Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 2024
Delivered on Lord’s Day Morning, May 20, 1888
“And when 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, how came you in here not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot and take him away and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 22:11-13.
Two Sabbath mornings ago I preached from this parable and I trust many were encouraged by it. But I noticed among enquirers who came to see me afterwards, a desire to know about the wedding garment. For they feared lest, in coming to join the Church, they should come like the man of whom I shall now speak. Many true hearts are extremely sensitive to the impression of fear and they seem to be on the watch for reasons for anxiety. I do not condemn them—on the contrary I wish there were more of such holy tremblers. It is much better to be afraid of being wrong than to be indifferent as to what you are. I perceive among the very best of the saints a considerable number who are deeply anxious as to their state before God.
Those who will one day be cast out of the wedding feast are feeding themselves without fear, while those who have the most right to enjoy the banquet are full of gracious anxiety. Solomon says, “Happy is the man that fears always”—he will cling closely to his God and that will make him happy. He will not run risks like the presumptuous and so he will be happy. Holy fear spreads few banquets but it takes care that when there is a feast we go to it in a wedding garment.
My chief object this morning will be to allay the fears of gracious ones. If they understand what the wedding garment really is, they will probably discover that they are wearing it. And, if not, they will know in whose wardrobe that garment ofjoy is to be found and they will gladly ask to be arrayed therein. May the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, give a wedding joy this morning to each wedding guest, by causing him to see for certain that he is clothed in the wedding robe.
Immediately after our text, we find these solemn words—“Many are called, but few are chosen.” This is a conclusion drawn from the whole parable in which we see processes at work which separate the chosen few from the many who are called. A distinction was made by the summoning of the invited guests. The simple delivery of the invitation set a difference between the loyal and the rebellious—a distinction most marked and decisive. So it is in the preaching of the Gospel—we preach it to every creature within our reach. Lovingly, tenderly, earnestly. Not so well as we would, but still with all our heart we call men to the royal feast of Divine Grace.
And straightway the very invitation begins to gather out the precious from the vile. Pure Gospel preaching is very discriminating. You can tell Cain from Abel as soon as the sacrifice is the subject. Preach salvation by Divine Grace and you find that some will not have it at any price. Others postpone all consideration of it and a third party raise questions without end. Still do men make light of it and go their way to their farms and to their merchandise. Thus, dear Friends, every Sabbath Day, without our attempting to sit in judgment on men, the Gospel is, in itself, a refining fire.
In the Gospel the Son of David has a throne ofjudgment as well as of mercy. When men will not have Christ and His Grace, the Word preached by His humble servant drives them away and they go with the chaff. But the work of discrimination is not finished after the Gospel has been heard and men have been brought into the Church. Alas, even in the Church division has to be made. Indeed, it is there that this is most fully carried out. “His fan is in His hand and He will thoroughly purge His floor.” If He uses a scourge nowhere else, He will be sure to use it in His own temple.
Among the sheep there are goats. Among the virgins there are foolish ones. And among the guests at the wedding feast there are those who have not on the wedding garment. Until we come to Heaven itself we shall always discover necessity for the work of self-examination. Even in the Apostolic College Judas carried on his dishonesty, as if to warn us
that no rank in service, no honor among Brethren, no length of experience can screen us from the necessity of saying, “Lord, is it I?” when His warning voice says, “One of you shall betray Me.”
In our text we see a man who has hearkened to the invitation and has come into the feast and thus has passed the first test. And yet he is unable to abide the second. He has been received by the servants but he cannot deceive their Master. The King detects him as a spot in the feast and he is cast out from the palace of mercy into the outer darkness where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. May none of us be of this sort.