And the foolish said unto the wise, give us of your
oil
A graceless person may be able to see the grace of God in others,
be convinced of it, and acknowledge it, as these foolish virgins
did: they saw that the wise virgins had oil, that is, grace; this
they knew by the bright burning of their lamps, by their
readiness in trimming them, and that in a different way from
them; by their sedate composure of mind, and confidence of soul,
notwithstanding the midnight cry; and by their ardent and
affectionate desire to meet the bridegroom. A graceless person
may also see a need of grace: these foolish virgins had no such
sense, when they first took up their profession; they went on a
long time in a course of religion, without any thoughts of it;
and the sense they had now was not of the need of it, in the
vessels of their hearts, but in their lamps only; nor was it from
the Spirit of God, but through the surprise and terror of the
midnight cry. Such persons may also be desirous of the grace of
God; not because of the intrinsic nature and worth of it, nor for
the service and glory of God, but from a mere principle of
self-love; and when they can go on no longer with the lamp of
profession; and then they desire to have it any where, rather
than from Christ, as did these foolish virgins; and who betrayed
their folly by applying to saints for it. Had they asked their
advice in this their distress, it would have been wisely done; or
had they desired their prayers for them; or that they would
impart some spiritual instructions to them; but to ask their
grace of them was exceeding foolish; when grace only comes from
God, who is the God of all grace, through Christ as mediator, in
whom the fulness of it dwells, and by the Spirit, who is a Spirit
of grace and of supplication; but is never to be had from men,
no, not from the best men on earth, nor from the angels in
heaven. The reason of this their request follows,
for our lamps are gone out;
which may be said to be when professors neglect the duties of
religion, drop, or deny the doctrines of the Gospel formerly
professed by them, become bad in their principles, and scandalous
in their lives, or withdraw themselves from the churches of
Christ; though neither of these seem to be the case here:
wherefore this going out of their lamps seems to intend the
insufficiency of an external profession of religion to meet the
bridegroom, and support a person with confidence and intrepidity
in his presence: these foolish virgins now saw, when too late,
that their lamps availed them nothing; they were gone out, and
become useless and unprofitable, because they had not the oil of
grace with them; or what they had was only counterfeit grace, or
only an appearance of it; a mere form of godliness, without its
power; or only gifts which are perishable, and now failed,
ceased, and were vanishing away; wherefore this is no instance of
the loss of true grace, nor at all militates against the
perseverance of the saints.