The free press., 1894-09-27
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROCKLYN DIVINES Sun
DAY SERMON.
Subject "Holy Compulsion."

rvs MulcH lub hluES anu HuCtho VI '4NA' "a
times never imagined. / walked up and
down the stairs OF Holyrood palace pa
lace that was considered one OF the wonders
of the world-and / said "Can it be posi-
BILE that this Is all there was OF this reputed
wonderful place?' And this Is the case in
many other instances. There are fruits in
Westchester County and on Long Island
farms far better than the pomegranates and
apricots of Bible times. Through all the
ages there have been scenes OF festivities,
and the wealthy man of my text plans r
great entertainment and invites his friends.
IL one builds beautiful home, he wants lis
acquaintances 10 come.and enjoyit. Ii one
buys an exquisite picture, he wants his
friends to come and appreciate it. and 1t was
laudable thing when the wealthy man oil my
text, happy himself. wanted to make other
people happy. And 50 the invitations went
ont. but something went very much wrong.
You can imagine the embarrassment of any
one who has provided a grand feast when he
finds out that the guests invited do not
intend to come. There is nothing that so
provokes the master OF the feast as that.
Well. these people invited TO this great
banquet OF the text made most frivolous ex-
cuses. The fact was. suppose, that some
OF them were offended that this man had
succeeded so much better in the world than
they had. There are people in all occupa-
tions and professions who consider 1t
WEOuS 10 them IUdt dHybOIN SlSe 10 t"-
vanced. l suppose these people invited to
the feast said among themselves "We are
not going to admn ister 10 that mans van
ify. He is proud enough now. We won't
go. Besides that we could all give parties
II we made our money the way that man
makes his
So when the messengers went out with
the invitations there was unanimous re-
fusal. One man said ooh. | have bought
farm and | and look at If He
was a land speculator and had no business
TO buy land until he knew about If. A
frivolous excuse. Another mai said. Il
have bought five yoke of oxen" The
probability is that he was speculator in
live stock. He ought to have known about
the oxen before he bought them. Besides
that, If he had been very anxious 20 get to
the feast, he could have hooked them up
and driven them on the road there. An
other frivolous excuse. Another man said,
"Oh, l have married a wife, and | can't
come, when if he had said to his wife, Il
have an invitation to a splendid dinner. 1t
Is highly complimentary to me. L should
very much like to go. Will you go along
with me?" she would have said, "To be sure,
! will 60" Another frivolous excuse. The
fact was that they did not want to 90.
Now" said the great man of the feast,
II will not be defeated in this matter. l
have with an honest purpose provided
banquet, and there are scores of people who
would like to come if they were only in
vited. Here my man, here you 90 out,
and when you find blind man give him
your arm and fetch him in. and when you
find lame man give him a crutch and fetch
him in, and when you find poor man tell
him that there is a plate for him in my man
sion, and when you find some one who is so
ragged and wretched that he has never been
invited anywhere then by the kindest ten
derness and the most loving invitation any
one ever had compel him to come in"
Oh, my friends, it requires no acuteness
on my part or on your part to see in all this
affair that religion is banquet. The table
was set in Palestine good many years ago,
and the disciples gathered around it. and
they thought they would have good time
all by themselves, but while they sat by this
table the leaves began to grow and spread.
and one leaf went TO the east and another
leaf went to the west until the whole earth
was covered up with them. and the clusters
from the heavenly vineyard were plei up
on the board, and the trumpets aud harps of
eternity made up the orchestra, and as this
wine OF God is pressed to the lips OF Il sin
ming, bleeding, suffering, dying, grooming
world voice breaks from the heavens. say
Ing "Drink. o friends. Yea, drink o be-
loved" " o blessed Lord Jesus, the best
friend ever had, the best friend any man
ever had, was there ever such table? Was
there ever such banquet?
From the uplifted high,
Where TIL Saviour deigns 10 die,
What melo iipus sounds hear
Bursting on tn ravished ear,
Heavens redeeming work is done,
Come, and welcome, sinner, come
Religion is joyous thing. l do not want
to hear anybody talk about religion as
though it were a funeral. | do not want any
body to whine in the prayer meeting about
the kingdom of God. l do not want any
man to roll up his eyes. giving in that way
evidence of his sancity. The men an
women of God whom happen to know tor
the most part find religion a great Joy 1t is
exhilaration to the body. 1t is invicoration
to the mind. 1t is rapture to the soul |,
Is balm for all wounds. 1t is light for all
darkness. 1t is harbor from all storms. an |
though God knows that some o. them have
trouble enough now they rejoice because
they are on their way to the congratulations
eternal
Oh, the Lord God has many fair and beau
tiful daughters. but the fairest OF them all *
she whose ways are pleasantness AMI whose
paths are peace. Now, my brothers ani
sisters-ior have a rgnt to call you all 50
Il know some people look back on their an
cestral line, and they see they are descan lr [
from the Puritans or Huguenots. and they
rejoice in that. but l look back on my an
cestral line. and see therein such a m ny
ling and mixture of the blood OF all nation1!i-
ties that feel akin to all the worlj. and by
the blood OF the Son Of Col. who diel for
all people, address you in the bonds OF uni
versal brotherhood.
/ come out as only a servant tringing an
Invitation to party, and put it into your
hand, saying. "Come. for all things are now
ready" and I urge it upon You and continue
to urge it, and before l get through | hope,
by the blessing OF God, TO compel you 10
come in.
We must take care how we give the invita-
ton. My Christian friends, / think some
times We have just gone opposite TO Christi
command, and we have compelled people tc
stay out. Sometimes our Ella )orated inslru :
tions have been the hindranee. We EraIG-
ate from our theological seminaries on stills,
and 1t takes five or six years before we can
come down and stand right beside the great
masses OF the people, learning their joys,
sorrows, victories, defeats.
We get our heads so brmfu OF Theological
wisdom that we have 10 stand very straight
lest they spill over. Now what do the great
masses OF the people care about the tech
nicalities OF religion? What DO they care
about the hypostatic union or the difference
between sublapsarian and supralapsarian?
What do they care for your pro ouni ex.
v1la at nlaur 20 "a I