The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-09-20
POWER OF. RELIGIOUS LIFE.
HOLY C0MPULSI0N.
DR.. Talmase Says More Men Are Saved
by Example Than by Argument.

rhe plainest people In our day have luxu
rles which tho kings and queens OF olden
times never imagined I walked up and
down the stairs OF Hoyroo1 palace pa
lace that was considered one OF the wonders
OF the world-and said "Can IL be posi-
Die that this is all there was OF this reputed
wonderful placei 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
aprlcots oil Bible times. Through all the
ages there have been scenes OF festivities,
ani the wealthy man OF my text plans
great entertainment and invites his friends.
~ one builds beautiful home, he wants his
acquaintances TO come and enjoyit II. II ono
buys an exquisite picture hs wants his
friends to come and appreciate II, and it was
iaudabie thing when the wealthy man of my
text, happy himself. wanted to make other
people happy. And so tho invitations went
out, but something went very much wrong.
lou can Imagine the embarrassment OF any
one who has provided n grand feast when he
hnds out that the guests invited do not
intend TO come. There is nothing that so
Provokes the master OF the feast rs that
"ell' these people invited 10 this great
banquet OF the text made most frivolous ex-
cuses. The fact was. suppose. that some
oil them were offended that this man had
succeeded so much better in the world than
they had. There are people in all occupa.
dons and professions who consider IL n
wrong to them that anybody else is nd.
Nanced. / suppose these people invited 60
the feast said among themselves 1--WE are
not going to administer 10 that tnan's van.
Hy' lie Is proud enough now. We won't
go. Besides that we could all give parties
u we made our money the way that man
makes his"
80 wnen the messengers went out with
the invitations there was unanimous re-
fusal. One man said, ooh, 7 have bought n
nj \ ..l Is.I A.
was land Spectator and had no business
10 buy land until he knew about IT,
frivolous excuse. Another man said "I
have bought five yoke OF oxen" The
probability Is that he was specuator in
live stock. He ought to have known about
the oxen before he bought them. Besides
that, II he had been very anxious 20 get TO
tho feast he could have hooked them up
and driven them on the road there. An
other frivolous excuse. Another man said,
"Oh, | have married wife, and can't
come" when II he had said TO his wife, II
nave an invitation TO splendid dinner. II
is highly complimentary TO me. | should
very much like to go. VIII you go along
with meg' she would have said, "To be sure,
will CO. Another frivolous excuse. Tho
fact was that they did not want to go.
Now, said the great man OF the feast,
II VIII not be defeated in this matter. |
nave with an honest purpose provided
banquet, and there are scores of people who
would like 20 come IL they wers only in
vlted. Here. my man, here you go out,
and when you find blind man give him
your arm and fetch him In. and when you
ma lame man give him crutch and fetch
MIN In, and when you find "a 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 kndest ten
derness and the most loving invitation any
one ever had compel him TO come in"
Oh, my friends, 1t requires no acuteness
on my part or on your part to see In all this
affair that religion Is a banquet. The table
was set In Palestine o. good many ysars ago,
and the disciples gathered around II, and
they thought they would have good time
all by themselves. but while they sat by this
table tho leaves b-gaa to grow and spread,
and one leaf went to the east and another
leat went to the west until the whole earth
was covered up with them, and the clusters
from the heavenly vineyard were piled up
on the board, and the trumpets and harps OF
eternity made up the orchestra. and as this
wine OF God is pressed TO the lips OF sim
ming, bleeding, suffering, dying, groaning
world voice breaks from the heavens. say.
ing: Drink, friends. Yea, drink, Q be.
loved !" blessed Lord Jesus, the best
friend / ever had, the best friend anv man
ever had, was there ever such table? Was
there ever such banquet?
From the cross upiifted high
Where tn saviour dcgns 10 die,
What meloii us sounds hear
Bursting on tn" ravshed ear
Heavens redeeming work Is done,
Com, and welcome, sinner, come
Religion is joyous thing do not want
to hear anybody talk about religion as
though II were funeral. | do not want any.
body to whine in the prayer meeting about
the kingdom Of God. I do not want any
man to roll up his eyes, giving in that way
evidence OF HIS sanc.ity The men and
women Of God whom happen TO know TOR
the most part find religion n great Joy. II Is
exhilaration to the body. II is invgoration
10 the mind. II is rapture TO the soul. 1t
Is balm for all wounds. IL Is light for all
darkness. II II harbor from all storms. and
though God knows that some OF them have
trouble enough now, they rejoice because
they are on their way to the congratulations
eternal.
oh, the Lord God has many fair and beau.
titnl daughters, but the fairest of them all is
she whose ways are pleasantness and whose
paths are peace. Now, my brothers and
si,ters-ior l have n right to call you all so
i know some people look back on their an.
ces,ral line, ..a1 they see they are descended
from the Purltans or Huguenots and they
rejoice in that. but look back on my an.
cestral line, and see therein such ming
ling and mixture OF the blood OF all nationals.
ties that | feel akin to all the world, and by
the blood OF the Son OF God, who died for
all people, I address you in the bonds OF uni
Versal brotherhood.
come out as only servant bringing an
invitation TO party, and put II into your
hand, saying. "Come, for all things are now
ready and urge 1t upon you and continue
to urge 1t, and before get through | hope,
by the blessing OF God, to compel you to
come in.
We must take care how we give the invita-
tion. My Christian friends, / think some.
times we have just gone opposite TO Chrlst's
command, and we haye compelled people TO
stay out. Sometimes our elaborated instruc-
tions have been the hindrance. We gradu.
ate from our theological seminaries on stilts,
and II takes five or six years before we can
come down and stand right beside the great
masses OF the people, learning their joys
sorrows, victories. defeats.
We get our heads so brimful OF theological
wisdom that We have TO stand very straight
lest they spill over. Now, what do the great
masses OF the people care about the tech.
nicalities OF religion? What do they caro-