Part 22

This then was the reception the servant met with, and such were the excuses, and answers, that were sent back. And what was the consequence? “So that servant came (no doubt with a sorrowful heart) and shewed his LORD these things.” However little it be thought of, yet ministers must shew the LORD, what success their ministry meets with. We must shew it to our LORD here. We must spread the case before him in prayer. We must shew it to our LORD hereafter, before the general assembly of the whole world. But how dreadful is it, when ministers are obliged to go upon their knees, crying, “O! my leanness, my leanness!” and _Elias_-like, to intercede as it were against those, to whom they would not only have imparted the gospel, but even their own lives. It is a heart-breaking consideration. But thus it must be; “The servant came and shewed the LORD these things;” so must we. Well, and what says the LORD? We are told, verse 21st, that “the master of the house was angry?” Not with the servant: for though _Israel_ be not gathered, yet shall CHRIST be glorious; and faithful ministers shall be rewarded, whether people obey the gospel or not. “We are a sweet savour unto GOD, whether the word be a savour of life unto life, or a savour of death unto death.” The master of the house therefore was angry, not with the servant, but with these-worldly-minded, pleasure-taking refusers of his gracious invitation; who, in all probability, went to see and stock their estates, and attend upon their brides, not doubting, but their excuses would be taken, because they were lawfully employed. And, indeed, in one sense, their excuses were accepted. For I do not hear that they were ever invited any more. GOD took them at their word, though they would not take him at his. They begged to be excused, and they were excused, as we shall see in the sequel of this parable. Let us not therefore harden our hearts, as in the day of provocation; “Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation.” But must the feast want guests? No, if they cannot, or will not come, others shall, and will. The master of the house therefore being angry, sent the servant upon a second errand. “Go out quickly into the streets, and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.” Every word bespeaks a spirit of resentment and importunity. Go out quickly, make no delay, dread no attempt or danger, into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither, not only call them, but bring them in (for the master here, to encourage the servant, assures him of success) the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. This was fulfilled, when JESUS CHRIST, after the gospel was rejected by the _Jews_, went and invited the _Gentiles_, and when the publicans and harlots took the kingdom of GOD by a holy violence, whilst the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees rejected the kingdom of GOD against themselves. This was also a home reproof to the rich Pharisee, at whose house the LORD JESUS was, as well as a cutting lesson to the other guests. For our Saviour would hereby shew them, that GOD took a quite different method from his host, and was not above receiving the poor, and halt, and blind, and maimed, to the gospel supper, though he had called none such to sit down at his table. Whether the guests resented it or not, we are not told. But if they were not quite blind, both host and guests might easily see that the parable was spoken against them. But to proceed,