Classic Poem

PARABLE XV.

The Ten Virgins.

The heav'nly kingdom at the last,
When man's account is to be cast,
Shall to ten virgins likeness bear;
Which virgins did their lamps prepare,
And went upon the wedding-day
To meet the bridegroom in the way.
Now five were wise, and five were weak,
With lamps, but had their oil to seek;
While the five prudent ones produce
Their lamps replenish'd from the cruse.
And as the ling'ring bridegroom kept
Away, they laid them down and slept:
And in a while, about the dead
Of night, a great alarm was spread—
‘The bridegroom comes—ye damsels fly,
‘With joy to meet him!’ was the cry.
Then all arose with one consent,
And trimm'd their lamps in haste, and went.
Then the fond maids besought the wise,
‘Give us such oil as may suffice
‘From out your lamps, for ours we've burn'd.’
Not so, the wary ones return'd,
Lest there be scarce for either train—
But go ye rather back again,
And buy of those that sell the same:
But while they went, the bridegroom came.
And as all those that had address
To hold themselves in readiness,
Went in, each maid a welcome guest,
The door was barr'd against the rest.
Anon the foolish ones appear'd,
Whose cries were at the threshold hear'd,
‘Lord, Lord, receive thy handmaids in!’
But he reply'd, ‘I know not sin.’—
Watch therefore, for the hour's not known,
When Christ shall come to claim his own.
?In these ten virgins Christ recites
Five senses in two diff'rent lights.
The wise are passions kept on guard;
The foolish ones are mercies marr'd.
The touch, the taste, the sight, the smell,
The sense of hearing will rebell,
Not kept from wand'ring and mischance
By all attentive vigilance.
So they that every sense degrade,
What time the thoughts of death invade,
On any crutch, however mean,
In spite of Christ the word would lean:
Hence idleness itselfs subsists
On spiritual œconomists.
Invidious folk with evil eyes,
Bad tongues, and list'ners unto lies,
Who keep not the Lord's body chaste,
Gluttons, that mar th'intent of taste,
Those that defile the human breath
With oaths and curses unto death,
And spoil that incense God desires,
Which through the lips to heav'n aspires;
Wretches like these would all to Rome,
And go to them that sell perfume,
And to the man of sin apply ,
There pardons and indulgence buy:
But Christ against the fools, that put
Their trust in man, his door has shut.