Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-03-18
THE MARRIAGE FEAST.
A sermon 10 Wen by EvaBgelts
Moody.


ton to the choir found their way, how
ever, inside and seated themselves to-
gether in one of the side galleries, form
ing quito contrast TO the general sur
roundings. The effect during the pre-
parat ,ry praise services, when 1850
male voices joined in the choruses, was
very impressive. and the music was
further enhanced by the presence of the
admirable orchestra of the Young
Mems Christian Association. Befo g
commencing bis sermon, Mr.. Mood
announced that the services for to-day
would be a lecture at p. NJ. on the
Prophet Daniel and a Eelmon in the
vening. He also requested that as
many as possible would attend the SER
vices on the two next days, as his mis-
sion here would come to an end on Tues
day evening. The Evangelist then an
nounced that collection would be taken
up so as to defray the expenses of the
hall, etc., the committee having had to
pay $400 for the use of the building dur
ing the ten days of services. "And /
wish to say" said Mr.. Moody, "that it
is one Of the finest buildings for purposes
like this that have seen in the United
States"
AS until yesterday no collections at all
have been taken up since the Moody
meetings began, it was only to be ex-
pected that the response would be lib
eral one; and, judging by the appear
ances of the baskets on the return of the
collectors, the audience evidently had
come to the front financially in as libersl
manner as could have been expected.
Mr.. Moody then commenced his sermon
by reading his text from the 14th chap
ter of the gospel according to Luke, the
account of the marriage feast of those
who were invited and did not come.
"You will notice tonight" said the
evangelist, "that the three men men
toned in the parable we're invited TO a
feast, and not to funeral, but still they
gave in their excuses and kept away.
They hadn't the common honesty to cay
that they did not want to go, but they
worked up lot of paltry reasons so that
they could keep away. Aud such poor
excuses as they gave! One men had to
lo ok at piece of land, another had
bought some oxen; and the third, who
had the worst excuse of all, said that he
had just married, and therefore could not
come. Now a man is a mighty mean
man who has to hide behind his wife,
but it has been the case from Adam way
down to the pres ent time. Everybody is a.
ways making excuses for not doing things
that they object to. AS a general rule,
excuses are lies. Did you ever think
what would take place in city like this
if when Christ invited the inhabitants to
one of his feasts, and when the adulterers
and dishonest men excused themselves; I;
Ia oha,,1I
and then sweep them into the
embraces of death. Why there
would not be enough living to buly the
dead. Christ he's hidden you +, such
feast to-night-a royel feast END He Il
determined that some shall be there.
What excuse have you got? 1t seems to
me that men lie awake at nights invent
lag excuses for not being Christians.
One of the popular excrses of the pres
ent day is the Bible. Men say that it is
a stumbling block; they cannot under
stand some things in it; there is too
much mystery, and SO on. / tell
you, my friends, that when you
ONE up before the judgment
seat it will be no excuse for you
= say that you could not undersf1nd the
Bible. Those veiy mysteries are indi-
cative that it has come from a supreme
source. The charge that bring against
in6delity, my friends, is that it takes
everything from man and gives nothing
in return. | remember we'll remark an
infdel made when he was dying. The
only thing against the Bible he said, lis
a bad life. >"
"Be honest my friends and say that it
is sin that is keeping you from becoming
a Christian and not the Bible. Where is
the man who says, oh, if I am to be
eaved, l will be saved, and if I am not,
well, it is not my fault Why, there is
nothing in the Bible to show that there
is such thing as election to heaven.
Christ says, 'whosoever wills it
can be saved Your argument is absurd.
You are trying to make obstacles
in spiritual things that you will not
admi5 in temporalities. If not, why,
when this meeting is over, do you get up
from your seats and go home. If it is
decreed that you are to sleep in bed you
will get there no matter what you do
isn't it absurd to think in such a man.
ner? | want to stand here tonight and
tell you that God is not hard master.
L have had more pleasure since the day
o1oU 4 JS'uOO buC AdDh hb vi tllo AOIQ Indu
l had in all the years before that
time. Let two people be brought
in here before you tonight and place
them side by side end see which
has the easier master. Compare the
white-haried, honorable old man with
the debesed, swollen. drinker the Chris
ton home with that of the thief-oh, the
speaks for itself. Some people
won't join the Church because they say
that there are tco many hypocrites in it.
have noticed, though, that those who
are continually .harping about hypocrites
and hypocrisy gre not very far from such
a state themselves. Aud by-the-way
hav vent you got hypocrites among your
business connections, your lodges and
the associations of your daily life Why
then do you say that you will keep
out of the church because Of
the hypocrites? Why don't you,
using the same logic, get out Of the
world. Friends don't say that you have
not got time to become Christians; take
time. You spend hours over your busi- |
ness matters and in pleasure, surely you
can spare five minutes for the Lord. |
Throw away all your excuses tonight, |
my friends, and accept the invitation |
that Christ holds out to you tonight to |
be present at His marriage FEAST"
Mr.. Moody concluded his service by
calling on those who would promise to go |
the feast to respond by saying II will"
and the called-for words were heard re-
sounding from many parts of the hall.