inviting many; by His distress at the refusal of those first invited, and His sending into the streets and lanes of the city; by His compelling men to come in from the highways and hedges.
The fourth requisite of a great supper is the abundance and the variety of the dishes. King Ahasuerus gave drink “in vessels of gold (the vessels being diverse one from another), and royal wine in abundance, according to the state of the king.” In like manner has Christ prepared abundance of good things for His marriage supper. And chief among these are the twelve refections of the just, each of which Meffreth comments upon with great beauty. I can but name them.
1. Health without infirmity. (Ps. ciii. 3. Isa. lx. 18.)
2. Youth without age. (Ps. ciii. 5.) This is fol-lowed by a dissertation on the apparent age which the resurrection body will have.
3. Satiety without distaste. (Isa. xlix. 10. Eccles. i. 8.) Followed by a proof that the soul can be satisfied with nothing short of God.
4. Beauty without deformity. (Matt. xiii. 43, Wisd. iii. 7.) Followed by a dissertation on the degrees of glory hereafter.
5. Impassibility with immortality. (Isa. xxv. 8; xlix. 10.)
6. Abundance without want; to this the preacher applies very beautifully the text, Judges xviii. 10.
7. Peace without break.
8. Safety without fear. (Ps. cxlvii. 14.)
