They must present the same truths in various shapes, if by any means they may win the souls of their hearersNor should they be intimidated even by the most imminent dangers Jesus had spoken a parable that greatly offended the Pharisees They even sought to take away his life on account of it But he still persisted in his benevolent labours for their good And repeated the same offensive truths in the parable before us We shall confine our attention to its two leading fea tures I. The glorious representation here given of the gospel Some of the parables are simple-This is rather complex son 1. It compares the gospel to the marriage of a king's [God is that "certain king, who makes a marriage for his son" Christ, his only Son is the bridegroom, and the church is his bride This similitude frequently occurs in the prophetic writingsa Nor is the use of it uncommon in the New Testament alsob St. Paul intimates that there is a strict analogy between the relation of a man to his wife, and of Christ to his churchThe gospel is the means of bringing us into that relation to Christ It commends to us his excellencies, and fills our hearts with love to him When we accept his offers, we give up ourselves entirely to him We engage to love, honour, and obey him with our whole hearts On the other hand he gives himself to us as our protectorWe have communion with him in all which he himself possessesd Through him we become children of his heavenly Father b Matt. ix. 15. d John xvii. 22. e Gal. iii. 26. a Isai. liv. 5. Jer. ii. 14. c Eph. v. 32. - And joint-heirs, together with himself, of an eternal inheritancef sals The present time indeed is only the season of our espou The consummation of the nuptials is reserved for a future period But the engagement made shall never be dissolved] 2. It compares the gospel to a feast instituted in honour of that marriage [In this feast" the oxen and fatlings, and all other things are ready". There is nothing wanting that can conduce to the welfare of any guest Are we strong and of full age? there is strong meat set before usk Are we weak and only babes in Christ? there is milk proper for us1 Are we hungering after pardon? there is an abundance for allm Are we thirsting for peace? it flows down there as a river"— Are we panting for holiness? the spirit of holiness is there poured out Whatever be our state, there are provisions suited to usThere are "exceeding great and precious promises" extending to every want? And the banquet, suited to the dignity of the king, will be prolonged to all eternity This feast is made on occasion of the church's union with Christ And we, who, collectively, are the bride, are, individually, the guests-] Such representations might well engage our regard to the gospel But we shall see reason for nothing but grief, while we consider II. The reception which the gospel meets with in the world The invitations of the gospel are sent equally to all [Not a creature in the universe is excepted as unworthy→→→ The more unworthy we feel ourselves to be, the more acceptable guests we shall be accounted by the king We are even solicited to become the bride of the king's son Though we be in the most loathsome condition, he will not despise us He will adorn and beautify us that we may be fit for his presence And rejoice over us as a bridegroom over his beloved bride'-] But the generality treat these invitations with scorn and indifference [The prophets and apostles were God's messengers to mankind They came to declare the goodness of God to our fallen race And to urge men to accept his proffered mercies But the world persecuted them even unto death This enmity indeed is at present kept within bounds by hu man laws, and the superintending providence of God Nevertheless it exists as strongly as ever in the carnal heartAnd, when permitted, will rage again with equal furyMen's hatred of the gospel is not less evidently shewn by their neglect of it- They "make light of it" as though it did not concern them The concerns of this life are constantly urged as an excuse for their conduct*-- But the truth is declared in the text, "They will not come"They are so occupied with carnal things that they have no taste for those that are spiritual And so wedded to this world that they have no desire for an union with Christ-] In due time however they will meet with the recompence they deserve [When "the wedding is filled with guests" the doors will be shut The persecutors of God's messengers will then suffer in their turny Dreadful was the vengeance inflicted on the Jewish nationBut far more dreadful will be their punishment in the last day The contemners of God's mercy also will be excluded from the banquet Ezek. xvi. 5, 6, 8. u Ver. 6. • Ib. 9-14. Isai. lxii. 5. * Ver. 5. y Ver. 7. They who would not feast now with him, shall not then so much as taste of his bounties And they who would not become his bride, shall be treated as his enemies-] INFER 1. How inconceivably great is the honour and happiness of God's people! [It would be thought a great matter to be invited to a royal banquet And still more to be united to the son and heir of a monarchBut how contemptible are such honours when compared with the Christian's! Let us not rest satisfied with earthly comforts or distinctions Let our ambition soar to the highest heavens Let us affect an union with the Lamb of God himselfAnd seek a participation of his blessedness and glory-]' 2. How astonishing is the infatuation of the careless world! [If we offered them carnal enjoyments they would have ears to hear But they seem wholly insensible to spiritual objects, however great If the things set before them were either trivial or uncertain, or, if they might be neglected with impunity, we might account for their supineness But there is no room for any surmises of this kind Let us then awake from our slumber, and cry mightily to God Thus we may even yet realize the figures we have now considered-] CCLXXII. THE WEDDING GARMENT. Matt. xxii. 11-13. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having a wedding-garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. THERE has ever been a diversity of characters in the church of God This, though much to be lamented, cannot be avoidedThe very zeal which animates the ministers of the gospel, has a tendency to produce this effect Their charity prompts them to hope well of all who appear in earnest And to admit to their communion those who "witness a good confession"— Thus it was that "the wedding (in the parable) was furnished with guests" But he who searcheth the hearts will distinguish the hypocrites from others— And will deal with men according to their real cha racters This being intimated in the text, we shall consider I. What we are to understand by the wedding-garment The wedding-feast is intended to represent the blessings of the gospel The garment suited to the occasion must therefore import a meetness to partake of those blessings In this view we may perhaps understand the weddinggarment as signifying the righteousness of Christ [Our blessed Lord wrought out a righteousness by his obedience unto death Every believer has this righteousness both given to him, and put upon hima St. Paul abhorred the thought of depending on any otherb Nor will any other avail us for our justification before God Hence we are exhorted to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ'd And described as being clothed with him as with a gar mente The possession of this garment founds our title to heaven —— And is a source of unspeakable joy to the believing soulEvery one that wears it may well exult with the church of olds-] But we must doubtless understand it also as signifying our own inherent righteousness a Rom. iii. 22. d Rom. xiii. 14. b Phil. iii. 9. e Rom. v. 18, 19. f Rev. vii. 14, 15. g Isai. Ixi. 10. |