Much has been said and written relative to this parable since the commencement of the Advent move; and still there are views that widely differ one from another. We wish now to reason a few moments on this parable. Our Saviour says, Then shall the kingdom of heaven [or the church of God] be likened to ten virgins that took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. We must here recollect that our Saviour is giving a history of an eastern wedding of which there must be a likeness in the experience of the church. Now if this language was addressed to the church, the church must have both the history of that which our Saviour relates, and also its likeness. Now the time for us to make an application of this parable is when the two classes of servants should be manifest: the one saying, My Lord delayeth his coming, while the other would be giving meat in due season. Matt. xxiv, 45-50. These servants in the first place are brought out by the signs that are found in this chapter (in connexion with the prophetic periods) to look for the personal and immediate coming of Christ. The prophetic periods were then understood to reach no farther than March 21st, 1844. The Church then were all united in looking to this point of time as the extent of those periods. This move was then considered as the going forth of the virgins, and also the midnight cry, until the time had all run out. A few months after it was discovered that there must be a midnight cry, and also there must be a delay of the Bridegroom, in order for the fulfillment of the parable as well as some other portions of revelation; such as, Hab. ii, 3: "Though it tarry wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry;" and many other portions of Scripture, that could not have had a fulfillment unless there had been a delay of the coming of the Lord. It was also discovered that if the command to build Jerusalem went forth the first day of 457, B. C., the 2300 days would run out the last day of 1843; for it would take all of 457 and 1843 to make the full number, 2300; but that decree did not take effect until after five months; because Ezra was five months in going up to Jerusalem, and it was some days after that, before he gave orders for the restoration of the city; and its true worship; which worship seemed to be the first in order, to be done, and also of the most importance. And while the light was in this way shining out, it was seen that it would correspond with the typical service of the Jewish high priest on the tenth day of the seventh month, which type could be fulfilled in no way only in Christ in the antitypical Sanctuary in heaven. Thus we looked on the tenth day of the seventh month for Christ to come out of the Most Holy Place and bless his people. Here the midnight cry was raised, Behold the Bridegroom cometh, on the tenth day of the seventh month. This cry came up in different parts of the field, almost at the same point of time. Then according to the history all the virgins are to be aroused; which did take place in the Autumn of 1844. While this cry was being given that class of individuals engaged in "the going forth" of the parable, rose and with redoubled efforts went forth filled with zeal and with the Holy Spirit to give the cry. Their faith and works corresponding, gave an edge to their testimony. While they preached from home the coming of the Lord, their unharvested fields, at home, as loudly preached the same sentiment. Men were stirred under this cry as they never had been before. This we understand to be what answers to the midnight cry in the parable. Then the objector asks, Why did not the Lord come? Because this parable is not to illustrate the coming of Christ; but it is to be a likeness to a certain wedding of which our Saviour had been giving a history. Now it could not have been all fulfilled had the Lord come at that point of time; because, if the Lord had come on the tenth day of the seventh month, where would have been the time for those who came afterwards: this could not be the case. The midnight cry of the parable does not carry us to the coming of the Son of man; for we are exhorted to watch. Luke xii, 37-38. Here we are to be found like men waiting for their Lord when he shall return from the wedding. We wish now to speak more particularly of those virgins that came afterward. "Afterwards came also the other virgins." This is also to be a likeness to those virgins in the history of the wedding. They took a literal lamp and really went forth to meet the bridegroom; but this we shall not expect; but we shall expect they will take something that will answer to the lamp, something also that will answer to the oil. For the lamp we shall take the Bible, and for the oil, faith in the same. Thus the christian is prepared to discover the waymarks on his way to mount Zion. So while the people of God took the Bible as a lamp, they showed their faith in the same by their works; this being really done in the Advent move of 1843-4. Now there is a class in the wedding that seemed to lack oil; so there will be in its likeness. They lack faith in God's word; do not understand its fulfillment; look for another ending of the prophetic periods; which brings them to the wedding afterward. We should expect their appearance would be similar to those who came first; not differing materially only in time. How strikingly this has been fulfilled in the move of a part of the virgins, crying, Behold, the Bridegroom cometh on the tenth day of the seventh month, 1854; thus answering to the proclamation behold he cometh, in 1844. In addition to this they have a shut door as the true church previously had; and in like manner they hold that the Sanctuary, which they believe to be the people of God, is now being cleansed. The true church also believes the Sanctuary is now being cleansed, but understand better what it is by the instructions of Heb. viii, and ix. We wish now to look at the character of these classes of virgins, denominated wise and foolish. Many take the position that there are none of the foolish who will ever get into the kingdom. Now if we take the position that all of the foolish are to be lost, we must also admit that all of the wise will be saved. This will never answer; but that the greater part of the virgins that are finally saved will be among those that maintain the first move of the Advent in the main—the midnight cry and the ending of the prophetic periods. The foolishness of those who came after was manifest in their going forth with so little evidence as to that being the true cry: claiming that the Lord was in the going forth as in 1843-4 but at the same time changing the starting point of every prophetic period, embraced at that time to make them harmonize with the coming of the Lord in 1855; and then assuming the cry of 1844 to be a false alarm. Now we shall take the position that we have had the midnight cry, and that it was given in the Autumn of 1844, when all those virgins, who had light on the Advent, and did not reject it, arose and trimmed their lamps, and not a part as in the last move. Whatever may have been given as the midnight cry since 1844, must be a counterfeit. Perhaps our time brethren may think us severe; but we think them foolish in claiming that the counterfeit existed before the true coin. May God help us again to keep up with the light of prophecy as not to look for a second fulfillment, but call to mind God's dealings with us in the past and hold on by faith in his word, and look to the Third Angel's Message [Rev. xiv.] and the Sanctuary for an explanation of God's dealings with us in the past.
J. HART.
Northfield, Vt.