15. and the friends of the bridegroom, in John iii. 29. The bridemaids, who were ordinarily ten in number, having notice of the bridegroom's coming, went out with lighted lamps to meet him, and to conduct him and his train to the betrothed party. And as it was the the duty of their place for these virgins to wait the bridegroom's time, however late his coming might be; so upon his and his companions entering the house, the door was shut.

I told you, that watchfulness, as opposed to sloth and slumber, and as consisting in an expectation of Christ's coming, and preparedness to meet him, is the point about which he is solicitous to impress the minds of his disciples. To effect this the better, he supposes such a marriage as I have now described; and that out of the ten virgins who were to attend the bridegroom, five only were so provident as to lay in a stock of oil, that might feed their lamps, however tedious the bridegroom might be in his coming: the other five being thoughtless about the matter, and so the oil they had, wasted, and their lamps out, before he came.. Starting out of the slumber, to which they had given way, upon his tarrying, through the alarm of the bridegroom's approach, they are in great consternation: try to get a recruit, but too late; for they had oil to buy, when they should have had it to use. While they are thus busied, such as were ready enter the house with him,. and there is no room for them.. They are treated as unworthy

of the honor, about the securing which they had expressed so scandalous an indifference.

I shall make no other application of this parable, than as it shall come in my way, in discoursing upon these propositions following; viz.

Prop. I. That among such as make profession of Christianity, very many are but mere professors. Five only out of the ten virgins had oil in their vessels, and no more entered at last with the bridegroom into the marriage, though they all went out to meet him. They are not all Israel, which are of Israel.

Prop. II. That the truth of grace infers not an absolute freedom from infirmities. It may sometimes be said of wise as well as foolish virgins, that they slumber and sleep.

Prop. III. That Christ often comes to our particular judgment, in that very season wherein we least looked for him. At midnight there was a cry made, behold the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him!

Prop. IV. That it is to be with us to eternity, according to the state and condition Christ finds us in at his coming. They that were ready went in with him to the marriage; the unready had the door shut against them forever.

Prop. V. That our being left in the dark about the time of our death, and the Judgment day, while assured of the certainty of both, should be a sufficient motive to our watchfulness, that we may be found in peace. Watch therefore, for ye know neither

the day nor the hour, wherein the Son of man cometh.

We begin with the

I. Prop. which was this, viz. That among such as make a profession of Christianity, very many are mere professors. You may observe, that not one of the persons of whom our Lord does here make mention, appeared to be a libertine; to live without God in the world, and as if under no law to Christ. He tells us, that all the ten were virgins, i. e. persons separated from the rest of mankind by a credible profession of Christianity; and such as seemed to have escaped the gross corruption and pollution that is in the world through lust.

The ten set out, as if agreed in the same design, of meeting the bridegroom. They profess to believe a future state, and that their main errand into this world, is to get ready for the enjoyment of a better. Carrying their lamps, was telling mankind, that they would be accounted the friends of Christ; and that if a little service might suffice, they would' reflect a lustre upon their profession by some good works. Thus far do even such go, whom we find in the sequel of the parable to be castaways. They make a gay shew in the flesh; but could Christ say to them (as he does) I know you not, had they been partakers of his grace in truth? Or could they have been everlastingly banished heaven, supposing them to have been Christians indeed, without violating that covenant, which is represented as well ordered in all things, and sure? What is said

of them, proves that they made a profession; and what happened to them (as the issue of their affairs) that they were mere professors. As a warning to hypocrites and formalists in all succeeding ages, our Lord transmits the memory of these persons to posterity, branded with the imputation of the most egregious folly. He enters them upon record as foolish virgins..

Before I leave this head, it may not be amiss to spend a few thoughts for settling the particulars following; viz.

I. To show you whence it is that any are influenced to take up a profession of religion, and reach no further.

II. To expose their folly who have lamps only, without oil in their vessels, or take up with a powerless form of godliness.

I. Let me show you whence it is that any take up a profession of religion, who live and die mere professors. And,

1. In some this profession is taken up, purely through the influence of education. Though it is not universally true without any exceptions, yet that maxim of the wise man's will generally hold, viz. Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it: Prov. xxii. 6. Were this question put to many in the professing world, What is the reason of your hope? why do you name Christ's name upon you? why choose your lot with God's despised people? or adhere to

:

Christians distinguished by this or the other particular denomination? The substance of their reply would be resolved into this, viz. We were brought up this way this was the religion of our forefathers, and we act as we had them for examples. A conviction of the truth of Christianity, is not the spring of their profession; or God's owning and blessing this way of worshipping him, more than another, the motive to their embracing it. It is by accident that such as these own Christianity in any form; for had their ancestors been libertines, it is not improbable that they would be so too, as their religion is founded in à family precedent.

Now, though we thus retain the influence of education, and by being descended from those who truly feared God, may be secured against downright profaneness, or engaged to take upon us a profession of religion; yet since the saving grace of God comes not to us in the way of natural descent, since they cannot derive to us a divine 13ture, who are the means of communicating to us this corrupt nature, it is plain that, through the force of education, I may be a Christian in appearance, without having taken one step in the way of life: my voice may be Jacob's and my hands Esau's; I may have a lamp without oil, and be dead while I live. It is a happiness to proceed from such as have been God's covenanted servants, and a privilege to have enjoyed an early pious education; but real Christianity is somewhat more than all