Sleepy Saints!.

What an anomaly! Drowsing on the verge of eternity!

A Christian is one who, in contrast to the unregenerate, has been awakened from the sleep of death in trespasses and sins, made to realize the unspeakable awfulness of endless misery in Hell, and the ineffable joy of everlasting bliss in Heaven; and thereby brought to recognize the seriousness and solemnity of life! A Christian is one who has been experientially taught the worthlessness of all mundane things — and the preciousness of divine things! He has turned his back on Vanity Fair and has started out on his journey to the Celestial City. He has been quickened into newness of life, and supplied with the most powerful incentives to "press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil 3:14).

Nevertheless, it is sadly possible . . .
for him to suffer a relapse,
for his zeal to abate,
for his graces to languish,
for him to leave his first love, and
become weary of well-doing.

Yes, unless he is very much on his guard, drowsiness will steal over him — and he will fall asleep!

Corruptions still indwell him — and sin has a stupefying effect.

He is yet in this evil world — and it exerts an enervating influence.

Satan seeks to devour him, and unless resisted steadfastly — will hypnotize him.

Thus, the menace of this spiritual "sleeping sickness" is very real.

Slumbering saints! What an incongruity!

Taking their ease, while threatened by danger!

Lazing, instead of fighting the good fight of faith!

Rusting, instead of wearing out in His service!

Trifling away opportunities to glorify their Savior, instead of redeeming the time!

We speak with wonderment and horror of Nero fiddling while Rome was burning; but far more startling and reprehensible is a careless Christian who has departed from God, bewitched by a world which is doomed to eternal destruction.

Such a travesty and tragedy is far from being exceptional. Both observation and the teaching of Scripture prove it to be a common occurrence. Such passages as the following make it only too evident that the people of God are thus overcome. "It is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed" (Rom 13:11). "Awake to righteousness, and sin not" (1 Corinthians 15:34). "Awake you that sleep" (Eph 5:14). Each of those clamant calls is made to the saints. So, too, is that exhortation addressed to them, "You are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober." (1 Thessalonians 5:5-6).

Our Lord gave warning of the same phenomenon in Matthew 25:1-13, which points out some very searching lessons upon the subject now before us. We do not propose to give an exposition of those verses; still less, waste time on canvassing the conflicting theorizings of men thereon. Instead of indulging in useless speculations upon what has been termed the "prophetic" application of that passage, we intend to dwell upon what is of far morepractical importance and profit to the Christian's walk.

First, let it be duly noted that this parable of the Virgins was delivered by Christ not to a promiscuous multitude, but to His own disciples. It was to them that He said, "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man comes" (Mat 25:13). Therein He exhorted His followers to maintain an attitude of the utmost alertness and diligence, to be on their guard against a sudden surprisal, to see to it that they were in a constant state of readiness to welcome and entertain Him at His appearing. In that thirteenth verse, Christ clearly indicated the principal design of this parable — namely, to enforce the Christian duty of watchfulness, particularly against the tendency and danger of moral drowsiness and spiritual apathy in the performance of our duties.

Second, we would here earnestly warn the reader against placing any restrictions on the words of Holy Writ. In the light of the Analogy of Faith — that is, the general tenor of Scripture — it is quite unwarrantable for us to limit the words, "wherein the Son of man comes" to His ultimate appearing at the end of this age or world. It is our duty to make use of the Concordance and carefully observe the different senses in which the "coming" of Christ is referred to in the Word, and distinguish between them.

For example, the communications of grace to God's people in the administration of His Word and ordinances is spoken of thus, "He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth" (Psalm 72:6, and compare Deu 32:2).

Again, there was a judicial coming of the Lord in the destruction of Jerusalem, when He made good the threat, "What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the farmers, and will give the vineyard unto others" (Mark 12:9). He came not literally in Person, but instrumentally by the Romans!

Then there is also a "coming" of Christ to His people in the renewed manifestations of His love: "If a man loves me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him" (John 14:23).

Christ has come to His people vicariously: as He declared unto the apostles, "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you" (John 14:18) — where, according to the preceding verses, the principal reference is plainly to the public descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.

Again, Christ often visits His people in the chariot of His providence: sometimes favorably; at others, adversely, as in "Remember therefore from whence you are fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto you quickly, and will remove your candlestick" (Rev 2:5, and compare verse 16).

Again, He "comes" instrumentally by the ministry of the Gospel: "And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were near" (Eph 2:16-17, and compare Luke 10:16).

Again, He comes spiritually to those who yearn for and seek after fellowship with Him: "I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Rev 3:20).

Finally, He will come literally and visibly (Act 1:11; Rev 1:7).

Thus, it is a serious mistake to jumble together the communicative, judicial, manifestative, vicarious, providential, instrumental, and spiritual "comings" of Christ; as it also is to restrict to His second advent, every verse where it speaks of His "coming" or appearing. In like manner, it is equally wrong for us to limit our Lord's "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man comes" (Mat 25:13) to a "looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ" (Ti 2:13). Most of the other seven things mentioned above are not to be excluded therefrom. We are to . . .
be on the alert for His approaches to us in the means of grace,
attentive to His appearings before us in providence,
recognize Him in the ministry of the Gospel, and
expectantly wait His visits of intimate fellowship.

