The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-05-20
COME TO THE MARRIAGE.
TALmAeE's TABERNACLE DISCOURSE.
Waiting For the Guests ut the Lords Ban
qoet - The Church and the Holy
Spirit Ready-A Feast That
Goes Do Forever.

I
nacle before the sermon was preached. A
number of infants who had been brought
there by their parents were baptized. The
water used was some OF that which was
brought by DIR. Talmage from the river
Jordan. The main auditorium of the tab
ernacle and the adjoining rooms we're
crowded by an audience of 1000 persons.
The subject of DIR. TaImage's sermon was
"Invitation to a Wedding" and the text
Luke xiv, IL, Come, for all Things are
now ready"
Holy festivities today. We gather other
sheaves into the spiritual garner. Our
joy is ike the JOY OF heaven. Spread the
banquet, fill all the chalices. We are not
today at the funeral of dead Christ; we
are celebrating the marriage of the kings
son.
Ii was an exciting time in English his
tory when Queen Elizabeth visited Lord
Leicester at Kenilworth castle. The
clocks in all the towers and throughout
the castle were stopped at the moment OF
her arrival, so continuing 10 point TO that
moment as the one surprising all others in
interest The doors of the great banquet
ing hall were opened The queen marched
in to the sound of the trumpets. Four
hundred servants waited upon the guests.
j. was a scene that astonished all nations
when they heard of it. Five thousand
dollars day did the banquet cost it
went on day after day. She was greeted
at the palace gates with floating islands,
and torches and the thunders OF cannon,
and fireworks that set the night ablaze,
ana burst of music that lifted the whole
scene into enchantment. Beginning in
that way. it went on from Joy TO Joy, and
from excitement to excitement, and from
rapture to rapture. That WAS the great
banquet that Lord Leicester spread in
Wentworth castle.
Cardinal Wolsey entertained the French
euhassadors in Hampton court The best
cooks Of ali the land provided for the ia
be. The guests were kept hunting in the
parks all the day, SO that their appetites
might be keen, and then in the evening
hour they were shown into the banquet
ing hall with table aglltter with imperial
plate, and ablush with the very cosIliest
wines, and the second course OF the feast
was made of food In all shapes Of men and
birds, and beasts, and dancing groups
and jOusting parties riding upon each 9TH
er with uplifted lances Lords and princes
and ambassadors their cups cleaning to
the brim, drank first TO the health of the
king of England and then to the health
OF the emperor OF France. That was the
banquet that Cardinal Wolsey spread in
Hampton court.
But today, my brothers and sisters, l
invite you to a grander entertainment
My Lord, the King, is the banqueter. An
oals of t,nd 20 tha crrr- boar ar. oil no 70
deemed are the guests; the halls of eter-
nGl love frescoed with light and paved
with Joy, and curtained with unfading
beauty, are the banqueting place; the
harmOnies oil eternity are the music, the
chalices of God are the plate, and l am
one of the servants come out with invita-
tons to all the people, and oh, that you
might break the seal of the invitation and
read in ink OF blood, and with the trenul-
Gus hand of dying Christ: Come, come
for all things are now ready"
Sometimes there have been great disap-
pointments at a banquet. The wine has
given out, or the servants have been re-
beliious, or the lights have failed; but l
walk all around the banqueting table of
my Lord today, and l find everything
complete, and l swing open the door OF
this banqueting house and say: "All
things are now ready"
Illustrating my text, go on, and in the
first place say that the Lord Jesus Christ
IS ready. Cardinal Wosey did not come
into the banqueting hall until the second
course OF the feast. and when he entered,
booted aud spurred, all the guests arose
and cheered him; but have to tell you
that our banqueter, the Lord Jesus Christ,
comes in at the beginning of the least
Ay. lie has been waiting for His guests,
waiting for some of them 1891 years; wait
ing with mangled feet, waiting with hand
on the punctured side, waiting with hand
on the lacerated temples. waiting, wait
inglf Wonder it is that the banqueter did
not get weary and say: "Shut the door
and let the laggards stay out No, He has
been waiting. How much He is in earn
est Shall l show you? / gather up all
the tears that flooded His cheek in sym
pathy, all the blood that channeled His
brow and back and hand and foot, to pur-
chase our redemption. gather up all the
groRns coming from midnight chill and
mountain hunger and desert loneliness.
and l put them into one bitter cry. l
gather up ali the pangs that shot from
cross and spike and spear, into one groan
/ take Que drop Of sweat on Ills brow, and
] put it under the glass of the gospel, and
il enlarges to lakes OF sorrow, TO oceans of
agony. That Christ today, emaciated and
worn and weary, comes here, and with
pathOs in which every word is heart
break, and every sentence a martyrdom,
He says to you ana lie says to me:
Come, come, for all things are now
ready"
Ahasuerus made a feast that lasted $50
days. This lasts forever. Lords and
princes were invited to that. You and [
are invited to this. Yes, He has been
waiting. He is waiting now. Other kings
wrap themselves in robes of beauty and
power before they come into banquet
SO does Christ. Oh, lie is the fairest of
the fair. In His hand is the omnipotent
surgery that opened blind eyes and
Strengthened crooked limbs and hoisted
the pillars of heaven, and swung the
twelve gates which are twelve pearls. Oh
what Christ-a Christ of beauty, a Christ
of power. There are not enough cups on
earth to dip up this ocean of beauty
There are not ladders to scale these nights
OF love. Oh, thou flower OF eternity, thy
breath is the perfume of heaven Oh
! thou daybreak of the soul, let all nations
clap their hands in thy radiance Chorus
Come men and angels and cherubiIn and
seraphIm and archangel, all nights, all
depths, all immenslties. Chorusl Roll
on through the heavens in chariot of uni
versal acclaim. over bridges of hosanna,