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answered, saying: Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you; but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while 10 they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage; and the door was shut. After- 11 ward came also the other virgins, saying: Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said: Verily, I say unto you, I know you not. 12 Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein 13 the Son of Man cometh.For the kingdom of heaven is as a man 14 travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and deliver

therefore to moisten their wasted torches with new oil.

9. Not so. These words were supplied by the translators, as is shown by their being in Italics. Some critics propose to drop them, and read the sentence thus: "Lest there be not enough for us and you, go ye rather to them that sell and buy for yourselves;' but being omitted in the original as spurious, by Griesbach and others.

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10. Marriage. Marriage feast. And the door was shut. The following is a description of a Hindoo wedding by Mr. Ward:-"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 ye 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 were unprepared, but it was then too late to seek them, and the cavalcade moved forward to the house of the bride. The bridegroom was carried in the arms of a friend, and placed on a superb seat in the midst of the company, where he sat a short time, and then went into the house, the door of which was immediately shut and guarded by Sepoys. I and others expostulated with the door-keepers, but in vain, Never was I so struck with

our Lord's beautiful parable as at this moment: And the door was shut."

12. I know you not, i. e. I acknowledge you not as belonging to my friends.

13. Watch, therefore. This is the important lesson and moral of the parable, and applicable to all ages. If the disciples of Jesus were to be prepared for his coming, whether his spiritual manifestation in their heart, or his external coming at the subversion of the Jewish church and state, so ought we of these latter times to be likewise watching and waiting unto prayer for his moral triumph in our souls, the growth of his kingdom among men, and the approach of that last solemn event which will be a coming of him to our spirits individually.

"Let all your lamps be bright,
And trim the golden flame;
Watch! 't is your Lord's command,
And while we speak he's near;
Mark the first signal of his hand,
And ready all appear."

The last clause of this verse, wherein the Son of Man cometh, is probably spurious, and has therefore been rejected by most biblical critics.

14. The kingdom of heaven is. These words were introduced by the English translators, and have been well superseded in some versions with the clause, the Son of Man is.—Travelling into a far country. Or, simply journeying abroad, or into another country.-As Jesus

15 ed unto them his goods; and unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several abili16 ty; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received

the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other 17 five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained oth18 er two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, 19 and hid his lord's money. After a long time, the lord of those ser20 vants cometh and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received

five talents came and brought other five talents, saying: Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents; behold, I have gained beside them 21 five talents more. His lord said unto him: Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy 22 lord. He also that had received two talents came and said: Lord,

thou deliveredst unto me two talents; behold, I have gained two oth23 er talents beside them. His lord said unto him: Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said: Lord, I

had in the preceding parable inculcated watchfulness, in the following one he enjoins the careful use of the smallest as well as largest gifts. -His goods. His money or property. Masters sometimes furnished their slaves with capital to be employed in traffic. This custom is said to be still continued in the East, and in Russia.

15. Talents. The talent has been variously estimated from eight to fifteen hundred dollars. It stands here for an indefinitely large sum of money. According to his several ability. According to each one's capacity for business. Took his journey. In the original, the same verb which in its participle form is rendered in verse 14, travelling into a far country. Mankind are variously endowed by the Creator with more or less privileges, opportunities, and influence, according to their power of using them. None are left entirely destitute. There

is no room either for pride or despair. God metes out to all an equitable lot, nor gives here too much, nor there too little.

18. Went and digged in the earth. Moved, it would appear, by vexation or timidity, and sloth. The useless efforts made by the heedless and idle often cost as much pains as would the well-directed labors of industry and business. The money was buried to prevent its being stolen. This individual represents that class which, dissatisfied with their abilities and opportunities, refuse to employ them at all to any good purpose.

21. Well done. The plaudit bestowed by audiences upon those they approved at the circuses or amphitheatre. Make thee ruler over many things, i. e. will raise thee to higher trusts. Enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Referring, as is supposed, to festive entertainments pre pared for the faithful servants.

knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed; and I was afraid, 25 and went and hid thy talent in the earth; lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him: Thou wicked and 26 slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed; thou oughtest therefore to have 27 put my money to the exchangers; and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from 28 him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every 29 one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And 30

24. An hard man. Unfeeling, unjust-Reaping where thou hast not sown, &c. Proverbial phrases, to describe a man of extortion.-Strawed. Strewed or scattered.

25. I was afraid. This is the fatal excuse upon which thousands are wrecked. They profess to be afraid lest they should not be adequate to their obligations, and do nothing lest they should not do all. They live like heathen, lest they should not succeed in living like Christians. Miserable timidity!

26. Thou knewest, &c. This sentence is better expressed in the interrogative form: Thou knewest that I was a hard man? Thou oughtest at least then to have given my money to those who would have paid for its use. The unfaithful servant was condemned out of his own mouth.

27. To the exchangers, i. e. to the brokers, or bankers, who exchanged money, and also received it on deposit at interest, and loaned it to others.- -Usury. Anodious sense is now attached to this word. The original simply means interest; without specifying that it is exorbitant or not.

