Simile factum est regnum coelorum homini regi qui fecit nuptias filio suo.
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which married his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that, &c.
This is a gospel that containeth very much matter; and there is another like unto this in the fourteenth of Luke: but they be both one in effect, for they teach both one thing; and therefore I will take them both in hand together, because they tend to one purpose.Matthew saith, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which married his son;" Luke saith, "A certain man ordained a great supper:" but there is no difference in the very substance of the matter, for they pertain to one purpose.Here is made mention of a feast-maker: therefore we must consider who was the feast-maker: secondarily, who was his son: thirdly, we must consider to whom he was married:fourthly, who were they that called the guests:
fifthly, who were the guests.And then we must know how the guest- callers behaved themselves: and then, how the guests behaved themselves towards them that called them.When all these circumstances be considered, we shall find much good matters covered and hid in this gospel.
Now that I may so handle these matters, that it may turn to the edification of your souls, and to the discharge of my office, I will most instantly desire you to lift up your hearts unto God, and desire his divine Majesty, in the name of his only-begotten Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, that he will give unto us his Holy Ghost:- unto me, that I may speak the word of God, and teach you to understand the same; unto you, that you may hear it fruitfully, to the edification of your souls; so that you may be edified through it, and your lives reformed and amended; and that his honour and glory may increase daily amongst us.Wherefore I shall desire you to say with me, "Our Father," &c.
Dearly beloved in the Lord, the gospel that is read this day is a parable, a similitude or comparison.For our Saviour compared the kingdom of God unto a man that made a marriage for his son.And here was a marriage.At a marriage, you know, there is commonly great feastings.Now you must know who was this feast-maker, and who was his son, and to whom he was married; and who were those that should be called, and who were the callers; how they behaved themselves, and how the guests behaved themselves towards them that called them.
Now this marriage-maker, or feast-maker, is Almighty God.Luke the Evangelist calleth him a man, saying, "A certain man ordained a great supper." He calleth him a man, not that he was incarnate, or hath taken our flesh upon him: no, not so; for you must understand that there be three Persons in the Deity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.And these three Persons decked the Son with manhood; so that neither the Father, neither the Holy Ghost, took flesh upon them, but only the Son; he took our flesh upon him, taking it of the Virgin Mary.But Luke called God the Father a man, not because he took flesh upon him, but only compared him unto a man; not that he will affirm him to be a man.Who was he now that was married?Who was the bridegroom?Marry,that was our Saviour Jesus Christ, the second person in the Deity; the eternal Son of God.Who should be his spouse? To whom was he married? To his church and congregation: for he would have all the world to come unto him, and to be married unto him: but we see by daily experience that the most part refuse his offer.But here is shewed the state of the church of God: for this marriage, this feast, was begun at the beginning of the world, and shall endure to the end of the same: yet for all that, the most part refused it: for at the very beginning of the world, ever the most part refused to come.And so it appeareth at this time, how little a number cometh to this wedding and feast: though we have callers, yet there be but few of those that come.So ye hear that God is the feast- maker; the bridegroom is Christ, his Son, our Saviour; the bride is the congregation.
Now what manner of meat was prepared at this great feast? For ye know it is commonly seen, that at a marriage the finest meat is prepared that can be gotten.What was the chiefest dish at this great banquet? What was the feast-dish? Marry, it was the bridegroom himself: for the Father, the feast-maker, prepared none other manner of meat for the guests, but the body and blood of his own natural Son.And this is the chiefest dish at this banquet; which truly is a marvellous thing, that the Father offereth his Son to be eaten.Verily, I think that no man hath heard the like.And truly there was never such kind of feasting as this is, where the Father will have his Son to be eaten, and his blood to be drunk.
We read in a story, that a certain man had eaten his son; but it was done unawares: he knew not that it was his son, else no doubt he would not have eaten him.The story is this: There was a king named Astyages, which had heard by a prophecy, that one Cyrus should have the rule and dominion over his realm after his departure; which thing troubled the said king very sore, and therefore [he] sought all the ways and means how to get the said Cyrus out of the way; how to kill him, so that he should not be king after him.Now he had a nobleman in his house, named Harpagus, whom he appointed to destroy the said Cyrus: but howsoever the matter went, Cyrus was preserved and kept alive, contrary to the king's mind.Which thing when Astyages heard, what doth he?
