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after? Need we be discouraged by seeing so many of the foolish bodies who say in their hearts "there is no God?" Should we not rather bless GOD who has given us Grace to tread the narrow way which few find, though all are called to it? Yes, brethren, if the GOD and FATHER of us all, before whom we stand, be for us, who can be against us?

SERMON V.

THE WEDDING GARMENT.

S. MATT. xxii. 1, 2.

Jesus.... said, The kingdom of Heaven is like unto a certain King who made a marriage for his son.

THIS parable, like all the rest, has, when understood, a very instructive meaning to us, as it had to the Jews to whom our LORD spoke it.

All sorts of people were described in it, for our LORD meant no less than to describe the whole world.

The first people whom He mentions are His servants, whom the King, that is, our Heavenly FATHER, sent to call them that were bidden to the wedding. These servants were the prophets and judges from Moses down to the time of our LORD, who by judging the children of Israel,-by foretelling to them what God would do

for them if they turned to HIM, and threatening them in His name if they remained sinning against HIM, thus invited them to the marriage feast, that is, the enjoyment of the Kingdom of Heaven.

However, they would not obey the voice of God through His Prophets and Judges-they would not come, says our LORD.

The King again sends to them other

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servants; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready, come to the marriage." Still they would not come; no,-"They made light of it," says our LORD," and went their ways; one to his farm, another to his merchandize; and the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully and slew them."

"But

Thus did the Jews; none of them would hear, and some of them killed, the prophets whom God sent to them. But they were to be punished. when the King heard thereof, he was wroth; and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers and burnt up their city."

Which thing happened to the Jews long after our LORD had thus declared it, for the Romans came and destroyed their nation, and burnt up the city of Jerusalem.

Then comes the part in the parable which belongs to us. "Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all, as many as they could find, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.'

The Jews, you see, had entirely cast off their LORD; they had refused the marriage feast, the kingdom of Heaven: they had killed the servants, the prophets who came to bid them; and the marriage feast was left deserted. The mercy of God then sends the message of invitation to all the world: his servants, the Apostles of our Lord, and since them the Clergy in all ages of the world, receive a command to go into the highways, and

as many as they shall find, to bring them to the marriage.

It is because GOD gave this gracious command that we are now Christians.

The main thing to be learned from this part of the parable by us is, that all are called; for our LORD did not say, Go into the highways and bring certain persons of a certain look, or dressed in any certain way, or certain persons whom I have already chosen, but "as many as you find."

Recollect then, that inasmuch as you have all been Baptized, and received into the Church of CHRIST, and all call yourselves Christians, you have obeyed the command of the KING, and are sitting to the marriage feast: for there are very few now, though there are some, who reject the call, and refuse to be thought Christians. But, nevertheless, we see that not all those who came to the marriage feast, had the proper preparation: the servants gathered together all, as many as they could find, both bad and good; and the wedding was furnished with guests.

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