I beseech you, let us labour earnestly to have om' part and portion in the things above. But what shall they do, that as yet apprehend no interest in Jesus Christ ? Why ! let them not be discouraged, for all are compelled * See footnote p. 89.— G.
ISA. XXV, 6.j BETWEEN CHRIST AXD HIS CHURCH. 457
to come into tliis feast, both blind and lame. The sei-rants are sent to bring them in. The most wretched people of all, God doth invite them. All are called to come in to this feast that are sensible of their sins ; and that, God requires at our hands, or else we can have no appetite to taste of this feast. God saith, ' Come all,' Isa. Iv. 1. Aye, but, saith the poor, sinful soul, I have no grace at all ! \Miy ! but yet come, * buy without money ; ' the feast is free. . ' God's thoughts are not as thy thoughts are ; ' ' but as heaven is high above the earth, even so are his thoughts above thy thoughts,' Isa. Iv. 8, 9. Poor wretch ! thou thinkest thou hast led a wicked hfe, and so thou hast ! Aye, but now come in, God hath invited thee, and he wdl not always be inviting thee. Therefore come in, and study the excellencies of Christ. When such persons as these see they need mercy, and grace, and reconciliation, and must either have it or else be damned for ever, now they are earnest to study the favour and love of God ia Chi'ist ; now they bestir themselves to get peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost ; now they see salvation to be founded only on Christ, and all other excellencies belonging to Chi-istianity ; and therefore he goeth constantly provided with grace and holiness, so in this life that he may not lose his part in glory in the life to come. Think of this and pray for it, as they in the gospel. ' Lord, eveiTuore give me of that bread,' John vii. 34. Here is hope that thou mayest be saved, because thou art invited to come in. To what end is the ministry of the gospel, but to entreat thee to be reconciled ? Oh ! let this work upon our souls when we hear of the excellencies of these things ! And together with them, consider of the necessity that is cast upon us to obtain them, and that we must have them or else be damned eternally. We must do as the lepers did, who said one to another, ' 'Why sit we here till we die ? If we say, We will enter into the city, why, the famine is in the city, and we shaU die there : and if we sit still here, we shall also die.' Now, what course took they? ' They said one to another. Let us enter into the camp of the Syrians, there is meat to feed us,' 2 Kings vii. 3, 4. So saith the soul. If I go into the city of the world, there I shall be starved ; if I sit still, I shall also perish. "WTiat shaU I now do ? I wlU venture upon Jesus Chi-ist ; he hath food that endm-es to eternal life, and if I perish there, I perish. If I have not Chi'ist I must die, the wrath of God hangeth over my head, and I cannot escape. Alas ! poor soul, now thou seest thy wretchedness, cast thyself upon him, and come in. If thou ventm-est, thou canst but die ! Adventm-e therefore, put thyself upon God's mercy, for he is gi'acious and full of compassion.
Those that have given up themselves to Christ, let them study to honour God and Christ, by taking those comforts that ai'e allotted to them. "VATien any man inviteth us to a feast, he knoweth if we respect him we will fall to. God hath bestowed his Son upon us, and will he not ■svith him give us all things '? Let us not therefore dishonour the bounty of our good God, but come in, and labom- to have our hearts more and more enlarged with the consideration of the excellency of these eternal comforts. The fulness of Christ is able to satisfy the soul, though it were a thousand times larger than it is. If it were possible that we could get the capacity of angels, it could not be sufficient to shew forth the fulness of pleasm-es that are pro- vided for a Chi-istian. Let us therefore labour with aU labour to open our hearts to entertain these joys, for we cannot honour God more than of his bounty to receive thankfully what he freely offers. To taste plentifully in the covenant of grace, of these riches, and joy, and hope of things to come, glorious above all that we are able to think of ; I say, this is the way to
458 THE MAERIAGE FEAST [SeEMON III.
honour God under the gospel of hope. Of things that are infinite, the more we take, the more we may take, and the more we honour him that giveth. Let us therefore enter deeply into our special sins, there is no fear of de- spair. Think of all thy wants, and of all thy sins ; let them he never so many, j-et there is more to be had in Christ than there can be wanting in thee. The soul that thinks itself full of wants is the richest soul, and that that apprehendeth no want at all, no need of grace or Christ, is always sent empty away. Grieve therefore for thy sins, and then joy that thou hast grieved, and go to God for the supply of all thy wants. The seeds of joy and of comfort are sown in tears and grief in this world ; but yet we know we shall reap in joy in the world to come.