Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 2022
Delivered on Lord’s Day Morning, May 6, 1888
“The wedding was furnished with guests.” Matthew 22:10.
OUR discourse will follow the lines of the parable. A king desired to honor his son right royally. He loved his son well, for he deserved richly of him and therefore, as the most fitting time had come, he resolved to honor him. His son was about to take to himself a spouse—should not his marriage, which is a great event in life—be celebrated with honor? The father determined to honor his son on the joyful occasion by inviting a large number of guests to a sumptuous banquet. Not by the infliction of pain, or the pressure of taxation but by liberality and festivity would the king honor the Crown Prince. It should be an extraordinary feast.
Surely, it would be the simplest thing in the world to gather together a grateful company of guests. One would expect a competition for admission—everybody in the royal domain would eagerly ask for an invitation. But it fell out otherwise. There was a disloyal feeling abroad and it now expressed itself—those who were bid would not come and means had to be used to secure the result spoken of in the text so that “the wedding was furnished with guests.”
The parable is plain. The great Father delights to honor Jesus, his Only-Begotten Son. The Father loves the Son, with whom He is One. The Son has deserved well at the Father’s hands, for He has been “obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross.” It is the Father’s aim in the work of Divine Grace to glorify His Son, who, as God and Man in one nature, is the channel of Divine Grace to fallen men. He proposes to do this now that the Lord Jesus takes His Church into marriage union with Himself. The incarnate God calls a chosen company, the bride, the Lamb’s wife and celebrates thus early in the day this happy union by a wedding breakfast, to which He invites multitudes to come.
It is a feast of mercy, grace and peace. A marriage feast of delight and joy. The feast is for the glorifying of the Lord Jesus Christ in a very special manner. Can any of us measure the glory which comes to our Lord Jesus by His union with the Church? Angels and principalities and powers, intelligences now existing and all intelligences yet to be created will wonderingly gaze upon the riches of His inheritance in the saints. What a spectacle is this! The Word made flesh that He might dwell among us! Immanuel, God with us, taking unto Himself a company of chosen men to be one with Him forever. In the union of Christ and His Church all wisdom centers—all Grace shines forth.
“The excellency of our God” is to be seen in the salvation of the elect and the joining of them unto the Christ. Our glorious Second Adam was like the first Adam in the garden, for whom no helpmeet was found. Neither cherubim nor seraphim, angels nor spirits, could be fit companions for Him. He says, “My delights were with the sons of men.” He willed that His chosen Church should stand to Him in the same relation as Eve stood to Adam, to be the solace of His heart and the rest of His love. He chose men to be His companions, His friends, His joy, His crown.
One would have thought that every man hearing that manhood was thus to be honored by union with Godhead would flock towards the marriage feast. It would have seemed certain that all would desire to know this heavenly mystery, and as soon as they knew it, would press forward to be partakers in its bliss. Alas, this is not the case. And this morning my business is to tell you the story of how the purpose of Divine love appeared in peril but how, in the end, it is accomplished. And, according to the language of the text, “the wedding was furnished with guests.”
I. Our first point is, that IT SEEMED AS IF NONE WOULD COME. The wedding feast was prepared—oxen and
fatlings were killed—all things were ready. But where were the guests? Those first invited and naturally expected, would not come. Previous notice had been given them of the festival and afterwards a summons had been sent to say that the hour was come. But, instead ofjoyfully responding, they would not come.
These were, first of all, the Jews—to whom the Gospel had been given by the Law and the Prophets long beforehand. “He came unto His own but His own received Him not.” Israel was not gathered—few out of the chosen nation
recognized the Messiah. He came with a feast of mercy for them but they would have none of it. He called and they refused.
Today this same class will be found among the children of godly parents. Dedicated from their birth, prayed for by loving piety, listening to the Gospel from their childhood and yet unsaved. We look for these to come to Jesus. We naturally hope that they will feast upon the provisions of Divine Grace and like their parents will rejoice in Christ Jesus. But, alas, how often it is the case they will not come? Some such are here this morning. We greatly grieve over you. You do not choose your father’s God, nor accept your mother’s Savior. Ah me! If you will not come, who will? If you, who are taught concerning salvation by Divine Grace, yet refuse it, how can we wonder that the children of the godless and the profane reject our message? Who will come ifyou will not?