The Wedding Garment (sermon 976)

Picking up the last episode of the parable of the wedding feast, Spurgeon applies it carefully in his own context, acknowledging that times of spiritual excitement often see false professors joining the visible church. He therefore preaches a sermon intended to provoke heart-searching among his hearers, that they may not be found out in the day of God's testing. With that in mind, he has five simple headings- an enemy at the feast, the king at the feast, who becomes the judge at the feast, making the enemy the criminal at the feast, who is removed by the executioner at the feast. Spurgeon treads through this structure in ever tightening circles, each one built on those preceding. His final charge and plea is to take heed of the gospel sifting that comes through such preaching, before you come to God's sifting in the day when he draws near, and find yourself exposed to his judgement. Spurgeon never lets go of the stark distinction of life and death, heaven and hell. That breeds a fierce honesty and an earnest compassion, both of which are on display in this telling sermon.