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It is a remarkable thing in this parable, that Christ makes no provision for defeat. He does not say what we are to do if they refuse to come in. He takes it for granted that we must overcome if we are in earnest. It used to be said of the Duke of Wellington, that it was a characteristic of his career that in the orders which he issued to his brigadiers he never made any provision for defeat. He said, "Go and capture that hill from the French," or, "Go and drive the enemy from that house"; and he never told them what to do if they failed. It was their business to do it, and he never made any provision for defeat; and they did succeed. So, too, Christ makes no provision for defeat. He assumes that we shall not fail. Cheerful, audacious, Christian work cannot fail. It was said by a great Latin historian of Alexander the Great, that the secret of his marvellous victories, by which the world was brought to his feet was this: he wisely dared to think nothing of imaginary dangers I All sorts of reports reached him with respect to the difficulties of invading Asia, and so forth, but he put them all on one side. Oh, that we may be filled with the same glorious spirit — that we may think nothing of imaginary dangers I The devil is always ready to exhibit a few ghosts of difficulties to terrify weak saints. Let us despise the ghosts; there is nothing in them. We cannot fail if our heart is full of love to God, and of sympathy with our fellow Christians. The only real hindrance to the progress of the gospel is unbelief, in the form of downright selfishness.

(H. P. Hughes, M. A.)

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KJV: Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:

WEB: But he said to him, "A certain man made a great supper, and he invited many people.