Luke xiv. 7 — 10. And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room ; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him ; and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place ; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that tvhen he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher : then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat ivith thee.
THE Christian is not prohibited from occasionally joining in carnal festivity ; but he should carefully watch his own spirit and conduct when he ventures upon such dangerous ground, and should improve his intercourse with worldly company for the spiritual edification of himself and others. Our blessed Lord was sometimes present at feasts; but his conversation at those seasons was always pious and instructive. The things which occurred never failed to furnish him with abundant matter for useful observation. Having noticed at a wedding the indecent ambition of the guests, he animadverted on their conduct in the parable before us —
I. The principle here inculcated —
Our Lord did not intend these words merely as a maxim for the regulating of our conduct in one par- ticular, but as a parable that should be applied to the whole of our deportment in social life. The scope of the text, whether as originally delivered by Solomon, or as quoted and applied by our Lord, is to recom- mend humility3. But to enter fully into its meaning, we must analyse, as it were, the principle here incul- cated ; which implies,
1. A deep sense of our own unworthiness —
[If we stand high in our own estimation, we cannot but expect a degree of homage from others, and shall be ready to
a Compare Prov. xxv. 6, 7. with ver. 11.