The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-02-14
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIvINE'S sun
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "Festivity."

seady. Luke xiv, Il.
1t was one OF the most exciting times in
English history wheh Queen Elizabeth visited
Lord Leicester at kenilworth Castle. The
moment OF her arrival was considered Soim-
portant that all the clocks of the castle were
stopped, so that the hands might point to
that one moment Us being the most signif-
cant of all. She was greetedtothe gate With
floating islands and torches. and the thunder
of cannon. and fireworks that set the night
ablaze, and great burst OF music that lifted
the whole scene into perfect enchantment.
Then she was introduced in dining hall the
luxuries Of which astonishedthe world. Four
hundred servants waited upon the guests.
The entertainment cost $4,000 each day. Lord
Leicester made that great supper in Kenil.
worth Castle.
Cardinal Wolsey entertained the French
ambassadors at Hampton Court. The best
cooks in all the land prepared for the ban
quet. Purreyors went out and travelled all
the kingdom over to find spoils for the table.
The time came. The guests were kept dur.
ing the day hunting in the Kings park sc
that their appetites might be keen, and then
in the evening. to the sound of the trumpet
ers, they were introduced into hall hung
with silk and cloth Of gold, and there wore
tables a-glitter with imperial 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 the arti-
cles of food had been fashioned into the
shape OF men. birds aud beasts, and groups
dancing. and jousting parties riding against
each other with lances. Lords and princes
and ambassadors, out OF cups filed to the
brim. drank the health first Of the King OF
England ard next Of the King OF France
Cardinal Wolsey prepared that great supper
In Hampton Court.
But Ihaye to tell you of grander enter
tainmen.. My Lord, the King Is the ban
queter. Angels are the cupbearers. All the
redeemed are the guests. The halls Of eternal
love. frescoed with light and paved With Joy
and Contained with unfading beauty, are the
banquetfng place. The hsrmonies of eter-
nifty are the music. The chalices Of heaven
are the plates, and am one OF the servants
coming out with both hands filed with invt-
tations, scattering them everywhere, and,
oh. that for yourselves you might break the
seal of the invitation and read the words
written In red ink OF blood by the tremulous
hand Of dying Christ, "Come now, for all
things are ready"
There have been grand entertainments
where was taking off-the wine gave out,
or the servants were rebellious, or the light
failed. But have gone sill around about
this subject and looked at the redemption
which Christ has provided, and I come here
to tell you It is complete, and I swing open
the door OF the feast, telling you that "au
things are now ready"
In the first place, have to announce that
the Lord Jesus Christ Himself Is ready. Car
dinal Wolsey came into the feast after the
first course. He came In booted and spurred,
and tho gues.s arose and cheered him. But
Christ comes In at the very beginning OF the
feast-aye, He has been waiting 1894 years
for His guests. he has been standing on His
mangied feet, He has had His sore hand on
His punctured side. or he has been pressing
His lacerated temples waiting, waiting. It
Is wonderful that He has not been impatient
and that He has not said, "Shut the door
and let the laggard stay out" but he has
been waiting.
No banqueter ever waited for his guests 50
patiently as Christ has waited for us. To
prove how willing He Is to receive US. I
gather all the tears that rolled down His
cheeks In sympathy 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 redemption
/ 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, agonizing, overwhelming.
gather all the pains that shot from spear
and spike and cross, jolting into one pang-
remorseless, grinding, excruciating. I take
that one drop OF sweat on His brow, and un-
derth gospel glass that drop enlarges until
] see in II lakes OF sorrow and an ocean OF
agony. That being standing before you now,
emaciated and gashed and CORY, coaxes for
your love with pathos In which every word
Is a heart break and every sentence a mar
tyrdom. How can you think He trihss?
Ahasuerus prepared feast for $50 days,
but this feast is for all eternity. Lords and
princes were invited to that. You and and
all our world are invited to this. Christ Is
ready. You know that the banqueters of
0lden time used to wrap themselves in robes
prepared for the occasion. so my Lord Jesus
hath wrapped Himselfin all that is beautiful.
See how fair He is His eye, His brow, His
cheek, so radiant that the stars have no
brilliancy compared with It, His face reflect
ing all the joys OF the redeemed, His hand
having the onnirot otent surgery with which
He opened blind eyes and Strengthened
crooked limbs, and hoisted the pillars Of
heaven and swung the twelve gates, which
are the twelve pearls. .'.
There ars not enough cups in heaven to
dip up this ocean of beauty. There are not
ladders enough TO scale this height Of love.
There are not enough cymbals to clap. or
harps 70 thrum, or trumpets to peal forth
the praises Of this one altogether fair. Oh,
thou flower Of eternity. thy breath is the
perfume Of heaven. oh, bissful daybreak,
: let all people clap their hands In thy radi-
ance!' Chorus Come, men and saints and
cherubim and seraphim and archangel-all
heights, all depths, all immensities. Chorus !;
Roll Him through the heavens in chariot of
universal acclaim, over bridges Of hosannas,
under arches Of coronation, along by rhe
great towers Ginning with eternal jubilee.
- 1>nAk L.,
washed us from our sins in His own blood, to
Him be glory, world without end?"
1 have word Of five letters, but no sheet
white enough on which to write It and no
pen good enough with which to inscribe it.
Give me the fairest leaf from the heavenly
records-give me the pencil with which the
angel records his vctory-and then, with my
hand strung to supernatural ecstasy and my
pen dipped in the light OF the morning,
will write it out in capitals of love,
'!J-E-S-C-S." It Is this one, infinitely fair,
to whom you are invited. Christ is waiting
for you, waiting as banqueter waits for
the delayed guest the meats smoking, the
beakers brimming, the minstrels with
fingers on the stifr string, waiting for the
clash OF the hoofs at the gateway.
Waiting for you as a mother waits for her
son who went off ten years ago, dragging
her bleeding heart along with him. Waiting !!
Oh, give me comparison intense enough.
hot enough, importunate enough to express
my notwithstanding high as heaven and
deep as hel! and long as eternity! Not hop
ins that You can help me with such COM
psrison, will say. HE is waiting as only
the sill sympathetic Christ can wait for the
coming back Of lost SOUL"
Bow the knee and kiss the Son,
Come and welcome, sinner, come.
again, the Holy Spirit is ready. Why is 1,
that so many sermons drop dead-that Chris
t;an songs do not get their wing under the
people-that so often prayer goes no higher
than hunters "hollo?" 1t is because there
is a link wanting-the work of the Holy