it is a Marriage Feast, tasted here on earth, but fully and completely enjoyed in heaven.

Then, the sending out of the Invitations to this Feast signifies the manner in which God calls men by His ministers, inviting them to believe the gospel, and to accept the salvation which He has so graciously provided.

Now, who were the first persons to whom Jesus offered salvation? To whom did He first go Himself, and afterwards send His messengers? It was to the Jews. They were His own people, His beloved friends, those who were nearest to His heart. "Come unto me," He said, " and I will give you rest." But they would not come. They made light of it. They cared more for the things of this world than for the things of heaven. They were more concerned about their forms and observances, about their farms and their merchandise, than about their souls.

And mark how close these words in the Parable came to their case. When they had rejected their Lord's message, then what followed? They were rejected themselves. The Roman army came against them, and their city Jerusalem was taken and destroyed. See

how exactly the Parable describes this, though spoken forty years before-" When the king heard thereof, he was wroth; and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city."

But let us go on with the Parable. The King, having prepared his Feast, and sent out his invitations, is treated with contempt, as we have seen, by the persons invited. But still he goes on inviting. He turns away from those who will not come, and sends his message to another class-"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.” He enlarges his invitations. He calls, not merely his Friends and Acquaintances, but others also to the wedding-those who were less favoured-who were not so near to himall, as many as could be found, he bids to the wedding feast.

This clearly describes God's call to the Gentiles, when the Jews refused to accept His salvation. The Jews were His immediate friends, His people, the sheep of His

pasture. But the Gentiles (that is, all the rest) had hitherto been shut out from all religious privileges. They were afar off. They were "strangers and foreigners." After our Lord's ascension however, the gospel door was thrown open to receive them also. They might now enter in, and be saved.

This was a truth most hateful to Jewish ears -"that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of God's promise in Christ by the gospel." For a while the Apostles themselves were slow to act upon it. But at length they saw that it was the will of God, and they obeyed. Hence we find Philip leaving the country of Judæa, and

going down to the city of Samaria, and preaching Christ unto them." Peter, again, baptized the Gentile Cornelius and his company. And Paul declared unto the men of Athens how God now "commandeth all men everywhere to repent."

But what is meant by the words "both bad and good," in ver. 10-"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"?

When it is said that God's servants gather in the bad, as well as the good, I suppose those are meant who were once bad-who have nothing good in themselves to recommend them, but a feeling of their great need. So it was with the Corinthians; for St. Paul says of them, "Such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." Thus an old writer, speaking of the Church, says, "Christ loved her, when she was foul, that He might make her fair."

What a mercy it is, Brethren, that the gospel is for all-for Gentiles, as well as Jews for Publicans and Sinners, as well as for Pharisees-for those who have gone astray, as well as for those who have outwardly kept the strait path. It is for everyone who is content to lay aside his own righteousness, and accept the salvation of Christfor everyone who is willing to part with sin, and walk in the ways of holiness. God's direction to His servants is, "Go ye therefore into the highways, and as find bid to the marriage."

many as ye shall

His invitation is,

"Ho, everyone 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."

And how glorious is the thought that hundreds and thousands have come to Christ, and found mercy! They have come from the East and from the West, from the North and from the South, and joined themselves to the Lord. And now the wedding table is furnished, as it were, with guests.

But let us pause for a moment, and bear in mind our Lord's words (verse 14)-" Many are called, but few chosen." Many who now enjoy gospel privileges, will never sit down with Christ in His kingdom. Many who are members of His Church on earth will never reach His Church above. This is, further shewn by the closing portion of the Parable.

The King is represented as going into his supper room to see his guests. There is a goodly company gathered. But they are not all such guests as he would approve of. It is true, they were all invited. But as his eye passes from one to another, he sees here and