"Go quickly and buy!" they urged the foolish virgins. And while they went to buy, the Bridegroom came; and those who were ready went in with Him to the marriage; and the door was shut. Oh, the terrible sound of those words—the door was shut! Afterwards the other virgins hurried back; and when they came to that closed door, they called with bitter longing and entreaty, "Lord, Lord open to us!" But the Bridegroom answered in these sorrowful words which should be a warning to every one of us as we read them, "Verily I say unto you I know you not." This story has, as you see, a very sorrowful ending. And the Lord Jesus would not have told it to us unless He had intended us to take a great warning from it. The Oil spoken of in this Parable is a type or picture to help us to understand about the Holy Spirit. For we must have the Holy Spirit in our hearts if we want to go in with Jesus to the Marriage supper, in Heaven. When Jesus was baptized in Jordan, John saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove, and resting upon Him. Perhaps you ask, "Could those foolish virgins have had the oil?" Ah! Indeed they might! Evidently they could have bought the oil. The Holy Spirit is given to us "without money and without price," for our Lord says, "How much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him." Some years ago we had a young maid who could not understand how she was to find Jesus. I told her that if she would pray for the Holy Spirit, she would certainly be shown the way. In ten days she came to me with a joyful face. "I did pray as you told me," she said, "and I have come to Jesus, and He is my Saviour." XXV. The Good Samaritan There was once a lonely man, walking in Palestine on the mountainous road between Jerusalem and Jericho. He had no one with him, and his heart sank as he recalled the stories of the wild men who lived in the caves, and came out to rob unfortunate travellers who passed that way. The silence was unbroken, and as he looked from side to side and hurried along, he began to hope that he might reach Jericho without mishap. The road lay between steep hills and mountains, and there were sharp corners and jutting rocks all along the way, which would hide any number of the robbers who haunted the place. But all his fears and all his anxious, watchful glances were of no use. Suddenly a band of thieves sprang out of their hiding-place behind him, and in a moment they surrounded him, robbed him of all his property, and, as he evidently resisted them with all his might, they not only robbed him, but cruelly wounded him, and then made off, leaving him by the roadside, half dead. Sad indeed was his plight, lying there in the glaring sunshine, aching with pain and consumed with thirst. "Would no one come to help him?" he sadly thought. Yes—he heard footsteps coming down the stony path, and as they drew nearer and nearer, his hope began to revive. Surely some kind man would take pity on him!