witnesses. If he died by the blow and the fall, nothing further was done. But if not, a heavy stone was thrown down on him, which at once killed him." So with Jesus-the despised, the crucified one-on whom His enemies fell with such cruel malice and fury -He will one day fall upon them, and crush them for ever.

And now we have examined this Parable, and seen its meaning, and also the words which Jesus spoke at the conclusion of it.

Oh that we may never be ranged either among the opposers, or among the rejecters, of Christ! But may we believe on Him with all our hearts, and so may He be unspeakably precious in our eyes

!

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THE MARRIAGE SUPPER.

MATT. XXII. 1—14.

"And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and 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. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise and the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which 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. 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."

(See also Luke xiv. 16-24.)

You remember that in one of the other Parables, namely the Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard, our Lord concluded by saying, "For many be called, but few chosen." And here again, Jesus closes the Parable before us with the same words, "For many are called, but few are chosen."

There can be no doubt then as to the main truth, which the Saviour wished to teach by the Parable. His object was to show that His gospel call was to all; but that only a few would accept it, so as to be saved by it.

Let us see how He puts this before us. He bids us picture to ourselves a Marriage Feast. It is a Royal Marriage. "A certain

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king made a marriage for his son." Having given a sort of general invitation to his friends and acquaintance, as the wedding-day drew near, he sent out his summons to call them together. But they heeded not his kind message: they would not come. He invites them yet again, saying, "Tell them which are bidden, Behold I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage." Still they refused, not for any particular reason; but simply because they had other matters to think about. "They made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, and another to his merchandise." Most of them, it seems, turned away from sheer carelessness. But some few went so far as to abuse and illtreat the king's messengers.

Now, when this reached the king's ears, he was exceedingly wroth at their conduct-to think that his messages should be thus scorned, and his messengers thus abused! He therefore gathers his army, punishes the offenders, and destroys the city in which they dwelt.

Let us see what Jesus meant by this part

K

of the Parable. He meant, I think, to shew that God, in the riches of His mercy, had provided salvation for His people-a full and plenteous salvation for all who would accept it. This is often compared to a Feast. Thus David says, in Ps. xxxvi., "How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house." In Prov. ix., Solomon says, concerning wisdom, She hath "builded her house; she hath hewn out her seven pillars. She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table. Come, eat of my bread, and wine which I have mingled." ing of the Gospel, declares, "In this mountain. shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, a feast of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined."

She crieth. . .

drink of the

Isaiah, speak

And is not the Gospel indeed a Feast to those who have hearts to receive it? Does not God thus "satisfy the longing soul, and fill the hungry soul with goodness"? Truly