Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-02-04
HE JUBILEE SERVICE
MANY ACCBSSI0NS TO THE RBV. DR.. TAI
MAGBS CHURCH.
The Brooklyn Tabsrnaclss Prosperous Condition.
Yesterdays Sermon-RecsphOn of the POdigal
S0n-New Converts Great Joy-Why Mn
isters Live Long and Happy Lives.
speetal 7tlearnu % he Reaister.

24O persOne, making the present commu-
meant membership of the Brooklyn Taber-
nacle 4 4OS. This is also moving day in
this church. The annual rental of news
has just occurred and to-day many of the
congregation occupy new places. The
paws brought higher premiums this year
than ever before and the income of the
church this year will be S33, ,8O4 co. But
both plans are observed in this church.
A vNst space is kept free from all expense
and only part of the building mapped
off for rent. DR.. Talmage took his text
from the 18th chapter Of Luke, 23d verse:
Bring hither the fatted calf and kill it. &"
DR.. Talmage said:
JOY JOY Joy! We banquet to-day
over this accession of multitude of soulP.
In all ages of the world it has been Gus
tomary TO celebrate joyful events by fee
tivity-the singing Of treaties, the proc'a-
nation Of peace, the Christmas, the mar
riage. However much on other days of the
year our table may have stinted su pply, On
Thanksgiving Day there must be some.
thing bounteous. And sll the comfort.
able homes of ChristendOm have at some
time celebrated joyful events by banquet
and festivity.
THE PRODIGAL RETURNS.
Something has happened in the old
homestead greater than anything that hiss
ever happened before. A fAvOIite ton
whom the world supposed would become
vagabond and outlaw forever has got
tired of sightseeing and has returned to
his fathers house. The world eaid he
never would come back. The old man al
ways said his son would come. He had
been looking for him day after day snd
year after year. He knew he would come
back. Now, having returned to his faith
er's house, the father proclsims celebra-
tiOD.
There is a calf in the paddock that has
been kept up and fed to utmost capacity so
as to be ready for some occasion of Joy that
might come along All! there never Will
be a grander day on the old homestead
than this day. Let the butchers do their
work, and the housekeepers bring onto
the table the smoking meat The
musicians will take their places, and
the gay groups will move up and
down the floor. All the friends and neigh
bors are gathered in, and extra supply is
sent out to the table of the servante. The
father preeides at the table, and says grace,
and thanks God that his long-absent boy i3
home again. Oh! how they missed him
how glad they are to have him back. One
brother indeed stands pOutiDg at the back
door and says: This is great ado about
nothing; this bad boy should have been
chastened instead of greeted; veal is too
good for him. But the father says ::
Nothing is too good, nothing is good
enough" There sits the young man, glad
at the hearty reception. but . shadow Of
sorrow fitting across his brow al the re-
membrance of the trouble he bad seen.
all ready now. Let the cover lift. Music.
He was dead and he is alive sgain He was
lost and he is found! By such bold inn
agery does the Bible set forth the merry
making when a soHl comes home to God.
NEW CONVERTS JOY.
I. First of all there is the new converts
10y. 1: is no tame thing to become a
Christian. The most tremendous moment
in mans life is when he surrenders him
self TO God. The grsndest time on the
fathers homestead is when the boy comes
back. Among the great thrOng who in the
parlors of this church professed Christ one
night was a young man who next morning
rang my door bell and said: ''Sir, can
not contain myself with the JOY l feel; |
came here this morning TO express it.
have found more JOY in five minutes in
serving God than in all the years Of my
prodigality, and came TO sap go"
Oh, 1t is no tame thing to become
Christian It is q merry making. 1t IL
the killing of the fatted calf. IL is ju5i-
lee. You know the Bible never compares
it to funeral, but always compares it to
something bright. 1t is more aps to be
compared to banquet than anything
else. 1t is compared in the Bible TO the
water, bright, flashing water; to the morn
ing, roseate, fireworked, mountain-trans-
figured morning | wish | could today
take all the Bible expressions about par
don and peace and life and comfort ard
hone and Heaven and twist them into one
garland, and put it on the brow OF the
humblest child of God in this assemblage,
and cry: "Wesr il, wear it now, wear 1t
forever, son of God, daughter of the Lord
God Almighty" Oh, the Joy of the new
convert! Oh, the gladness of the Chris
tiar service
RAPTUREs OF THE GOSPEL.
Just pass over from those tame joys in
which you are indulgiDg of this
world-into the raptues of the Gospel.
The world cannot satisfy you; yOu have
found that out-Alexander longing for
other worlds to conquer, and yet drowned
in his own bottle; Byron whipped by dis
ouietudes around the world; Voltsire
cursinr his own soul while all the streets
Of Paris we're applauding him; Henry H..
consuming with hatred against poor
Thomas A. Becket-all illustrations OF the
( fact that this world cannot make man
happy. The very man who poisoned the
pommel of the saddle on which Queen
Elizabeth rode, shouted in the street: God
save the Queenw One moment the world
spplauds and the next moment the world
enathematizes. Oh, come over into this
greater oy, this sublime solace, this mag
nificent beautitude.
oh. it is a great religion to live by, and
il is a great religion to die by. There is
only one heart-throb between you and that
religion this morning Just look into the
face of your psrdoning God, and surrender
Yourself for time end eternity, and He is
yours. and heaven is you're, and all is
yours. Some of you, liks the young man
of the text. have gone far astray. know
not the history, but yOu know 1t, you
know it. When young man went forth
into life, the legend says, his guardian an
gel went forth with him, and getting him
/ into o field, the guardian angel swept a
circle clear around where the young mau
stood. Ii was circle of virtue and honor.
and he must not step beyond that circle
Armed foes came down, but were Obliged
TO halt at that circ!e-thsy could not pass
Rut one dav o temptress with diamonded
hand stretched forth and crossed that circle
with the hand, and the tempted soul took
if. and by that one fell grip was brought
bevopd the circle and died Some of you
NAV have stepped beyond that circle
Would you 70: like this day by the grace
of God to step back? This, l cay to you, l.
your hour of salvation.
Oh, come home to your Fathers mouse
Come home, oh prOdigal, from the wilder
ness. Come home, come home
THE FATHERS GREETING.
II. But notice that when the prodiga
came there was the fathers joy. He dc
,,ot e,rset him with any formal "HOw dC
YOU do?" He did not come out and say
''You are unfit to enter; 90 out and wast
in the trough by the well, and then yor