principle obtains also in the Prison Epistles. For living with Him depends upon having died with Him, whereas

reigning with Him depends upon patiently enduring; if this be absent a denial of this reward must follow, although

faithlessness on our part will never cause Him to deny Himself. Living with Him remains our unalterable privilege

(2 Tim. 2:11,12). There are many who unhesitatingly take to themselves passages of Scripture, who seem to forget

the character of those to whom the promises were made. Let those who lay claim to 1 Thessalonians 4 see to it that

they have the qualities mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 1:3-8.

These virgins go out to meet `The Bridegroom'. In Revelation 19, immediately upon the fall of Babylon, the

marriage of the Lamb is announced. `The marriage of the Lamb is come and His wife hath prepared herself'; then

follows a statement as to the blessedness of those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. In Revelation

21:2 John says that he `saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared (same

word as "made ready" in 19:7) as a bride adorned for her husband'. This New Jerusalem has special relation not to

saints in general, but to overcomers in particular; not to virgins as such, but to virgins who were `prepared'. The

epistle to the Hebrews treats of this class and this class only (as we may be able to show later), and to this class are

addressed the words of Hebrews 12:18-24 which includes `the heavenly Jerusalem', the `city which hath the

foundations' for which Abraham and others looked, endured, and overcame (Heb. 11:16). The virgins who go in to

the marriage supper are not the bride; that is certain. They are differentiated in Revelation 19 and Psalm 45.

There is a close connection between the first and last discourses related in Matthew. Most of us know that the

eight beatitudes of Matthew 5 are balanced by the eight woes of Matthew 23. At verse 13 of chapter 7, the subject

turns to the question of `entering' into the kingdom of the heavens, and the words `I never knew you' of verses

21-23 are echoed, though not repeated as to actual words, in 25:12. This solemn statement in Matthew 7 is

immediately followed by a `likened' (so also Matt. 25:1) to a prudent and a foolish builder. Their prudence or their

folly consisted in their obedience or disobedience to the Lord's words. The prudent virgins heeded the word

`watch'; the foolish did not. The wise and foolish builders figure in 1 Corinthians 3. There again the apostle Paul

raises no doubt as to whether they are on the true foundation; what he is concerned about is `how they build

thereon'.

`If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be

burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire' (1 Cor. 3:14,15).

The effect of the `delay' is brought out in these parables. `My Lord delayeth His coming' (chronizo). `While

the bridegroom tarried' (chronizo). `After a long time' (chronon polun). This is the key to Hebrews 10, 11 and 12.

`For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry (chronizo). Now the just shall live by

faith ... these all died in faith not having received the promises ... they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly

... the recompense of the reward' (Heb. 10:37,38; 11:13,16,26).

The word `ready' or `prepared' is a connecting word in this context. `All things were ready' (Matt. 22:4-8). `Be

ye also ready' (Matt. 24:44). `They that were ready went in' (Matt. 25:10). `Inherit the kingdom prepared for you'

(Matt. 25:34). `Depart from me, ye cursed, into the aionion fire, prepared for the devil and his angels' (Matt. 25:41).

A further link with the next parable is found in the repetition of eiserchomai and aperchomai. The one who

received one talent went away (aperchomai) and hid the money. Those who were commended were bidden to enter

into (eiserchomai) the joy of the Lord.

These words, as we have pointed out, are important words in the parable of the Virgins. If we may say so, the

failure of the five foolish virgins may be attributable to thinking that their calling was EASY, while the failure of the

servant with the one talent was because he felt his lot to be too HARD.

May we avoid both errors, and have spiritual understanding (or as the word means, `a putting together') that we

may see the combined truth of responsibility and sovereign grace, and so `walk worthy of the Lord unto all