29. The expressions here used are of a proverbial kind. Mat. xiii. 12. The general sense is, that those who use well their opportunities are favored with additional ones,

whilst those who abuse them lose even what they have. Instead of the phrase, that which he hath, some authorities read, what he seemeth to have. The maxim here laid down is true both in temporal and spiritual affairs, not by any arbitrary decree of God, but by the natural and irresistible working of his providence. This parable suggests many valuable thoughts. 1st, That God variously endows his creatures; verse 15. Variety is the law of the universe. 2d, Those who possess much, of them more will be required. The rich, and gifted, and influential are envied, but with how little reason! They have to render a heavier account than others; verse 20. 3d, Nor will those who have little be released from their accountableness for that, because it is little. Because we can do but little good, or gain but little knowledge, or be of but little service, or make but little progress in virtue, it is no excuse why we should fall behind in that little; verse 24. 4th, For our acceptance with God depends not so much on the amount we accomplish, as the degree of fidelity we manifest. Compare verses 21 and 23. 5th, It is unreasonable to complain of the Divine government. It is wickedness and sloth that are the chief

cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

murmurers in this world; verse 26.
6th, There is a PROBATION, and a
RETRIBUTION, and he that over-
looks either, loses sight of a grand
and solemn fact of his being; verses
15, 19, 23, 30. 7th, Perhaps there
is as much or more danger of neg-
lecting or abusing the one talent,
as the two, or the five; verse 18.
The genius that runs to waste in a
Byron or a Buonaparte is a meteor
that startles the world with its ob-
liquity, but how many one talents,
how many moderate abilities, gifts,
and opportunities are squandered
unobserved and unreproved! 8th,
The gain of moral power and ex-
ternal privileges is in a constantly
accelerating ratio, while the vicious
sink at the same rapid rate; verse
29. 9th, Men are usually reward-
ed out of their own labors. They
are paid in kind. They who labor
for this world have this world's re-
ward. They who labor for virtue
find it to be its own exceeding great
reward. Goodness and love will
be rewarded with nothing less than
a heaven of the same; verses 21,
22. 10th, There is a reward for
virtue, and a punishment for sin,
a glorious reward, a bitter punish-
ment. Let those who are deaf
to other and higher motives to
goodness at least obey these; ver-
ses 23, 30.

31-46. This sublime passage seems to be an expansion of chap. xvi. 27. In chap. xxiv., and thus far in xxv., the coming of the Son of Man has been described; but now a new topic is introduced, a description of what would take place when he had come. We are here favored with an account of what would occur when his kingdom had been established, and his religion had gone into operation.

The judgment here described is a general one, without particular reference to time, or rather covering all time and eternity; a judgment of the souls of men, both in this and all future states. The great and all important principle of the Divine government, which is embodied in the Christian religion, is here powerfully portrayed in a scenic or figurative representation; viz., THAT ALL MEN WILL BE

REWARDED ACCORDING TO THEIR

DEEDS, WHETHER GOOD OR BAD. Men are to be judged by the laws of Christ, both in this life and the next. That judgment has already commenced, wherever the sound of the Gospel has gone. The Christian world is in a constant process of judgment before its great Master. Commencing in time, triumphant over death, this judgment will reach into eternity and last forever; being fully perfected in that world where the illusions of sense will vanish, and the secrets of the heart will be revealed. The question of time, therefore, or whether Jesus refers to one period or another, is of minor importance. For belief and for practice, the grand point to know is, that we shall be judged according to our lives, and so rewarded either with happiness or punishment, and that the incipient retributions of the present state are prophetic of a more solemn and searching judgment in the spiritual world.

In regard to the particular form in which these principles are expressed, it is necessary to consider the peculiar circumstances of Jesus' hearers. They were Jews. They were cherishing haughty and revengeful passions. They revelled in the visions of victory over their

When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy an- 31 gels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory, and be- 32 fore him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats; and 33 he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand: Come, ye bless- 34 ed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was an hungered, and ye gave me 35 meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; 36

Roman masters and the whole Gentile world. Our Saviour most pointedly rebukes this vindictive temper. When the Messiah's throne should be erected, and not Jews alone, but all nations, should become his subjects, he would especially reward the humane and pacific, not the selfish, ambitious, and hardhearted. The above considerations explain the prominence given in this parable-for such it essentially is -to the merciful and philanthropic virtues. It was not that these were the only requirements of his kingdom, or that the happiness and misery of men here and hereafter would be adjudged solely according to their discharge of the social obligations, but that the Jews, with their brilliant temporal expectations of a conquering Messiah, were exceedingly liable to forget that Love to Man, the sentiment of Human Brotherhood, was to be one of the most glorious features of the new administration.

31. See note on Mat. xvi. 28.All the holy angels with him. A figure, as some suppose, descriptive of the assistance of God's providence. -Then, i. e. when he had come, then or thenceforward, such and such things would take place. The throne of his glory. Or, his glorious throne.

32. All nations. Not Jews alone

would be subjects of his kingdom, but the whole world would be summoned to his judgment.-Sheepgoats. Moral distinctions are elsewhere imaged by these animals. Ezek. xxxiv. 17. Zech. x. 3. The use of this figurative language plainly shows that our Lord was uttering a parable.

33. On his right hand, &c. Allusion is here made perhaps to a custom of the Sanhedrim, by which the acquitted and the condemned were thus placed respectively.

34. Ye blessed of my Father. A clear evidence that the Father is the original and unrivalled source of all the blessings descending through Jesus and enjoyed under the Christian dispensation.-Prepared for you, &c. As Bloomfield observes, no countenance is here given to the doctrine of Absolute Decrees, or Election, or Predestination; for it is a Hebraism merely, and it is clear from the context that the true meaning is, that the kingdom of heaven was all along prepared for those who should approve themselves worthy of acceptance.

35, 36. An hungered. Hungry. Ye took me in. Entertained me.Naked, i. e. comparatively destitute of clothing. The characteristics of love and mercy belonging to the new dispensation are brightly depicted, because, with their existing

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