The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1891-05-19
HEAV EMS BRIDAL FEAST.
"coME, COME, FOR ALL THINGS ARE
NOW READY.

!,
NOW READY.
DE. TalmaRe Presehes on 'TnyItation to n
weddingT.Grbe Lord, the Host, the Re-
deemed. the Quests, and the Angels, tho
Cup-Bearers.
BROOKLYN, May 10.-The subject of
DR.. Talmage's sermon to-day was SIM
vitation to Wedding," and the text
Luke xiv, IL: "Come for all things are
now ready"
Holy festivities to-day. We gather
other sheaves into the spiritual garner.
Our joy is like the JOY of Heaven.
Spread the banquet, spread all the chali-
ces. We are not to-day at the funeral
of q dead Christ; we are celebrating the
marriage of the Kings son.
1t was an exciting time in English
history when Queen Elizabeth visited
Lord Leicester at Kenilworth castle.
The clocks In all the towers and through
x out the castle were stopped at the mo-
ment of her arrival, 30 continuing to
point to that moment as the one surpass-
ing all others in interest. The doors of
the great banqueting hall were opened.
The queen marched In to the sound of
the trGmpets. Four hundred servants
waited upon the guests. 1t was scene
that astonished all nations wheu they
heard of it. Five thousands dollars
day did the banquet cost as it went on
day after day. She was greeted to the
palace gates with floating islands, and
torches and the thunder Of cannone, and
fireworks that set the night ablaze, and
burst of music that lifted the whole
sceI 9 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 Kenilworth castle.
Cardinal Wolsey 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 all the day, so that
their appetites might be keen, and then
in the evening hour they were shown
into the banqueting hall, with table
aglitter with imp ,rial plate, and ablush
with the very costliest 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 u,on each other with up
ambassadors, their cups cleaning to the
king of England. and then to the health
oftRe emperor Of France. That was the
banquet that Cardinal Wolsey spread in
Hampton court.
But to-day, my brothers and sisters, 1
invite you to grander entertainment,
My Lord. the King, is the banqueter.
Angels of God are the cup-bearers, all
the redeemed are the guests; the halls Of
eternal love frescoed with light, and
paved with JOY, and curtajned with un-
fading beauty are the banqueting place,
the harmonies of etel nifty are the music,
the chalices of God are tho plate, and /
am one OF the servants come out with
invitations to all the people, and oh,
that you might break the seal OF the IN
vltatiOn end read IN ink of blood, and
with the tremulous hand of dying
Christ: "Come, come, for all things are
now ready"
Sometimes there have been great dis
appointments at banquet. The wine
has given out, or the servants have been
rebellious, or the lights have tailed; but
walk all around the banqueting table
of my L I'd tod. y, and find everything
complete, and swing open the door Of
this banqueting house and I say: "All
things are now ready"
Illustrating my text, 1 go on and in
the first place say that the Lord Jesus
Christ is ready. Cardinal Wolsey did
not come into the banqueting 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 that our banqueter, the Lord
Jesus Christ comes in at the beginning
ofthe feast. Ay, he has been waiting
for his guests, waiting for some of them
1891tyears, waiting with mangled feet,
waiting with hand on the plinctured sides,
waiting with hand on the ilacerated tenn
pies, waiting, waiting! 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 earnest!
shall 1 show you? / gather up all the
all the blood that channelled his brow
and back and hand and foot, TO purchase
our redemption. gather up all the
groans coming from midnight chill and
mountain hunger and desert loneliness,
and put them into one bitter cry--I
gather up all the paugs that shot from
cross and spike and spear, into one groan
Il take one drop of sweat on his brew,
and put it under the glass of the gos-
pei, and it enlarges to lakes of sorrow,
to oceans ofagony. That Christ to- day,
emaciated and worn and weary, comes
here, and with a pathos iD whichevery
word is a heartbreak and every sentence
martyrdom, he says to you and says to
me: "Come, come, for all things are
now ready.
Ahasurus made feast that lasted 100
days. This lasts forever. Lords and
princes were invited to that. You and
i are invited to this. Yes, he has been
waiting, he is waiting now. Utherkings
wrap themselves in robes of beauty and
power before they come intoa banquet,
So does Christ. Oh, he is the dairest of
the fair. In his hand is the omnipotept
surgery that opened blind, eyes and
,straightened crook limbs and hoisted
the pillars OF heavens, and swung the
twelve gates which are twelve pearls.
Oh, what a 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 tosscale
these heights of love. Oh. thou flower
of ct rnity, thy breath is the perfume of
a ~. - 49,