neglect the gospel are in great danger of having the gospel taken away from them. Not to speak of death, which may carry off the worldly and careless in a moment, the faithful preaching of the word may be removed from those who would not attend to it, and taken to some place where it has not hitherto been. Doubtless this often happens in the providence of God. And then, most likely, they who used at times to feel the power of the word, though they would not obey it, become quite careless. Even if the gospel be not thus removed, yet the end of all who excuse themselves from its call must be that they will be shut out at last. They are awful words, "I say unto you that none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper." Think what they mean: men invited, refusing or neglecting, and then shut out! This will be the case with those who neglect the gospel invitation.

There is something in the very word "excuse," that seems strange in this case. Men generally excuse themselves from something hard or painful, from a disagreeable duty, or a troublesome task; but in the parable the men excused themselves from a feast. And those who excuse themselves from the gospel, excuse themselves from the greatest of all blessings. Yes, the greatest of all blessings; in fact, all blessings are contained in what God offers to us in Christ-a free pardon, a full salvation, a quiet conscience, the peace of God, eternal rest and glory. And this is what men excuse themselves from receiving. It is offered as a

gift, and they will not have it!

You will never be happy without it. The things which form your excuse do not, can not, make you happy. A little pleasure for a little while is all they

can give, and much of vexation and disappointment is mixed with it. Nothing will make you truly happy, nothing will make you even safe, but that which God offers you so freely in Christ. What is it that keeps you from accepting it? What is it that you make your excuse? Whatever it is, put it away. Excuse yourself no longer. Your excuse is a vain one, and you know it. The word of God tells you so, and conscience tells you so too. What will become of your excuses in the great day? Will you dare even to mention them? And if they will be worthless then, must they not be worthless now? They are worthless. Be deceived by them no more. God calls you: obey the call. God invites you: accept the invitation. You are not yet shut out, though you have neglected the invitation too long. Go in while you may, and you will still be welcome through Jesus Christ.

XXVII.

THE MAN WITHOUT A WEDDING GARMENT.

"And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither 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. For many are called, but few are chosen." MATT. xxii. 11-14.

HE parable of which this passage forms part is almost the same as that contained in the four

teenth chapter of St. Luke. Whether the two accounts relate to the same thing, or whether our Lord spoke the parable on two different occasions, we do not know. At all events, St. Luke does not record the incident of the man without the wedding garment.

The guests here are those who were gathered in from the highways, when those first invited refused to come. The wedding was now at length furnished with guests, and the king came in to see them.

It was the custom on such occasions for the great man who gave the feast to provide each guest with a suitable dress, usually a long white robe, which was put on upon entering the house. Without such a dress no one might appear.

But in the parable, when the king came in to see the guests, he found one who had not on a wedding garment. He at once addressed him, inquiring how

he came to be there without one. The man was speechless. He had no excuse to offer. He might have had a wedding garment for the asking, for they were freely bestowed. It must have been pride, or disrespect, or mere careless indifference, that led him to sit down at the feast without one. He could say nothing. Perhaps, before the king came in, he had found plenty to say. His dress was good enough; or he had not had time to change it; or he had forgotten to do so. But now, when the king himself questioned him, he had not a word to say. So he was cast out. He must sit no longer among the king's guests. He was ordered to be bound hand and foot and cast into outer darkness, as having broken the king's regulations, despised his authority, and treated him with disrespect and insult.

What does this mean? What spiritual lesson does the parable, in this part of it, teach?

The king means God himself; the feast is the gospel, with its privileges and blessings; the men first invited were the Jews, those called in afterwards were the Gentiles; and by sitting down at the feast we are to understand having gospel light, belonging outwardly to the church of Christ, and taking part in religious ordinances. The king coming in to see the guests must refer to the day of judgment, when the secrets of all hearts will be disclosed, and the great separation will be made. And the wedding garment means the robe of Christ's righteousness, implying a state of reconciliation and acceptance; that state, in short, in which the true believer is, as distinguished from the nominal Christian.

The man without a wedding garment represents therefore one who bears the name of Christian, but is

no Christian in heart. He takes his place among those who love God, and passes perhaps for a religious man. He attends the house of God, keeps up, it may be, the form of worship in his family, and even goes to the Lord's table. But he has no heart-religion. With all this outward seeming, he has not sought the blood of sprinkling, or the gift of a new heart. He sits among the guests, but the wedding garment is wanting.

The eye of God is upon him all along. God knows the true from the false. In his sight there is an infinite difference between the true believer and the nominal Christian, though both may make the same profession; and in the great day of judgment that difference will be made known, and the righteous and the wicked will be parted for ever. Till then perhaps men will not have found out the true character of the mere professor; for he is not a gross sinner, and deceives himself probably as well as others. But in that great day, when the King-the King of kings—will come in to see the guests, and strict and searching examination will be made of all who bear the Christian name, then at last he will be discovered to the eyes of all. He has no wedding garment! He must not stay. He must be cast out. He has seemed indeed to belong to the church on earth, but he cannot be admitted into the church in heaven. He must go to his own place.

There will be many such, though but one is mentioned in the parable; many in number, and various in character. But they are all alike in this, that they have no wedding garment; and now they are all alike speechless. They do not even seek to make excuse. They know it would be vain with Him with whom they have to do.

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