3. Be so just as not to impute the crimes of the printer to the author or publisher, which yet are such as an ordinary charity may pardon or a small ingenuity correct. The rest is only to commit thee, reader, and these discourses, to the blessing of our gracious God, with whom remember thy unworthy servant in the service of the gospel,
ViN. Alsop.
January 17, 169f.
A SERMON PREACHED ON MATTHEW XXII. 11-13.
And ivTien the king came in to see the guests, he saiv there a man tuhich had not a ivedding-garment ; And he saitli unto him, Friend, how earnest thou in hither, not having a wedding garment ? and he ivas speechless. Then said the king to the servants, hind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall he lueeping and gnashing of teeth. — Mat. xxii. 11-13.
These words are the conclusion of a parable, wherein the ample and rich provision which God hath made for poor sinners in the gospel is compared to a feast ; not an ordinary feast, but a marriage feast ; not an ordinary marriage, but the marriage of the king's 'son. In the structure of the parable there is a twofold invitation — the former of the Jews, the latter of the gentiles. In that paragraph that concerns the Jews, observe three things — the invitation itself, the success, and the issue.
1. The invitation itself is in vers. 3, 4, ' And he sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding ; and they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, Tell them that are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner ; my oxen and fatlings are killed, and all things are ready : come to the mari-iage.' There is a double call — the first call, ver, 3 ; the second call, ver. 4. God will take not the first repulse, but will try again before he will quit a people. He punisheth not the contempt of his grace suddenly, but sendeth once more to see if men will repent, and be sorry for their former negligence.
More particularly, the first call was by the prophets foretelling the coming of Christ into the world. The second was by the apostles representing him as already come. In the second call, more earnest words are used, ' I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, all things are ready : come to the marriage.' God omitteth nothing that belongeth to the salvation of his people. He is ready to bless us, his Son to receive us, his iSpu-it to help us. All things are
12 A SERBION ON MATTHEW XXII. 11-13.
ready, if we are ready ; we need but come and take what God hath provided for us.
2. The success of this invitation or offer of grace. Some slighted it, others rejected it with maUce. Some slighted it: ver, 5, ol 8e afjuekt^aavre's, ' They made light of it, and went their way, one to his farm, another to his merchandise.' They had other business to mind than come to a marriage feast. In Luke it is said, ' They made excuse,' Luke xiv. 18, 19. But excusing is refusing. The sinner's plea is outwardly and formally, non vacat ; but the very intrinsic reason and reality is, 7ion 2)lcicet. They care not for these things, being biassed and prepossessed with other affections. Otliers rejected it with malice : ver. 6, ' And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.' This is the unworthy return which the unthankful world maketh to God for the tenders of gospel grace ; they do not only refuse his offers, but persecute his servants, that have no other design upon them but the promoting of their salvation.
3. The issue : ver. 7, ' When the king heard thereof, he was wroth, and sent forth his servants, and destroyed those murderers, and burnt up their city.' So did God deal with the Jews ; he sent an army of Eomans against them, and destroyed them utterly. The Romans are called his army, for all creatures are at God's command. The pagans may be fiagellum Dei, the rod and scourge whereby God will punish his people. Contempt of the gospel joined with persecution of the preachers of it bringeth utter ruin ancl devastation.
The next part of the parable is God's inviting other guests, or his- calling of the gentiles, vers. 9, 10. There is the charge to invite, and the success,
1. The charge to invite : * Go into the highways, and as many as you shall find, bid to the marriage.' The Jews are represented as living in a community and city society, because of their visible church relation to God ; but gentiles as dispersed up and down in lanes and highways ; and upon the Jews' refusal, they are called to the feast : ' Go preach the gospel to every creature.'
2. The servants' obedience, and their success : ' So these servants went out into the highways, and gathered together as many as they found, both bad and good ; and the wedding was furnished with guests.' Observe, a people may want God, but God cannot want a people to serve him. Again, all that give their names to Christ are not found. Some coming to the gospel in truth, others entering into the visible church in hypocrisy : for there is a mixture of good and bad. So sometimes the church is full, but heaven never the fuller ; for though they receive the gospel, they do not receive it in full power and efficacy.