Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-05-21
A WEDDING INVITATION.
SERMON PREACHED BY Or. TAL-
/ MAGE ON SUNDAY, MAY 10.

Il Was Preceded by the Baptism by tEe
Doctor OF Number Of Infants with
Water Brought from the River Jor-
dan.
BROOKLYN, May l0.-An interesting cere-
mony was performed this morning in the
Brooklyn tabernacle 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 DR.. Talmage
from the river Jordan. The main audito-
rum Of the Tabernacle and the adjoining
rooms were crowded by an audience of
seven thousand persons. The subject of
Dr. Talmage's sermon was Invitation to
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 like the joy of Heaven. Spread the ban
quet, fill all the chalces. We are not to-
day at the funeral of dead Christ; we are
celebrating the marriage of the kings son.
AN EXCITING TIME.
1t was an exciting time in English history
when Queen Elizabeth visited Lord Leices-
ter at Kenilworth castle The clocks in all
the towers and 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. Four hundred
servants waited upon the guests. 1t was a
scene that astonished all nations when
they heard of it. Five thousand 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 thunders of cannon and fireworks that
set the night ablaze, and burst of music
that lifted the whole scene into enchant-
ment. Beginning in that way it went on
from joy to Joy and from excitement to ex-
citement 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 hail.
with table aglitter 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 and birds and
beasts, and dancing groups, and jousting
parties riding upon each other with up
lifted lances. Lords and princes and am
bassadors, their cups cleaning to the brim,
drank first to the health of the king Of
England, and then to the health of the en-
peror of France. That was the banquet
that Cardinal Wolsey spread in Hampton
Court.
A GRANDER ENTERTAINMENT.
But today, my brothers and sisters, l in
vite you to grander entertainment. My
Lord, the king, is the barqueter. 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
curtained with unfading beauty are the
banqueting place, the harmonies of eternity
are the music, the chalices of God are the
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
vitation and 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 disap-
pointments at a banquet. The wine has
given out, or the servants have been rebel
lious, or the lights have failed; but walk
all around the banqueting table of my
Lord today, and | find everything COM
plete, and | swing open the door of this
banqueting house and l 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 Wolsey did not come
into the banaueting 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 of the feast. Ay,
he has been waiting for his guests, waiting
for some of them 1891 years, waiting with
mangled feet, waiting with hand on the
punctured side, waiting with hand on the
lacerated temples, waiting, waitingl
Wonderful 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 earnestl
Shall show you? gather up all the tears
that flooded his cheek in sympathy all the
blood that channeled his brow and back
and hand and foot to purchase our re-
demption. gather up all the groans COM
ing from midnight chill, and mountain
hunger, and desert loneliness, and put
them into one bitter cry. l gather up all
the pangs that shot from cross and spike
and spear into one groan. l 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
today, emaciated and worn and weary,
comes here, and with pathos in which
every word is heartbreak and every SEN
tence martyrdom, he says to you, and he
says to me, "Come, come, for all things are
now ready"
AN EVERLASTING FEAST.
Ahasuerus made feast that lasted 180
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, he is the fairest of the
fair. In his hand is the omnipotent sur
gerry that opened blind eyes and straight
ened crooked limbs and hoisted the pillars
of heaven, and swung the twelve gates
which are twelve pearls Oh, what
Christ-a Christ of beauty, Christ of
power.
There are not enough cups on earth to
dip up this ocean of beauty. There are
not ladders to scale these heights Of love.
Oh, thou flower of eternity, thy breath is
the perfume of heaven. Oh, thou day
break of the soul, let all nations clap their
hands in thy radiance. Chorusl Come
men and angels and cherubim and sera-
phim and archangel, all heights, all depths,
all inornansitinn Chorual Roll On thron oh