do not reject his counsel. (2.) Love is impatient of delay ; if we could hope to prevail with you that way. (3.) When the angels sinned, the Lord immediately shut the door against them ; to us he hath given leave, Acts xi. 13, 14, and ' space to repent,' Kev. ii. 21 ; let us not ' receive the grace of God in vain,' 2 Cor. vi. 1.
404 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. IX.
SERMON IX.
Afterwards came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you nob— Mat. XXV. 11, 12.
In these words we have two branches : —
1. The supplication of the foolish virgins, ver. 11.
2. The answer of the bridegroom, ver. 12.
In the first consider the time when it was. These foolish virgins came afterwards, when the door was shut.
Secondly, The blandishment and compellation here used, Lord, Lord.
First, For the time when it was. These virgins came afterwards, when it was too late. They should have knocked and cried for mercy before the door was shut : Isa. lv. 6, ' Seek the Lord while he may be found ; call upon him while he is near.' Otherwise our cries are but howlings, the fruit of our discontent rather than our own choice. Heb. xi. 5, it is said of Enoch that he pleased God. If we would live with God in a blessed estate hereafter, we must please God ere we depart hence. This is the time of grace, or God's patience : Luke ii. 14, * Peace upon earth, good- will to men ;' and 2 Cor. vi. 1, 2. This is the time of labour and service, Eccles. ix. 10. Judgment findeth us as death leaveth us, Eccles. xi. 3. Then we are in termino. When this life is ended, all opportunities of doing good end with it. Com doth not grow in the barn, but in the field ; therefore we had need to work now, seek grace now, be instant with God now : John ix. 4, ' I must work the work of him that sent me while it is day ; the night cometh, wherein no man can work.' And now, that is, not only while life lasteth, but instantly.