The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-09-21
GOOD DEEDS.
DR.. Talmage Tells How to Bring
Sinners Into the Church.
Too Much Show and differing Nothing
ingness I'm the Religion of the Day
The Great Object Should Be
to Reach the Masses.

The latest sermon given cut through
the press by Rev. Z. Dewitt Talmage
was on the subject of holy Compul-
sion," the text being from Luke xiv.
%: "And compel them to come in"
Following is the sermon:
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
one of the wonders of the woodland
| said: Can it be possible that this is
all there was of this reputed wonder
ful 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 a great entertainment and in
vites his friends. If one buys an ex-
quisite picture, he wants his friends to
come and appreciate it; and it was a
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 i'm
agine 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 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 excuses. The fact was,
suppose. that some of them were of
Tended that this man had succeeded so
much better in the world than they
had. There are people in all occupa-
tions and professions who consider it a
wrong to them that anybody else is adj
vanced. | suppose these people invited
to the feast said among themselves:
I'VE 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 unani-
nous refusal. One man said: "Oh, |
have bought farm and must 90 and
look at it, He was land Spectator.
and had no business to 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 speculator in live stock. He
h. -
before he bought them. Besides that.
if 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
man said: "Oh. have married wife.
and can't Gomez when if he had said
to his wife: Il have an invitation to
splendid dinner: it is highly compli-
mentary to me; / should very much
like to go; will you go along with me?"
she would have said to be sure l will
60" Another frivolous excuse. The
fact was they did not want to go.
Now" said the great man of the
feast, will not be defeated in this
matter; l 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
lame man, give him a crutch and fetch
him in; and when you find poor man.
tell him that there is 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 that religion is ban
quet. The table was set in Palestine |
good many years ago, and the dis |
ciples gathered around it, and they |
thought they would have a good timr |
all by themselves, but while they sat |
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 covered 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 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 ever
had, was there ever such a table? Was
there ever such banquet?
From the cross uplifted high,
Where the Saviour deigns to die,
What melodious sound hear
Bursting on the ravished ear,
Heavens redeeming work is done,
Come, and welcome; sinner, come.
Religion is joyous thing. l do not
want to hear anybody talk about re-
ligion as though it were funeral /
do not want anybody to whine in the
prayer meeting about the kingdom of
God. do not want anybody to roll up
his eyes, giving in that way evidence
of his sanctity. The men and women
of God whom l happen to know. for the
most part, find religion great joy. 1t
is eXhilarating to the body. 1t is in
to the mind. 1t is rapture
to the soul. 1t is balm for all wounds.
1t is light for all darkness. 1t is harbor
for all storms, and though God knows
that some of them have trouble enough
now, they rejoice because they are on
the way to the congratulations eternal.
l stopped one nightfall, years ago, at
Freyburg, Switzerland, to hear the
organ of worldwide celebrity in that
place. 1 went into the cathedral at
nightfall. All the accessories We're