pectation of his soon appearing.] And five [a part of this number,] were wise, and five [the remainder,] were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, [Bibles,] and took no oil with them, [had no fanh in the word on which they could with any assurance rely.] But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, [beyond the time when first expected,] they all [the wise] slumbered and [the foolish] slept. And at midnight [when many were relinquishing their hope, the sign of the Son of man appeared in heaven, and] there was a cry made, Behold the Bridegroom cometh ; go ye out to meet him; [" Lo, this is our God! we have waited for him, and he will save us; this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation."] Then all those virgins [the wise and footish] arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone ["going,"-margin] out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so, lest there be not enough for us and you, but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. Look to the Lord, if peradventure there is even now any hope for you.] And while they went to buy, the Bridegroom came; and they that were ready, went in with him to the marriage; and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us, [we have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets; we went forth to meet thee when thy coming was first expected, but were induced to believe it was a delusion, and fearing the scorn of the world, our lamps went out.] But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. [Those that have endured to the end alone can be saved.] Watch ye therefore, for [the signs I have given of my coming, for till then,] ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave

five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one, went and digged in the earth, and hid his Lord's money. After a long time, [at the end of the prophetic periods in the fulness of times] the Lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came, and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents; behold, I have gained besides them five talents more. His Lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. He also that had received two talents came, and said, Lord, thou deliv eredst unto me two talents; behold, I have gained two other talents besides them. His Lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Then he which had received the one talent came, and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strewed. And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His Lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strewed. Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him that hath not, shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant

into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. And before him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, [the righteous will be caught up to meet their Lord in the air,] but the goats [the wicked will remain behind on the earth] on the left, [to be burned.]

Then

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world [which Adam lost when he eat of the forbidden fruit; but Jesus has redeemed the purchased possession, has paid the price, and redeemed a chosen generation to himself out of every nation and kindred and tongue and people; has restored all things spoken of by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began, removed the curse and made all things new; and ye shall reign on the earth forever, even forever and ever.] For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in ; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me. shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily, I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick,

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Then shall they

and in prison, and ye visited me not. also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily, I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.

That will be the closing up of the grand drama of this world's scenes. Then the "seven times" will be ended. The "2300 days" will then be completed, and the sanctuary cleansed." Then Daniel will stand in his "lot" at the end of the "1335 days." That will be the day of "Jubilee," when the " great trumpet will be blown," and "the mystery of God finished;" and then the "fulness of times" will have come, in the dispensation of which, God will have gathered together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him."

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That is the great and momentous period to which the prophets and apostles looked, and for which end they were inspired; and then they will all have received their reward. The heathen" will then be given to Christ "for an inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for a possession;" and there will be "given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." "And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him ;' "and the saints of the Most High will possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever." God, having taken out of the Gentiles "a people for

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his name," will then have returned, and "will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and will build again the ruins thereof, and will set it up."

Christ, "the Son of the Highest, whose right it is to reign," will then have come, and will receive "the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end" and "the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever." That will be the time when the kingdom will be restored to all Israel, not those alone who are of Israel, but those also who are of the Gentiles, and her enemies will no more have dominion over her. David will never more want a son to sit upon his throne forever; for the kingdom of God will then have come, and will be set up. Its territory will be the earth; its subjects all the redeemed, of whom it is said, "the meek shall inherit the earth." Its king will be the LORD OF GLORY; and its capital will be the NEW JERUSALEM.

All things that offend will then be gathered out of the kingdom. The earth will be restored to its Eden state; and the curse will be removed from it; so that, instead of the thorn, will come up the fir-tree; and instead of the brier, the myrtle; the wilderness will be like Eden, and the desert like the garden of the Lord. And there will be nothing to hurt or destroy in all God's holy mountain. The covenant that God made with our father Abraham, will then be consummated; the tabernacle of God will then be with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

With such a prospect in view, who will not strive, if by any means he may attain unto the resurrection

of the dead!

Reader, this message is to you; and may the Lord prepare you for his coming and kingdom, for Christ's sake. Amen.