Evening star., 1914-08-22

the refusal of the Heavenly Fathers In
vitation to the Israelites.
seen. First, there are those who In re-
sponse to the invitation make a de-
liberate decision of the will; They
would not come ,, second; there there ARE ARE
ding, even when extended second
time. and went their ways. to their
farms and their merchandise. Third.
there are those who became angered at
the invitation, and to strike at the
King abused His ambassadors.
The rejection of Gods invitation
means the same thing TO-DAY as IT meant
twenty centuries ago. The same division
with deliberate intent are setting their
faces against the light. Others are blind
ed by their possessions or their am
bitions. While there is a third class
who would again cruelty the Galiiean
and strike at Him through His church
or His messengers or His hoy word
The same penalties are inflicted. They
find themselves without the pale of the
feast, and when they come to finally
weigh the results of their decisif tnes
find that the placing of their Will or
their own petty affairs above the VIII
Of God is sheer folly. for they like the
rebeIlious subjects, they learn that:
"He that falleth on this stone shall be
broken, but on whomsoever II shall fan
it will scatter him as dust"
The Guests.
ITO the Jew first, then to the Ger-
tiles" was the order of Gods offer OF
salvation. The calling Of the Gentiles is
skiIlfully brought within the scope of the
parable by the use of the word tram
lated in the revised version. ''the parting
Of the highways" which suggests the
idea Of the servants leaving the city and
10 flA
good news without distinction to every
human heart.
However, we must not be misled by tie
words, good and bad, for in the light Of
the kings condemnation of the hypo-
critic we find this is only a relative term.
as all must prepare themselves for the
feast by putting on the cloak of right
eousness.
At first sight the kings action toward
the guests who had no wedding garment
seems rather severe for the onense. One.
writer well suggests that the. cause was
spiritual, that the lack of the garment
was a guidepost to his characterize de-
sired to share in the feast and its Joys
without paying the cost. This lis prob.
ably the true significance.
Another writer points out that the
offender is an individual who suffers an in
dividual penalty for an individual sin, IN
contrast with the first part OF the parabies
where the Offenders are treated as classes.
In other words. the Master wishes to
make prominent the personal responsible
ity of the hypocrite. Whichever of these
views we accept. the same spiritual truth
prevails.
AS Jesus looks into the faces of his
hearers, these people of Jerusalem who
had heard His words and seen Els mir
acles, there comes to His lips those words
laden with sorrow: Many are called,
but few are chosen"
Much difficulty has been caused by a
failure to recall the situation and the in
tense emotion under which these words
were uttered. They were limited by the
and were not meant to
predict that only few should be saved.
This truth was fulfilled in the Jewish
people, who were called to be a nation.
but OF whom only a few were finally
chosen.
If was fulfilled in Gideon's army; -thlr-
ty-two thousand were called, but three
hundred chosen. 1t was not meant, how
ever. to be universal in its future appli-
cation. for the hour draws nigh when
every knee shall bow and every tongue
profess His name, and then those who
have In sincerity put on the cloak of
righteousness will be His guests and
partake Of the Joys of the Kings we;-
ding feast for His Son and His Bril-
the church universal