By the late MR. ANDREW CAMERON, Elder, Oban.
III. “Come: for all things are now ready, and yet there is room” (Luke, xiv. 17-22).
IT is God’s habit to have all things ready, whether for His guests or His creatures. It was so in creation. There were no cattle until there were meadows for their grazing; no birds until there were trees for their nests. When God created Adam, the garden was ready planted with all kinds of trees, the fruit was ripe for food. Again, the Ark was first built and the various creatures gathered into it with all their provender, when the Lord said to Noah, “Come, thou and all thy house into the Ark: “Come, all things are now ready.” Take another event in providence, the going down of Israel into Egypt. He sent a man before, even Joseph, who was lifted up to be ruler in the land with power to nourish them through the famine. Not into Egypt shall God’s Israel go till all things are ready, and when all things are ready they will come out again.
He did not take them to the Promised Land till all things were ready. The Lord said: “The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full: but when the tribes came to the River Jordan all things were ready and they came to a land that flowed with milk and honey.
Now in the great Gospel Supper all things are ready. All things were in His eternal covenant and purpose ere ever the earth was. Jesus, the great Sacrifice is slain, the fountain for our cleansing is filled with blood, the Holy Spirit has been given, the Word by which we are to be instructed is in our hands.
Come next to the mercy-seat in prayer, for all things are ready there. The mercy-seat is sprinkled with the precious blood of Christ. The veil also is rent in twain. “Let us, therefore, come with boldness to the Throne of Grace, because everything there is ready. No need of bringing anything with you there. Again, He says: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” If we hear His voice and open the door, He will come in and sup with us and we with Him. Suppose there is no supper, He will provide it, He has all things ready, and if the heart will be the guest-chamber He will provide the supper,
“And yet there is room” in the great salvation wrought out and finished, so free and suitable to all. There is room in the love of the father for he ran to meet the prodigal and fell on his neck and kissed him. He welcomed him back again. “Come for all things are ready” and told his servants to bring forth the best robe and put it on him and to kill the fatted calf for him. There is room in the love of the Son, Jesus Christ, for He loved His Church and gave Himself for it. There is room in His love when, as the Good Shepherd, He went after the lost sheep until He found it and brought it back on His shoulders by power and love as well as price. There is room in the love of the Spirit to apply the redemption purchased by Christ by working faith in us and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling.
Again, there is room in the love of Angels over one sinner that repenteth, and the Church of God on earth is ready to receive and love the repenting sinner. There is room at the King’s table, as King David had room at his table for Mephibosheth, for he said: Thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. Yet Mephibosheth was lame on both his feet, and the child of God when invited to the gospel table and the Communion table feels his lameness in all his duties. But the invitation is: “Bring in hither the maimed, the halt and the blind,” and when he is taken home to sit at the table above he will have no lameness then but be perfectly whole.
And yet there is room, not only in His house on earth but in the House above, for Christ says: “I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am there ye may be also.” The time is coming regarding all His dear ones when He will say:—Ariſe, my love, my fair one, and come away, to the House not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation and make excuses that will not stand? Oh! come, for there is nothing that thou canst need between here and heaven but what is provided in Jesus Christ. Life for thy death, forgiveness for thy sins, cleansing for thy filth, clothing for thy nakedness, strength for thy weakness, joy for thy sorrow.