made divers Interpreters think, that 3t.ztth»w hath pur jr our of ts due order, for Luke reports ic as fpoken long betore, and that not in the Temple, bur at 4 Ph.wj/ees Houte where he was ar Dinner, and upon Occaſion of one of them ſaying. Blejſ-a he that ſhall Eat Bread in the Kingdom of God. Eur | know no rc2- lon why We May not allow our Saviour to have utcd tlic ſme Par.tble rivIce, in ewo differing Companies, and upon two ditferent Occations, eſpecially conſidering rhere are remarkable Differen- ces 1n Luke's and Matthew's Relation. I ſhall theretore leave ric Contideration of Luke's Relation, till I come to char Chaprer in his Goſpel, where I ſhall mect with it in Courſe, and cofifider only what Matthew fairh, We muſt remember this 1: a Yara- ble, nor an Hiſtorical Narration. The firſt Verſe tells us, | [hen Jejus anſwered, and ſpake again to them in Pardbles.\ Hz mn; f%+od, thatis, He began a Diſcourſe (fo the Word very otren H:nifics) Our Saviout hath neither given us any particular Explication or this Parable, nor any Proparabola or Epip.wab»1z; any Sznrence, betore, or after the Parable, guiding us as ro the Explication, except ,only that ſhort Sentence, v. 14. Fr m.ny ave c:l/od, but few are c<hyſn, which rather puiderh us 1n tie Explicarion of the tour latrer Verſes, than of che whole Parable, yer ir is not hard for us to find out our Saviour's Scope in this Parable. Ir teemerh to be double. 1. To inform thoſe to whom he ſpake of the De- ſtruction ſuddenly coming upon the Jews, for cheir RcjeAion ct the Goſpel, and of the calling of the Gentiles, 2. To let us know that neither amongſt the Jews nor Gentiles all ſhould be laved whom God called by the External Miniſtration cf che Gof: pel: Bur thcſe alone who belonging to the EleGion of Grace, ſhould be tound in the Day of Judgment, having on the Wed- ding-Garment. So then, the Kingdom of Heaven here ſignifies, the Way or Equity ct God in the Diſpenſation of the Goſpet, or the Adminiſtration of things in order to the Kingdom of Glery. The King here mentioned muſt be he who is che King of Kings, The Marriage for his Som is the Exhibition of the Covenant of Grace, which whoſoever layeth hold on, Taiah 56. 4. is by Faith unt- red to Chriſt; which Union is often expreflced in Holy Writ un- der the Norion of a Marriage, Pſal. 45.10, 11. Eph. 5. 23. 75cs Or rheir Union with him in Glory, Rev. 19. 9. The Perſons bid- den were the Jews, The Servants that called them to the Wed- ding were thoſe that were faithful amongſt their ordinary Teach- ers, or the Prophets, ſuch as Taiah and the reſt, whom they re- tuſed to hearken unto. The other Servants might fizmifie John the Baptiſt,. and rhe Twelve, and others ſent out by Chriſt, ro tell them that Chriſt was now come, there wanted nothing but their coming to him, and receiving of him. Their making Light of it, going one to his Farm, anther to his Merchandize, and others taking the Servants, entreating the Servants ſpitefully, and ſtaying them, ſignifies the Jews general Refuſal ot che Goſpel, and rhe particular Rage, and Malice of fome of them, fhewn in their abuſing ot the Lord's Prophets, and Meſſengers, and which he knew ſome of them would furcher ſhew' azainſt Stephen and Zames. The King's ſending forth his Armies, and flying the Murderers, ſignified the coming of the Roman Armies, and their utter deftroying Jeruſalem. The ſending of the Ser- vants into the High-ways, and inviting all choſe whom they found to the Wedding, ſignified the Apoſtles, going ro the Gentiles, and Preaching the Goſpel to all Nations, which much inlarged the Ter- ricories of the Church, garhering in many who profeiſed to ac- cept of Chriſt, bur nor all in Truth, and Sincerircy. The Kings coming to ſee his Gueſts, ſignifiech Chriſt's coming ar the Day of the laſt Judgment, with hs Fan in his Hand, throughly 85 purge bus Flair, His finding one without his Wedding Garment, fignifiech his finding many Hypocrites at the Day of Judgment. The Gueſts ar Weddings were either wont to pur on their beſt Cloaths (as we uſually do) or a particular Garmenr which was then in uſe, and was worn by them who were invited ro Weddings. By the Wedding-Garment here 15 meant Chriſt, Rom. 13. 14, who 15 at this Feaſt, borh the Bridezroom, and the Meat at the Feaſt, and rhe Wedding-Garment alſo, in divers Reſpetts. It is but an idle Diſpute, whether Faith is meant, or Love, neicher the one nor the other ſeparately, but Euth that worketh by Love, What- foever God requirerh of us that we may be made meer for che Kingdom of God. Without Faith and Hlineſs nane cm ſee God. His being Speechlefs, ſignifies, That choſe who have lived under
{ the Profeſſors of Grace and Salvation, and have reze&cd chem, net-
ther believing in che Lord Jeſus Chriſt, nor bringing forch Fruits of Holineſs, will, be without Excuſe at the Day of Fudgment. And che King's ComMMnding his Servants to bind him H.md and F17t, Sc; ſignifieth, Thar all ſuch Perſons as live wichin the Church, un- der the meansof Grace, yer dye impenirent, and Unbelievers, having not by a true Faith received Chriſt as their Saviour, and brouyhe forth the Fruits of true Repentance and Holinefs, ſhall get nothing by their being wickin the Church, and Externally called, bur ſhall be thrown to Hell as well as others; rhe Pains of which are here exprefled by Binding Hand and Foot ; lying 1n Outer-darkneſs, Weeping and Gnaſhing of Teeth, as in crhcr Places by a Worm that ſhall never die, and a Fire that ſhall never go out : All Metaphorical Exprefſions fignitying che Vexations and :nro- lerable Puniſhment of the Damned in Hell: Fr (faich our Savis our) many are called, but few are chyfen, Ve mec with this Ex- preſſion before, Chap. 29. 16. where the Scnfe of it was not fo obvious, as it is here. Some by it here underſtood, a C22tce unto Life Eternal ; Nor withour reaſon, if char be underftood by the Marriage-Supper, as it is Rev. 194 9. And ir appears to be partly ar leaft che Senſe of it here, in char the Perſon without the Wed- dins-Garmenr is doomed to Eternal Miſery, - It we by che Mar- riage-Supper underſtand an ve _ Chrijt hete, or the Bene-
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