Matthew 25

Chap. XXV. Ver. 1—13. The parable of the ten virgins.—“Thus our Lord, in different parables, compares the dispensation of redemption to a marriage feast. Of all the attendants upon the marriage procession, he selects ten, five of whom deserved the name of wise, and the other five are denominated foolish. The marriage takes place in the night, at the house of the bride’s father, where the bridegroom is expected about midnight. These persons, here called virgins, having provided their lamps, wait together at some proper resting place, expecting the arrival of the bridegroom and his friends, who may be supposed to be coming from an adjacent town. While the bridegroom delayed, all the ten virgins lay down to rest.

But about midnight, the bridegroom is seen at a distance with his friends, and it is announced, “Behold, the bridegroom cometh! go ye out to meet him.” Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps; but the foolish (then too late) discovered their mistake, that they had forgotten to bring oil with them; and there being then no time to prepare, the wise virgins only were in circumstances to join the procession. “And they that were ready went in with him to the marriage; and,” as is the custom on these occasions, in order to keep out the crowd, “the door was shut.” The other virgins came afterwards, but were denied entrance, as persons unknown to the master of the feast. “The application of this to the case of those who wear a Christian profession, and pass for the friends of the Redeemer, is not difficult; and the pointed and most wholesome caution which it contains, to be ready for the coming of Christ, at death and judgment, has been felt by thousands.

Do any ask, How may we know what is requisite in our preparation to meet the great Judge? we may say these things are essential—Repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, which, whenever it is genuine, produces, thirdly, that ‘holiness without which no man shall see the Lord.’” ((Acts 20:21). (Hebrews 12:14).) (Ward’s Reflections, p. 71, 72.) f Ver. 14—30. The parable of the talents.—This parable, without straining it to support any peculiar system, clearly teaches the following important points: 1. That all the talents we possess, however natural we may consider them, are derived from God, the author of our being; and to deny this, is nothing short of Atheism. 2. That these talents are bestowed in great variety upon mankind, some possessing ten (e.g. many times the abilities and advantages of others, both natural and acquired. 3. That these talents, and the improvement of them, must be accounted for to him, from whom they were received. 4. That no excuse will be admitted for the non-employment even of a single talent: much less such an excuse as reflects upon the character of our great Benefactor. 5. That the rewards which the great Judge bestows, will not be so much in proportion to the talents bestowed, as according to the improvement which we are enabled to make of them. Every talent improved, though it were but one, will be graciously rewarded by him, in whom are united the characters of our Redeemer and our Judge. Lastly, that all pretensions to merit, like those of the unprofitable servant, will not only be rejected, but be resented as arrogant and unfounded.

This man not only neglected to improve his talent, but made a merit of the care which he had taken to preserve without improving it; and at the same time reflected upon his Lord as a hard master, because he expected such improvement. And thus it is with all the pretenders to human merit. Vain and presumptuous creatures! they think to lay the Almighty under obligation by the mere performance of their duties; and not only so, but they think him a hard master if he do not acknowledge himself their debtor, though, in fact, they bury in the earth the talent they ought to have improved. Instead, however, of making a merit of our demerits, and openly boasting, as this man did, of our neglect, let us inquire into our improvement of the various talents with which we have severally been intrusted.

Do we possess natural talents, or the means of improving them; genius, learning, or ministerial gifts; how have we employed them to promote the glory of God, or the instruction of our fellow creatures? Are we favoured with rank, and property, and influence; how do we lay out these to promote the cause of God, and the happiness of our fellow-creatures? What do we give to him who gave himself for us? The degree of present and future blessedness, resulting from the proper improvement of the talents with which we are intrusted, is altogether incalculable. We feed the hungry, or give to the thirsty drink; and we thereby save the life of an individual; that individual, in the course of time, may be the instrument of giving life to many; and some of these, probably, may be eminent for usefulness to the bodies and souls of others.

We clothe the naked, and visit the prisoner; possibly both may become useful and valuable members of society, and all the good done by them and their posterity results from a single act of kindness. When God blesses men, he makes them blessings to others; and thus is happiness propagated, like the flame from torch to torch. Ver. 31—46. A solemn description of the last judgment.—This awful subject, which had been repeatedly alluded to in the preceding chapters, is here solemnly described, with the particular view to encourage Christian benevolence, and to warn mere professors against hypocrisy and self-deceit. The Son of man now comes, not to take possession of his kingdom, but to administer final judgment.

