SERMON VII. LuKE XIV. 23. The Lord /aid to t/,e Serl!ant, Compel tl>er!l to come in, tl>at my Houfe may be fuU. 0 U R Blelfed Saviour in the days of his Humility, all}ong other In!larices of his admirable Condefcenfion, was pleafed in his Sermons w !loop to the Capacity of the Hearers, and m!lruct them m a fam.lmr cafy way. The mfirm Eye ofFleth cannot behold Spiritual Things in their immediate Purity and Glory, but as thadowed under fenfible Comparifons. Therefore his excellent Goodnefs made ufe of Parables, to ilc lu{\rate and explain by Reprcfenrations and Patterns borrowed from things common and known, things of a fublimer Nature, and more di{\ant from our Apprehenfions : and by this ingaging lively mimner to awaken the Spirit to confider by what is· faid, what is fignified : and to infinuate into the Affections Divine Truths fo pleafingly conveyed to us. Now of all the Parables.in the Gofpel, this of the Marriage-Feall, both in refpect of the Excellence of the Matter, and the manner of Expreflion futable to our Capacity, defcrves the ferious Application of our Minds and Hearts. I will make fame Obfervations upon it, that may be ufeful andintroductive to the following Difi:ourfe. Two General Parts are c:o be coniidered, in it : 'Viz:. 1. The Narrative of the Preparations, and the Perfons invited to the Feall. I!. The Succefs of the Invitation. In unfolding thefe Generals, I thall confider the Subllance of the Parable, without !lraining it by far-fetch'd Parallels beyond the Intention of our Savi'our. 'Tis a curious Folly to turn every Figure in Scripture into an Allegory. The Parable is the fame in Subllance with that intiJ.f' udChapter of St. Manhew, from the 2dVerfeto the 15th: that indeed has more of !Sircumllance and Magmficence m the RelatiOn. The certain Man that made the Feajl is tl>ere fliled a King, that is, the Blelfed God; and the Feafl;, for tbe Marriar,e of his Son'. Under th1s F1gure of a Royal Marnage1s reprefented the Myf\ical Marnage between Chnfl: and hts Chur~h,, and the Type 1s mfimtely excell'd by the Reality. If we confider tllC Perfons JOm d m tlus DlV!ne Alhance, the Son of God, of the fame Nature, of equalandsternal Greatnefs Wlth hts Father, to unite himfelf to finful miferable Creatures in a1 njugal Relation, the moll tender and entire, What an immenfe diftance was to ome ? What a feeming Difparagement was it tO him? In order to this it was there lhould be a Conlormity of Nature between us : b.e therefore was made we might be one Spirit with bim; he alrumed our Nature in a Perfonal Union to the Deity, that he might marry our Perfons in a Spiritual . Union. He was a Sav1our to redeem us, that he might be aHusband to inrich us. AO:onifh... ing Love! The Lord ofGlory, higher than the Heavens, f\oop'd fo low as to efpoufe poor Dufl: : he gave his Life for us, and himfelf to us for ever. What Honour and Hap. pinefs accrues to us by th1s Alhance ! the Lord of Angels 1s our Husband. His Gifts are anf\verable to his Love : he is Heir of all things, and endows hi• Church with Heaven and Earth: the Apoille alfures Believers all things are yours, andyou are Chrifl's and Chrifl ;, God's. Our Communion with him is fo perfect, . that he difcharges us ~fall the Evils that we cannot bear, our Sms and the Curfe due to them, by taking them upon himCelf, and bellows upon us all the Bleflings and Blelfednefs we are capable to enj~~'r:.y:::r· s~~~::;~f,;'d~m:;:~~~~";:~1e~fr~~/:{,~Manife!lation of the Mefliah with all the moll precious and unvaluable Benefits purchafed and conferr' d by him up: on Believers; the Pardon of Sins, Adoption into God's Family, the Graces and Comforts of the Spirit, and eternal Glory, the becoming Tellimonies of his Greatnefs and Love. . The prime Gue!ls invited to this Feafl: are the Jews, the felect People of God, to wbom pertained the Adoption, and the .Glory, and the C(Yl)enants, and tbe giving of tl;e Law, Rom. 9 , 4 , 1• and tbe Service of God, and .the Promifes: W"hofe are the Fathers, and ofwbom concerning tbe Flefh Chrifl came, who u over all, God h/e!fed for ever. _\V hen other Nations were ei<cludod
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