Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-05-16
REV. DR.. 7ALMAGE.
The Eminent Brooklyn Divine's Sun
day Sermon.
Subject. "Invltation to a wedding"
TExs: .coms, for all things are mou
rendyn--Luke xiv. II.

sheaves into the spiritual garner. Our joy
is ike the JOY of Heaven. Spread the ban
quet fill all the chalices. We are not to-day
at the funeral OF dead Christ; we are ce,e-
bratlng the marriage of the Kings Son.
1t was an exciting time in English history
when Queen Elizabeth visited Lord Leices-
ter at kenilworth castle, The clocks in all
the towers ami throughout the castle were
stopped at the moment of her arrival SO
continuing TO point to that moment as the
one SURPRISING all others in interest.
The doors of the great banqueting hall
were opened The queen marched in to the
sound of the trumpets. Fourteen hundred
servants waited upon the guests 1t was a
scene that astonished all nations when they
heard of it. Five thousand dollars a day did
the banquet cost as it went on day after day.
She was greeted 10 the paiace gates with
floating islands and torches and the thun iers
of cannon and fireworks that set the night
abiaze and burst of music that lifted the
whole scene into enchautment 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 Keul-
worth castle.
Cardinal Wolsay entertained the French
Ambassadors in Hampton Court. The best
cooks of all the land provided for the table.
The guests were kept hunting in the parks
:
keen, and then in the evening hour they
were shown into the banqueting hall, with
table aglitter with imperial plate and ablush
with the very costliest wines, and the second
course of the feast was made Of fool in all
shapes, of men and birds and beasts, and
dancing groups. and jousting parties riding
upon each other 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 to-day, my brothers and sisters, l in.
vite you to grauder entertainment. NV
Lord, the King, is the banqueter Angels Of
God are the cupbearers, all the redeemed are
the guests; the halls of eternal love frescoed
with light and paved with joy and curtaine1
with unfading beauty are the bsnqueting
place, the harmonies of eternity are the
music, the chalices of God are the plate, and
l am one of the servants come out with in
vitations to all the people, and oh that you
might break the seal of the invitation and
read in ink of blood, and with the tremulous
hand of dying Christ, "Come, come, for
all things are now ready"
illustrating my text so on, and in the first
place say that Il g Lord Jesus Christ is ready
Cardinal Wolsey did not come into the BAN
quoting hall until the second course of the
feast, and when he entered. booted and
spurred, all the guests arose and cheered him;
but have to tell You thas our banqueter, the
Lord Jesus Chris comes in at the beginning
Of the feasf. Ay, he has been waiting for
his guests, waiting for some of them 1891
years, wltlng with mangled feet, waiting with
hand on the punctufed side, waiting with
hand on the lacerated temples, waiting, wait
ing!
Wonder it is that the banqueter did not get
a,,1 H.
laggards stay out" No, he has been waiting
How much he is in earnestl Shall | show
you? gather up all the tears that flooded
his cheek in sympathv, all the blood that
channeled his brow and back and hand and
foot to purchase our redemption l gather
up all the groans coming from midnight chill,
and mountain hunger and desert loneliness,
and put them into one bitter cry. gather
up all the pangs that shot from cross and
spike and spear into one grosn. take one
drop of sweat on his brow, and put it under
the glass of the gospel and it enlarges to
lakes of sorrow, to oceans of agony. That
Christ to-day. emae;ated and worn and weary,
comes here, and with pathos in which every
word is heartbreak and every sentence
martyrdom, he says to you, and he says TO me-
Come, come, for all things are now ready"
All there is one word of five letters that |
would like to write, but have 70 sheet fair
enough to write it on, and no pencil good
enough to inscribe it, Give me sheet from
the heavenly records, and some pencil used by
angel in describing victory, and then with
hand struck with supernatural energy, and
with pencil dipped in everlasting morning, 1
will write it ont in capitals of love, JESUS,
jesus 1t is this One that is waiting for you
and for me, for we are on the same platform
before God. How long he waited for mel
