Democratic messenger., 1894-09-22

i-e Drprecates Overmuch HatrspiittlnE
Theoiogy-A Good Man. n Good Woman,
the Best Arguments In Behalf Of Chris
tianity The Power Of Prayer.
BROOKLYN, Sept. 10 Rev. DR.. Tai
mage, who is still absent OH his round
the world tour. has selected rs the sub.
ject of his sermon through the press for
today Holy Compulsion. the text
being Luke xiv. :3. And compel them
to come in.
The plaincst people in our day have
luxuries which the kings and queens of
olden times never imagined. walked
up and down the stairs of Holyrood pal
ace--a palace that was considered ono
of the wonders OF the world-and
said. Can it be possible that this is all
there Was of this rcputed wonderful
placer And this is tho case in many
other instances. There are fruits in
Westchester county and OH Long Island
farms far better than the pomegranates
and apricots Of Bible times. Through
all tho ages there have been scenes Of
festivity. and the wealthy man Of my
text plans a great entertainment and
invites his friends If one builds beau
tiful home, he wants his acquaintance
TO come and enjoy il. II one buys an
exquisite picture, he wants his friends
to come and appreciate it. and it was n
laudable thing when the wealthy man
Of my text. happy himself. wanted to
make other people happy. And so the
invitations went ont, but something
went very much wrong You can i'm
agine the embarrassment of any ono
who has provided 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 excuses. The fact was. sup
pose. 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 occupations and
professions who consider it wrong to
them that anybody else is advanced. i
suppose these people invited to the feast
said among themselves: I'VE are not
going to administer to that mans van
ity. He is proud enough now. We
won't 90. Besides that we could all give
parties if we made our money the way
chat man makes his.
So when the messengers went out
with the invitations there was n unan-
imous refusal. One man said. "Oh, !
have bought farm, and must go and
look at it, He was land spcculator
and had no business to buy land until
he knew about il. A frivolous excuse
Another man said. II have bought five
yoke of oxen The probability is that
he was u speculator in live stock. He
ought to have known about the oxen
before he bought them. Besides that. il
he had been very anxious to get to the
feast. he could have hooked them up and
driven them on the road there. Another
frivolous excuse. Another man said,
"Oh, have married wife, and can't
come" when if he had said TO his wife.
II have IN invitation to splendid din
ner. 1t is highly complimentary to me.
! should very much like to go. Will You
go along with me?" she would have
said, ITO be sure. will 60" Another
frivolous excuse The fact was that they
did not want to 20.
Bring In the Lowiy.
Now" said the great man Of tho
feast, ~ will not be defeated i'll this
matter. have with an honest purpose
provided banquet. and there are scores
of people who would like to come if
they were only invited. Here. my man,
here; you go ont, and when you find a
blind man give him your arm and fetch
him in, and when you find lame man
give him crutch and fetch him in. and
when you find poor man tell him that
there is plate for him i'll my mansion.
and when you find some one who is SO
ragged and wretched that he has never
been invited anywhere then by the kind
est tenderness and the most loving in
vitation any one ever had compel him
to come in
Oh. my friends. it requires no acute
ness on my part or on your part to see
in all this affair that religion is ban
quet. The table was set in Palestine n
good many years ago. and the disciples
gathered around it. and they thought
they would have q 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 heaven
~ vineyard were piled up on the board.
and the trumpets and harps of eternity
made up the orchestra. and rs this wine
of God is pressed to the lips of a sin
ming. bleeding, suffering. dying. groan
ing world voice breaks from the heav-
ems, saying: Drink, o friends. Yea.
drink, o belovcd.' 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 cross uplifted high,
Where the Saviour deGns to die.
What mclodious sounds hear
Bursting on the ravshed ear.
Heavens redecming work Is done.
Come. and welcome. sinner. come.
Religion is u joyous thing. | do not
want to hear anybody talk about reli
gion as though it Were - funeral. do
not want anybody to whine i'll The pray
er meeting about the kingdom Of God
l do not want any man to roll up his
eyes, giving In that way evidence of
his sanctity. The men and women Of
God whom happen to know for the
most part f,m.l religion a great joy. It
is cxhilaration To the body. Ii is invig-
Grafton to the mind. IL isr.pture to the
soul IL is balm for all wounds. 1t is
light for ali darkness. II is harbor from
all storms, and though God knows that
some of then: have trouble enough low,
Peculiar to Itself.