between who are worthy and who are not worthy—that though many be called, all are not chosen.

These are points of difference in the two parables, and they afford a proof that we have in these records two distinct portions of our Lord's teaching, conveying to us similar, but not the same matter for our learning.

Let us proceed to examine more at length the second of these parables-the one provided for our meditation in the Gospel of to-day.

Jesus said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son; and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding; and they would not come.

Here, under the type of a marriage, is signified "the mystical union which is betwixt Christ and His Church." He is the Bridegroom-His people, the whole collected company of the redeemed, are His spouse. Their union is celebrated by a royal feast-that feast referred to in the Revelation as the marriage supper of the Lamb. But the time of that feast is not yet. It will not be before the Gospel has been preached throughout the whole world-not till the invitation has been sounded far and wide, Come unto the marriage.

And next note who are called, and how often.

First of all the Jews were called-in many ways, and by many messengers. They were called by God's servants the prophets, whom He despatched, rising up early, and sending them. They were called by the types and sacrifices of the Mosaic law-by the sure word of prophecy, ever growing clearer and more definite, to come

unto Jesus, that they might have life-to see in Him the Lamb of God that should satisfy for sin.

But they heeded not the call. They shewed no desire to be saved. They would not come.

Still God bore with them, and was slow to anger, and loath to cast away the people He had loved. When Christ had come, and done and suffered all that was written of Him, and so wrought out a complete redemption for fallen man, God in His mercy would have made Israel the first partakers of it-Again he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them that are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner-my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.

These other servants are the Apostles and Evangelists who first, after the Lord's Ascension, preached His Gospel exclusively to the Jews-to the men of Judea, and all that dwell at Jerusalem.

And did they now embrace the invitation? Alas! no-They made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise-and not only that, but their rulers and leading men persecuted his messengers even to the death-they took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.

Stephen was stoned, James the brother of John, James the Just, and no doubt others also of His Apostles met with a violent death at the hands of their countrymen, for their testimony to Christ. The whole book of the Acts is but an unfolding of our Lord's prediction respecting the treatment of His servants by the very men whom they sought to save-Behold, I send unto you wise men

and scribes, and some of them ye shall kill and crucify, and some of them ye shall scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city!

The next step in the parable brings us to the punishment of these ungrateful and cruel persecutors of the Gospel messengers-When the king heard thereof, he was wroth, and he sent forth his armies and destroyed those murderers, and burnt up their city. These words point plainly enough to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, and the rooting out of the Jewish nation. Let no man who reads them and who knows how strictly they have been fulfilled, doubt about God's justice. Let no man say or think that He is "careless of mankind," indifferent to what is done here upon earth. Rather let us be sure that He both sees, and remembers, and visits their sin upon the persecutors. Let us be sure that when violence and bloodshed have marked any one spot on the earth for punishment, there, sooner or later, the stroke will fall-He will send forth His armies and destroy those murderers, and burn up their city.*

But to proceed. On the rejection of the Jews, the Gentiles are called on— -Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they who 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 found, both bad and good, and the wedding was furnished with guests.

* October 20, 1857-while tidings of the assault on Delhi were being expected.

Here we have described the state of the Christian Church as it is at present-as it will continue to be while the world lasts. It is made up of a large multitude both bad and good, collected out of all the earth. As yet there is no strict scrutiny of its members-no one

stopped at the door as unworthy. All are invited, in whatever plight, to enter in and partake of the King's bounty. The terms of the invitation are these-Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price!

Such is the state at present of the Church of Christnone are excluded-there is no weeding out of the tares from the wheat-no separation-no broad mark of distinction between the worthy and the unworthy.

But hereafter it will be different-when time shall be no more, when the scene opens in another world, then will be the separation-then will God sever the wicked from among the just-then will He gather out of His kingdom all things that offend-then will only the righteous— those whose raiment is white and clean-be suffered to sit down undisturbed at the marriage supper of the Lamb!

For this is what the closing part of the parable teaches Mark it well, brethren-for indeed it concerns us all most nearly.

us.

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 his servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

What a striking picture! and how full of warning! The man thus summarily dealt with-cast out from the gladsome feast to darkness and to sorrow-how surely does he shew us what we have to fear, who try to take heaven as it were by force, to thrust ourselves in there without first making ourselves ready, without being at any pains to fit and prepare ourselves for God's most holy presence!

For this is what I understand by the wedding garment —suitableness—the being made meet for the inheritance of the saints in light. It includes faith, without which it is impossible to please God-which is the root and life of every better action and habit-and it includes those better actions and habits also-that holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.

This, in a few words, is the wedding garment-and the having on that wedding garment is the indispensable condition of our acceptance hereafter.

God gives us time for acquiring it now-He gives us every help towards attaining it. But assuredly He will not let us pass into His kingdom without it. He will not let us creep in there in any dress we choose-He will have us put on that which He has Himself provided, the righteousness of His Son-He will have us come prepared beforehand, rendered fit, by a life of Christian faith and holiness, for the happiness of heaven.

And now, brethren, let me ask one question-Have