Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-02-01
AT THE TABERNACLE.
REV. DR.. TALMAGE breaches A SER
MON OF REMARKABLE POWER,

Earnest Peroration.
BROOKLYN, Jan. 2s.--The usual large au-
diencc assembled in the Tabernacle today
and listened to sermon of remarkable
power and interest by Rev. DR.. Talmage,
the subject being "Festivity.' The text
selected was Luke xiv, II, Come, for all
things are now ready"
1t was one of the most exciting times in
English history when Queen Elizabeth Wis
tied Lord Leicester at kcnilworth castle
The moment of her arrival was considered
so important that all the clocks of the castle
were stopped, so that the hands might point
to that one moment as being the most sig
nifCant of all She was greeted to the gate
with floating islands and torches and the
thunder of cannon and fireworks that set
the night ablaze and great burst of mu-
sic that lifted the whole scene into perfect
enchantment. Then she was introduced in
dining hail. the Injuries of which aston.
lshed the world Four hundred servants
waited upon the guests. The entertainment
rost 5000 each day. Lord Leicester made
that great supper in Kenilworth castle
Cardinal Wolsev entertained the French
| ambassadors at Hampton court The best
cooks in all the land prepared for the ban
| quet. Purvcyors went ont and travelled all
the kingdom over to find spoils for the ia.
BILE. The time came. The guests were
kept during the day hunting in the kings
| park, so that Therapeutics might be keen,
and then in the evening, to the sound of
| the trumpeters, they were introduced into
n hall hung with silk and cloth of gold
and there were tables aglitter with impe-
rial plate and laden with the rarest Of
meats and ablush with the costliest wines.
| And when the second course of the feast
| came it was found that he articles of food
| had been fashioned into the shape of men.
! birds and beasts, and groups dancing and
| lousting parties riding against each other
with lances. Lords and princes and en-
! baSsadOrs out of cups filed to the brim
drank the health first of the king of Eng
| land and next of the king Of France. Car
dinal Wolsey prepared that great supper in
| Hampton court
A DIVINE BANQUET.
But ! have to tell you of a grandrr enter
tainment. My Lord the King is the ban
| queter Angels are the cupbearers. All
the redeemed are the guests. The halls Of
eternal love- frcscocd with light and paved
with joy and curtained with unfadng
beauty, are the bauquetng place. The
| harmOuies Of eternity are the muSic The
! chalices of heaven are the plate and | am
one Of the servants coming out with both
hands filled with invitations, scattering
them everywhere and Oh, that for your
| selves you might break the seal of the in
vitation and read the words written in red
ink of blood by the tremulous hand of "A
| dying Christ, Come now, for all things
are ready"
There have been grand entertainments
where was a taking of-the wine gave out
or the servants were rebellious, or the light
| failed, but ! have gone all around about
! this subject and looked at the redemption
which Christ ha, provided. and | come here
to tell you it is complete and swing open
! the door of the feast, telling you that "all
| things are now ready
In the frs place have to announce that
| the Lord Jesus Christ himself is ready
| Cardinal Wol,ey came into the feast after
| the first course. He came in booted and
! spurred, and the guests arose and cheered
| him. But Christ comes in at the very be
/ ginning OF the feast-aye, he has been wait
! ing |, S94 years for his guests. He has been
standing on his mangled feet. He has had
his sore hand on his punctured side, or he
has been pressing his lacerated temples
waiting, waiting
1t is wonderful that he has not been i'm
| patient, and that he has not said shut he
door, and let the laggard stay out but he
| has been waiting. No banQueter ever wait
ed for his guests so patiently as Christ has
waited for Us. 70 prove how willing he is
| to receive us. | gather all the Tears that
rolled down his cheeks in svmpatbv for
YOUR sorrows. | gather all the drops of
/ blood that channeled his brow, and his
back, and his hands and feet. in trying to
| purchase your redernution. | gather all the
groans that he uttered in midnight chill.
and in mountain hunger and in desert
Loneliness. and twist them into one cry
| bitter agonizinp. Overwhelming.
gather all the pains that shot from
spear and spike and cross joting into one
panS-remor-cless, grinding, eXcrdciuting
take that one drop of sweat on his brow,
and under the gospel glass that drop en-
larges until | see in it lakes of sorrow and
an ocean Of agony That being standing
before you now, emaciated and gashed aud
CORY coaXes for your love with pathos in
which every word is heartbreak and ev-
cry sentence a martyrdom. How can You
think he trifle.9