The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1888-04-19
THE TEN VIRGINS.
International Sunday-School Les.
son for April "a, 1854



Time to Prepare for the Kingdom
They That Delay are Lost-safety
Only in tho Service of God.
Especially arranged from s. 8. Quarterly
LESSON TExT-Matt 25: 1-13
GOLDEN TExr-And they that were ready,
went In with Him to the marriage; and the
door was shut-Matt. 25:10
CENTRAL TRUTH-The duty Of preparing
now for the future
TrME-Tuesday afternoon, April 4. Imme-
diately after the last lesson. PLACE-On
the Mount Of Olives.
INTRoDUCTIoN-This most beautiful and
touching parable impresses the same truth
as the last lesson, in another way.
HELPS OVER HARD PLAcEs-1. 7ncn: at
the coming Of the Lord. The Gospel re-
wards are like wedding feast. Ten Vir-
gins: representing the whole Of the pro-
fcssed followers Of Christ. LAMPS: small
vessels with o wick and small quantity of
oil, in these professions placed on q stick,
like torch, representing the outward pro-
fession and form of religion; what appears
to men. Went forth to meet the bridegroom:
in Oriental weddings the bridegroom went
to the house of the bride, and then took
her with him to his own house by
night, in great procession with
torches and music. At his house was
the wedding banquet. 2. Five scers ,cise:
the true Christians. Five acre foolish: the
mere professors, without true religion in
their hearts. They were foolish not to be
prepared for the future. 8. Foolish took no
oil: except what was in their lamps. The
oil represents tho character out Of which
the outward life grows. In the foolish vir-
gins 1t was mere emotion, excitement, tran
sient feelings, outward motives. Like the
seed sown upon stony ground that had no
root. 4. The USe took oil In their vessels:
their religious life grew out Of real princi-
pie, an earnest character, q new heart,
created and sustained by the Holy Spirit. 8.
They all slumbered and slept: while waiting
at some place for tho procession to come
that they might join it. This is said to
show how unexpectedly Christ will come to
oil. The wise slept in peaceful trust-the
foolish in false security. O. The bridegroom
co,neth. the bridegroom is Christ, when He
comes to judge the world. To us He prac-
tically comes at death. In sense He
comes at every crisis Of our lives. 9. Not
80; lest there be not enough: it is impossible to
give another our character, our new hearts,
our preparation. Go TO them that sell: go to
Him who alone can give you the needed
preparation. 10. And the door ,cas shut: it
was too late then to make preparation, and
there was no possibility Of entering
without it. The door is often shut to
those who have not prepared them
selves by faith and love and true
service, for the opportunities Of being and
doing good, for death-for Heaven. There
is q "too late" 12. know you not: 1 do
not recognize you as one of those who
should como in. You do not belong here.
ILLUSTRATIoN-Ata o marriage, the process
oiop Of which I aaNv aOrno yaara opn tho
bridegroom came from distance, and the
bride lived at Seramporc, to which place
the bridegroom was to come by water After
waiting two or three hours, at length, near
midnight, it was announced, as if in the very
words of Scripture, Behold the bridegroom
cometh, go ne out to meet him. All the persons
employed now lighted their lamps, and ran
with them in their hands, to fill up their
stations in the procession. Some Of them
had lost their lights, and We're unprepared;
but it was then too late to seek them, and
the cavelcade moved forward to the house
Of the bride, at which place the company
entered a large and splepdidly illuminated
area before the house, covered with an
awning, where great multitude Of friends,
dressed In their best apparel, were seated
upon mats. Tho bridegroom was placed
upon superb seat in tho midst OF tho com.
went into the house, the door Of which was
Immediately shut and guarded by sepoys.
and others cxpostulated with tho door,
keepers, but IN vain. Never was 1 SO struck
with our Lords beautiful parable as Of this
| moment; aud the door Tds shut. Twas exceed
ingly anxious to be present while the mar
riage formulas Were repeated, but was
obliged to depart in disappointment.-W W.
| Ward.
CoMMENTs.-By the coming Of the bride
| groom, our Saviour meant to set forth His
| own return to this world. For this His dis
| Ciples are always to watch. But there is o
sense in which Jesus comes to every one in
death, and for this also We must be on the
watch. To most people death comes unex-
pectsdly. Very few expect to die just when
they do. Even old people think they will
live IA little longer" But some sudden &C
cident, or tho swift invasion Of disease, car
ries many away when they least expect 1t.
] presume that out of twenty cases, in nine
teen death came both in an unexpected time
and way. This Is why the Saviour warns
men to be always ready For the very worst
time to prepare for death is when death is
nearest. "In time OF peace prepare for
war;" is good motto, sad In life prepare
for DEATH" Is o good maxim.
There werc ten virgins in that company,
| Outwardly there was no difference between
them. They all seemed to be prepared
| for the coming bridegroom. Yet wo ore
told that five Of them were wise and five
foolish. Ono set had made adequate
preparation, while the other set had neg
lected to do So Only when the cry went
out was it evident that they were moi
ready. Up till the last moment they thought
they would receive welcome. But
then their eyes were opened, and they re
allied their lost condition. Just so, in every
Sunday-school, there are those who are
ready and those who arc unprepared. Side
by side they sit, and Outwardly there is nc
difference between them, yet some are
ready for tho call and some are not. There
are even those who ore members Of the
church who are not really followers of the
Lord Jesus. They expect to be received
by Him, but alas are doomed to bitter dis
appointment. Would it not have been wise
for the foolish virgins to make sure Of theil
condition before it was too lates And would
it not be wise for US to do the samel W.
can all be sure Of our title to the Kingdom
Of God, if we want to be. Why stop, then
with any thing short Of perfect assurance
| -liev. a. r.. Sch0ut5sr.