The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-09-30
gaturday. Digit
ToIkc By Rev. F. E DAWSON
N/uhhS Rutland, VI
1-fo+o+o4o4O4. 4O4.o4-o4o+o+o4o4o4
THE KING AND HIS NuPTlAL AT.
PENDANTS.
international Bible Lesson for Oct. 2,
'to-(Matt. 25:1-13).

OTlenttI ldnuS IL Is dtIShuSu WIZ
long-continued ceremonies and bois-
ferrous festivities, in which whole
communities unite. References TO
marriage customs are frequently met
with in the New Testament, and
Christ based some Of His most strik-
ing utterances upon them. In the para
Bile of the wise and foolish virgins he
emphasizes a great truth.
A Marriage Custom.
One OF the marriage customs in the
East includes company of young
women who attend the home coming
of the bride, with songs and dances.
They gather In some appointed place
and on a given signal, go out TO meet
the bridegroom with flaming torches
and conduct him to the nuptal feast.
Such company, says Christ, were
the ten virgins, five OF whom were
wise and five were foolish. For some
reason, in this instance, there was de-
lay so long continued that all the
watchers fell asleep. 1t was not un-
til the midnight-hour that the sleep
ers were awakened with the shout, Be
hold, the bridegroom cometh- Then
they all sprang up to trim their
lamps, when to their CONSERVATION,
five Of the attendants discovered that
their lights had burned out, and they
had no oil with which to replenish
them. Their fatal folly consisted in
their neglect to provide for the un-
looked for emergency. They were not
permitted TO enter the new home
with their empty lamps. The wise vir-
gins went in with Joy and gladness-
and the door was shut.
Character Not Transferable.
In such dramatic language Christ
points out the fact that personal piety
and readiness to meet the bridegroom
Of our souls-can neither be bought
nor borrowed. He who is wise must
be wise for himself, the foolish can
not have their lack supplied from the
fullness Of the wise.
The foolish virgins said to the wise
virgins, give US OF your oil for our
lamps are gone out" But the trans
fer could not be made. 1t was too
late to buy, 1t was impossible to bor-
row.
This is a startling, but perfectly
logical and matter-of-fact statement.
We can do much for Our fellowmen
in this life. II money is needed, we
can give them that. II employment
is required, we can help them TO that.
II office Is sought. we can assist them
in that. We can feed the hungry,
clothe the naked, give medicine to the
sick and comfort to the sorrowing,
but character cannot be transferred,
personal piety cannot be handed from
one to another. II one is wise he
must be wise for himself, but If one is
a scorner, he alone shall bear 1t. No
man will be admitted to heaven on
his wife's ticket Credentials to Para
disc are marked Not Transferable"
No person can by any possibility take
enough of the oil Of grace with him
on the road TO the kingdom so that
he can loan 1t out to those less fav-
ored- 1t is a moral impossibility. The
wise virgins without doubt sympa-
thiZed with their unfortunate COM
pantons, but they could not help them.
They could pity, but they could not
relieve. They could not permit the
shortsightedness of the foolish to rob
them Of the pleasure of the marriage
feast. Personal piety is a personal
asset and cannot be transferred.
Oil Only Thing Lacking.
ytril ha Yhot
just one thing In which these virgins
differed. They were all virgins, they
all started with lamps and oil, they all
fell asleep, but when the crucial mo
ment came five of them found that
their lamps had gone out, their oil
was exhausted, and 1t was too late to
replenish the supply. The evil was
not in falling asleep, the evil consisted
in failure TO make sure of full sup.
ply of oil.
The waiting period is the testing
time. If the Almighty took every soul
into heaven at the moment of conver.
sion, eternal life would be attained
more certainly. It is the long and
weary life time of waiting that causes
so many people to fall asleep. They
can run well for a season, but they
grow weary in well doing. prodigally
waste their oil. allow their lamps to
die down. flicker, smoke and go out.
In spiritual things as in natural things
1t is necessary often to SNUFF the can
die, but not to snuff 1t out. The good
housekeeper regularly fills and trims
the lamps. She does not wait until
the guests begin to arrive before at
tending to the lighting arrangements.
The waiting period evidently ex.
4austs the original supply of grace,
the warning consists in taking II for
granted that the original supply Is
sufficient. Because you once were
filled with the spirit is no evidence
that you are to-day. The world is
full OF people who have fallen from
grace. Once they were burning and
shining lights, but their lamps are
gone out. If sudden summons should
come to them to appear in the Kings
audience chamber they would be
startled into CONSERVATION az THAR