The office of a judge is compared to that of a shepherd, which is also sustained by our Redeemer: and though his sincere followers may in this world be mixed with hypocrites and false professors, as tares with the wheat, in a former parable, ((Matthew 13:36),) yet such is the omniscience of the Judge, that he can separate them from each other with the same ease and certainty that a shepherd distinguishes sheep from goats: but the description here given is founded on the difference of their qualities and conduct; the meek and simple sheep, and the filthy goat. Both classes evince their true character, by their conduct: and the award is given accordingly. To the former class the Judge seems to lay himself under obligations of which they have no conception; the latter, indeed, like the worthless steward in the preceding parable, appear to be sensible of no neglect or want of duty, though rejected by their judge on that account.

But let us attend carefully to the respective and widely different sentences of the two classes brought before us. To the righteous, who are called his sheep, the King, their Shepherd and their Judge, will thus address himself, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” On this we may remark, 1. That their reward is great—it is a “kingdom.” 2. That their kingdom is “prepared” for them. And, 3. That it was so prepared “from the foundation of the world.” The munificence of the King of heaven will not be disputed by any of his children; but how can this kingdom have been thus early prepared for them, even “from the foundation of the world?” To this we answer, (and presume it will not be denied,) that the Almighty formed the heavens in which himself resides, and where he intends his people to reside with him, even long before the foundation of these lower worlds, our planetary system.

2. That all the plans and designs of God are, like himself, eternal; without, therefore, here entering at all into the doctrine of decrees, we must admit, that all the happiness which God designs his people, he designed them from eternity.

Notes on the verses

Chap. XXV. Ver. 6. Behold, the bridegroom cometh,—It appears to have been a custom among the Greeks to conduct their newly married couples home at night with torches and lamps: “Along the streets the new-made brides are led, With torches flaming, to the nuptial bed.” a So also the Roman ladies; and a like custom prevails in Persia and the East Indies to the present time. See Orient. Cust. No. 418. The wicks of the lamps used on these occasions in the Indies, are only rags, very tightly pressed into a copper mould, and these are carried in one hand, and a similar vessel with oil in the other hand, with which they frequently wet the rags. Orient. Cust. No. 1214. Also, Orient. Lit. No. 1230. Ver.

9. Go…. to them that sell and buy.—See (Isaiah 55:1), &c.: Ver. 10. And the door was shut.—The late Missionary Ward mentions being once present on such an occasion, when many of the circumstances agreed with those in the parable, particularly the last. After the bridegroom went into the house, the door was immediately shut, and guarded by Sepoys. I (says Mr. W.) and others expostulated with the door-keepers, but in vain.” Orient. Lit. No. 1231. Ver. 13. Wherein the Son, &c.—This last clause of the verse is wanting in many MSS. and versions; but the sense is certainly implied. Ver. 14. For the kingdom, &c.—Some words must here be necessarily supplied; instead of those inserted by our translators in Italic, Drs.

Doddridge and Campbell supply “the Son of man!” Ver. 21. Well done.—Dr. Doddridge says, “the original word has a peculiar force and energy, far beyond what I can express in English. It was used by Iliad, xviii. 569. auditors, or spectators, to see the highest applause.” It answers to Euge! in Latin, and Bravo! in Italian. Ver. 24. Then he which had received.—{Our Lord placed the example of negligence in him to whom the feast was committed, probably to “intimate,” says Doddridge, “that we are accountable for the smallest advantage with which we are intrusted; but it cannot imply, that they who have received much will ordinarily pass their account best; for it is too plain, in fact, that most of those whose dignity, wealth, and genius, give them the

greatest opportunities of service, seem to forget that they have any Master in heaven to serve, or any future reckoning to expect; and many render themselves much more criminal than this wicked and slothful servant, who hid his talent in the earth.”]—Bagster.—Gathering where thou hast not, strewed.—The charge implies, that God is unreasonable in his demands, unjust in judgment. See (Romans 9:14), &c. Ver. 26. Thou wicked and slothful servant—The word used throughout this chapter for servant, means primarily a slave, and such were often advanced to the office of stewards. Ver. 27. Exchangers.—Doddridge, “Bankers.”—— With usury.—Doddridge, “Interest.” When that interest became oppressive, it became a crime.

