The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1894-02-03
TABERNACLE PULPIT,
TALMAGE breaches A MOST
REMARKABLE SERMON
The Subject Being Festivity'-"Come,
for All Things Are Now Ready" Luke
14:xvii-The Beautiful Character of
Our Lord Jesus Christ.

usual large audience assembled
to-day in the Tabernacle and
listened to a sermon of remarkable
power and interest by Rev. Dr. Tai
mage, the subject being "Fcstiyity.'
The text selected was Luke I4:Xvii,
Come. for all things are now ready.
1t was one of the most exciting
times in English history when Queen
Elizabeth visited Lord Leicester at
Kcnilworth castle The moment of
Der GrriYal was considered so i'm
pOrtant that all the clocks of the castle
were stopped, so that the hands might
point to that one moment as being the
most significant ofalL She was greeted
at the gate with floating islands, and
torches, and the thunder of cannon,
and fireworks that set the night ablaZc,
and a great burst of music that lifted
the whole scene into perfect enchant-
ment. Then she was introduced into a
dining-hall, the Injuries of which
astonished the world; 400 servants
waited upon the guests; the entertain
ment cost $1,000 each day. Lord
Leicester made that great supper in
kcnilworth castle.
Cardinal Wolsey entertained the
French ambassadors at Hamp-
ton court. The best cooks in
all the land prepared for the
banquet; puryeyors went out and
travelled all the kingdom over to find
;pOlls for the table The time came
The guests were kept during the day
hunting in the kings park, so that
heir appetites might be keen, and
then in the evening, to the sound of
.he trumpeters, they were introduced
INTO hall hung with silk and cloth of
gold, and there were tables a-glitter
With imperial plate and laden with the
ares of meats and a-blush with the
,ostfiest wines. And when the second
course of the feast came it was found
that the articles of food had been fash
oned into the shape of men, birds and
beasts, and groups dancing and joust-
ng parties riding against each other
With lances. Lords and princes and
ambassadors, out of cups filed to the
Orim, drank the health, first of the
King of England and next of the king
If France. Cardinal Wolsey prepared
hat great supper in Hampton court,
But have to tell you of a grander
entertainment. My Lord the King, is
The banqueter. Angels are the cupbear-
.rs All the redeemed are the guests
The halls of eternal love, frescoed
With light, and paved with JOY, and
,urtained with unfading beauty, are
;he banqueting place, The harmonies
If eternity are the music. The
,halices of heaven are the plate; and |
I'm one of the servants coming out
With both hands filled with invitations,
scattering them everywhere, and oh,
that for yourselves you might break
he 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
nents where was a taking off-the
wine gave out, or the servants were
.sbellious, or the light failed; but |
have gone all around about this sub
ect and looked at the redemption
which Christ has provided, and come
lere to tell you it is complete, and l
wing open the door of the feast, tell
NO you that "All things are now
:eady."
In the first place, l have to announce
hat the Lord Jesus Christ himself is
'eady. Cardinal Wolsey came into the
least after the first course; he came in
booted and spurred, and the guests,
lrose and cheered him. But Chrisu
comes in at the very beginning of the
east; aye, he has been waiting eight
zen hundred and ninety-four years for
lis guests. He has been standing on
lis 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
ihe laggard stay OUT" but he has been
waiting. No banqueter ever waited
,or his guests so patiently as
Christ has waited for us. To
prove how willing he is to receive
Is, l gather all the tears that rolled
Town his cheeks in sympathy for your
,orrows; l gather all the drops of blood
hat channeled his brow, and his back,
md his hands and feet, in trying to
purchase your redemption; l gather all
he groans that he uttered in midnight
hill, and in mountain hunger, and in
lesert' loneliness, and twist them into
,ne crv-bitter, agonizing, overwhelm-
ng. / gather all the pains that shot
from spear, and spike and cross jolt
ng into one pang-remorseless, grind
ng, excruciating. l take that one
irop of sweat on his brow, and under
The gospel glass that drop enlarges
Until see in it lakes of sorrow and an
ocean of agony. That being standing
before you now, emaciated, and
gashed, and CORY, coaxes for your love
With pathos in which every word is
heartbreak and every sentence a
nartyrdom. How can you thiak he
rifles? ~