The Globe-republican., 1894-02-02
ALL THINGS READY.
d.. Talmage Discourses on the Cos.
pei Feast.
An Invitation Which Should He Needed by
An-"Come. for All Things Are Now
Ready" The Holy Spirit
Bids You Come.

An-"COme. for All Things Are Now
Ready"-The Holy Spirit
Bids You Come.
A sermon of remarkab BILE power was
recently preached at Brooklyn by Rev
I. Dewitt Talmage, the subject being
"Festivity." The text selected was
Luke, xiv. II: Come, for all things are
now ready" Said the noted preacher:
1t was one of the most exciting times
In English history when Queen Eliza
beth visited Lord Leicester at Kenil-
worth 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 signifi-
can't of all. She was greeted to the
gate with floating islands, and torches,
and the thunder of cannon, and fire.
works that set the night ablaze, and a
great burst of music that lifted the
whole scene into perfect enchantment
Then She was introduced in a dining
hall, the luxuries of which astonished
/
the guests; the entertainment cost
Is, 600 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 might be keen;
and then, in the evening, to the sound
OF the trumpeters, they were intro
duced into hall hung with silk and
cloth of gold, and there were tables
a-glitter with 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, it was
found that the articles of food had
been fashioned into the shape of men,
birds and beasts, and groups dancing,
and jousting parties riding against
each other with lances. Lords, and
princes, and ambassadors, 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 supper in Hampton
court
But have to tell you of grander
entertainment 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
buty, are the banqueting place. The
harmonies of Heaven are the plate,
and am one of the servants coming
out with both hands filled with invita-
tiOns, 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 tremulous hand of a
dying Christ: Come unto me, for all
things are ready"
There have been grand entertain
ments where was taking Off-the
wine gave out, or the servants were re-
bellious, or the light failed; but l have
gone all around about this subject and
looked at the redemption which Christ
has provided, and come here to tell
you it is complete, and l 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 eight
teen hundred and ninety-four years for
his guests. He has been standing on
His mangled feet; He has had His sore |
hand on His punctured side, or He has |
been pressing His lacerated temples
waiting. 1t is wonderful that |
He has not been inpatient and that
He has not said: shut the door and
let the laggard stay out" but He
has been waiting. No banqueter ever |
waited for his guests SO patiently
IS Christ has waited for US To prove |
how willing He is to receive us, l
gather all the tears that rolled down |
His cheeks in sympathy for your sor-
rows; l gather all the drops of blood |
that channeled His brow, and His back, |
and His hands and feet, in trying to |
purchase your redemption; Igather all |
The groans that He uttered in midnight |
chill, and in mountain hunger, and in !
desert lonliness, and twist them into |
one cry-bitter, agonizing, overwhelm-
ing. 1 gather all the pains that shot |
from spear, and spike, and cross, jolt |
ing into one pang-remorseless, grind |
ing, excruciating. 1 take that one
drop 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 a
pathos in which every word is a heart |
break and every sentence martyrdom.
How can you think he trifles!
Ahasueras prepared a feast for $50
days; but this feast is for all eternity. |
Lords and princes were invited to that;
you and and all the world are invited |