God; the Trinity in Unity: the Sonship of the eternal Word; the Incarnation of that eternal Word or Son; His Life in the flesh; His miracles, and their spiritual meaning; His Death upon the cross to make atonement for all sin: the acceptance of all mankind in a general sense, and of His elect ones in a particular sense, through the merits of His Death: the coming and comfort of the Holy Ghost; the indwelling of that Spirit in the soul: that Holy Spirit making Christ Himself present, so that we should partake of His nature: the Church of redeemed men so made the body of Christ, that it should be true to say of men in flesh and blood, that we are "bone of Christ's bone, and flesh of His flesh :" the rule of Christ over all things as the one Mediator: the return of Christ, and the joys of serving God for ever.

These things, and such as these, are the truths of the Gospel set before the Christian for the sustentation of his soul; for his comfort amidst trouble, for his good hope at the prospect of death and eternity; above all, for his assurance of his heavenly Father's favour in the remission of his sins, and the acceptance of his person when God Himself arises to judg

ment.

God, the giver of every good gift, the source of all joy, represents these things not merely as remedies to be applied, but as good things to be enjoyed.

So that it is a very needful question for each one of us to ask ourselves, what one single good thing of the Gospel do I enjoy? Is there any one truth of the Gospel to which in lonely hours my mind reverts unbidden, and I think over it, and bless God that He has shown it to me? I am not asking, you see, whether we realize all truth. With minds such as ours are, and the Church and the world in the state in which they are, it is not likely that we can. And of course, in asking the question, "Do we enjoy any one truth?" I am quite aware how men unduly magnify this or that doctrine; but the question whether we hold the truths of the Gospel in their due proportion is a further, and a very secondary question to the one I am now considering, which is, do we hold fast as for our life, do we enjoy or realize, or devoutly contemplate and bless God for the knowledge of any one single truth respecting Himself, or His Son, or His Spirit?

If we do not, of course all that is said in Scripture respecting the Gospel feast, or the supper of the great King, or the enjoyment of what God shews, or gives, or promises, is an unreality to us. And how sad, may we not say how terrible, it is, that these things should be unreal and visionary to us, when the God Who made us evidently Himself holds them to be the only true and abiding realities!

And now a word respecting God's invitation.

The great, holy, and eternal King invites sinful men to His banquet. How astonishing the condescension! and yet it is of a piece with all God's dealings.. By the prophet Jeremiah, He speaks of Himself as all the day long stretching forth His hands to a disobedient and gainsaying people. And His own Son, when in the flesh, uses the words of invitation, "Come unto me all ye that labour;" and His chief servant St. Paul says in Christ's name to sinful men, "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ; as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you, in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God."

How surprising this language, when we consider who God is and what we are! It seems fitting that God should warn, should threaten, should expostulate, should instruct; but that He should invite men to come and sit at a table-at His own feast-He at the head of the table-seems incredible. say, this is figurative. Yes; cannot come short of the as a revelation from God. men express what they mean may be too great, and lead to exaggerated expectations, but this cannot be with any figure of speech which God

uses.

But, you will but the reality figure in such a thing

The figures in which

If God describes Himself as inviting us to sit at His table, He must invite us to partake of some inexpressible honour, some inexpressible benefit, some inexpressible joy. Men always, or

almost always, disappoint expectation.

God

will never come short. It will be found at last that He will go far beyond both our faith and our hope.

Whatever then is figurative, the reality is that God-our justly offended God-desires the love, the friendship, the fellowship of His fallen creatures, and condescends to ask us for it. He demeans Himself to ask creatures like you and me to be not merely His servants, but His friends. And as friends sit at meat with one another, so to express how He desires our intercourse and friendship, He represents Himself as sending to us the message, "Come, for all things are now ready."

Well, as I said, if we were not assured of this so often it would seem incredible; but the parable goes on to describe something still more incredible, which is, that the first invited guests all refused-" with one consent they all began to make excuse." And now a moment's consideration will impress upon you that the reality of this, as it is occurring daily, perhaps, in ordinary life, is far more awful than what corresponds to it in our Lord's parable, even supposing that our Lord grounds His parable upon some circumstance in real life which had just taken place. For in the parable, it is a certain MAN who makes a great supper, and the friends he invites are of course his equals, and when they excuse themselves they commit no crime, but

are only guilty of a breach of courtesy; whereas in the corresponding realities of the Kingdom of God it is the Great God, Who invites sinful men; and the supping means, not only that they should eat and drink, but that they should be reconciled to God, and be absolved from sin, and be restored to original righteousness. Nay, more, that they should have the righteousness of God worked in them so that they should internally and spiritually be partakers of the goodness and truth and loving character of God Himself.

So that when we refuse the Gospel invitation we refuse to be made clean from sin: we refuse the Spirit Who would work in us the love of God: we refuse to have holy and reverential, yet constant and loving intercourse with the Greatest and Best of Beings. So that for us to refuse the Gospel invitation is a crime as well as a folly. It betokens a miserably wrong state of heart that can refuse the Creator and take up with the creature, and can contentedly rest in a state of sin and evil.

What must this be in the sight of God! What must a good angel think of a man or woman holding aloof from God's loving advances! How indignant must he be, and how must a devil be malignantly delighted, when he sees a poor creature thus spurn his own mercy, and do his best to throw in his lot with those that have no hope, because no redemption !