The Wedding Garment

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Oct 17, 1878

The Wedding Garment.

At the royal marriage of Sultan Mahmoud, a few years ago, every guest invited to the wedding had made expressly for him, at the expense of the Sultan, a wedding garment. No one, however dignified his station, was permitted to enter into the presence-chamber of that sovereign without a change of raiment. This was formerly the universal custom in the East. But inasmuch as these garments were very costly, and some of the guests might plead poverty, and thus appear unclad in the guest-chamber of the king, the cost was defrayed at the Sultan Mahmoud’s expense. To each guest was presented a suit of wedding garments. Had any, therefore, appeared before this absolute sovereign without the wedding garment, the sultan would have deemed his dignity insulted, and his munificent gifts despised. The question then, "Friend, how camest thou in hither not having on a wedding garment?" Matt. 22 : 12, explains the speechless condition of the man. The wedding robe was ready, not at the expense of the invited one, but at the cost of the king. He had simply to obey the requirements of Eastern state—put on the garment, appear before the king, and do homage to him for his rich habit. His refusal to comply with this reasonable custom, and presuming, notwithstanding, to thrust himself in the presence of royalty, was an avowal that he denied his authority to rule over him, and despised his power. Hence, he was bound hand and foot and cast out.—Sel.