In

solve and re-resolve, but they will die the same. These persons, if there are any such here, will doubtless go from this house as stupid as they came. stead of applying this subject to themselves, they will endeavor to silence their fears, and to soothe their consciences. Instead of laboring to be convinced of sin, and to come to repentance, they will attempt to justify their conduct, and to flatter themselves that they never have been awakened. Instead of being alarmed about themselves, and inquiring what they must do to be saved, they will perhaps, go from this place finding fault with others, particularly with professors of religion. Instead of repairing to the throne of grace, and crying for mercy; they will say in their hearts to the Almighty, "depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways." "What is the Almighty that we should serve him, and what profit shall we have if we pray unto him." No person will be more likely to go away finding fault with this discourse, than that very man whose case I have described.

Do you feel no concern for the salvation of your souls, you have awful reason to fear that the case described is your own. There is no safety here. Do you begin to feel some concern for the salvation of your souls. Beware, then, O sinners, beware of every approach to so tremendous a precipice. It is dangerous, awfully dangerous to resist the strivings of the Spirit. It is plain from the Scriptures, that the Spirit does strive with man, and that he will not always strive. How often he will strive with this man, and how often with that man, we cannot tell, but God knows perfectly well. Now to resist the last effort of the Spirit of

God on the soul, is what plunges the sinner into this hopeless state.

While the Spirit is striving, the sinner feels himself moved by something, he cannot tell what. He is alarmed. He feels anxious for his soul. But he resists. The Spirit withdraws, and he becomes careless again. The sinner flees to some diversions, or perverts some doctrines to give ease to his troubled conscience; or fixes on some self-righteous plan. In some way or other he gets relief. The Spirit visits him. again and again. The sinner still resists its strivings, until the last time is come.

Awful crisis! Once more he moves upon the heart of the sinner. He is now for the last time awakened. But alas! He wards off conviction! He says departdepart. The Spirit bids him adieu-And the sinner is gone forever.

SERMON X.

The danger of hypocrisy.

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be 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: 1-8.

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."

profession of religion.

They

This denotes their

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.

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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 go 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?

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? And how could they have been lighted without oil ?"

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 exclud-, ed 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 "five 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 oil, for our lamps are gone out."

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 wise and foolish are used in the scriptures, to designate the righteous and the wicked.

But were they not wise when they commenced their journey? Did they not take oil with them, and afterwards become foolish by suffering their lamps to go