Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1894-09-28
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S SUNs
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "HoIy CompulsiOn."

TEX: And compel them to como In. -
Luke xvi, %.
Tho plainest people In our day have luxu-
rtes which the kings and queens OF Olden
times never imnginod I walked up and
down the stairs Of HOivcool prlacc-l pa
lace that was considered one Of the wonders
OF the wOrld--Hnd | said "Can it be posi-
bic that this is all thero was of this reputed
wonderful pIacc2'' And this Is the case In
Westminster County and on Long Island
farms far br tier than the pOmegranates and
RpricOts of Bible times. Through all the
ages there have been scenes Of festivities,
AMI the wealthy man of my text plans
great entertainment AMI invites his friends.
If ono Juiils n beautiful hor he wants his
acqualLtan-vs to come and enjoy 1t. II ono
buys an exquisite picture, he wants his
friends TO come and appreciate IT, and 1t was
Iaudahlo thing when the wealthy man OF my
text, happy himself, wanted to make other
people happy. And so the invitations went
our, but something went very much wrong.
You can Imagine tho embarrassment Of any
one who has provided grand feast when no
nndS out that tho guests invited do not
intend to come. There ts nothing that 80
prOv0kcs the master Of the feast as that.
Well, these people invited to this great
banquet of tho text mndO most frivolous cx-
cuscs. Tho fact was, / suppose, that some
of them were offended that this man had
succeeded SO much better in the world than
thoy bad. There are people in all occupa-
tiOns and professions who consider it a
wrong to them that anybody else IS ad-
vanced. suppose these people invited to
tho feast said among themselves ''We are
not going to administer TO that mans van
ttY He is proud enough now. We won't
go. Besides that we could all give parties
II we madO our money the way that man
makes his"
SO when tho messengers went out with
the Invitations there was a unanimous re-
fusal. Ono man said, ooh, 1 have bought
farm, and | must 80 aud look at II" He
was land speculatOr and had no business
to buy land until he knew about IT. A
frivolous excuse. Another man said, II
have bought five yoke of oxen. Tho
probability is that he was q speculator in
live stock. lie ought to have known about
the oxen boforo he bought them. Besides
that, ii he had been very anxious to get to
the feast, he could have hooked them up
and driven them on the road there. An
other other frivolous excuse; Another man said,
sob, [ have married q wife, and l can't
como" when If he had said to his wife, II
have an invitation to q splendid dinner. 1t
| Is highly complimentary to me. L should
very much like to 20. VIII you go along
with mo7" she would have said, "To be sure,
l will 60" Another frivolous excuse. The
fact was that they did not want to go.
81 will not be defeated in this matter.
havo with an honest purpose provided a
banquet, and thore arc scores fpeoplo who
would like TO como If thoy were only In
vted. Here, my man, hero; you go out,
and when you find q blind man give him
your arm and fetch him in. and when you
find q lame man give him q crutch and fetch
him In, and when you find n poor man tell
him that there IS 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 como In.
Oh, my friends, 1t requires no acutenesS
on my part or on Your part to sec In all this
affair that religion Is banquet. The table
was set IN Palestine q good many years ago,
] and the disciples gathered around it, and
they thought they would have a good time
! all by themselves, but while they sat by this
table the leaves began to grow and spread,
| and one leaf won't to the east and another
leaf went to tho west until the whole earth
! was covered up with them, and the clusters
! from tho heavenly vineyard were piled up
on the board, and tho trumpets and harps OF
! eternity made up the orchestra, and as this
wine of God is pressed to tho lips OF a sim
ming, bleeding, suffering, dying, groantn8
world voice breaks from the heavens, say
ing: Drink. 0 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 tablc! Was
there ever such banquet?