The Danger of Hypocrisy
Then shall the kingdom uf heaven he likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made; behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out. — Matthew xxv: 1-3. y
The parable, of which the text is a part, was intended to represent, not the state of the world at large, but the visible church, and to teach the danger of making a hypocritical profession of religion. The incidents are taken from the customs which prevailed among the Jews in connection with the marriage solemnity. It was customary for the bridegroom to come, attended by his friends, late at night, to the house of the bride, who was expecting his arrival, attended by her bridesmaids, who upon being notified of the bridegroom’s approach, were to go out with lamps in their hands to meet him and accompany him to the house. These were usually ten in number. “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.”
By the kingdom of heaven is meant the visible church. The ten virgins represent professors of religion. The bridegroom is Jesus Christ.
The parable may be applied to the whole church collectively, or to the individual professors of religion. In the former case, the coming of Christ may be considered to be at the day of judgment, when the church, the Lamb’s wife, will have made herself ready. In the latter case, the coming of Christ may be considered to be at death. It is in reference to individuals, that I shall at present consider it.
They ^’ took their lamps.” This denotes their profession of religion.
They “went forth to meet the bridegroom.” This denotes their journey through life, in which they profess to be traveling towards heaven.
“While the bridegroom tarried.” His delay denotes the whole term of life.
“They all slumbered and slept.” This denotes that spiritual sloth which is too often visible in the lives of christian professors.
‘^ At midnight, there was a cry made; behold, the bridegroom cometh.” This denotes the solemn summons made by the sudden and unexpected approach of death.
‘’ Go ye out to meet him.” They must go out of time into eternity to meet Christ in judgment.
“Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.” The loud summons of death will arouse from their slumbers both christians and hypocrites, and lead them to inquire whether they are prepared to meet their God.
“And the foolish said unto the wise, give us of your oil.” Oil is the emblem of grace in the heart, which constitutes the distinguishing characteristic of the true child of God.
For our lamps are gone out.” But how could they g-o out, if they had never been lighted, and how could they have been lighted without oil? Here I pause, and propose to my audience this question. Does not this text prove that real christians may fall from grace, and finally perish 1
That it teaches this doctrine, has often been strenuously maintained. It has been asked, with an air of triumph, “how could their lamps have gone out, if they had never been lighted 1 And how could they have been lighted without oil V^
Let us test the force of this reasoning. If it can be fairly made to appear, that Christ did in this parable, intend to teach that some who shall be finally excluded from heaven, were once real christians, it is a conclusive argument against the doctrine of the saints’ perseverance. And the argument will take a tremendous sweep. It will go far towards proving that one half of the whole number of real christians are finally lost. For “yDe of them were wise, and five were foolish.”
But what is the proof that the foolish virgins denote those who were real christians’? It rests solely on their own testimony.” And the foolish said unto the wise, give us of your oilfor our lamps are gone out J’
The evidence against them rests on the declaration of Christ. He says, ‘’ five of them were wise, and five were foolish.” Now, if all were christians, then all were wise. The terms Avise and foolish are used in the scriptures, to designate the righteous and the wicked
But were they not wise when they commenced their journey 1 Did they not take oil with them, and afterwards become foolish by suffering their lamps to go out 7 This is, doubtless, what thoy intended to intimate. But what was the fact? Christ asserts that they took no oil with them, and plainly intimates that their folly consisted in taking their lamps without oil. If they had one drop of oil, or one spark of light kindlecl by the oil of grace, the declaration of Christ cannot be true. Heie lies the contradiction. Not that our Saviour contradicts himself; for he never said that their lamps had gone out. He only relates what the foolish virgins say of themselves. The contradiction lies between Christ and the foolish virgins. They would intimate that they had once had religion, and lost it; for say they, ‘’ Our lamps are gone out.^^ But Christ says no such thing. He says” they were foolish, and TOOK no oil with them.
The only difficulty in understanding this parable, seems to arise from taking it for granted, that what hypocrites and apostates say of themselves must be true, although it contradicts the plain declarations of Christ.
From this parable we learn —
1. That many professors of religion will be finally lost. ‘’ The kingdom of heaven” — i. e. the visible church, which is composed of those who profess the true religion — is likened unto ten virgins — five of whom were wise, and five were foolish. The church is composed in part of hypociitcs, who will never be admitted to heaven.
This solemn truth, our Saviour has most explicitly taught. He would have us all remember it, and take warning. Many who belong to the same church, who profess the same creed, assemble in the same sanctuary, and commune at the same table, will never meet in heaven. In some churches, a majority may be saved. In Sardis, a few names only were found who
had not defiled their garments “I say
unto you, that many shall come from the east, and from the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven: but the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness.”
