The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-29
FEAST OF THE REDEMPTION.
Talmage breaches on the Greatest
Of Festivities.

nal Love, Fresooed With Light and
Paved With JOY, the Banquet Hall.
The Feast of Eternal Continuance.
Brooklyn, n. Y, Jan. 2S.-The usual
large audience assem- led in the taberna-
Gle to-day and listened to a sermon Of re-
markable power and interest by Rev.
DR.. Talmage, the subject being "Festiv-
ity.~ The text selected was Luke ID: Il,
''Come, for all things are now ready"
1t was one of the most exciting times
In English history when Queen Elizabeth
visited Lord Leicesterat Kenilworth
castle. The moment of her ar
rival was considered so important
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 gree ted
to the gate with floating islands and
torches, and the thunder of cannon, and
fireworks that set the night ablaze, and
a great burst of music that lifted the
whole scene into perfect euchantment.
Then she was introduced in a dining hall,
the luxuries of which astonished the
world; four-hundred servants waited
upon the guests; the entertainment cost
s., 900 each day. Lord Leicester made
that great supper in Kenilworth castle.
Cardinal Wolsey entertained the
French ambassadors at Hampton Court.
The best cooks in all the land prepared
for the banquet purveyors went out and
Travelled all the kingdom over to find
spoils for the table. The time came. The
guests were kept during the day hunting
IN the kings park, so that their appetites
hfal fhEs afrafr
10 the sound of the trumpeters. they were
introduced into hall hung with silk and
cloth of gold, and there were ia bles a-glit-
terwith imperial plate, and laden with the
rarest of meats, and a-blush with the
costliest wines; and when the second
course of the feast came, IL was found
that the articles of food had been fash
toned into the shape of men, birds and
beasts, and groups dancing, and jousting
parties riding against each other with
lances. Lords, and princes, and ambas-
sailors, out of cups filed TO the brim,
drank the health, first Of the King of
England, and next of the King of France
Cardinal Wolsey prepared that great sup
per in Hampton Court
But l have TO tell you of grander en-
tertainment. My Lord, the king, is the
banqueter. Angels are the cup-bearers
All the redeemed are the guests. The
halls of eternal love, frescoed with light
and paved with joy, and curtained with
unfading beauty, are the banqueting
place The harmonies of eternity are the
music. The chalices of heaven are the
plate; and | am one of the servants com
ing out with both hands filed with invi-
tatiOns, 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
tremuious hand of dying Christ; Come,
now for all things are ready"
There have been grand entertainments
where was taking off-the wine gave
out, or the servants were rebellious, or
thelight failed but have gone all around
about this subject and looked at the re-
demption which Christ has provided, and
come here to tell you 1t is complete, and
] swing open the door of the feast telling
you that, ''All things are now ready"
In the first place, / have to announce
that the Lord Jesus 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, he
has been waiting eighteen hundred and
ninety-four years for his guests. He has
been standing on his mangled feet; he has
had his sore hand on his punotured side;
or he has been pressing his lacerated tenn
ples-waiting, waiting. II is wonderful
that he has not been Impatient and that
he has not said, Shut the door, and leo
the laggard stay outs" but he has been
waiting. No banqueter ever waieed for
his guests so patiently as Christ has
wahted for us. To prove how willing he
is to receive US, 1 gather all the
tears that rolled down his cheeks
in sympathy for your SORROWS
] gather all the drops of blood that
channelled his brow, and his back, and
his hands and feet, IN trying to purchase
your redemption; gather all the groans
that he uttered in midnight chill, and in
mountain hunger, and in desert loneli-
ness, and twist them into one cry-bitter,
agonizing, overwhelming 1 gather all
the pains that shot from spear, and spike
and cross, jolting into one pang-remorse-
less. grinding, excruaiating. / take that
one drop of sweat on his brow, and under
the gospel glass that drop enlarges until
see in 1t lakes of sorrow and an ocean OF
agony. That being standing before you
now, emaciated, gashed and CORY, coaxes
for your love with pathos in which
every word is a heart-break and every
sentence a martyrdom. How can you
think he trifese
Ahasuerus prepared feast for one hun
dred and eighty days but this feast is for
all eternity. Lords and princes were in
Vited TO that; you, and /, and all our
world are invited to this. Christ is ready
You know that the banqueters OF olden
time used 30 wrap themselves in robes
prepared for the occasion; so, my Lord
Jesus hath wrapped himself in ali that is
beautiful See how fair he is His eve
his brow, his cheek, so radiant that the
stars have no CLEAN, and the morning no
brilliancy compared with it, His face re-
flectingall the Joys of the redeemed his
hand having the omnipotent surgery with
which he opened bind eyes, and
Strengthened crooked limbs, and hoisted
the pillars of heaven, and swung the
twelve gates which are twelve pearls
There are not enough cups in
heaven to dip up this ocean
of beauty. There are not ladders
enough to scale this hight of love. There
are not enough cymbals to clap, or harps
TO thrum, or trumpets to peal forth the
praises of this one altogether fair. Oh
thou flower of eternity, thy breath is the
perfume of heaven! Oh, blissful day
break, let all people clap their hands in
thy radiance! Chorus Come, men, and
saints, and cherubim, and seraphim and
archangel-all nights, all depths, all i'm
mensities. Chorus Roll him through
the heavens in chariot of universal ac-
claim, over bridges of hosannas, under
arches Of coronation, along by the great
towers Ginning with eternal jubilee.
Chorus unto him who hath loved us,
and washed us from our sins in his own
blood, to him be glory, world without
endl"