ow
you not--what words from such lips! What eternal misery they foretell!

And this is the doom which hangs over the heads of the large masses of
Christian people, Christians in name only, never saved. The moment He
comes the door will be shut for these foolish virgins. Forever outside
will be their destiny.

Perhaps I am speaking here to some, not many, but some, who have not
the oil, who have not the Spirit of Christ and are none of His. Let me
address these words to you, and if it is but one person. Delay no
longer. Arise this very moment and go to Him who still waits in
patience. He waits for you and invites you to come to Him to buy
without money and without price. Oh! come now, confess yourself with
all your religiousness perhaps and self-righteousness a lost sinner.
You need to be no longer in that dangerous position. Believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ; decide it now and I can assure you He will give you
that which you lack in your empty profession; and should He come
to-night, as may be the case, you will be ready to enter in with the
oldest saint of God. He died for you to have you with Himself. Will
you reject then the offer of salvation as it comes in this solemn hour?
How can you? Delay no longer, but now cast yourself into His arms.

And we who know Him and wait for Him with longing hearts, there is more
than one solemn message which comes to us from this parable. Think of
the awful doom of the multitudes of professing, but unsaved,
Christians. Some believers who believe in the eternal punishment of
the unsaved act as if it were not true. If it is true as alas! it is,
how can we be idle? Brethren, we have a great responsibility towards
the foolish virgins, the great mass of the professing church. God
forbid that we should be negligent in discharging this duty. Away with
the miserable sectarian spirit which takes the skirts together, like
the Pharisee of old and says, "I am holier than thou," and refuses to
go to those who need the truth and the Gospel. We have a debt to pay;
we are debtors to all. As long as the Bridegroom tarries let us go to
those who are Christians in name and who know Him not and He will
graciously own our testimony.

"Watch, therefore, for ye know not neither the day nor the hour." Soon
all will be reality. Soon we shall enter in to be with the Bridegroom;
shut in with Him. God grant that none of us may be shut out.

THE REDEMPTION OF THE PURCHASED POSSE