The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-09-19

the world tour. has selected as the sub
jet Of his sermon through the press for
today Holy Compulsion." the text being
Luke xiv, %, And compel them to come
in"
The plainest people in our day have
luxuries which the kings and queens of
olden times never imagined. 1 walked up
and down the stairs Of Holyrood palace
a palace that was considered one Of the
wonders of the world-and 1 said, can il
be possible that this is al there was of
this repu.ed wonderful placer 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 al the ages there have been
scenes Of festivity and the wealthy man
of my text plans great entertainment
and invites his friends. IL one builds
beautiful home he wants his acquaint-
ances to come and enjoy It. If one buys
an exquisite picture, he wants his friends
10 come and appreciate IL, and II was a
laudable thing when the wealthy man of
my text. happy himself. wanted
70 make other people happy
And 50 the invitations went
out. but something went very much
ment of any one who has provided
grand feast when he finds out that the
guests invited do not intend 10 come.
There is nothing that 50 provOkes the
master OF the feast as that.
Frivolous Excuses.
Well. these people invited to this great
banquet Of the text made most frivolous
excuses. The fact was. 1 suppose. that
some of them were offended that this
man had succeeded 50 much better in
the world than they had. There are peo-
80 cs-f11 ne
who consider IT a wrong 10 them that
anybody else : advanced. l suppose
these people invited 10 the feast said
among themselves: We are not gOiHS
to administer 10 that mans vanity He
is proud enough now. We won't go.
Besides that We could all give parties if
made our money the way that man
makes his"
So. when the messengers went out with
the invitations there was a unanimous
refusal. one man said, "Oh, 1 have
bought a farm, and / must go and look
at it, He was a land Spectator and had
no business TO buy land until he knew
about it. At frivolous excuse. Another
man said. Il have bought FIVE yoke Of
oxen The probability IS he was a
Spectator 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
Gus excuse. Another man said, 'Oh, 1
have married a wife. and 1 cant come
when if ne had said to his wife: Il have
an invitation to a splendid dinner. 1t is
highly complimentary 10 me. / should
very much like TO go. VIII you go along
with me-" she would have said, ITO be
sure. I Will GO" Another frivolous ex-
cuse. The fact was that they did not
want to so.
Now" said the great man of the
feast Il viii not be defeated in this
matter. / have, with an honest purpose,
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 crutch and fetch him in, and
when you find 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 the
kindest tenderness and the most loving
invitation any one ever had, compel him
TO come in"
Moral of the Parable.
Oh my friends, II requires no acute
ness on my part or on your part to see
in all this affair that religion is a ban
quet. The table was set in Palestine a
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 10 grow and
spread, and one leaf went to the east
and another leaf went TO the west, un-
til the whole earth was covered up with
them, and the clusters from the heav-
emily vineyard We're piled upon the board
and the trumpets and harps of eternity
made up the orchestra, and as this wine
or 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 friendsl Yea.
drink. o beIOvedr' o blessed Lord Je-
sus. the best friend 1 ever had. the best
friend any man ever had, was there ever
such table? Was there ever such a
banquet?
From the cross uplfted high
Where the Savior deigns to die
What meiodious sounds I hear
bursting on the ravished earl
Heaven's redeemina work is done.
come, and welcome, sinner, come.
Joys of Religion.
Religion is a joyous thing. I do not
want to hear anybody talk about religion
as though it were a funeral I do not
want anybody to whine in the prayer
meeting about the kingdom of God do
not want any man to roll up his eyes.
giving in that way evidence Of his
sancdty. The men and women of God
whom l happen to know for the most
part find religion a great joy. 1t is ex-
huaratiOn TO the body. 1t is invigora-
ton to the mind. 1t is rapture to the
soul. 1t is balm for all wounds It is
light for all darkness. 1t is harbOr from
all storms, and though God knows that
some of them have trouble enough now
they rejoice because they are on the way
TO the congratulations eternal.
Oh, the Lord God has many fair and
beautiful daughters, but the fairest of
them all is she whose ways are pleasant
est and whose paths are peace! Now, my
brothers and sisters-for I have a right
to call you all Sol know some people
look back on their ancestral line, and they
see they are descended from the Puritans
or HuguenOts. and they rejoice in that
but look back on my ancestral line, and
/ see therein such a mingiing and mix
ture Of the blood of an Mathematics that
I feel akin to all the world and by the
blood Of the Son of God, who died for
all people, l address you in the bonds
of universal brotherhood / come out as
only a servant, bringing an invitation tC
party, and l put into your hands, say
ing. Come. for all things are now
rsady,' and I urge it upon you and con
through, / hope, by the blessing of God
% compel you to come in.
We must take care how give the
invitation. Ny Christian friends, think
sometimes we have just gone opposite tC
Chirsts command, and we have com.
PEELED people to stay out. Sometimes oul