Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-05-15
TABERNACLE PULPIT.
DR.. TALMAOE PREACHING TO
SEVEN THOUSAND PEOPLE.
After Daptizing Infants with Water from
the Jordan, He Discourses on
tho Subject, "InvItatton
to Wedding"

day Ut the funeral OI ueau christ; We are
celebrating the marriage OF the Kings son.
1t was an exciting time in English his
tory when Queen Elizabeth visited Lord
Leicester ut Kenilworth Castle. The clocks
In all the towers and throughout the castle
were stopped ut the moment OF her arrival.
80 continuing 10 point To that moment aS
the one surprising all Others in interest.
The door of the great banqueting hall was
opened. The queen marched In TO tho
sound OF the trumpcts. Four hun
idreds servants aited upon the guests. lt
was scene that astonished all nations when
they heard Tit. Five thousand dollars u
day did the banquet cost rs IL went OH day
after day. She was greeted To tho palace
gates with floating islands, and torches and
The thunders OF cannon. and fireworks that
set the night ablazc, ana burst OF music
that lifted the whole scene into enchant-
ment Beginning iii that way, il went on
from Joy TO JOY, and from excitement 10
excitement and from rapture to rapture.
That was the great banquet that Lord Lei-
cester spread III Kenilw0rth 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 apprtitcS might be
Keen, and then in the evening hour they
were shown into the banqueunS hall, with
table aglittcr with imperial plate,
and ablush with the very costliest
wines, and the second course of the
feast was made OF food in all shapes, of
men aud birds and beasts, and dancing
groups, and jou>ting parties riding upon
each other with uplifted lances.
But to-day, my brothers and sisters, in
vite you to a grander entertainment. L My
Lord, the King, is the banqueter. Angels
of God are the cupbearers, ali the redeemed
are the guests the halls OF eternal love
frescoed with light, and paved with Joy,
and curtained with unfading beauty are the
banqueting place, the barmonies OF eternity
arc the music, the chalices OF God are the
plate, and am one of tho servants come
out with invitations To all the people, and,
oh, that YOU may break the seal OF the invi-
tatiOn 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, 1 20 OIL and in the
first place say that the Lord Jesus Christ Is
ready. Cardinal Wolsey did not come into
the banquetng ball until the second course
OF tue feast, and when he entered booted
and spurred, all the guests arose aud
cheered him; but l have To tell you that
our banqueter, the Lord Jesus Christ comes
In at the beginning OF the feast. Ay, He has
been waiting for his guests, waiting for
some OF them 1891 years, waiting with man
gled feet, waiting with hand on the pune
tured side, waiting with hand on the lacer-
ated temples, waiting, waiting Wonder 1t
IS that the banQueter did not weary and say !:
Shut the door and let the laggards stay out"
No. he has bsen waiting. How much lie
is in earnest! Shall show you? l gather
up all the tears that flooded bis check in
sympathy, all the blood that ch2nneicd his
brow and back and band and foot, TO pur.
chase our redemption. gather up all the
groans coming from midnight chill and
mountain hunger and desert loneliness, and
i put them into one bitter cry-I gather up
N Il
spike and spear, INTO one groan--I take one
drop OF sweat on his brow, and | put IL
lInder the glass OF the Gospel, and it en-
larges TO lakes OF sorrow, TO oceans OF
agony. That Christ to-day, emaciltcd and
worn and weary, comes here and with a
pathos In which every word is heartbrcal
aud every sentence a martyrdom, he says 10
you and lie says to me: "Come, come, for
all things are now readv."
AhaSuerus made feast that lasted $50
days. This lasts forever. Lords and princes
wore invited to that. You and arc in.
.vited TO this. Yes, lie has been waiting, ho
Is waiting now. Other kings wrap them
selves In robes OF beauty and power before
they come into a banquet. So does Christ.
Oh. he IL the fairest OF the fair. In his hand
Is the omnipotent surgery that opened blind
eyes and Strengthened crooked limbs and
bosted the pillars OF heaven, and swung
tho twelve gates which are twelve pearls.
Oh. what u Chrlst--a Christ of beauty, a
Christ OF power There are not enough
cups on eurth to DIP up this ocean
! of beauty. There are not ladders to
scale these heights OF love.
All! there Is one wort OF five letters that
] would like TO write; but I have no sheet
far enough to write 1t on, and no pencil
good enough to inScribe it. Give me sheet
from the heavenly records, and some pencil
used by angel in describing q victory, and
then, with hand struck by supernatural
energy. and with pencil dipped in cyerlast
ing morning, l will write il out in capitals
| OF love: jesus, JesuSl Ii is this Ono
that Is waiting for you aud for me- for we are
| on the same platform before God. How long
he waited for me How long he has wait
! cd for yonl Waiting as a banqueter waits
for his delayed guests. the meats smoking
and the beakers Drumming. and the minstrel
| with his finger on tho stiff string ready to
| strike at the first clash OF the hOofs at the
gateway. Waiting as a mother waits for
boy that ten years ago went off dragging
| her bleeding heart after him. Waiting. Oh
| can you not give me some comparison in
| tense enough, importunate enough, high
rs heaven, deep rs hell, and vast as eternity
| Not expecting that YOU can help me will
! such COMPARISON, l simply say he il wait.
ding us only an all-sympathetic Christ knows
how to wait for wandering soul.
Bow the knee and kiss the Son,
Come and welcome, sinner, come.
But l remark again, not only Christ I:
waiting. but the Holy Spirit Is waiting
| Why are some sermons a dead failure!
| Why are there songs that do not get thel
! wing under the peopleY Why are there
| players that 90 no higher up than
| hunters hallooy Because there IS MISSING
| link that only the Holy Spirit can make
| IL that Spirit should come through this as.
semblage this morning there would be
| power felt like that when Saul was un.
horsed on the road to Damascus, like a,
when Lydia's heart was broken in her fine
store, like as when three thousand soul
were lifted out OF midnight into milm6ou
at the Pentecost. DO you notice
that sometimes that Spirit take.
AN insignificant agency Il
save a soul? / think it Is very often that nj
Just one passage OF Scripture Just one WORD
OF Scripture, soul is saved because The
Holy Spirit gives IL supernatural power.
| DO you know what IL was that saved Mar
tin Luthery 1t was that one verse: "Tht
| Just shall live by faith" DO you know
what it was that brought Augustine from
his horrible designations? 1t wa. that one
verse: "Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ
and make no provision for the flesh, TO full
I'LL the lusts thereof" DO you know what
it was that saved Hedley Wears, the cele-
brated soldier? It was the one passage
,"Belieye In tie Lord Jesus Christ and thou
shalt be saved" Doyou know what IL was
that brought Jonathan Edwards to Christi
IL was the one passage: Now unto Him