Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-02-08

Rev. DR.. Talmage Discourses on
the Subject of Festivity."
An Entertainments at Which the Lord, the
ling. is Banqueter. ANGELS the Cup
bearers, All The Redeemed Are
the Guests ard the Har-
monies of Eternity
the Music.

AT the Brooklyn tabernacle recently,
DIR. Talmage preached a sermon of re.
markablc power and interest the sub
ject being tFestivity." The text Sc
lected was Luke xiv, II: Come, for
all things are now ready"
1t was one of the most exciting times
in English history when Queen Eliza
beth visited Lord Leicester at kenil-
worth Castle The moment of her ar
rival was considered so importants
that all the clocks of the castle were
/ stopped, so that the hands might point
to that one moment as being the most
significant of all. She was greeted tc
the 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 enchant-
ment Then she was introduced in a
| dining-hall the Injuries Of which as
tonished the world, four hundred SER
wants waited upon the guests; the en-
| tertainment cost five thousand dollars
each day. Lord Leicester made that
great supper in Kenilworth castle.
Cardinal Wolsey entertained the
French amba ssador at Hampton Court
The best cooks in all the land prepared
for the hanquet purveyors went out
and Travelled all the kingdom over 70
find spolls for the table. The time
came. Tie guests We're kept during
the day hunting in the kings park so
that their appetites might be keen; and
then, in the evening, to the sound of
the trumpetcrs they were introduced
into a hail hung with silk and cloth of
gold. and there were ia bles a-glitter
with imperial plate, and laden with
the rarcst of meats, and a-blush with
the costliest of wines; and when the
second course of the feast came, il was
found that the articles Of food had
been fashioned into the shape of men,
birds and beasts, and groups dancing
and jostling parties riding against
each other with lances. Lords, and
princes and ambassadors, ont of cups
filed to the brim. drank the health
first Of the king of England, and next
the king of France. Cardinal Wolsey
prepared the great supper in Hampton
Court
But have to tell you of grander |
entertainme Mt. My Lord, the King, is |
the banqueter Angels are the cup |
bearers. All the redeemed are the
guests. The halls of eternal love. fres- ,
coed with light. and paved with joy, |
and curtained with unfading beauty. /
are the banqueting place. The har.
monies of eternity are in the music. |
The chalices of leaven are the plate:
and | am one of the servants coming |
out with both hands filed with invita-
tons. 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 entertain
ments where was a taking off the
wine gave out, or the servants were re-
beliious, or the light failed but have
gone all around bout this subject and
looked at the redemption which Christ
has provided and come here to tell
You it is complete, and | swing open
the door Of the feast telling you that
'rAll things are now ready"
In the first place, have to announce
that the Lord Jesns Christ himself is
ready Cardinal Wolsey came into the
feast after the first course: he came in
booted and spurred and the guests
arose and cheered him. But Christ
comes in at the very beginning of the
feast: aye, lie has been waiting eigh-
teen hundred and ninety-four years for
his guests He has been standing on
His mangled feet: He has had His sore
hand on His punctured side; or He has
been pressing His lacerated temples
waiting, waiting. 1t 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 so patiently as
Christ has waited for us Top prove how 5
willing lie is to receive us, gather all c
the tears that rolled down His cheeks '
in sympa thy for your sorrows; gath 9
err all the drops of blood that chan q
neled His brow. and His back, and His
hands and feet in trying to purchase 7
your redemption; | gather all the 4
groans that lie uttered in midnight 4
anllA. anu III Ail0uuAiAAA Ai1AAEtIs anu /
desert loneliness, and twist them into e
,ne cry-bitter, agonizing, overwhelm- l
NO. / gather all the pains that shot I
rom spear, and spike. and cross, jolting C
INTO one pang-remorseless. grinding. {
/ take that one drop of :
sweat on His brow, and under the Cos i
Del glass that drop enlarges until / see o
n it lakes of sorrow and oceans of n
lgony. That Being standing before 7
you now, emaciated, and gashed, and l
rory, coaxes for your love with 3
,athos in which every word is a heart {
Freak and every sentence a martyrdom a
low can you think lie tribes. /
Ahasuerus prepared a feast for one f
hundred and eighty days; but this b
east is for all eternity. Lords and $
,rinces were invited to that: you and b
and all our world are invited to this. s.