The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-17
HOLY CONPULSION.
Rev. DR.. Talmage'S Text Taken From
Luke XIV, %.


Work Can Be Done in the Way OF
Prayer - Accept the Sacrifice OF
Christ and All Will Be Well.
Brooklyn, Sept. l6. Is94.-Rev. DR.. Tai
mage, who is still absent on his round.
the-world tour, has selected as the sub
ject of his sermon through the press for
to-day: Holy Compulsion, - the text be-
ing Luke IA: %: And compel them to
come in
The plainest people in our day have lux
uries which the Kings and queens of olden
times never imagined. walked up and
down the stairs of Holyrood Palace-a
palace that was considered one of the
wonders of the woodland l said, Can
1t be possible that this is all there
was of this reputed 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 been scenes of fes-
tivity, and the wealthy man of my text
plans great entertainment, and invites
his friends If one builds a beautiful
home, he wants his acquaintance to come
and enjoy it. If one buys an equiste pic
ture, he wants his friends to come and
appreciate it; and II Tasa 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 imagine 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 nothi ng
that so proyOkes the master of the feast
as that
Well, these people invited to this great
banquet of the text made most frivolous
excuses. The fact was, | suppose that
some of them were offended that this man
had succeeded so much better in the
world than they had. There are people
in all occupations and professions who
consider II a wrong to them that anybody
else is advanced. l suppose these people
invited to the feast said among them
selves, 1--WE are not going to administer
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 that man makes his
So when the messengers went out with
the invitations there was a unanimous re-
fusal One man said, "Oh, / have bought
a farm, and l must 20 and look at itn' He
was land Spectator, and had no bust
ness 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 Spectator in
live stock. He ought TO have known
about the oxen before he bought them.
Beside that, if he had been very anxious
to get to the feast, ne could have hooked
them up and driven them on the road
there. Another frivolous excuse An
other man said, ooh, have married a
wife and can't Gomez when if he had
said to his wife, 81 have an invitation to
a splendid dinner; it is highly compli-
lnentary TO me; | should very much like
to go; Will you 60 along with meln she
would have said, To be sure | will 60 -
Another frivolous excuse. The fact was
that they did not want to go.
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 out,
and when you find blind man, give him
your arm and fetch him in /; and when YOU
md a lame man, give him a 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 wretcbed
then, by the kindest tenderness and the
most loving invitation any one ever had,
compel him to come in"
Oh, my friends, 1t 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
good many years ago, and the disciples
gathered around it, and they thought they
would have good time all by themselves.
but while they sat by this 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 trumpets and harps of
eternity made up the orchestra, and as
this wine of God is pressed to the lips of
a SHINING, bleeding, suffering, diving
grooming world, voice breaks
from the heavens, saying: "Driuk, o
friends; yea, drink, O belovedp' o
blessed Lord Jesus, the best friend l ever
had, the best friend any man ever had
was there ever such table, Was there
ever such banquetl
From the Cross uplifted high,
Where the Saviour deigns to die
What melodious sounds hear
bursting on the ravished earl
Heaven redeeming work is done
Come, and welcome; sinner, come.
LOo4AEAOh - joyous Unlng. l do not
want TO hear anybody talk about religion
as though it were a funeral / 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 sane
tlty. The men and women of God whom
happen to know, for the most part, find
religion a great JOY. 1t is exhilaration to
the body, 1t is inauguration to the mind.
II is rapture to the soul. 1t is balm for
all wounds. 1t is light for ali darkness.
II is harbor from all storms, and though
God knows that some of them have trou-
BILE enough now, they rejoice because thew
are on the way TO the congratulations
eternal.
l stopped one nightfall, years ago. at
treyburg, Switzerland, to hear tine organ
OF worldwide cele brity in that place
went into the cathedral at nightfall. All
the accessories were favorable There
was only one light in all the cathredal.
and that faint taper on the altar.
looked up into the venerable arches. and
saw the shadows of centuries, and when
the organ awOke, the cathedral
awoke, and all the arches seemed to lift
and culver as the music came under
them. That instrument did not seem TO
be made out Of wood and metal but out
OF human hearts, so wonderfully did 10
pulsaue with every emotion now laughing
like child, now soOblng like a tempest
AT one moment the music would die away
until YOU could hear the cricket chirp out
en- b mol a o