The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 4

VII. Exposition of the Prophetic Parables

We close these exhibits of Miller’s varied preaching styles and moods with excerpts from the parable of the ten virgins, expounding what is meant by “trimming” their lamps. This becomes the more interesting in the light of Miller’s actual sermon notes in his own handwriting. PFF4 694.1

“The world, for a number of years, have been trimming their lamps, and the wise and foolish have been engaged in translating the word of God into almost every language known to us upon the earth. Mr. Judson tells us that it has been translated into one hundred and fifty languages within thirty years; that is, three times the number of all the translations known to us before. Then fourfold light has been shed among the nations, within the short period of the time above specified; and we are informed that a part, if not all, of the word of God is now given to all nations in their own language. This, surely is setting the word of life in a conspicuous situation, that it may give light to all in the world. This has not been done by the exertions of Christians or professors only, but by the aid of all classes and societies of men. Kings have opened their coffers and favored those engaged in the work; nobles have used their influence, and have cast into the treasury of the Lord of their abundance; rich men have bestowed of their riches; and, in many cases, the miser has forgotten his parsimony, the poor have replenished the funds of the Lord’s house, and the widow has cast in her mite. How easy to work the work of the Lord when the hearts of men are made willing by his power! But shall we forget those who have forsaken the land of their fathers, the home of their nativity, and have spent lonesome years of toil among strangers,—yes, worse than strangers,—among heathen idolaters, and the savages of the wilderness, in the cold regions of the north, and under the scorching rays of a vertical sun, among the suffocating sands of the desert, or in the pestilential atmosphere of India; who have risked their lives to learn a language, and prepare themselves to trim a lamp for those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death? No, we will not f orget them; the prayers of thousands have ascended before the golden altar, morning and evening, on their behalf, and Israel’s God has been their protector. Surely we may hope that these have oil in their lamps, who have sacrificed so much to bestow a lamp upon others. But remember, my brethren, the Lord he is God, and let him have all the glory. This is the time, and the same time that Gabriel informed Daniel, ‘Many should run to and fro, and knowledge should increase.’ This, too, is the same time when the angel flying through the midst of heaven had the everlasting gospel to preach to them who dwelt upon the earth. Here are Christ’s words, fulfilled, where he says, ‘And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.’ PFF4 694.2

“2nd. It is plain, to any diligent observer of the signs of the times, that all the societies for moral reform in our world at the present day are parts of the fulfillment of the parable, giving more light. What of our Bible societies? Are not these trimming the lamp for millions of human beings? Thirty years past, more than three-fourths of the families in what we call Christian lands were without the lamp of life, and now nearly all are supplied. Many of those who sat in heathenish darkness then are now rejoicing in the light of God’s book. And much of this has been performed through the instrumentality of Bible societies; and not only through the agency of the church, but political men, men of the world, the great men, merchants of the earth, and those who trade in ships, all who live under the influence of the gospel,—the ‘kingdom of heaven,’—have engaged in the work. Will not the most sceptical acknowledge that this society has succeeded beyond the most sanguine expectation of its most ardent advocates? And is not this strong circumstantial evidence that the Bridegroom is near, even at the door? PFF4 695.1

“3rd. The missionary societies, of all sects and denominations, which have been established within forty years, have as far exceeded all former exertions of this kind as the overflowing Nile does the waters of the brook Kidron. See the missionary spirit extending from east to west, and from north to south, warming the breast of the philanthropist, giving life and vigor to the cold-hearted moralist, and animating and enlivening the social circle of the pious devotee. Every nation, from India to Oregon, from Kamtschatka to New Zealand, has been visited by these wise servants (as we hope) of the cross, proclaiming ‘the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God,’ carrying the lamp, the word of God, in their hands, and oil, faith in God, in their hearts. All classes of men are engaged in this cause, from the gray hairs of old age down to the sprightly youth of ten years. Who, then, can doubt but that the virgins, in this sense, have and are trimming their lamps, and the bride is making herself ready? ‘Go ye out to meet him.’ PFF4 695.2

“4th. The Sabbath-schools and Bible-classes are but a part of the fulfilment of the parable, yet clearly an evidence that the virgins are now trimming their lamps. This system of teaching the young and ignorant took its rise between forty and fifty years since, at the very time that the Christian world were praying, and ardently praying, for the coming of Christ, before that part of the Saviour’s prayer was forgotten, ‘Thy kingdom come.’ From a little fountain this stream of water has become a great river, and encompassed the whole land. Every quarter of the globe is drinking at this fountain or stream of knowledge, and the youth are taught to trim their lamps. And when the Bridegroom shall come may we not reasonably hope that the thousands of the young men and young women, who have assisted in giving light to others, may be found having oil in their vessels, and their lamps trimmed and burning, and they looking and waiting for the coming of their Master, that when he comes they may rise to meet him in the air, with ten thousand of their pupils, who will sing the new song in the New Jerusalem for ever and ever? Search diligently, my young friends, and sec: to it. that ye believe in this word, ‘which is able to make you wise unto salvation.’ PFF4 695.3

“5th. Tract societies are of much use, and arc an efficient means to help to trim the lamps. Like snuffers that take away the preventives to the light, so are tracts. They take away from the mind the prejudice that thousands have against reading the word of God; they remove those rooted and groundless opinions, which many have, that they cannot understand the Bible; they serve to excite the mind to this kind of reading; they enlighten the understanding in some scriptural truths; they are pioneers, in many instances, to conversion; they can be sent where the word of God cannot at first be received; in one word, they are the harbingers of light, the forerunners of the Bible. And in this, too, all men in this probationary state seem to be more or less engaged, from the king on the throne, down to the poor peasant in the cottage, writing, printing, folding, transporting, paying, or reading, those silent little messengers of the virgin’s lamp. ‘Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps/ Has not God’s hand been seen in all this? And glory be to him who hath disposed the hearts of men to work the work that God bids them, and to fulfil the blessed word which he hath given them. This institution took its rise about the same time with the Bible society. PFF4 696.1

