Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-11-19

his way to the wedding banquet hall
with the empty lamp of good works"
When the Bridegroom cometh il will
then he for us as dark as midnight I'M
less we prepare our spiritual oil in
christ'S own way. Faith without
works is dead Work without faith"
In the sight of the Divine Bridegroom.
is also as black as the tomb. If we
find our gospel mendicants among
those who are depending upon their
mothers and fathers conservation we
also find them among those who would
call upon the name Of Jesus Christ as
fetch and those who are depending
entirely upon their good works"
think. however. that the majority
of spiritual beggars can be found and
always will he found among those who
expect some day to consccratc their
lives to Jesus Christ. but keep putting
off the acceptance week by week and
day hy day and hour by hour until
suddenly the cry Is taken up. Behold
the bridegroom cometh: go We ont to
meet him." and they will he called IN
I
these foolish virgins Deliberately in
tended TO he unprepared for the COM
ing of the bridegroom. They intended
to go and get the oil which is the SYM
Dol OF the spiritual life But they kept
saying to each other. ''Oh. we will go
/ tomorrow" or I'VE will go next week."
or We will go next month. There Is
MI of 10 ~
Prepare For Old Age.
These gospel mendicants can find
their exact symbols In the financial
lives of every man and woman who
live day by day and never provide for
the futures rainy day. go to you
and say. Jones. you ought to look out
for your financial interests and those
of your family" You get very indig-
nant. You answer me sharply and say:
Il do not know that you have right
to give me such advice. / am looking
after myself. Il am paying my bills
and owe no man anything" Il know
It, JONES'" | reply. but you are not
saving anything for the future. You
are not preparing for future sickness
or old age or even death. You are liv-
ing up to every cent Of your income
If you should die tomorrow your fami-
~ would not have cent" At once
your face becomes earnest You say:
THAT is so. | have not n cent laid
up for the future. Last week my little
girl found Il gray hair in my head,
and ii was warning for me to pre-
a.. III
from me. and your new resolve is
soon forgotten. A couple OF years later
l read in tile newspaper that you were
in Il railroad wreck Your leg was
crushed and had to be amputated Or
l hear from some one that you are in
hard financial straits ON account Of q
long typhoid sickness. I go to your
late home and find that you have
moved Your house is now Il very
humble one After calling short time
l say. well. Jones. how are you get
ting along iinancially:' You hesitate
a moment. Then you gulp down big
lump in your throat as you answer: Il
have not cent left. My doctors bills
and the loss OF my position have swept
away everything Alas. know now
what you meant when you said. Jones.
lay up for the future But did not
think the rainy day would come so
Soon."
That Is the figure of my parable
The duty that was always being post
poned was postponed too long. The
oil that those foolish virgins should
have had was not there when it was
needed While the Bridegroom tar
ried they all slumbered and slept. And
at midnight there was cry. Behold
the Bridegroom cometh.' That means,
when the last call for repentance came
it came suddenly. The Bridegroom al
ways comes suddenly. Then what hap
pencd! Why. the five foolish virgins,
who I'm the near future expected to
have the spiritual oil prepared. were
found without the necessary prepara-
ton. Those that We're prepared went
to the wedding. The door was shut
Those who were not prepared had to
stay out The five foolish virgins be-
came spiritual bankrupts forever. Oh.
my friends. are you and l going to
make the awful mistake Of putting Off
and putting off and putting off the
day necessary for the conservation of
our hearts and lives for the coming of
the Divine Bridegroom?
Coming of the Bridegroom.
The coming of the Bridegroom may
be expected at any moment. The BIZ
BILE distinctly says so. When Christ
comes as the bridegroom he will come
as unexpectedly as thief In the night
at place and at an hour when lie is
least expected. Rev. DIR. Wallace. late
American consul to Jerusalem. once
told me that nearly all the American
Christian residents OF the Davidic cap
ital were living there in the belief that
when Christ should first appear upon
earth he would be seen standing among
the .Judaean hills, and therefore they
were there waiting to welcome him.
But Christ when he comes will appear
unto us in America as well as though
we were in Europe or Asia or Africa.
Therefore. like old Robert McCheyne.
I cry: Prepare. Prepare! Prepare
for ba ..n,n;un ~ tho Dadaamar