The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1894-09-22
GOOD
DR.. Talmage Tells How to Bring
Sinners Into the Church.
Too Much Show and differing Nothing
ingncss In tho Religion of the Day
The Great Object Should DO
to Reach the Masses.

o.
to Reach the Masses.
The latest sermon given out through
the press by Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage
was on the subject of Holy Compul-
sion," the text being from Luke xiv.
90: ''And compel them to come in"
Following is the
1.-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 Hollywood
palace-a palace that was considered
II of the wonders of the world-and
l said: Can it be possible that this is
all there was of this reputed wonder
full 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 ave bee scenes of fes-
tivity, and the wealthy man of my text
plans a great entertainments, and in
vites his friends. If one buys an ex-
quisite picture, he wants his friends to
come and appreciate it; and it was n
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 "a i'm
agine the embarrassment of any one
who has provided n 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 made most
frivolous The fact was, l
suppose, that some of them were Of
Tended hat this man had succeeded SO
much better in the world than they
had. There are people in all occupa-
tions and'professions who consider 1t a
wrong to them that anybody else is ad-
vanced. I suppose these people invited
to the feast said among themselves:
ave 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 il we made u
money the way that man makes his"
~ WhCh bhC hiCooChkCEo "Che oaS
with the invitations there vas q unani-
nous refusal. One man said: ''Oh, I
have bought a farm and must go and
look at It'll" He was n land speculator,
and had no business 10 buy land until
he knew about it. A frivolous excuse.
Another man said: 81 have bought five
yoke of oxen" The probability is he
was q speculator in live stock. He
ought to have known about the oxen
before he bought them. Besides that,
II 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
nan said: "Oh, ! nave married a wife,
and l can't Gomez" when II he had said
to his wife: ~ have an invitation to a
splendid dinner; it is highly compli-
mentary to me; l should very much
like to go; will you GO along with me?"
she would have said to be sure I will
CO." Another frivolous excuse. The
TACT was they did not want to go.
Now" said the great man Of the
feast, l will not be defeated in this
matter; i 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 u crutch and fetch
him in; and when you find n 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 wretch
ed that he has neved been invited any.
where, then, by the kindest tenderness:
and most loving invitation any one ever
had, compel him to come in"
Oh, my friends, it requires no acute.
ness on my part, or on your part, to see
in all this affair hat religion Is ban
quet. The table was set in Palestine
a good many years ago, and the dis
ciples gathered around it, and they
thought they would have n good tims
all by themselves, but while they sat
this table the leaves began to grow
and spread, and one leaf went to ths
east and another leaf went to the west
until the whole earth was covered W
with them, Inc the clusters from tn,
heavenly vineyard we're piled up Oh
the board, and the trumpets and harp
of eternity made up the orchestra, ant
as this wine of God is pressed to tn,
lips of a SHINING, bleeding, suffering
dying, groaning world, a voice breaks
from the heavens, saying. Drink, oh
friends; yea, drink, oh beloved:" Oh
blessed Lord Jesus, the best friend
ever had, the best friend any man eve
had, was there ever such a table? Wa
there ever such a banquet?
From the cross uplifted high,
Where the Saviour deigns to die,
What melodious sound I hear
Bursting on the ravished ear,
Heavens redeeming work Is done,
Gonna md ,ralcorna. sinnaE oun