How long he has waited for you! Waiting as
banqueter waits for his delayed guests, the
meats smoking, and the beakers trimming,
and the minstrel with his finger GA stiff string
ready to strike at the first clash of tne hoofs at
the gateway. Waiting as mother waits for
boy that ten years ago went off dragging her
bleeding heart after him. Waiting Oh. can
you not give Inc some comparison intense
enough impoTtunats enough nigh as heaven,
deep IS hell, and vast as eternity? Not ex-
pecdng that you can help me with such a COM
psrison, 1 simply say he is waiting as only an
all sympathetic Christ knows how to wat for
a wandering soul
Do you know what it was that saved Mar tin
Luther 1t was that one verse, "fhe Just
shall live by faith" Do you know what it was
that brought Augustine from his horrible dis
sipatons! 1t was that one verse. Put We on
the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision
for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof" Do
you know what it was that saved Hedley
Wears. the celebrated soldier? 1t was the ono
passage, "Believe in tine Lord Jesus Christ
and tLou shalt be saved Do you know what
it was that brouyh Jonathan Edwards to
Christi 1t was the one passage ''Now unto
him be glory forever and eve -
One Thanksgiving morning ia church 1
read my text, 'Oh. give thanks unto the Lord
for he Is good, and young man stood in the
gallery and said to himself: 81 have never
rendered one acceptable Offering of gratitude
to God in all my life. Here, Lord, l am thine
forever" By that one passage of Scripture he
was brought into the Kingdom aud il might
tell my own experience, | might tell how one
Sabbath afternoo l was brought to the peace
OF the gospel by reading of the Syro- ph9ni-
clans cry to Christ where ne said "Even the
dogs eat of thecrumbs that fall from tbs mas
ter's table" Philosophic sermons reYer saved
anybody. Metaphysical sermons never saved
anybody. An earnest plel going right out of
the heart blesse OF the Holy Ghost, that is
what saves, that's what brings people int } the
kingdom Of Christ.
suppose the world thought that Thomas
Chalmers preached great sermons in his early
ministry. but Thomas Chalmers says hs never
preached at all until years after he had occu-
pied pulpit he came oat Of his sick room, and,
weak and emaciated. h9 stood and tpld the
story of Christ II the people. And in the great
day of eternity it will be founi that not 80
much the eloquent sermons brought men to
Christ as the story told perhaps by those who
were unknown on earth the simple story of
suo caNlOht > aOfo MI DietCFt bSHb ny lS pON-
err of the molly Ghost straight TO the heart.
Come Holy Ghoss. Az, Hsis here this morn
ing. lie fills al thu pl1co. l tell you the
Holy Ghost is ready.
Then go on aud tell yoa the church i,
ready. Tiers are those here who saw. stNo
one cares for my SOUL" We do care for il.
You SEE man bowling his heal in PRAYER,
and you say, THAT man is Indifferent" That
man bows his heal in PRAYER that this truth
may go to every heart The sir ia full OF pray
srs They are going up this morning from
TINS assembly. Hun Ire Is Of prayers Straight
to the throne OF a listening God. Ths air IL
tull or prayers -prlyers ascending nom by
noon from Fulton street PRAYER mseting, FIJI
dav night by FRIDAY night all over this land
gong up from praying circ'es. Yea, thers is
nos 4 minute OF al hour OF any day that there
are not suppiications ascending to the throne
OF mercy. The church is ready And if you
shonld this morning start for your Fathers
hnnse there wonld be hundreds and thousands
IN thus sssemblage who would say II they knew
it, MAKE room for that min make room for
hum at the holy sacrament; bring the silver
bowl for his BAPTISM give him full right to
all the privileges of the churca of Jesus
Christ
Do not say you have never been invited.
invite you now to the Kings feast One and
all All All But go further and tell You
that the angels are really. Some people think
when Wa speak about angels we are getting In
to the region OF fancy. They say it is very
well for a man when he has just entered the
ministry topreach about the angels IN Heaven,
but after he has gone on further it is hardly
worth while. Ny friends, there is not any
more evidence in the Bible that there is God
than that there are angels. Did they not
swarm around jacobs la ider? When Laz,r-
uss soul went up did they nat escort ia Did