Incensed at such base ingratitude, the king determines to execute vengeance on these notorious offenders, and to invite to his feast others more worthy of his favour. His servants therefore immediately received orders from him, to go out into the highways and to gather together all, as many as they found, both bad and good which command they so readily executed, that the wedding was presently furnished with guests. The king comes in to see them; among whom one who had not put on the wedding-garment, did not escape his notice. This was followed by a severe reprimand, Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having on a wedding-garment? The guest, having no excuse to offer for the contempt which he had shown to his royal host, stood speechless; while an awful sentence was passed on him, for his insolence and temerity: Bind him hand and foot, said the king, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

It may appear strange to you, and unmerciful in this king, to expect that a man, called in suddenly from the highway, should have on a wedding-garment; and be punished severely, because he had not: but you will no longer think it so,

when you are informed, that it was customary for the bridegroom to prepare garments for his guests: which this man is supposed contemptuously to have refused.

This, as well as all other parables and similitudes delivered by our LORD, was designed to convey instruction, both to those to whom they were immediately addressed, and to all who should hereafter be concerned in them. It behoves us therefore, my Brethren, to consider what use we may derive from this parable of the marriage-feast.

By the king then we are to understand GOD, and by the marriage-feast the Gospel of his Son, unto which the Jews were first invited but they not only refused the invitation, but also abused and killed the messengers by whom it was sent unto them; the prophets, the apostles, and even the Son himself, for whom this splendid feast was prepared. The expression,

The king sent forth his armies and destroyed those murderers, and burnt up their city," we are to consider as a prophecy of the slaughter of the Jews, and the burning of their city of Jerusalem by the Romans, which was afterwards exactly fulfilled for there could not be time, before the feast already prepared was

served up, to attempt an execution of this kind*.

The Jews having thus rejected the overtures of the Gospel, which they are represented to have done by their trifling excuses for not coming to the marriagefeast; by those who were brought in from the highways we are to understand the Gentiles, to whom those gracious offers of salvation were made, which the Jews had so contemptuously refused. Gracious indeed! for not only the good were invited, but also the bad. The invitation was universal, and without distinction: as many as were found, were brought in: even the very worst of sinners received the offers of mercy and salvation. By the man without the wedding-garment you are to understand a hypocrite, one who pretends to accept the terms of salvation, but neglects to make the necessary preparation for it. On such shall the irreversible sentence of condemnation be passed in the world to come, which is signified by the order which was given by the king to his servants, to bind the offender hand and foot, and to cast him into outer darkness, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, an expression

* Doddridge. + Trimmer.

to denote the greatest rage and indig nation.

We, my Brethren, are some of those Gentiles to us has the Gospel been preached, and we are invited to partake of the blessings of it. But attend carefully, I beseech you, to the concluding words of this parable, namely, that although many be called, yet but few are chosen intimating, that notwithstanding GOD has furnished every inducement to excite all men to embrace the Gospel, there will in all ages be such numbers of profane, careless and hypocritical persons, that many will not in the end obtain salvation. Let us then thankfully put on the wedding-garment, which is thus offered us, and never refuse to wear it; as all those do, who not only decline to take upon them the profession of religion, but also are not sound at heart in that pro fession*.

No sooner had the blessed JESUS thus graciously warned the Jews against rejecting the Gospel, or making an hypocritical profession of it, than the Pharisees incensed at the censure which they perceived was levelled against them in the foregoing parables, determined by some

* Henry.

means or other to avenge themselves on him and that they might screen themselves from the rage of the multitude, who are said to have heard him gladly, they took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk, by putting to him some questions, to which, according to their opinion, he would be under the necessity of returning such answers, as would give them an opportunity of taking hold of his words, that so they might deliver him into the power and authority of the governor.

Deeply did these artful Pharisees lay their scheme to bring the innocent JESUS into difficulty and danger: for they persuaded the Herodians, who were violent party-men under Herod, in upholding the Roman power, to be present at their conference with JESUS, that they might be witnesses against him*. This they begin with artifice and flattery; and complimenting him on his strict integrity, because they knew that nothing would induce him to deviate from the truth, pretend that they wish him to satisfy them in a point of conscience, whether it was lawful for them, as Jews, to pay tribute to Cæsar, the Roman emperor, or not?

* Gilpin.