.

afunder, yet when they come all together, they will be a multitude which no man can number. And it is especially called great, because it was purchased at fo great a price, the price of CHRIST's moft precious blood. And therefore, when the apostle would exhort the chriftians to glorify GOD in their fouls and bodies, he makes ufe of this glorious motive, "That they were bought with a price." He does not fay what price, but barely a price, emphatically fo called; as though all the prices in the world were nothing (as indeed they are not) when compared to this price of CHRIST's most precious blood.

For these reasons, JESUS faid in the parable, "A certain man made a great fupper, and bade many, and sent his fervant at fupper-time, to fay to them that were bidden, Come, for all things are now ready." He bade many; the eternal GoD took the Jews for his peculiar people, under the Mosaic difpenfation; and by types, fhadows, and prophefies of the Old Teftament, invited them to partake of the glorious privileges of the gospel. "But at fupper-time," in the fulness of time, which GOD the Father had decreed from eternity, in the evening of the world (for which reason the gospel times are called the last times) "he fent his fervant," CHRIST his Son, here called his fervant, because acting as Mediator he was inferior to the Father; therefore fays the prophet Isaiah, "Behold my fervant whom I have chofen :" "to say to them that were bidden," to the profeffing Jews, called by St. John, "his own," that is, his peculiar profeffing people — with this meffage, "Come;" 'repent and believe the gospel. Nothing is required on man's part, but to come, or accept of the gofpel offer. It is not according to the old covenant, "Do and live;" but only "come, believe, and thou fhalt be faved." All things are ready. Nothing is wanting on GOD's part. "All things are now ready.". There seems to be a particular emphafis to be put upon Now, implying, this was an especial season of grace, and GOD was now exerting his last efforts, to fave loft man. Well then, if the great GOD be at fo great an expence, to make so great a fupper, for perishing creatures, and fends fo great a person as his own Son, in the form of a fervant, to invite them to come to it; one would imagine, that all who heard thefe glad tidings, [fhould readily fay, LORD, lo we come. But inftead of this,

we

we are told, "They all, (the greatest part of the Jews) with one confent began to make excufe." Confcience told them they ought to come, and in all probability they had fome faint defire to come; and they had nothing, as we hear of, to object either against the perfon who prepared the fupper, or the perfon that invited them, or the entertainment itself; neither do we hear that they treated either with contempt, as is the custom of too many in the days wherein we live. In all probability, they acknowledged all was very good, and that it was kind in that certain man, to fend them fuch an invitation. But being very bufy, and as they thought very lawfully engaged, they begun to make excuse.

But the excufes they made, rendered their refufal inexcufable. "The firft faid unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and fee it :" Thou fool, buy a piece of ground, and then go see it! A prudent man would have gone and feen the ground firft, and bought it afterwards. Why muft he needs go? At least, why must he needs go now? The land was his own, could he not therefore have accepted the invitation to-day, and gone and feen his eftate, or plantation, on the morrow? As he had bought it, he need not fear losing his bargain, by anothers buying it from him. But notwithstanding all this, there is a needs muft for his going, and therefore fays he, "I pray thee, have me excused,” and improve thy intereft with thy mafter in my behalf. This was a bad excufe.

The fecond was rather worse. For what fays the evangelift, verfe 19" And another faid, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them:" One, it seems, had been buying an eftate; another, cattle, to ftock an eftate already bought; and both equally foolish in making their bargains. For this fecond had bought five yoke of oxen, which must needs coft them a confiderable fum, perhaps all he had in the world, and now he must go and prove them. A wife dealer would have proved the oxen firft, and bought them afterwards: But our Saviour speaks this, to fhew us, that we will truft one another, nay I may add, the devil himself, more than we will truft God.

The excufe which the third makes, is worst of all. have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come." Had he

:

faid, I will not come, he had spoken the real fentiments of his heart for it is not fo much mens impotency, as their want of a will, and inclination, that keeps them from the gofpel-feaft. But why cannot he come? He has married a wife." Has he fo? Why then, by all means he should come. For the fupper to which he was invited, as it fhould feem, was a wedding-fupper, and would have faved him the trouble of a nuptial entertainment. It was a great fupper, and confequently there was provifion enough for him, and his bride too. And it was made by a great man, who fent out his fervant to bid many, fo that he need not have doubted of meeting with a hearty welcome, though he should bring his wife with him. Or fuppofing his wife was unwilling to come, yet as the husband is the head of the wife, he ought to have laid his commands on her, to accompany him. For we cannot do better for our yoke-fellows, than to bring them to the gospel-feaft. Or, fuppofing after all, fhe would not be prevailed upon, he ought to have gone without her for "those that have wives, muft be as though they had none;" and we must not let carnal affection get fuch an afcendancy over us, as to be kept thereby from fpiritual entertainments. Adam paid dear for hearkening to the voice of his wife and fometimes, unlefs we forfake wives, as well as houfes and lands, we cannot be the LORD's difciples.

