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THE WEDDING GARMENT
THERE has ever been a diversity of characters in the Church of God. This, though much to be lamented, cannot be avoided. The very zeal which animates the ministers of the Gospel, has a tendency to produce this effect. Their charity prompts them to hope well of those who appear in earnest; and to admit to their communion all who “witness a good confession.” Thus it was that “the wedding (in the parable) was furnished with guests;” but he who searcheth the hearts will distinguish the hypocrites from others, and will deal with men according to their real characters.
This being intimated in the text, we shall endeavour to shew,
I. What we are to understand by the wedding garment—
The wedding-feast is intended to represent the blessings of the Gospel. The garment suited to the occasion must therefore import a meetness to partake of those blessings. In this view we may understand “the wedding-garment” as formed in part of the righteousness of Christ—
[Christ, by his own obedience unto death, wrought out a righteousness which is given “unto all, and put upon all, them that believe [Note: Rom_3:22.].” This is the only righteousness whereby any man can be justified before God [Note: Rom_5:18-19.]. St. Paul himself could find acceptance in no other [Note: Php_3:9.]. It is in this that all the glorified saints are clothed [Note: Rev_9:7.]: in fact, it constitutes their title to heaven [Note: Rev_5:8. “therefore.”]: and it is in this that all the saints on earth are clothed, preparatory to their ascending to heaven [Note: Gal_3:27.]. Hence the devout songs of those who have attained this gift: “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels [Note: Isa_61:10.].”]
But beyond all doubt it is chiefly formed of our own inherent righteousness—
[Moral qualities are often represented under the figure of a garment [Note: Psa_132:9. Job_29:14. 1Pe_5:5.]. By them chiefly we “put on the Lord Jesus Christ [Note: Rom_13:14.].” And they beyond all question form the garment which renders us acceptable guests at the wedding feast in heaven [Note: Rev_19:7-8.]. In fact, it is holiness alone that constitutes our meetness for heaven [Note: Col_1:12.]; and makes us “worthy” to partake of all the felicity and glory of that blessed place [Note: Rev_3:4.]. I speak not of worthiness in a way of merit: that no man can have: but, in a way of fitness and suitableness, every man must have it: nor without it can any soul ever enter into the Divine presence [Note: Heb_12:14.].]
We must however be careful not to confound these two ideas—
[The righteousness of Christ is necessary to justify us before God: our own inward personal righteousness is necessary to make us meet for glory. We must not separate them; for they cannot exist apart; neither, on the other hand, may we confound them: they must each be used for their respective ends. To disregard inherent righteousness would be downright antinomianism: on the other hand, to blend it in any degree with the righteousness of Christ for our justification before God, would be self-righteousness, and would make void the whole Gospel [Note: Gal_5:3-4.]. Food and raiment are equally necessary for our existence: but each has its proper office: neither can supply the lack of the other. So it is with imputed and inherent righteousness: neither can be dispensed with, nor can either occupy the other’s place. To be accepted of God we must put on the righteousness of Christ; and to enjoy his presence, we must “put on the new man, which, after God, is created in righteousness and true holiness [Note: Eph_4:24.].”]
Such then being the wedding-garment, I proceed to shew,
II. The importance of it to every child of man—
A person habited in mean apparel would not be suffered to continue at the wedding-feast of an earthly monarch: much less shall guilty and polluted souls sit down at the marriage supper of the Lamb in heaven—
[The king, in the parable, was filled with indignation at the intrusion of the unworthy guest. He ordered him to be bound hand and foot, and cast into outer darkness [Note: The room where the company was entertained being richly illuminated, the person cast out of it is said to be cast into outer darkness. How awfully applicable to those who shall be cast out of heaven!]. This fitly represents the vengeance that will be inflicted on all such intruders. They may come in for a while and join themselves to the Lord’s people; but when the King himself shall see the guests, he will fix his eyes on them: he will cast them out from the place they had so presumptuously occupied. They shall never dwell in the mansions of light and glory above; but take their portion in the regions of darkness and despair, and there bewail for ever their irremediable delusions.]
Nor will their punishment in any respect exceed their guilt—
[The intruder, in the parable, could make no reply to the king’s address [Note: He might have urged, That being brought suddenly out of the highways he had neither time to borrow, nor money to purchase, a wedding garment. But this would have been to no purpose. Opulent persons had large wardrobes for the accommodation of all their guests. Lucullus, at Rome, was famed for having at least two hundred changes of raiment, or as Horace, by a poetical licence, says, five thousand. No doubt, therefore, a proper garment would have been lent him for the occasion, if he had chosen to accept it.]. He knew that he had disregarded the offer of a wedding garment; and presumptuously supposed that his own was good enough for the occasion. Thus he had poured contempt on the liberality and kindness of the king; and was therefore compelled by his own conscience to acknowledge the justice of the sentence passed upon him. Who then amongst us shall expect to imitate him with impunity? To us has our Lord repeatedly offered a wedding garment. Us has he often counselled to receive his robe of righteousness [Note: Rev_3:18.]. We have been invited to go to him for the influences of his Spirit [Note: Joh_7:37-39.]. Shall we then expect admission into heaven if we reject his offers? Or shall we accuse him of severity if he cast us headlong into hell? Surely if we rest in any thing short of justification by his blood and renovation by his Spirit, we shall stand self-condemned for ever.]
Improvement—
1. For conviction—
[As Christians we profess to have accepted the Saviour’s invitation; and to feast at his table here as an earnest of that richer feast above. But have we indeed received Christ as our righteousness [Note: 2Co_5:21. Jer_23:6.]? Are we also renewed by his Spirit in our inward man [Note: 2Co_4:16.]? We may easily deceive those who minister to us here below; but “the King, who will come in to see the guests,” can never be deceived. However specious a garb we may have prepared for ourselves, he will easily distinguish it from that which he has given to his people. Nor would he fail to discover the hypocrite, even if there were only one to be found in his whole Church. Surely then it becomes us to guard against self-deception. We may now obtain from him a meetness to feast with his chosen; but if we persist in our delusion, we shall find him inexorably severe.]
2. For consolation—
[Some perhaps are troubled on account of their past presumption; especially, that they have unworthily communicated at the Lord’s table. Well indeed may such guilt fill them with compunction; but, however presumptuously we have acted in past times, we have no reason to despond. A wedding garment is now offered to all who see their need of it. Though we were of the poorest or vilest of mankind, it should not be withheld from us: nor, however many guests may come, will there be any deficiency of raiment for them all. Let all then accept the free invitation of the Gospel, and thankfully put on the garment which the Master of the feast has prepared for them. Thus, though unworthy in themselves, they shall be accounted worthy through Christ, and shall sit down for ever at the marriage feast in heaven.]