and well qualified member of it, and who is not, and will call to an account and punish the latter: And when the king came in to fee the guests, he faw there a man which had not on a wedding garment.

In which words we may take notice,

1. Of the king's narrow infpection of all that come into his church: And when the king came in to fee the guests.

2. Of the discovery he made of one unqualified: He faw a man that had not on a wedding garment.

3. Of his questioning of him by soft and yet most reproving and convincing words: Friend, (i. e. thou who pretends thyself fuch) how cameft thou in hither, not having on a wedding garment? Upon which, it is said, he was speechlefs.

upon

4. Of the fevere punishment he inflicted him: Then faid the king to the fervants, Bind him hand nnd foot, and take him away, and caft him into outer darkness: There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

From the whole we may observe,

I. That God has a feast, a marriage feast for his Son, which he will have poor finners invited to.

II. That he narrowly infpects and takes notice of all his guests.

III. That fuch as would come with acceptance, are to come with a wedding garment

on.

IV. That God will affuredly find out, and difcover every one that comes without it.

V. That

V. That finners fhall be speechless, when God comes to deal with them.

VI. That the cafe is fad of fuch as fhall be found by him, without a wedding garment; they being liable to the foreft punishment: Bind him band and foot, and take him away, and caft him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

I. God has a feaft to which he graciously invites us finners, and expects we fhould come to it.

This is to be understood of all the bleffings and privileges of the gofpel, the great things Chrift hath purchased by his blood, and which the Father hath prepared, and declared his willingness to bestow, for his fake, on his believing members. It pleaseth him that in Christ all fulnefs fhould dwell; and of this fulness, by the agency of his Spirit in his word and ordinances, he is ready to communicate to us; fupplying all our wants according to his riches in glory, by him.

This is foretold of the gospel-day, and promifed in it, Ifa. xxv. 6. In this mountain shall the Lord of Hofts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, &c. In this mountain, viz. mount Sion, denoting the church. There God will make a feast for all people, for Gentiles as well as Feres; thofe of one kingdom and nation, as well as another; and for thofe of all conditions, ranks and degrees; ordering the poor, the maimed, the halt, and the blind to be invited, and fuch as are in the high-ways, and

hedges

hedges to be compelled to come in, that his house may be filled, Luke xiv. 13.

The provifion is fufficient, Pfalm xxxvi. 8. They shall be abundantly fatisfied with the fatness of thy boufe: thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleafures. Wisdom hath killed her beafts, and mingled her wine, and furnished her table, Prov. ix. 2. The fame language God hath ordered his fervants to use: Tell them which are bidden, behold I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things ready: come unto the marriage. All the fpiritual bleffings promised in the gospel, and to be conveyed by its ordinances, are doubtlefs fignified by the feaft God has made, and invites us to; all the teftimonies and tokens of God's greatness and love, royalty and bounty in and through the blood of his Son.

But it aptly agrees, and may be particularly applied to the facramental fupper in remembrance of Chrift, whose flesh is meat indeed, and whofe blood is drink indeed; and to the partaking of which we are invited, whenever we are called to come to his table.

There we have the bread that came down from heaven, and giveth life to the world; of which, whofoever eateth, he shall never die : There we have the wine that maketh glad the heart of man; of which he that drinketh, fhall live for ever. This is the feaft God has made for his people of every fort, and to which he gracioufly invites, and would have them all come and when the Redeemer, with and on whom they are to feed, bespeaks you in VOL. II.

R

the

the most endearing manner, Eat, O friends, drink, yea drink abundantly, O beloved, how can you stay away?

Here I might shew,

1. How fitly this is called a feaft:

2. And then, how fitly the feaft of God. 1. As to the former, How fitly this is called a feaft.

(1.) It is a feast for plenty, Come, for all things are ready, pardon and reconciliation, grace and ftrength, light and comfort. In our Father's houfe, and at his table, there is bread enough and to fpare. None need, or ever did go away empty, through want or fcarcity of provifions. It pleafeth the Father that in Christ all fulness fhould dwell. His riches are unfearchable, and here ready to be freely given out. How largely foever others have received from him, or are ftill receiving, there is enough nevertheless for any one of his members: And therefore with our largest desires we are bid to come: Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. Bleffed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they fhall be filled, Matth. v. 6.

(2.) It is a feaft for variety: One answering all defires, and fuiting the various conditions and circumstances of all that are to come, elder and younger, thofe of every age and growth. Whatever chriftians want or would have, it is all here; all that is good and great, neceffary and defirable, in the greateft variety, as well as plenty.

Here is pardon and forgiveness offered; and the pardon ready to be fealed, to free us from

the

the fear of hell; and the promise of eternal life in the most folemn manner confirmed, to raise us to a lively hope of heaven. Here grace is enfured to fit us for it, and the Spirit to guide us to it, and comfort us by the way, and be the pledge and earneft of what we shall at last enjoy.

It is faid of the manna that fell in the wilderness, that it suited every palate, and was agreeable to every conftitution; as containing the tafte of what every one defired or longed for. Whether that was fo or not, this is true of the feast God hath made at his table, and invites his children to. There is variety enough for chriftians of every fort: Strength and nourishment for the weak and languishing, comfort for the drooping, eafe for the weary, a cure for the afflicted, help for the oppreffed, and eternal life in the earnefts and foretaftes for fuch as are dying.

(3.) It is a feaft for excellency and choicenefs of provifion; no fuch in all the world, as this is. We have here the bread that came down from heaven, far exceeding the manna in the wilderness; though that be called, for its delicacy, angels food; and Wine that above any in the world, may be faid to chear and delight the heart.

O the delight and fatisfaction holy fouls have fometimes here experienced, when brought by Chrift into his banquetting-house, and his banner over them was love! Here they fate down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit hath been sweet unto their tafte. And how

dry, how infipid, have all the entertainments