whom his lord hath set over his household, (his church) to give them food in due season?

46. Blessed is that servant whom his lord shall find so doing, when he cometh.

47. Verily I tell you, That he will set him over all that he hath.

48. But if the evil servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his comiug (to judgment), 49. And shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, (persecute, and use force and violence,) and eat and drink with the drunken; 50. The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour whereof he is not aware, 51. And shall cut off the unfaithful (luxurious, persecuting) watchman, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

CHAP. XXV.

PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS.

THEN shall the kingdom of heaven be likened to ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2. Five of them were wise, and five foolish. 3. The foolish (careless professors, or hypocrites) took their lamps (of nominal formal professions), but took no oil (of sincerity and grace) with them. 4. But the wise took oil in their vessels, (sincerity and grace in their hearts), with their lamps, (of professions). 5. While the bridegroom delayed they all slumbered and slept, (became careless, and secure).

6. But at midnight (at a time unexpected) there was a cry (an alarm of death or judgment), Behold, the bridegroom, (Christ) cometh; go ye out to meet him (to enter into happiness with him.) 7. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

8. Now the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9. But

the wise said, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you; but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

10. But while they went to buy (or prepare for death and judgment), the bridegroom came, and they who were prepared went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut, (repentance being too late). 11. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12. But he answered, Verily I tell you, I acknowledge you not. 13. Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh (to call you by death or judgment.)

14. For the kingdom of heaven is like one travelling into a far country, (Christ ascending to heaven), who called his servants, and delivered to them (their portions of) his goods, (means of being good, and doing good, time and opportunities, knowledge, grace, power, riches, &c.) 15. To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his particular ability; and straightway took his journey.

16. Then he who received the five talents employed them, and made other five talents. 17. And likewise he that received two, also gained other two. 18. But he that received one digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money, (he did no good with it in pious or charitable actions, tho' he did not spend it ill, he kept it uselessly).

19. After a long time, the lord of those servants comes and calls them to an account (at death and judgment).

20. Then he that received five talents came, with other five, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst to me five talents; behold, I have gained to them five talents more. 21. His lord said to him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful, over a few things, I will place thee over many things, (exalting thee to high honour and glory in heaven); enter into the joy of thy lord.

22. He also that had received two talents came, and said, Lord, thou deliveredst to me two talents; behold, I have gained two other talents with them.

23. His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things; enter into the joy of thy lord.

24. Then he who received the one talent came, and said, Lord, I knew that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not scattered. 25. So being afraid, I hid thy talent in the earth; lo, now thou hast thine own. 26. His lord answered him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I scattered not, (that it is not enough to do no ill, or not mispend talents, but thou must do good, and make them useful;) 27, Thou shouldst have put my money to the exchangers, that at my coming I might have received mine own with increase. 28. Take, therefore, the talent from him, and give it unto him who hath ten talents. 29. For to every one that (improveth what he) hath, more shall be given, and he shall abound; but from him that improveth not what he hath, shall be taken away even what he hath. 30. And cast ye the worthless servant into a pit of outer darkness, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

31. When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit on his glorious throne. 32. And before him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them from each other, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.

38. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

34. Then shall the King say to them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of

the world. 35. For I was hungry, and ye gave me meat; thirsty, and ye gave me drink; a stranger, and ye took me in; 36. Naked, and ye clothed me; sick, and ye took care of me; in prison, and ye came to me.

37. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38. Or a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39. Or sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40. And the king shall answer them, Verily I tell you, whatever ye did to one of the meanest of these my brethren, (or people), ye did to me.

41. Then shall he say also to them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. 42. For I was hungry, and ye gave me no meat; thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; 43. A stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick and in prison, and ye took no care of me.

44. Then shall they also answer him, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to thee? 45. Then shall he answer them, Verily I tell you, if ye had done it to one of the least of these, ye had done it to me. 46. And these shall ga away into everlasting punishment, (xxvi. 24.) but the righteous into everlasting life.

CHAP. XXVI.

THE RULERS CONSPIRE AGAINST CHRIST.

Now Jesus having finished all these speeches, he said to his disciples, 2. Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man, Heb. ii. 16. is betrayed to be crucified.

3. Then assembled the chief priests, scribes, and elders of the people, to the palace of the high priest, called Caiaphas, 4. And consulted how to

take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him. 5. But they said, Not on the feast-day, lest there be an uproar among the people.

6. Now, Jesus being in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, 7. A woman having an alabaster-box of very precious ointment, came to him, and poured it on his head as he sat at meat.

8. But one of his disciples seeing it, had indig. nation, saying, Why is this waste? 9. For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.

10. Which Jesus knowing, he said to them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath a done a good deed to me. 11. For ye have the poor al ways with you; but me ye have not always, (I am soon to leave you:) 12. For she hath poured this ointment on my body, as a preparation for my burial. 13. Verily I tell you, Wherever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, what this woman hath done, shall also be told for a memorial of her.

14. Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests, 15. And said to them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him to you? Then they agreed with him for thirty pieces of silver, (about 31. 10s.) 16. And from that time he sought opportunity to deliver him.

17. Now, the first day of the feast of unleav ened bread, the disciples came to Jesus, saying to him, Where shall we prepare for thee to eat the passover? 18. Then he said, Go into the city, to such a man, and say to him, The Master saith, My time (of suffering) is near, I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.

19. So the disciples did as Jesus appointed them, and made ready the passover.

20. Now, the evening being come, he sat down with the twelve. 21. And as they ate, he said, Verily, I tell you, that one of you shall betray me,

VOL. III.

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