Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Matthew
Book: Matthew
Chapter: 25
Overview:
The
Parable of the ten virgins.
(1-13) The
Parable of the
talents.
(14-30) The
Judgment.
(31-46)
1-13 The circumstances of the
Parable of the ten virgins were
taken from the
Marriage customs among the Jews, and explain the
great
Day of
Christ's coming. See the nature of Christianity. As
Christians we profess to attend upon
Christ, to honour him, also
to be waiting for his coming. Sincere Christians are the
Wise
virgins, and hypocrites the foolish ones. Those are the truly
Wise or foolish that are
So in the affairs of their souls. Many
have a
Lamp of profession in their hands, but have not, in their
hearts, sound knowledge and settled resolution, which are needed
to carry them through the services and trials of the present
state. Their hearts are not stored with holy dispositions,
By
the new-creating
Spirit of
God. Our
Light must shine before men
in good
Works; but this is not likely to be long done, unless
there is a fixed, active principle in the
Heart, of
Faith in
Christ, and
Love to
God and our brethren. They all slumbered and
slept. The delay represents the space between the real or
apparent
Conversion of these professors, and the coming of
Christ, to take them away
By Death, or to
Judge the world. But
though
Christ tarry past our time, he will not tarry past the
due time. The
Wise virgins kept their lamps burning, but they
did not keep themselves awake. Too many real Christians grow
remiss, and one degree of carelessness makes way for another.
Those that allow themselves to slumber, will scarcely keep from
sleeping; therefore dread the beginning of spiritual decays. A
startling summons was given. Go ye forth to meet Him, is a
Call
to those prepared. The notice of
Christ's approach, and the
Call
to meet him, will awaken. Even those best prepared for
Death
have work to do to get actually ready, 2Pe 3:14. It will be a
Day of search and inquiry; and it concerns us to think how we
shall then be found. Some wanted
Oil to supply their lamps when
going out. Those that take up short of true
Grace, will
certainly find the want of it one time or other. An outward
profession may
Light a
Man along this world, but the damps of
the
Valley of the
Shadow of
Death will
Put out such a
Light.
Those who care not to live the
Life, yet would die the
Death of
the righteous. But those that would be saved, must have
Grace of
their own; and those that have most
Grace, have none to spare.
The best need more from
Christ. And while the
Poor alarmed soul
addresses itself, upon a sick-
Bed, to
Repentance and
Prayer, in
awful confusion,
Death comes,
Judgment comes, the work is
undone, and the
Poor sinner is undone for ever. This comes of
having
Oil to buy when we should burn it,
Grace to get when we
should use it. Those, and those only, shall go to
Heaven
hereafter, that are made ready for
Heaven here. The suddenness
of
Death and of
Christ's coming to us then, will not hinder our
happiness, if we have been prepared. The door was shut. Many
will seek admission into
Heaven when it is too late. The vain
confidence of hypocrites will carry them far in expectations of
happiness. The unexpected summons of
Death may
Alarm the
Christian; but, proceeding without delay to trim his
Lamp, his
graces often shine more bright; while the mere professor's
conduct shows that his
Lamp is going out. Watch therefore,
attend to the business of your souls. Be in the fear of the
Lord
all the
Day long.
14-30 Christ keeps
No servants to be idle: they have received
their all from him, and have nothing they can
Call their own but
Sin. Our receiving from
Christ is in order to our working for
him. The manifestation of the
Spirit is given to every
Man to
profit withal. The
Day of account comes at last. We must all be
reckoned with as to what good we have got to our own souls, and
have done to others,
By the advantages we have enjoyed. It is
not meant that the improving of natural powers can entitle a
Man
to Divine
Grace. It is the real
Christian's liberty and
privilege to be employed as his
Redeemer's servant, in promoting
his
Glory, and the good of his people: the
Love of
Christ
constrains him to live
No longer to himself, but to Him that
died for him, and
Rose again. Those who think it impossible to
please
God, and in vain to serve him, will do nothing to purpose
in religion. They complain that He requires of them more than
they are capable of, and punishes them for what they cannot
help. Whatever they may pretend, the fact is, they dislike the
character and work of the
Lord. The slothful servant is
sentenced to be deprived of his
Talent. This may be applied to
the blessings of this
Life; but rather to the
Means of Grace.
Those who know not the
Day of their visitation, shall have the
things that belong to their peace hid from their eyes. His doom
is, to be cast into outer
Darkness. It is a usual way of
expressing the miseries of the damned in
Hell. Here, as in what
was said to the
Faithful servants, our
Saviour goes out of the
Parable into the thing intended
By it, and this serves as a
Key
to the whole. Let us not envy sinners, or covet any of their
perishing possessions.
31-46 This is a description of the last
Judgment. It is as an
explanation of the former parables. There is a
Judgment to come,
in which every
Man shall be sentenced to a state of
Everlasting
happiness, or misery.
Christ shall come, not only in the
Glory
of his
Father, but in his own
Glory, as
Mediator. The wicked and
godly here
Dwell together, in the same cities, churches,
families, and are not always to be known the one from the other;
such are the weaknesses of saints, such the hypocrisies of
sinners; and
Death takes both: but in that
Day they will be
parted for ever.
Jesus Christ is the great
Shepherd; he will
shortly distinguish between those that are his, and those that
are not. All other distinctions will be done away; but the great
one between saints and sinners, holy and unholy, will remain for
ever. The happiness the saints shall possess is very great. It
is a kingdom; the most valuable possession
On Earth; yet this is
but a faint resemblance of the blessed state of the saints in
Heaven. It is a kingdom prepared. The
Father provided it for
them in the greatness of his
Wisdom and power; the Son purchased
it for them; and the blessed
Spirit, in preparing them for the
kingdom, is preparing it for them. It is prepared for them: it
is in all points adapted to the new nature of a sanctified soul.
It is prepared from the foundation of the world. This happiness
was for the saints, and they for it, from all eternity. They
shall come and inherit it. What we inherit is not got
By
ourselves. It is
God that makes heirs of
Heaven. We are not to
suppose that
Acts of bounty will entitle to eternal happiness.
Good
Works done for
God's sake, through
Jesus Christ, are here
noticed as marking the character of believers made holy
By the
Spirit of
Christ, and as the effects of
Grace bestowed
On those
who do them. The wicked in this world were often called to come
to
Christ for
Life and
Rest, but they turned from his calls; and
justly are those bid to depart from
Christ, that would not come
to him. Condemned sinners will in vain offer excuses. The
Punishment of the wicked will be an
Everlasting Punishment;
their state cannot be altered. Thus
Life and
Death, good and
evil, the blessing and the
Curse, are set before us, that we may
choose our way, and as our way
So shall our
End be.