oes it
turn out that such promises are either wantonly disregarded or
thoughtlessly broken! But why is this so? What is the cause? I will
tell you. Such prayers and promises do not proceed from a right
motive, and they do not aim at a right end. Self is the beginning and
the end of all such prayers and promises. And when self is again made
to feel easy by escape from danger, or recovery from sickness, there
is an end of prayer, and promises are forgotten. But such as I have
named are not the only class included in our Lord's meaning. If we
read carefully we may see that some who desire to make a fair show in
the flesh love to stand on the corners of the streets that they may be
heard calling on the Lord, making long prayers, that they may be seen
of men. Of such our Lord says: "Verily, they have their reward." Here
again the love of self and the world is the beginning and the end.

There is one more class justly belonging to the number of those
already described. This is a sad class indeed, although probably no
worse off than some others. I hope no one here will ever be found in
their number. You may read about them in the twenty-fifth chapter of
Matthew's Gospel. They are called the "foolish virgins." We all know
that a virgin is an unmarried woman who has kept the integrity of her
virtue unbroken. The ten spoken of in the chapter are virgins in a
figurative sense. They are so called because in appearance and
profession they were not defiled with the world. They all had lamps.
David says: "Thy word is a LAMP unto my feet, and a light unto my
path." Each one had this _lamp_ according to their understanding and
use of the Word. All denominations of Christians claim the Word as
their lamp or guide through the darkness of this world. But lamps
differ greatly in almost every imaginable way,--in form, size,
material and illuminating capacity. Much also depends upon the sight.
If the sight be diseased, not good, the same lamp that shines brightly
to one may be darkness to another. "If thine eye be single, thy whole
body shall be full of light; but if thine eye be evil, thy whole body
shall be darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness,
how great is the darkness!"

The foolish virgins had lamps, that is, they professed faith in God's
Word, but their faith lacked the oil of love; it was not made perfect
by works in life proceeding from love to God and their neighbor. Oil
in the Scriptures stands for love. Pr