Ver. 30. And cast ye.—If he be thus punished that neglects to improve one talent, how much more shall he be punished that neglects to improve, or misspends many? Ver. 31. With his holy angels.—The expression seems designedly varied from ch. XXIV. 31., where angels may include human messengers; but these are called “holy angels.” Ver. 36. Ye visited.—Doddridge, “Looked after me.” “Tended,” or waited upon, seems to be the exact idea. Ver. 43. Ye took me not in.—The charge here, is want of hospitality; a most heinous crime in the eastern countries.

Ver. 44. Then shall as I also answer.—We must not take this too literally, as if sinners should there to dispute with their judge; it must be understood parabolically.

Ver. 45. Not to me.—See ch. XVIII. 6. Ver. 46. Everlasting punishment.—The word rendered everlasting, is rendered eternal in the concluding member of the sentence. The same word in the original is used to express the duration of the happiness of the righteous in heaven, and the duration of the misery of the wicked in hell. The words everlasting and eternal are to be understood by the nature of the objects to which they are applied: as, for example, when it is said that a disease cleaves to a man for ever, it obviously means, to the end of his life. So an everlasting priesthood, means that it shall continue to the end of the dispensation. Everlasting hills or mountains, means that they will continue till the end of the world.

The terms are applied to the longest period of which the nature of the object will admit. The existence of the object being limited, so, of necessity in these cases, the words have a limited meaning. Upon the same principle of interpretation, it follows, that when applied to the soul and to God who are immortal, they must literally mean without end. We read also that when this world is ended, and when successive duration is terminated, then the wicked shall go into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting life; as nothing but eternity remains, the words can only mean never-ending existence. The following passages of scripture express the FINAL STATES OF MEN, and if their final, then there is no possibility of another state succeeding it.

(Psalms 17:14-15). (Proverbs 10:26).; xiv. 32. (Daniel 12:2). (Matthew 3:12); vii. 13, 14, 21 5 viii. 11, 12; xiii. 30, 40—43, 47; xxiv. 46—51; xxv. 23, 30, 34, 41, 46. Ma. xvi. 16. (Luke 6:23, 24, 47, 49). (John 3:16); v. 29. (Romans 9:21, 23). (2 Timothy 3:19-20). (Galatians 6:7-8). (Hebrews 6:8-9); x. 27. That the above texts do speak of the final state of men, is obvious: 1. The state of the righteous is allowed to be final, but the state of the wicked is all along put in contrast as to happiness or wo. 2. These texts are totally silent as to any other state following that of destruction, damnation, &c. 3. The language of the greater part of them is inconsistent with any other state to follow. Now examine the following list of passages, which speak of the duration of future punishment.

(Daniel 12:2). (Matthew 18:8); xxv. 14—46. Ma. iii. 29. (2 Thessalonians 1:9). Jude vii. 13. (2 Peter 2:17). (Revelation 14:10-11); xix. 3; xx. 10. The Greek noun Aion, reckoning the reduplications of it, occurs in the New Testament 104 times; in 32 of which it means temporary duration. In 7, it may be taken for either temporary or endless. In 65 it plainly signifies an endless duration. The Greek adjective Aionios is found in 71 places in the New Testament; of these, 66 times it is used to express endless duration or existence. It will be easy to determine, according to the rule of interpretation given above, when the meaning is limited or otherwise. Another class of texts express by implication the duration of future punishment, as (Matthew 8:31-32); xxvi. 24. Ma. iii. 29; ix. 43—48. (Luke 9:25-26). (John 3:36); viii. 21; xvi. 9. Phi. iii. 19. (Hebrews 6:6); x. 26, (1 John 5:16). To these add one more class of scripture, which declare that a change of heart and preparedness for heaven, are confined to the present life. (Isaiah 55:6-7). Wr. i. 24—28. (Matthew 25:5-13). (Luke 13:24-29). (John 12:36). (2 Corinthians 6:1-2). (Hebrews 3:7-8); xii. 15-17. (Revelation 22:11). It should ever be borne in mind, that the doctrine of eternal punishment is one of revelation. That it is to be received upon the authority of God. If he clearly reveals it in his word, then it must be received, even if we are not able to reconcile all the difficulties which objectors may present.