The Communicant's Companion
scepter is held out to us, and this fair proposal made, "What is thy petition, and it shall be granted thee?"
Let us see what kind of a feast it is.
1. It is a royal feast; "a feast like the feast of a king," that is, a magnificent feast. It is a feast like that of king Ahasuerus; "a feast for all his servants," and designed, as that was, not only to show his good will to those whom he had feasted, but to "show the riches of his glorious kingdom, and the honor of his excellent majesty." The treasures hid in Christ, even his unsearchable riches, are here set open, and the glories of the Redeemer illustriously displayed. He who is King of kings, and Lord of lords, here issues out the same order that we find him giving: "Come gather yourselves together to the supper of the great God;" and that must needs be a great supper. The wisest of kings introduces Wisdom herself as a queen or princess making this feast: "Wisdom hath killed her beasts, and mingled her wine." At a royal feast, the provision, we may be sure, is rich and noble, such as becomes a king to give, though not such beggars as we are to expect; the welcome also we may be sure is free and generous; Christ gives like a king.
Let us remember, that in this ordinance we sit to eat with a Ruler, with a Ruler of rulers, and therefore "must consider diligently what is before us," and observe a decorum. He is a King that comes in to see the guests, and therefore we are concerned to behave ourselves well.
2. It is a marriage-feast; it is a feast made by a King, at the marriage of his Son: so our Savior represents it, not only to speak exceeding rich and sumptuous, and celebrated with extraordinary expressions of joy and rejoicing, but because the covenant here sealed between Christ and his church is a marriage-covenant, such a covenant as makes two one; a covenant founded in the dearest love, founding the nearest relation, and