The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-09-21
TABERNACLE PULPIT.
"HOLY CONFUSION" AS A SER
MON TEXT.
DR.. Tainage Relates Some CT His Ter
sonal Experiences-Lights and Shadows
of a Christians Life-Luxuries OF the
Plain People Of To-Day.

BROOKLYN. Sept. 16.-Rev. DR.. Tai
mage, who is still absent on his round
the-world tour. has selected for his
sermon through the press for to-day:
Holy Compulsion." the text being
LIKE IL 20: And compel them to
come in"
The plainest people in our day have
luxuries which the kings and queens
OF olden times never imagined. l
walked up and down the stairs of
holyrood %palace-a palace that was
considered one of the wonders of the
woodland / said, Can it be possible
that this is all there was of this re-
puted 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 beer scenes of fes-
tivity, and the wealthy man of my
text plans a great entertainment, and
invites his friends. If one builds a
a beautiful home, he wants his &C.
quaintances to come and enjoy it. If
one buys an exquisite picture. he
wants his friends to come and appre-
ciate it; and it was a laudable thing
when the wealthy man of my text,
happy himself. wanted to make other
people happy. And SO the invitations
vent out; but something went very
much wrong. You can imagine the
EN- barrassment of any one who has
provided a grand feast when he finds
out that the guests invited do not in
tend 10 come. There is nothing that
so provokes the master of the feast
as that.
Well, these people invited to this
great banquet of the tex made most
frivolous u The fact was, |
suppose, that some of them were Of
Tended 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 it
a wrong to them that any body else is
advanced. l suppose these people in
vited to the feast said among them
selves. "We are not going to admins
ter to that mans vanity, he is proud
enough now; we won't go; beside
that, we could all give parties if we
made our money the way hat man
makes his"
So when the messengers went out
with the invitations there wa a unani-
nous refusal. One man said, 'Oh, 1
have bought a farm, and 1 mustgo and
look at it," He was a land Spectator,
and had no business to buy land until
he knew about it. A frivolous ex-
cuse. Another man said, 81 have
bought five yoke of oxen" The prob
ability is he was a Spectator in live
stock. He ought to have known about
the oxen before he bought them. Be.
side that, if 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 ex-
cuse. Another man said. 'Oh. I have
married a wife, and 1 can't Gomez
when if he had said to his wife, Il
have an invitation to a splendid din
ner; it is highly complimentary to me:
/ should very much like to go; will
you go along with me?" she would
lave said, ITO be sure / will GO"
another frivolous excuse. The fact
was that they did not want to GO.
Now" said the great man of the
feast, Il will not be defeated in this
matter; l have with an honest pur-
pose provided a banquet, and there
are scores of people who would like to
come if they were only invited. Here,
my man, here, you go out, and when
you find a blind man, give him your arm
and fetch him in; and when you find
a lame man, give him a crutch and
fetch him in; and when you find a
poor man, tell him that there is a
plate for him in my mansion; and
when you find some one who is so
ragged and wretched that he has
never been invited anywhere, then. by
by the kindest tenderness and the
most loving invitation any one ever
had, compel him to come in"
Oh, my friends, it requires no acute
hSSo oh my PaAo, VI jill youi Pdie. "
see in all this affair that religion is a
banquet The table was set in Pales-
tine a 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 the 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 Gov
cred up with them, and the clusters
from the heavenly vineyard were
piled up on the board, and the trum
pets and harps of eternity made up
the orchestra, and as this wine of God
is pressed to the lips of a SHINING,
bleeding. suffering, dying, groaning
world, a voice breaks from the
heavens. saying, Drink, o friends;
yea. drink, o beloved" 0 blessed
Lord Jesus, the best friend l ever had,
the best friend any man ever had.
was there ever such a table? Was
there ever such a ban quet?
From the cross uplifted high,
Where the Saviour designs to die,
What m%elodious sounds-I hear
Bursting on the ravished ear!
Heavens redeeming work is done,
Gene, and welcome; sinner, come.
Religion is a joyous thing. l do not