Will you say that such representations are uncharitable 1 But shall we pretend to be more charitable than Christ 1 If, my brethren, you do not suspect danger from this quarter, you reject and set at nought some of the most solemn warnings which our Saviour ever delivered to man. Many will take up with a mere empty profession of religion. “Strive to enter in at the strait gate, for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” ‘^ When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying. Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know not whence ye are: then shall ye begin to say, we have eaten and drunken in thy presence, and thou has taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you, yourselves, thrust out.”
This warning is delivered to professors of religion. Of them it is said, “Many shall seek to enter in and shall not be able.” Many will stand without, knock’ ing when it will be too late. And may not some of us be found among that number?
2. Persons who appear alike now, may possess characters widely different in the sight of God. “Man looketh on the outward appearance, but God looketh on the heart.” No degree of exactness in externals, can determine the state of the heart. ‘’He is not a Jew, who is one outwardly.” Our Saviour speaks of some whose outward appearance was indeed beautiful, and yet he compares them to whited sepulchres, within “full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.”
Without a beautiful external appearance, we may safely conclude theie is no religion. If true religion exists in any church or any individual, there must be outward appearance. The light must and will shine. But where the appearance is the same, there may be a great difference in the sight of God — a difference wide as that between light and darkness — holiness and sin — heaven and hell
3. It should be our great and constant object to be prepared for the coming of Christ.
All our views and aims, and every thing which we say and do, should have reference to that solemn event. Every moment we should stand prepared to hear the summons, “behold, the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him.” This is our business; to be ready now. If we are not, we do not live agreeably to our profession. Brethren, are you prepared to hear the summons? “Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when he will return from the wedding.”
4. Real christians, even the very best of them, are never too much engaged in religion. “While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.”
There may be a misguided and false zeal. But true chiistian zeal — humble, holy love to God, can never rise too high. “All slumbered and slept.” The Bible is full of complaints of the sloth and lukewarmness of christians, and loud warnings and exhortations to them to awake — to be zealous and repent. Every christian will hereafter look back and reproach himself because his heart was no more deeply and warmly engaged in the cause of Christ. At the hour of death, not one will have to lament that he has labored too hard, and been too much devoted to the service of Christ. At that solemn hour, every child of God will wake up as he never did before. The very moment he meets Christ in another world, he will doubtless blush at his past stupidity. Never will christians be sufficiently awake, till their hearts burn with an angePs flame.
5. We see in what lies the distinction between true and false professors of religion.
Not in the head, but in the heart. ‘’ The wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.” Here is something which they took, and which the others did not. It is a difference of hearts. The one has oil in his vessel, the other has not. One is solicitous mainly about his heart, that that may be replenished with all the christian graces. The other takes up with an empty profession.” He is a Jew, which is one inicardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter,’’^
6. We leain from this subject, the true reason why so many professors of religion will be lost.
On this point, there is a difference of opinion. Some say, it is because they once had religion in their hearts, but have since lost it. So said the foolish virgins: “our lamps are gone out.” But Christ has given us the true reason. He declares that they were foolish, and ‘^ took no oil with them.” The reason why so many will be lost, is not because they have lost true religion, but because they never had it. They did not begin right. They took the lamp of profession without grace in their hearts. This was their folly. It was their final ruin. None are more likely to fail of salvation than persons of this class. To all such, the Saviour says, “Verily, I say unto you, publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.”
My brethren, in application of this solemn warning of our Saviour, what shall I say? Shall I exhort you without distinction, to persevere — to hold on, and hold out to the end? Shall I hold up to the view of all who hear me, that glorious promise, “he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved?” Alas, my brethren, there is one class of professors of religion, who if they do persevere, if they do hold on, and hold out to the end, will certainly be lost. Such promises are often quoted for the encouragement of all who make any pretensions to religion. But, my hearers, we must sometimes warn you to pause and examine yourselves. If yuu are new creatures in Christ — if you have entered the strait gate and the narrow way — then go on — endure to the end and be saved. But if you have only a name to live while you are dead, you are warned to stop. Let the fatal example of the foolish virgins serve as a warning to you, now to begin with your hearts. Suppose the search should be made throughout this congregation — that every heart should now be laid open — and that five out of every ten should be found who have no love to God — no light in them. Awful disclosure! What shall be done 1 All are traveling on together, and soon will their journey close. Shall they hold on, and hold out to the end 1 But some have no oil in their vessels
Brethren, are your hearts right with God 1 Are they replenished with all the christian graces? And do they burn with love to Christ, as you talk together by the way 1 Have old things passed away, and all things become new? If so, then go on — endure to the end, and you shall be saved.
But if your heaits are not thus prepared — stop where you are. Go no farther. ^’ Turn ye, turn ye, for why will ye die?” Go back — for you are on the road to death. Go back, I entreat you, and enter the strait gate and the narrow way. Persevere a little longer — take a few more steps in your present course, and you will be forever too late. Make haste, for the time is far spent, and Christ is at hand. “The coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” Haste thee, for the messenger of death is near; and ‘’ behold, the bridegroom cometh.” Then they that are ready will enter heaven; and the door will be forever shut.’^ 13*