The Christian's continuance in this world, is the period of both his "watching" and his "waiting" for removal therefrom; and since he knows not whether that will be by death or by his being caught up to meet the Lord in the air — he is to be prepared for either event — if he be so for the former, he will be for the latter. This call for him to "watch" signifies that he is to "keep his heart with all diligence" (Pro 4:23), "keep himself from idols" (1 John 5:21), "keep himself in the love of God" (Jude 21), "Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation: [knowing that though] the spirit indeed is willing…the flesh is weak" (Mat 26:41). In a word, that exhortation requires us to attend to the interests of our souls, with unremitting diligence and circumspection!

"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom" (Mat 25:1). This is not said to be a similitude of the attitude of "the Bride" toward her Bridegroom, for the scope of it is wider, taking in the whole sphere of Christian profession. Hence in what follows, the "virgins" are divided into two groups — the regenerate and the unregenerate. Thus, it would have been inaccurate to designate the whole of them "the Bride"! It is therefore a discriminating parable, like that of the wheat and tares, and that of the good and bad fish in Matthew 13.

If it is asked: Why should Christ address such a parable unto the apostles, the answer is, Because there was a Judas among them! It is outside our present scope to consider the "foolish" virgins: suffice it to say that externally, they differed not from the "wise" ones. They represent not the irreligious and immoral, but unsaved church members — those who have "escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the [not "their"!] Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 2:20), but who have never experienced a miracle of grace in their hearts. Though having lamps in their hands, they had no oil "in their vessels" (Mat 25:3-4) — no grace in their souls! This calls for writer and reader to make honest and carefulexamination of themselves, to "give diligence to make your calling and election sure" (2 Peter 1:10).

"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins." Many and varied are the figures used to describe the disciples of Christ. They are spoken of as salt, as lights, as sheep, as living stones, as kings and priests. When complete, and in its corporeal capacity, the Church is referred to as the Lamb's "Wife"; but individually, they are termed "the virgins her companions" (Psalm 45:14, and compare Song 8:13; Rev 1:9).

They are called "virgins" for the purity of their faith. For none — no matter how pleasing is his personality or irreproachable his outward conduct — who is fundamentally unsound, is to be regarded as a Christian. Thus the apostle, when expostulating with a local church for giving a hearing to false teachers — told them, "For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have [ministerially] espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:2).

Again: they are called "virgins" for the purity of their worship. God is a jealous God and will not brook any rival; and therefore, we find all through Scripture, that idolatry is expressed as harlotry — hence the vile and corrupt Papacy is designated, "THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS" (Rev 17:5).

Once more: they are called "virgins" for the purity of their walk, refusing friendship and fellowship with the adulterous world, and cleaving to Christ — "they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb wherever he goes" (Rev 14:4).

The saints are expressly bidden to go forth to meet the Bridegroom. "Go forth, O daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown with which his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals" (Song 3:11) — an exceedingly interesting and blessed verse which we must not dwell upon. It is the antitypical Solomon, the Prince of Peace, who is here in view. His "mother" is the natural Israel, from whom according to the flesh He sprang. Solomon is a figure of the spiritual Israel, in whose hearts He is "formed" (Gal 4:19).

The "day of his espousals" was when Israel entered into a solemn covenant with the Lord (Jer 2:2, and see Exo 24:3-8 for the historical reference) — intimating our marital union with Christ. This is a picture of when we "gave [our] own selves to the Lord" (2 Corinthians 8:5) and were "joined unto the Lord" (1 Corinthians 6:17), crowning Him the King of our hearts and lives.

Here the "daughters of Jerusalem" — the same as the "virgins" — are bidden to "behold" their majestic and glorious King: to attentively consider the excellency of His person, to be engaged with His perfections, to admire and adore the One who is "altogether lovely" (Song 5:16). But in order thereto, there must be active effort on their part. Not to the dilatory, does Christ reveal Himself (Song 3:1).

"They took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom." The taking of their lamps signifies making an open profession of their faith. They were not secret disciples, hiding their light under a basket — but they were unashamed to be known as the followers of Christ. Luke 12:35-36 serves to explain this force of the figure: "Let your loins be girded about, and your lights [more literally] burning; And you yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord." Of His forerunner, Christ said, "He was a burning and a shining light" (John 5:35).

But other thoughts are suggested and things implied by these virgins taking their lamps. It tells us they availed themselves of suitable means, making provision against the darkness which they would encounter. The principal means for the Christian is the Word, which is "a light [same Greek word as in Luke 12:35 and John 5:35] that shines in a dark place" (2 Peter 1:19). It also shows they had no intention of going to sleep, but purposed to remain vigilant; which renders more searching what follows. It also intimates they were sensible of the difficulty of their task. Only one who, after a full day's work, has sat out the night by a sick bed knows how hard it is to keep alert throughout the long hours of darkness.

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