The Bridegroom's tarrying, i1gnifies Chrilt's delaying to come tg Judgment ; their Slumbering and Sleeping ſignifies the Infirmities of the beſt , Who leep, tho' their Hearts wake ; and the deeper Security of cthers in their Sinful Stare. The coming of the Bride. groom at Midnight, tignifiech Chriſt's coming in a dark time of Troubles and Attiittions, or at a time not looked for. The Vir. gins trimming their Lamps upon the Cry made, ſignifies the Care of Pious Souls, more etpecially upon any Notices of Chriſt's Coming, to prepare themſelves for the Meeting, and Reception of him. The fooliſh Virgins late diſcerning that their Lamps Were our, and that they wanted Oyl, lets us know, that Hypocrites and tormal Protet{ors will roo lare know, that Proteſſion without 2 Roor of Faith and true Regeneration will ferve them in yg ſtead. Their asking the wile Virgins to lend then ſome of theip Oyl , with their retuſfal , becauſe then they thould nor have cnough for themſelves, lets us know the wotfui Sins that Hy- pocrites will at laſt be pur co, and how vain cheir Hopes are who hope to be relieved from the Grace and Good it/o;bs of others. Their g1ing to buy Oyl, and their being ſhut out befcre rhey recurned, and Knocking in vain, and in vain crying, LJ Pen 79 21s; lets us know, Thar as rhe Tree falls fo it muſt lye ; Th; afrer our Buying Time in this Life, mentioned J/a. 55. 1, 2, is ex. pired, our Stare will be determined : That we are concerned to take the Counſel of Syomon, Ecclef. 9. 10, Whatſnever thy H.1;7 findeth to do, eſpecially for our Souls, to do it with thy might . fir there is no Work, nor Device, nor Knowleage, nr Wiſdom in the Ge11 6 whither thou goest, Theretore we are all concern'd to Watch, tar 1s, to. look that we have nor only Lamps, bur Oy! ro feed oyr Lamps , and to keep cur Lamps burning , becauſe we hny that the Bridegroom Chriſt will come, and we do ner know 1; what cime he will come to the General Judgment, or vur pr. ticular Judgment ; tor when we dye , we can d« no more + make our ſelves ready for the great Coming of C 5ſt ry jug... the World, but muſt appear before him as we £ our of ©; World. No Oyl, ater che determination of cur Lives, ij! be ro be bought; no further Preparation of ovr telvcs j5 5 be made, As our Lite leaveth us, Judgment will find us.
14 For the kingdom of heaven 7s as a wan trz- velling into a far country, who called his 1 ſervants, and delivered to them his goods :
I5 And unto one he gave hve || talents, and «© ,*; another rwo, and to another one, to every muy /- according to his ſeveral ability , and ftraightw; '-;
took his journey.
There is much the ſame Parable, Luk. 19. 12. but the difference 4
is ſo great in the Narration, and the Time, and Circumſtance, id Scope, ſeem 1o different, that the beſt Expoſitors think it :1/- ther,,and ſpoken ar anorher time, tho*' there be much « ti; in that: I ſhall therefore leave the Conſideration of ct: +1 Luke, until I meer with it in him, (tho' ſome Interpreters do t'.;;; this the fame with that) and only conſider this as 1t 15 Letrre 1; in this Evangelif, By the Kingdom of Heoven, is duubcichs ic,; to be underſtood the Oeconomy of Ged's Frovidencs in this G1 cl. Diſpenſations; the Man travelling into a far Country, is (» aſcending up to Heaven, who when he aſcended up mn high, cn Gifts unto Men, Eph. 4.8. By the Goods, which the 21,n is ſud to have delivered to his Servants, are to be underſtood rhe Gifts which God givech to Men, being himſelf (as to his glorious Pre- ſence, and his principal Refidence, which is in Heaven, at 1 grear diſtance from us) asa Man in a far Country; for I feeno reaſon to reftrain- theſe Gifrs to ſuch as flow from Ch riit as diator, but rather chuſe to interpret it generally of all the Giis of God, whether of Providence or Grace. Whereas v.15. it is ſaid that this Man divided his Goods to his Servants inequally, to one Five Talents , to another Two, to gncther One, to every Man is cording to bis ſeveral Ability ; it f1gnifietrh only God's inequil Diſtributzon of his Gifts of the Sons to Men according to his own good pleaſure; which is true, both concerning Natural Parts, Wit,Underſtanding, Fudgment, Memory; and concerning thoſe which che Heathens call Good Things of Fortune,as Kiches, Honours and Di;- nities ; Chriſtians call chem the Good Things of Providence; unde! which Notion alſo come all acquired Habits, or Indowments, ſuch as Learning , Knowledge, Moral Habits, 8c. which tho' acquired, are yer Gifts; becauſe ir is the ſame God who gives us pwr t0 get Wealth, as Moſes ſpeaks, Deut.8. 18. who alſo gives Men Poxe! ro ger Knowledge, and upon Study and Meditation to compre- hend che Natures, and Cauſes of Things, and alfo to govern, and bridle our Appetites. Or. the Gifts of more Special Proviaenc!, or Diſtinguiſhing Grace. I take all thoſe Powers given to Men, by which they are inabled ro do good, or to excel orhers, ' come under the Notion of the Go9ds here mentioned, whici God diftributech inequally according to his own good Pleafure, and as ſeemerh beſt ro his Heavenly Wiſdom, for the Govett- ment of the World , and the ordering of the Afffairs of ©!s Church ; of all which God will have an Account one Day, and reward Men according to the Improvement, or no Improvemen;, which they have made of them in their ſeveral Stations.
16 Then he that had received the five talents, went and rraded with the ſame , and made. 1b: other hve talents. :
17 And likewiſe he that had recerved two, he alſo gained other two. |
18 But he that had received one, went and dg; ged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. |
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