WHAT IS THE WEDDING GARMENT? – Charles Spurgeon
WHAT IS THE WEDDING GARMENT?
Introduction
“And when the king came in to see the guests he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: and he said unto him, Friend, how came you in here not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot and take him away and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 22:11-13. Two Sabbath mornings ago I preached from this parable and I trust many were encouraged by it. But I noticed among enquirers who came to see me afterwards, a desire to know about the wedding garment. For they feared lest, in coming to join the Church, they should come like the man of whom I shall now speak. Many true hearts are extremely sensitive to the impression of fear and they seem to be on the watch for reasons for anxiety. I do not condemn them—on the contrary I wish there were more of such holy tremblers. It is much better to be afraid of being wrong than to be indifferent as to what you are. I perceive among the very best of the saints a considerable number who are deeply anxious as to their state before God. Those who will one day be cast out of the wedding feast are feeding themselves without fear, while those who have the most right to enjoy the banquet are full of gracious anxiety. Solomon says, “Happy is the man that fears always”—he will cling closely to his God and that will make him happy. He will not run risks like the presumptuous and so he will be happy. Holy fear spreads few banquets but it takes care that when there is a feast we go to it in a wedding garment. My chief object this morning will be to allay the fears of gracious ones. If they understand what the wedding garment really is, they will probably discover that they are wearing it. And, if not, they will know in whose wardrobe that garment of joy is to be found and they will gladly ask to be arrayed therein. May the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, give a wedding joy this morning to each wedding guest, by causing him to see for certain that he is clothed in the wedding robe.
Immediately after our text, we find these solemn words—“Many are called, but few are chosen.” This is a conclusion drawn from the whole parable in which we see processes at work which separate the chosen few from the many who are called. A distinction was made by the summoning of the invited guests. The simple delivery of the invitation set a difference between the loyal and the rebellious—a distinction most marked and decisive. So it is in the preaching of the Gospel— we preach it to every creature within our reach. Lovingly, tenderly, earnestly. Not so well as we would, but still with all our heart we call men to the royal feast of Divine Grace. And straightway the very invitation begins to gather out the precious from the vile. Pure Gospel preaching is very discriminating. You can tell Cain from Abel as soon as the sacrifice is the subject. Preach salvation by Divine Grace and you find that some will not have it at any price. Others postpone all consideration of it and a third party raise questions without end. Still do men make light of it and go their way to their farms and to their merchandise. Thus, dear Friends, every Sabbath Day, without our attempting to sit in judgment on men, the Gospel is, in itself, a refining fire. In the Gospel the Son of David has a throne of judgment as well as of mercy. When men will not have Christ and His Grace, the Word preached by His humble servant drives them away and they go with the chaff. But the work of discrimination is not finished after the Gospel has been heard and men have been brought into the Church. Alas, even in the Church division has to be made. Indeed, it is there that this is most fully carried out. “His fan is in His hand and He will thoroughly purge His floor.” If He uses a scourge nowhere else, He will be sure to use it in His own temple. Among the sheep there are goats. Among the virgins there are foolish ones. And among the guests at the wedding feast there are those who have not on the wedding garment. Until we come to Heaven itself we shall always discover necessity for the work of self-examination. Even in the Apostolic College Judas carried on his dishonesty, as if to warn us that no rank in service, no honor among Brethren, no length of experience can screen us from the necessity of saying, “Lord, is it I?” when His warning voice says, “One of you shall betray Me.”
I. The King’s Coming In
In our text we see a man who has hearkened to the invitation and has come into the feast and thus has passed the first test. And yet he is unable to abide the second. He has been received by the servants but he cannot deceive their Master. The King detects him as a spot in the feast and he is cast out from the palace of mercy into the outer darkness where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. May none of us be of this sort. I shall endeavor to answer four questions naturally arising out of the parable. First, what is meant by the king’s coming in?—“the king came in to see the guests.” Secondly, what is the wedding garment? Thirdly, who is he that has it not? And fourthly, why did he stand speechless when he was asked, “How came you in here not having a wedding garment?”
May the Holy Spirit help us while we consider, first, WHAT IS MEANT BY THE KING IS COMING IN. “The king came in to see the guests.” They were all reclining at the tables, for “the wedding was furnished with guests.” They gathered while the sun was up but darkness covered the world outside when “the king came in to see the guests.” They had feasted and now the king came to honor the assembly. It was the crown and the culmination of the feast. No matter how dainty the viands, nor how bright the hall, the feast has not reached its height till his majesty appears in gracious condescension. It is so with us, Beloved, in reference to our greater King. When we are gathered in this house, which has often proved to us a palace of delights, we never reach the height of our desire till the Lord manifests Himself to us. You delight to hear the preacher and to join in the song and to say Amen to the prayer but these are not all. Your heart and your flesh cry out for God, for the living God—you look to behold the King in His beauty. When the glorious Father reveals Himself in Christ Jesus, then the Sabbath is a high day, for our prayer is answered, “Make Your face to shine upon Your servant.” Our glorious King is not always equally manifest in our solemn assemblies. Doubtless because of our sins He hides Himself. In truth He is always with us. For the feast is His and the hall is His and every guest is brought in by His Grace and every dish on the table is placed there by His love. But yet there are times when He is specially seen among His people. Then our communion with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ, is sweet, indeed. These are seasons of gracious visitation—times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. When the King comes into the assembly, the preaching of the Word is in demonstration of the Spirit and in power. Then the day of Pentecost has fully come, the Spirit is abundantly outpoured, souls are saved, saints are edified and Christ is glorified. The spiritual soon detect the Divine Presence and the shout of a King is heard in the camp. When I think of it, my heart cries out with Isaiah, “Oh that You would rend the heavens, that You would come down, that the mountains might flow down at Your presence!” The presence of our God brings with it heavenly happiness, solemn content and overflowing joy. Well does Dr. Watts sing—
“The King Himself comes near,
And feasts His saints today;
Here we may sit and see Him here,
And love and praise and pray.”