“6th. Temperance societies. These serve one purpose in trimming the lamps and preparing the way for the virgins to go out and meet the Bridegroom. Our world, twenty years ago, might be called a world of fashionable drunkards; almost all men drank of the intoxicating bowl, and thought it no harm. But when the lamp began to dart its rays around our tabernacles, it was found by woeful experience that those who drank of the poisonous cup were totally and wholly unprepared to receive the warning voice, or to hear the midnight cry, ‘Behold, the Bridegroom cometh!’ No, ‘they that were drunken were drunken in the night,’ says the apostle. ‘Therefore let us watch and be sober.’ And Peter tells us, ‘But the end of all things is at hand; be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.’ How foolish would it have been for a drunken man to be set on a watch, or a praying man to be found drunk! Therefore, in order that men might be in a suitable frame of mind to receive instruction at the close of this dispensation, and be in a situation to listen to the midnight cry, God ordered the virgins, and they arose and trimmed their lamps; and in all human probability thousands, who would have met a drunkard’s grave if this society had not arose, are now watching, with their lamps trimmed and burning, ready to meet the Bridegroom at his coming. Perhaps this temperance society is the virgin’s last resort. The Judge stands at the door; go ye out to meet him. This society, like the others before mentioned, is a general thing, and all sects, denominations, and classes of men, are engaged in it, and it has an important influence upon all men who are in this probationary state, and who may be termed, as in our text, ‘virgins.’ This society is of later origin than the others, and seems to be a rear- guard to wake up a few stragglers which the other societies could not reach. And now, drunkards, is your time; Wisdom stands at the door and knocks; let go the intoxicating bowl; be sober, and hear the midnight cry, ‘Behold, the Bridegroom cometh!’ For your souls’ sake drink not another draught, lest he come and find you drunken, ‘and that day come upon you unawares and find you sleeping.’ O, be wise, ye intemperate men! for they only went into the marriage who were found ready, ‘and the door was shut.’ ‘Then came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily, I say unto you, I know you not. Watch, therefore, for ye neither know the day nor the hour when the Son of Man cometh.’ ‘But the wise shall understand,’ says Daniel 12:10. PFF4 696.2

“And now, my Christian friends, let me inquire, Are your lamps trimmed and burning? And have you oil in your vessels? Are you prepared for the coming Bridegroom? And are you awake to this important subject? What say you? If this parable, to which I have directed your minds, has reference to the last day and the coming of Christ; if the ‘virgins’ have reference to all men in the probationary state, and dividing them into two classes, wise and foolish; if the ‘lamp’ is the word of God, and ‘oil’ means faith in his word, or grace in the heart, as some say, then my conclusions are just, and the evidence is strong that we live at the end of the gospel kingdom, and upon the threshold of the glorified state of the righteous. Then examine your Bibles, and if you can more fairly prove any other exposition of this parable than I have this, then believe yours, and time must settle the issue; but if you can find nothing in the Scriptures to controvert plainly my explanation, then believe, and prepare to meet the Bridegroom; for, behold, he cometh! PFF4 697.1

“Awake, ye fathers and mothers in Zion! ye have long looked and prayed for this day. Behold the signs! He is near, even at the door. And. ye children of God, lift up your heads and rejoice, for your redemption draweth nigh. For these things have begun to come to pass. And, ye little lambs of the flock, remember, Jesus has promised to carry you in his arms, and that he will come and take you to himself, that where he is there ye may be also. But remember, all of you, the wise had oil in their lamps, and they were trimmed and burning. Search deep; examine yourselves closely; be not deceived; and may the Spirit, which searcheth all things, and knoweth what is in the mind of man, assist you. PFF4 697.2

“But, my impenitent friends, what shall I say to you? Shall I say, as the Master in the parable, ‘Behold, the Bridegroom cometh: go ye out to meet him’? Prepare to meet your Judge. Now he has given you a time for repentance; you have a probationary season, and possibly now the sceptre of mercy is held out to you. Repent, or it will soon be said to you, as Jeremiah said to the virgin, the daughter of Egypt, ‘In vain shall thou use many medicines; for thou shall not be cured;’ or, as in the parable, ‘[know you not.’ Have you no oil in your lamps? Delay not a moment; believe the gospel, and you will live; believe the word of God; receive the love of the Bridegroom, and make no delay; for while they went to buy, the Bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut. O, think what must be the exercise of your minds when these things shall be real; when you will stand without and knock, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ Again I ask, will you repent, believe, and be saved? Are you determined to resist the truth until it is too late? Say, sinner, what think ye? PFF4 697.3

” ‘We will risk the consequences. We do not believe in your day you tell us of. The world is the same it always was,—no change, nor ever will be; but if it should come, it will not this ten thousand years,—not in our day, certainly. You do not believe yourself. If you did, we should call you a fool.’ PFF4 698.1

“Are these your arguments, sinner? PFF4 698.2

” ‘Yes.’ PFF4 698.3

“Well, if I had brought no more, no stronger arguments than these, I would not blame you for not believing, for not one of yours can you or have you supported with a particle of proof. They are mere assertions; your believing or not believing will not alter the designs of God. The antediluvians believed not. The citizens of the plain laughed at the folly of Lot. And where are they now? Suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” ²⁴ PFF4 698.4