The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-09-28
THE WISE AND
FOOLISH VIRGINS
Sunday School Lesson for Oct. 2, 1910
Specially Arranged for This Paper

GOLDEN TEXT.-"Be we therefore
ready also: for the Son of man cometh
It 1s:a a. hour when We think n0t'"-huke
TIME.-Tuesday afternoon. April 4.
A. D. 80.
PLACE.-on the Mount OF olives
overlooking Jerusalem. on his way ts
Bethany.
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
This is n of the most beautiful and
touching of the parallels. Poetry,
painting and the drama have combined
to give it an exceptional hold on the
Christian imagination. The weird
pathos of the story Is unspeakable.
The occasion is so happy, the agents
so interesting, the issue so tragic. The
story is a picture of an oriental we'd
ding. Among those friends of the bride
who waited to join the procession were
ten virgins. While they were waiting.
the time Of the procession being ever
unknown. they became drowsy and
slept in peace, knowing that the shouts
and cries of the coming crowd would
awaken them in time. They had no
anxiety; the wise, because they had
faith and were prepared; the foolish,
by false security and by ignoring the
future.
The ten virgins had to wait till about
midnight, when through the still air
came shrili and clear those peculiar
shrill, q%uavering cries Of JOY. called
Zugaret, which are heard throughout
the east On occasions of special re-
joicing. (See Rev. 1861" And they
heard the cry: Behold, the bridegroom
cometh; go ye out to meet him.
The wise virgins trimmed and re-
plenished their lamps with the oil
which they had the forethought to
bring with them.
The foolish found their lamps burned
out, but they had been too careless
to bring extra oil with them. They
begged oil of the wise, but they had
none left; and advised the foolish to
go to. the source of supply where they
should have gone earlier. While they
were gone, the procession reached its
destination; those who were ready
vent in to the marriage festival. And
the door was shut. Like Esau the
foolish virgins came too late for the
blessing. They had thrown away their
opportunity.
The Lord was soon to depart by the
way of the cross. But he promised to
return. He came back in the resur.
rection. He came in the coming OF
the Spirit of the day of Pentecost. He
came at the destruction of Jerusalem.
He is coming in glory at the last day.
when his kingdom shall come and his
will be done on earth as 1t is in heay.
en-. The same principles apply to all
whatever may be our understanding OF
the promise.
Every crisis of our lives, every open.
ing of opportunity. every crisis of the
world or the church may be called In
its degree a coming of the Lord whose
providence Is over all. Cd The com.
Ing is something Of the greatest value
and blessing. 1t is like the wedding
festival, full of the best Of life. Even
In the subordinate comings and crises
of our lives, there Is always a door, an
invitation, to something better than
we have had. Even death Is a gate to
heaven. (2) The time Of the coming
Is always unknown, for We know Meth
er the day mol the hour wherein the
Son of man cometh.
In What Way Are We to Watch?
The company Of watchers was divided
into two classes, the wise and the
foolish. The equality of numbers has
no bearing on the proportion of per-
sons In real life who are wise or
foolish.
The lamps signify the outward pro-
f%ession, and the possibilities. All had
some light, they had religious feelings,
they were moved by the influences of
the Holy Spirit.
The oil is the spiritual life, the
heart, which is the source of the flame,
the visible manifestations Of the
Christian spirit. But this significance
was shown only by the burning lamp.
Those who took vessels of oil, a per-
manent supply, were those who had
the living reality Of that which they
professed, who put into practise. into
character, that which shone forth from
their lamps.
Those who took no supply of oil
had a surface feeling. like the seed
sown on rocky soil, which sprang up
quickly and endured till persecution or
trouble arose Matt. 1876, 6, 20, 21).
They had no deep religious feelings,
nothing wrought into thGr character,
10 abiding principles which led them
to live up to their professions and
hopes.
Watchfulness consists in being pre-
pared for every emergency, and every
duty, as the wise virgins watched by
having their lamps continually burn
ing, and a full supply Of oil to keep
them burning.
Reader Harris, leader of the Pen
tecostal league, and ali eminent law
yer, got his first lift in life significant
ly. Employed in a drawing office of
the Great Western Railway company's
engineering shops, he found young
men were occasionally sent down the
line on responsible commissions. Re-
ceiving instructions in the morning,
they spent the day preparing to start.
Shocked AT the waste NJ time he filled