This then was the reception the fervant met with, and fuch were the excufes, and anfwers, that were fent back. And what was the confequence?" So that fervant came (no doubt with a forrowful heart) and fhewed his LORD these things." However little it be thought of, yet ministers must fhew the LORD, what fuccefs their miniftry meets with. We muft fhew it to our LORD here. We muft fpread the cafe before him in prayer. We must fhew it to our LORD hereafter, before the general affembly of the whole world. But how dreadful is it, when minifters are obliged to go upon their knees, crying, "O! my leannefs, my leannefs!" and Elias-like, to intercede as it were against thofe, to whom they would not only have imparted the gospel, but even their own lives. It is a heart-breaking confideration. But thus it must be; "The fervant came and fhewed the LORD these things" fo muft we. Well, and what fays the LORD?

We

We are told, verse 21ft, that "the master of the house was angry ?" Not with the fervant: for though Ifrael be not gathered, yet fhall CHRIST be glorious; and faithful minifters fhall be rewarded, whether people obey the gospel or not. "We are a sweet favour unto God, whether the word be a favour of life unto life, or a favour of death unto death." The master of the house therefore was angry, not with the fervant, but with thefe-worldly-minded, pleasure-taking refusers of his gracious invitation; who, in all probability, went to see and ftock their eftates, and attend upon their brides, not doubting, but their excufes would be taken, because they were lawfully employed. And, indeed, in one fenfe, their excufes were accepted. For I do not hear that they were ever invited any more. GOD took them at their word, though they would not take him at his. They begged to be excufed, and they were excused, as we shall fee in the fequel of this parable. Let us not therefore harden our hearts, as in the day of provocation; "Now is the accepted time, now is the day of falvation." But muft the feaft want guests? No, if they cannot, or will not come, others fhall, and will. The mafter of the house therefore being angry, fent the fervant upon a second errand. "Go out quickly into the streets, and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind." Every word bespeaks a spirit of resentment and importunity. Go out quickly, make no delay, dread no attempt or danger, into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither, not only call them, but bring them in (for the mafter here, to encourage the fervant, affures him of fuccefs) the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. This was fulfilled, when JESUS CHRIST, after the gofpel was rejected by the Jews, went and invited the Gentiles, and when the publicans and harlots took the kingdom of GOD by a holy violence, whilst the self-righteous fcribes and Pharifees rejected the kingdom of GoD against themfelves. This was alfo a home reproof to the rich Pharifee, at whofe houfe the LORD JESUS was, as well as a cutting lefion to the other guefts. For our Saviour would hereby fhew them, that GOD took a quite different method from his hoft, and was not above receiving the poor, and halt, and blind, and maimed, to the gofpel fupper, though he had called none

fuch

fuch to fit down at his table. Whether the guests refented it or not, we are not told. But if they were not quite blind, both host and guests might eafily fee that the parable was fpoken against them. But to proceed,

The fervant again returns, but with a more pleafing anfwer than before, "Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room." The words befpeak the fervant to be full of joy at the thoughts of the fuccefs he had met with. None can tell, but those who experience it, what comfort minifters have in feeing their labours bleft. "Now I live, (fays the apoftle) if you stand faft in the LORD. Ye are our joy and crown of rejoicing in the day of the LORD JESUS." "Lord, it is done as thou haft commanded. The poor, and maimed, and halt, and blind, have been called, and have obeyed the fummons, and I have brought them with me; yet, LORD, thy houfe, and thy fupper is fo great, there is room for more. Hereby he infinuated that he wanted to be employed again, in calling more fouls; and the more we do, the more may we do for GoD: "To him that hath, shall be given;" and prefent fuccefs is a great encouragement to future diligence. Such hints are pleafing to our Saviour. He delights to fee his minifters ready for new work, and waiting for fresh orders. "The Lord, therefore, we are told, ver. 23, faid unto his fervant, (the fame fervant,) Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my houfe may be filled; 24. For I fay unto you, that none of those who are bidden, fhall taste of my fupper." O cutting words to those that fat at meat, if they had hearts to make the application! But glad tidings of great joy to the publicans, harlots, and Gentiles, who were rejected by the proud Pharifees, as aliens to the commonwealth of Ifrael, and strangers to the covenant of promife! This was fulfilled, when our LORD fent the apostles, not only into the streets and lanes of the city, and places bordering upon Jerufalem and Judea; but when he gave them a commiffion to go out into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature, Gentile as well as few; and not only gave them a command, but bleffed their labours with fuch fuccefs, that three thousand were converted in one day. And I am not without hopes that it will be ftill further fulfilled, by the calling of fome of

you