Matthew 25

From this glorious manifestation of God's love, will flow infinite joy into the souls of the blessed. Therefore heaven is called entering into the joy of our Lord (Matthew 25:21). The seeing of God, the loving of God, and being beloved of God, will cause a jubilation of spirit,…

3. Grace in Christ is communicative: his grace is for us; the holy oil of the Spirit was poured on the head of this blessed Aaron, that it might run down upon us. The saints have not grace to bestow on others: when the foolish virgins would have bought oil of their neighbor-virg…

At that day of judgment shall Christ be exalted super-eminently; he shall come in the glory of his Father (Mark 8:38). He shall wear the same embroidered robes of majesty as the Father; and he shall come with all his holy angels (Matthew 25:31). He who was led to the bar with a…

There is none here present, but God has put you in some capacity of glorifying him; the health he has given you, the parts, estate, seasons of grace, these all are opportunities put into your hand to glorify him; and be assured God will call you to account to know what you have…

Use 1. Then see that religion is no melancholy thing; it brings joy, the fruit of the Spirit is joy, Mutatur, non tollitur; a poor Christian that feeds on bread and water, may have purer joy than the greatest monarch; though he fares hard he feeds high, he has a table spread fro…

Grace may be like a sleepy habit; the godly may act faintly in religion, the pulse of their affections may beat low. The wise virgins slumbered (Matthew 25:5). The exercise of grace may be hindered, as when the course of water is stopped and does not run.

2. The worm (Mark 9:44), this is the worm of conscience, and the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15) — other fire is but painted to this. 2. This house of hell is haunted with devils (Matthew 25:41). Anselm has a saying, I had rather endure all torments, than see the devil with bodi…

The wicked being convicted will be speechless. Then follows that dismal sentence (Matthew 25:41): Ite Maledicti, Depart from me you cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. He that said to God, Depart from me (Job 21:14), and to religion, Depart from…

Our Saviour Christ here commends to us the wisdom of the serpent, and the innocency of the dove. The elect are called wise virgins (Matthew 25:4). Virgins — there is the dove; wise — there is the serpent.

Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord. The Holy Ghost does not mention Sarah's unbelief, or laughing at the promise, he puts a finger upon the scar, winks at her failing, and only takes notice of the good that was in her, her obedience to her husband, She obeyed Abraham, callin…

The slothful person hides his talent in the earth, he does no good, his time is not lived but lost. An idle person lives unprofitably, he cumbers the ground: God calls the slothful servant wicked (Matthew 25:26): You wicked and slothful servant. Draco, whose laws were written in…

The loitering servant is a kind of thief, though he does not steal from his master goods, yet he steals that time which he should have employed in his master's service. The slothful servant is called a wicked servant (Matthew 25:26). (3.) The servant is to honor his master, who…

Fourthly, in this we resemble God, to be doing good to others. 'Tis our excellence to be like God. Godliness is God-likeness. And in what are we more like him than in acts of bounty and munificence? Psalm 119:68. You are good, and do good. You are good, there is God's essential…

St. Chrysostom did inveigh against mixed dancing in his time. We read, says he, of a marriage feast, and of virgins going before with lamps (Matthew 25:7), but of dancing there, we read not. Many have been ensnared by dancing; as the Duke of Normandy, and others.

Answ. "God's wrath and curse both in this life, and that which is to come. Matthew 25:41. Depart from me you cursed into everlasting fire.— Man having sinned, is like a favourite turned out of the king's favor, and deserves the wrath and curse of God.

Weep not for us, but weep for your selves. 8. Branch, See the wisdom of the godly, they have the serpent's eye in the dove's head, wise virgins (Matthew 25:2). Their wisdom appears, in their choice, they choose that which will bring them to a kingdom; they choose grace, and what…

1. Consideration: We should often consider what a Kingdom Heaven is. 'Tis called Regnum paratum, a Kingdom prepared (Matthew 25:34), which implies something that is rare and excellent. God has prepared in his Kingdom, such things as eye has not seen nor ear heard (1 Corinthians…

In the Hebrew it is Eloha Selicoth, a God of pardons. We are apt to entertain wrong conceits of God, that he is inexorable and will not forgive (Matthew 25:24). "I knew you were a hard man."

So was it in the infancy, so in her perpetual growth, and so shall it be in the last age of the church: the good shall never be quite separated from the bad, until Christ himself do it at the last judgement. Goats shall always be mingled amongst the sheep, till Christ the great…

The other sort are they, which being baptized in the Church, hear the word effectually, and receive the Lord's Supper worthily, to their salvation; because God doth establish his Covenant in their hearts. This difference is plain in Scripture, in the parables of the dragnet, (Ma…

Lastly, if there be such a communion between Christ and a believer, that our sins were made his, and his righteousness made ours; This may teach us patience, and minister us comfort in all outward afflictions, or inward temptations; because it is certain all our sufferings are h…

If this admonition takes no place in your heart, then at the day of judgment it shall stand against you, and be a bill of indictment to your further condemnation. The second point follows, that Christ after that he is come in the clouds shall sit in a throne of glory, as the sov…

We are not Lords of an estate, but Stewards; and how soon may we hear that word, redde rationem, Give an account of your stewardship, for you may be no longer Steward, Luke 16. 2. An estate is a talent to trade with, 'tis as dangerous to hide our talent, as to spend it, Matthew…

The same unction teaches you all things. The saints are compared to wise virgins (Matthew 25:2). Sensualists have often a greater reach in matters of the world, but they have no insight into the deep things of God (1 Corinthians 2:14).

