Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-09-19
JOYS OF RELIGION.
DR.. TALMAeE FINDS INFINITE PLEAS
uas IN cHRlsTs SERVICE.

the Best Arguments In Behalf q Chris
tianity- Tho Power of Prayer.
BROOKLYN, Sept 16 --Rov. DR.. Tai
mage, who is still absent on his rount
the world tour, has selected as the sub
Ject of his sermon through the press fol
today Holy Compulsion, /" the text
being Luke xiv, 23, 'And compel them
to come in. 4"
=. 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 pal.
ace-a palace that was considered one
OF the wonders of the world-and ]
said, Can it be possible that this is all
there was of this reputed 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
all the ages there have been scenes of
festivity, and the wealthy man of my
text plans great entertainment and
invites his friends. If one builds beau
tiful home, he wants his acquaintances
to come and enjoy it. If one buys an
exquisite picture, he wants his friends
to come and appreciate it, and it was
laudable thing when the wealthy man
of my text happy himself, wanted to
make other people happy. And so the
invitations went out, but something
went very much wrong. You can i'm
| agino the embarrassment Of any one
who has provided a grand feast when
he finds out that the guests invited do
not intend to come. There is nothing
that so provokes the master of the feast
as that
Well, these people invited to this
great banquet of the text mado most
frivolous excuses. The fact was sup
pose, that some of them were offended
that this man had succeeded SO much
better in the world than they had.
There are people III all occupations and
professionsSwho consider it a wrong to
them that anybody else is advanced. l
suppose these people invited to the feast
said among themselves: 1--WE are not
going to administer to that man s van
ity. He is proud enough now. We
won't go. Besides that we could all give
parties if we made our money the way |
that man makes his. F"
So when the messengers went out |
with the invitations there was a unan- (
imous refusal. One man said, tOh, l
have bought farm, and must 90 and |
look at it. He was land speculator
and had no business to buy land until
he knew about it, A frivolous excuse.
Another man said. 81 have bought five
yoke@of oxen" The probability is that
he was a speculator in live stock. He
ought to have known about the oxen
before he bought them. Besides 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 excuse. Another man said,
"Oh, have married wife, and can't
come" when if he had said to his wife,
81 have an invitation to splendid din
ner. 1t is highly complimentary to me.
l should very much like to go. Will you
go along with me?'' she would have
said, ''To be sure, Twill 60" Another
frivolous excuse The fact was that they
did not want to go.
Bring In the LowIy.
''Now, said the great man of the
feast, 81 will not be defeated in this
matter. have with an honest purpose
provided banquet, and there are scores
Of people who would like to come If
they were only invited. Here, my man,
here; you go ont, and when you. find
blind man give him your arm and fetch
lim in, and when you find lame man
give him crutch and fetch him in, and
when you find poor man tell him that
here is plate for him In my mansion,
md when you find some one who Is so
Jagged and wretched that he has never
been invited anywhere then by the kind
EST tenderness and the most loving in
1itation any one ever had compel him
10 come in"
Oh, my friends, it requires no acute
less on my part or on your part to see
n all this affair that religion is ban
Iuet The table was set in Palestine
,ood many years ago. and the disciples
,athered around 1t, and they thought
hey would have good time oil by
but while they sat by this
able the leaves began to grow and
pread, and one leaf went to the east {
nd another leaf went TO the west until Q
he whole earth was covered up with
lem, and the clusters from the heaven.
: vineyard were piled up on the board, '
nd the trumpets and harps OF eternity c
lade up the orchestra, and as this wine q
God is pressed 10 the lips Of a sim I
ing, bleeding, suffering. dying, groan- Z
lg world voice breaks from the heay' a
ns, saying: "Drink. o friends. Yea, 0
rink, o beloyedW o blessed Lord ?
esus, the best friend ever had, the 8
est friend any man ever had, was !
here ever such tablet Was there ever
ach banquet Q
From The cross uplifted high,
Where the Saviour deigns 10 die, a
What melOdi0us sounds hear n
Bursting on the Tayished earl a
Heavens redeeming work 10 done,