I think the primary design of the parable might be to set forth, first, the speedy destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans ; secondly, the dispersion of the Jews among all nations; and thirdly, the call of the Gentiles. " He sent forth his armies ;" the Roman soldiers " destroyed those murderers;" scattered the Jews over the whole world ; " burned up their city ;" totally overthrew Jerusalem. " He sent his servants into the highways, streets, and lanes," sent his apostles and subsequent preachers of the gospel into every nation, language, people, and tongue ; " compel them to come in," set forth the richness and abundance of the feast God has made upon his holy mountain ; and the word shall prove, under God the Holy Ghost, sufficient in itself to make them partake. The spiritual meaning of the parable I consider to be as follows : " A certain man," the God-man, Glory-man, Redeeming man, Christ Jesus, " made a great supper," for his wife the church ; upon electing, uniting, sanctifying, redeeming, justifying, regenerating, and glorifying love ; " and sent his servants," the preachers of the everlasting gospel, " at supper time," at suited seasons, " to say unto them that were bidden," to all within hearing of the preacher's voice, " come," come listen to what the gospel says, " for all things are now ready ;" the gospel speaks of a salvation quite finished, a righteousness that needs no creature-merit, a perfect work that requires no additions, " the all, with one consent, began to make excuse, there are various excuses for hating the gospel of God's grace; but only " one consent," namely, old nature. " So that servant came and shower his Lord these things," a gospel minister mourns before the Lord while he beholds a free grace salvation slighted. Then the master of the house being angry," God is angry with the wicked every day, " said to his servant, go into the streets" of regenerating grace, " and into the lanes" of conviction for sin, " and bring in hither the poor,'' who find they have nothing of their own to bring before God for acceptance, and " the mained," on whose conscience sin has been laid as-an heavy burden, and " the halt," who are at a stand, eagerly enquiring the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, and " the blind," who cannot clearly see a free grace salvation, and have not yet discovered interest in atoning blood and justifying righteousness. "And the servant said, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room." All whom thou hast owned, and blessed our message to, seek thee according to thy word, and yet the number of thine elect is not accomplished. "And the Lord said unto the servant, go out into the highways" of predestinating mercy, redeeming power, and sovereign love; as well as into the field of creature-nothingness, where, under the "hedges" of electing grace and quickening strength, you will find more sinners than heretofore, who have a right to the supper, and by my Spirit's constraining power, " compel them to come in that my house may be filled;" that my counsels of old may be seen as full of faithfulness and truth ; that my purposes may be known as ending in my glory; that my arm may be felt delivering my people ; and that my church may be a glorious body, "having neither spot nor wrinkle, nor any such thing." In this parable not one word can I find to establish " an offer system," but an abundance to prove, first, the everlasting distinction between the seed of Christ and the seed of the serpent. Mark, the serpent's seed are , bidden", to listen to the gospel message. Why are they so bidden, seeing they never did and never will have any saving interest in the contents of the message ? Because this gospel comes from their Creator, and they are bound, as creatures, to listen to it, even though they have no part nor lot therein. Christ says, "Preach the gospel to every creature :" not that every creature will be saved, nor that God desires to save every creature, but it is a message from the Ever blessed God, and all his intelligent creatures in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, shall sooner or later hear it. For when angels, men, and devils, shall be assembled at the judgment day, the gospel will be preached in -these words, "I Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." And if a sinner never heard the gospel before, he will then ; though if not interested in it before, he will not be then ; if he did not love it before, he will not then ; and if he murmured at it when he heard a mere man preach it, and died without a saving interest in it, he will murmur when he hears the Son of God preach it in all the glory of Deity, the splendor of Royalty, the Majesty of dominion, and the solemnity of a Judge.
Secondly, to prove God is not disappointed when man slights his truth, for "many be called, but few chosen." Many are called by ministers, many are called by their parents, many are called by their neighbors and acquaintance, many are called by churches, many are called by ordinances, are baptized in the name of each person of the glorious Trinity, and sit down, eat, and drink in Christ's presence, whom he never chose as his sheep, whom the Father never chose as his children, whom the Spirit never chose as his temples, and who never spiritually chose God.
And lastly, that effectual calling does not depend upon the creature's skill and zeal in preaching, nor upon the creature's pliability and readiness in hearing, for " not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts."