And this discrimination or differencing has these four steps. 1. There is a differencing in God's purpose in respect of the end, while all men are alike before him, some are designed to eternal life, others not; therefore Matthew 25:34 it is said, "Come, you blessed of my Father…

Will He take notice how Christ carries Himself in His service, and trust, and will He not take notice of others? Most certainly He will; and therefore, (Matthew 25 and Luke 19) He calls the servants to a reckoning, to whom the talents are given; and as they have made use of them…

Who will needs keep up confidently their fancied hope of Heaven; and yet never knew what it was to answer a challenge for sin, or a threatening of the curse, for the breach of God's law, from Christ's righteousness, nor did they ever set and arraign themselves before God's tribu…

Now if Christ put all to sea, and hazard all he has to guard the Lord's name from dishonor, and made his soul, his life, his heaven, his glory a bridge to keep dry and safe the glory of God, that it sink not; and if God would rather his dear Son should be crowned with the cross,…

(verse 9) Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that does evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile. (Matthew 25:34) Then shall the King say to them on his right hand, come you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the w…

4. Hell is a condition of sinning and blaspheming of God, but to desire nothing but the eternal good, and to understand the eternal good to be above measure good, is not a condition of sinning, but of happiness, and holiness, and so cannot be hell. 5. These two conditions sort n…

Know you, O Angels, O glorified Spirits, where is the brim, or where is the bottom of free grace? Yet not one sinner can have less grace than he has; he has need of all, he has no oil to spare, to lend to his neighbor (Matthew 25). Our deep diseases, and festered wounds could ha…

Whereas we must not be ashamed of Christ (2 Timothy 2:12): If we suffer we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us. Or that we need not be so strict and nice, whereas all we can do is little enough (Matthew 25:9): Not so, lest there be not enough for us a…

This which the disciples had, was but a little glimpse, and taste of the life to come. This must needs be so; it is called joy (Matthew 25:21): Enter you into the joy of your Lord, and fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11): In your presence there is fullness of joy, at your right hand t…

You'll say, How do you know that Jesus Christ will thus address a praying soul? I reply, though we know not the form of words he will speak, yet that a discovery shall be made of the acts of piety and charity (Matthew 25) evidently declares. Indeed, that secret duties shall be b…

Of this we have spoken enough before. Moreover, although the sons of the bondwoman do persecute us never so much for a time, yet this is our comfort, that they shall be compelled to leave the inheritance to us, which belongs to us that are the sons of the freewoman, and shall at…

Goodness respects either the body, or the mind. Goodness concerning the body has many actions: as to feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to harbor the harborless, to clothe the naked, to visit the sick, and them that are in prison (Matthew 25:35-36), to bury the dead…

So, in this place, when the Galatians did wrongfully withhold and keep back that competent allowance, that was due to their teachers; he tells them that it was a sin tending against God, who is not, nor will not, nor cannot be mocked: for whatever wrong is done to the messenger…

for he declares that they were disowned by the Lord, though by a vain show they captivated the eyes of men. He then exhorts all those who wish to be reckoned among the disciples of Christ, to withdraw early from iniquity, that Christ may not drive them from his presence, when he…

Christ pursues the subject which I have just mentioned; for he reminds his disciples how kindly God acts towards them, that they may more highly prize his grace, and may acknowledge themselves to be under deeper obligations to his kindness. The same words he afterwards repeats,…

and, therefore, recommends to us discipline; but he permits hypocrites to remain for a time among believers, till the last day, when he will bring his kingdom to a state of perfection. So far as lies in our power, let us endeavor to correct vices, and let us exercise severity in…

Matthew 25:14-30 14. For as a certain man, setting out on a journey, called his servants, and delivered to them his goods.

Besides, he introduces a general preface that the disciples should wait for their master, with their loins girt, and carrying burning lamps in their hands. To this statement corresponds the parable, which we shall soon afterwards find in Matthew 25:1-12 about the wise and foolis…

A little before, he had exhorted the disciples, that as they had a journey to perform through dark and dreary places, they should provide themselves with lamps; but as the wick of the lamp, if it be not supplied with oil, gradually dries up, and loses its brightness, Christ now…

Matthew 25:31-46 31. Now 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:

Carnal confidences can no more answer your end than theirs; nor can this world or its enjoyments serve to make you happy, without God and Christ, more than them. When the Bridegroom comes, the foolish virgins stand in as much need of oil as the wise (Matthew 25). Second, unless…

Christ who is Lord of Heaven and Earth is sometimes in want of a penny. Christ tells you of his wants and poverty (Matthew 25), and shows how and when he is relieved. And as Christ wants in a member, some particular believer; so he often wants in his whole body, which is the chu…

Well, says he, fear not; I know your poverty whereof you complain; but you art Rich; That is my Judgement, testimony, and sentence concerning you and your condition. Such will be his Judgement at the last day, when both those, on the one hand, and the other, shall be suprized wi…

2. Often, distance with Christ, and security and deadness (as to our spiritual life) go together: When Christ is absent, believers then usually fall from activity in their duty, (Isaiah 64:7) No man stirs up himself to lay hold on you, and the reason is, you have hid your face,…

In sum, it is this, Things are not right with me, and indisposition to duty or lifelessness in it, is great (as it is with one that is in a sleep) yet even then there is some inward stirring of life, appearing in conviction of judgment, challenges, purposes, protestations of the…

The Father is the owner and proprietor of the Vineyard (Matthew 21:40), called (John 15:1) the husband man; for, the Church is first his, and next Christ's, who as Mediator is the great Deputy, and universal Administrator of grace, to whom the Elect are given as to the great Bis…