II. What is the Wedding Garment?
Now I would answer the second question—WHAT IS THE WEDDING GARMENT? You are probably aware that this has been a point greatly disputed among theologians. Is the wedding garment justification, or sanctification, or what? I am not going to be theological and bring doctrinal matters to the text. But I shall read the parable as it stands and interpret its details by its general run. It is called a “wedding garment”—a garment suitable for a marriage feast. Let us translate the figure rather than attempt to rivet a doctrine to it. What does a wedding garment mean? What is that which we must have in connection with our Lord’s marriage or be cast out forever?
I think I may say plainly that it must signify a distinguishing mark of Divine Grace. Everybody does not wear a wedding garment—he who wears it has put it on because he is a wedding guest. You know the wedding guest at once by his attire. He dresses in a way which would be considered singular if he were so arrayed every day. Your steady citizen indulges in a white waistcoat on the nuptial occasion but he never dreams of going down to his office in the city in such gear. True members of the Church of God wear a distinguishing mark. If you are not different from other people, you have no right in the Church of God. If a servant can live with you for years and never discover your love to God, I should think there is none to discover. If you are just the same as those you lived with in your former days, if you have undergone no change and are like the rest of men, you have not the distinguishing mark which sets forth your right to be in the Church of God. There ought to be a something about us which sets us apart—a something which can be seen and understood by common people, even as a wedding garment could be seen and its meaning at once perceived. Your religion must not require a microscope to perceive it, nor should it be so indistinct that few can discover any meaning in it. It should be as visible as the white garment which was worn by Easterns at a marriage. Is it so?
I may boldly add here that the wedding garment was a distinguishing mark of Divine Grace. For as these people were fetched in from the highways they could not have provided themselves with wedding garments. It is the custom in the East for a king to provide robes for his guests. Therefore this wedding garment was a mark of Divine Grace, freely given and received. Is there, then, a something about you which the Lord in love has given you? Do you differ from others, not in natural attainments but in spiritual Grace? Does the difference mainly lie in what God Himself has done for you? That is the question involved in the symbol of the wedding garment. Do you differ from what you used to be? Do you differ from what you were years ago? Do you differ from those with whom you used to associate, so that you seek other company and turn aside from those who once were charming fellows to you? If so, you have on the wedding garment. It is a distinguishing mark.
III. Who is the Man Who Has Not on the Wedding Garment?
The next person who has not on the wedding garment is the man who refuses the righteousness of God because he has a righteousness of his own. He thinks his work-day dress good enough for Christ’s own wedding. What does he want with imputed righteousness? He thinks it immoral—he who is himself immoral! What does he want with the precious blood of Jesus? He does not need to be washed from crimson stains. He writes a paper against the sensuousness of those persons who sing— “There is a fountain filled with blood Drawn from Immanuel’s veins.” His own righteousness, though it be of the Law and such as Paul rejected, he esteems so highly that he counts the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing! Ah me, the insolence of self-righteousness! Its pride is the very chief of sins, for it slights the righteousness of God.
IV. Why Was This Man Speechless?
To close, WHY WAS THIS MAN SPEECHLESS? We do not often meet with people who have no excuse. Excuse-making is the easiest trade out. A man can make an excuse out of nothing at all, or out of what is less than nothing— out of a direct lie. But here was a man who could not speak? Why was that? Well, I think, first, the affront was too bare-faced. “How came you in here?” If he did not like the King he should have stayed outside. There was no need why he should come in at all and there, display his malice. If any of you are resolved to be lost, you need not add to your eternal ruin by making a profession of religion—for hypocrisy is a superfluity of naughtiness. But this man willfully refused the wedding garment. Now those dear souls I mentioned at the beginning of the sermon do not willfully refuse the Lord’s Grace—I am sure they do not. Oh no, they are afraid they are not right but they do not wish to be wrong. Such are not among those whom this parable condemns.
The reason why he was speechless was because, even if he could have spoken and been free from terror, there was nothing to be said. He could not cry, “Lord, I did not know it.” He saw all the rest with wedding garments on. He could not say, “Lord, I could not get a wedding garment”—each one had received a garment gratis and he might have received the same. He could not say, “Lord, I was pushed in here by somebody else.” No, he had willingly chosen to come and to defy the rules. The guests had all looked at him—some had edged a little way off from him. Some had tenderly said, “Brother, will you not put on the wedding garment?” He answered, “No.” “Will you not go out before the King comes in?” “Why,” he said, “I came on purpose to defy Him. I mean to keep my place.” I do not wonder that the king said, “Bind him hand and foot and cast him into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Our Lord Jesus Christ says very strong things about the future of the wicked. I have been accused of representing the state of the lost in too horrible a manner. I have never gone beyond the dreadful descriptions given by our Lord Himself. Do not risk your eternal future. Come to the Church of God and join it but do not join it unless you love the Lord. Do not come to the Gospel feast unless you reverence the King. Unless you love the Prince. Unless you are in sympathy with the great work of Divine Grace which is pictured as a wedding feast. If you have sympathy with the wedding, love to the Bridegroom, and delight in the Bride, then come and welcome. For you have the wedding garment.
Conclusion
I am thinking just now of all those other hundreds of people at the wedding, all of them clothed with the wedding garment. What joy they felt! Many had been bad and all had been poor—but they all had the wedding garment and not one of them was cast out. If you will but put your trust in Jesus and so honor the Son—and rest in the love of the Father and so honor the King, it is written, “Him that comes to Me I will in no wise cast out.” God bless you for Jesus’ sake! Amen. Amen. Amen.