Matt. xxii. 1 1 — 13. And ivhen the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment : and he said unto him, Friend, hotv earnest thou in hither, not
having a wedding-garment ? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him. hand and foot, and take him aivay, and cast him into outer darkness ; there shall he weeping and gnashing of teeth.
THERE has ever been a diversity of characters in the Church of God. This, though much to be lamented, cannot be avoided. The very zeal w^hich animates the ministers of the Gospel, has a tendency to produce this effect. Their charity prompts them to hope well of those who appear in earnest ; and to admit to their communion all who " witness a good confession." Thus it was that " the wedding (in the parable) was furnished with guests;" but he who searcheth the hearts will distinguish the hypo- crites from others, and will deal with men according to their real characters.
This being intimated in the text, we shall en- deavour to shew,
I. What we are to understand by the wedding gar- ment—
The wedding-feast is intended to represent the blessings of the Gospel. The garment suited to the occasion must therefore import a meetness to partake of those blessings. In this view we may understand " the wedding-garment" as formed in part of the ?ighteous?iess of Ch?'ist —
[Christ, by his own obedience unto death, wrought out a righteousness which is given " unto all, and put upon all, them that believed" This is the only righteousness whereby any man can be justified before God*^. St. Paul himself could find acceptance in no other". It is in this that all the glorified saints are clothed*^: in fact, it constitutes their title to heaven®: and it is in this that all the saints on earth are clothed, pre- paratory to their ascending to heaven^ Hence the devout songs of those who have attained this gift : "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in the Lord : for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom
a Rom. iii. 22. >> Rom. v. 18, 19. « phil. iii. 9.
d Rev. ix. 7. e Rev. v. 8. " therefore.''
f Gal. iii. 27.