The Forrest City times., 1891-05-15
TABERNACLE PULPIT.
DR. TALMAOE PREACHING TO
 SEVEN THOUSAND PEOPLE.
After Baptixing Infants with Water from the Jordan, He Discourses on the Subject, "Inviiation
 to . Wedding"

sheaves into toe spiritual garner. Our joy Is like the joy of heaven. Spread the ban quet fll all the chalces. We arc not to- day at the funeral of dead Christ; we are celebrating the marriage of the Kings son.
 It was an exciting timo in English his- tory when Queen EiizaDeth visited Lord Leicester at Wentworth Castle. The clocks in ail the towers and throughout the castle were stopped at the moment of her arrival so continuing to polnt to that moment as tho one surpassing all others in interest The door s 1i the great banqaeting hall was wal sound of the trumpets. Four hum dred servants aited upon the guests. It was scene that astonished all nations when they heard of 1t. Five thousand dollars n day did the banquet cost as 1t went on day after day. She was greeted to the palace gates with floating islauds, 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 Tn that way, 1t went on from joy to joy, and from excitement to excitement, and from rapture to rapture. That was the great banquet that Lord Lel- cester spread in Wentworth Castle,
 Cardinal Wolsey entertained the French ambassadors in Hampton Court. The best cooks of all the land provided for tho 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 aRIitter with imperial plate, 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 uplifted lances.
 But to-day. my brothers and sisters, in- vite you to grander entertainment. My Ar1t la tIn 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 ading. 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 may break the seal of the invi- tation and read in ink ot blood. and with the tremulous hand of dying Christ: "Come, come for nlt things are now ready"
 Illustrating my text 1 go on aud in the first place say that the Lord Jesus Christ Is ready. Cardinal Wolsey did not come into shc banqueting hall until the second course of the feast, and when he entered booted and spurred, all the guests arose and cheered hlm; 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 man. gled feet waiting with hand on the punc- tured side, waiting with hand on the lacer- ated temples, waiting. watingl Wonder 1t is that the banqueter did not weary and say Shut the door and let the laggards stay out"
 No. he has been waiting. How much he is in earnest! Shall show you9 I 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 pur. rl mi r.sh hpp mi | ont thar un th gronns coming from midnight chill and moIntain hunger and desert loneliness, and 1 put them into one bitter cry--I gather up all the bangs that shot from cross and spike and spear into one groan--l take one drop of sweat on hls brow, and l put 1t under the glass of the Gospel, and 1t en- larges to lakes of sorrow, to oceans of agony. That Christ to-day. emaciated and worn and weary, comes here. and with Il pathos in which every word Is Il heartbrenk and every sentence mar,yrdom, he says to you ant he says to me: Come. come. for all things are now ready"
 Ahasuerus made a feast that lasted ls0 days. This lasts forever. Lords and princes were invited to that. You md 1 are in. yited to this. Yes he has been waiting, he 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 is the faire>t of the fair In his hand is tho omnpoteut 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-s Christ of beauty, q Christ of power. There are not enough cups on earth to dlp up this ocean of beauty. There are not ladders to scale these heights of love.
 An! there Is one word of five letters that would like 10 write; but have no sheet far 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 tn describing . victory, and then, with hand struck by supernatural energy. md with pencil dipped in everlast- ing morning. l will write 1t out in capitals of love: JESUS. Jesusl It is this Ono that Is waiting for you and for me for we are on the same platform before God. How long he waited for me How long he has walt ed for you! Waiting as banqucter waite for his delayed guests. the meats smoking. and the beaSers brimming, and the mipstrel with his finger on tue stiff string ready to strike at fhe first clash of the hoofs at the gateway. Waiting as mother waits for a boy that ten years ago went of dragging her bleeding heart after him. Waiting. Oh. can you not give me some comparison n- tense enough, importunate enough, high as heaven, deep as hell, and vast as eternity? Not expecting that you can help me with suNu CoIlpdffsoU, | siulply say He IS Nalt- ing as only an ail-sy ympathetic Christ knows how to wait for Il wandering soul.
 Bow the knee and kls~ the Son,
 Come and welcome sinner, come.
 But I remark again, not only Christ fs waiting, but the Holy spIr,t ia waiting Why are some sermons dead failurey Why are there songs that do not get thetr wing under the peopley Why arc there players that go no higher up than n hunters hllooy Beeau>e there IS missing link that only the Holy Spirit can make If that Spirit should come through this as- semblagc this morning, there would be . power felt like that when Saul was un- horsed on tho road to Dana. GUS, like as when Lydias heart was broken in her fine store, like as when three thousand souls were lifted out of midnight into milmoon M the Pentecost. Do you notice that sometimes that Spirit takes an insignificant agency to save soul? I think it Is very often that at Iu,t ono passage ot scripture. just one word of scripture, N soul is saved because the Holy spirit gives 1t supernatural power. Do you know what it was that saved Mar tin Luthery It was that one verse. "The just shall live by faith.v Do you know what it was that brought Augustine from his horrible dlssipationsy IL was that oue verse: Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for ihe flesh, to ful- fill tho lusts thereof.' Do you know what 1t was that saved uedley Wears, tho cele- brsted soldiers It WAS the one passage: "Beheve in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" Doyou know what it was that brought Jonathan Edwards 10 Christ, It was the one passage: Now unto Hun be glory forever and ever"
 One Thanksgiving morning in church read my text, 70. give thanks unto the Lord. for he n good" and young man stood in the gallery and said to himself, "I have never rendered one acceptable offering of gratitude to God in all my life. Here. Lord. am thine forever" By that one nussage of Scriniure hc was Lrau..ht ini Q