Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1894-02-03
READY FOR A FEAST.
REV. DR.. TALMAeE breaches AN EL-
OQUENT SERMON ON FESTIVITY.

An Entertainment Where the Lord Is tn
Banqueter and Angels Are the Cupbear
ers-An Effective and Earnest Gospe
Plea to the Unconvertod.
BROOKLYN, Jan. 2S.-The usual larg,
audience assembled in the Tabernacle to
day and listened to sermon of remark
able pl'Yer and interest by Rev. DR.. Tai
mage, the subject being "Festivity.
The text selected was Luke xiv, II
Come, for al things are now ready"
1t was one of the most exciting time:
in English history when Queen Elizabeth
visited Lord Leicester at Kenilwortt
castle The moment of her arrival was
considered so important that all the
clocks of the castle were stopped, so that
the hapds might point to that one mo-
ment as being the most significant of all
She was greeted to the gate with floating
islands and torches, and the thunder OF
cannon, and fireworks that set the night
ablaze, and great burst of music that
lifted tho whole scene into perfect en-
chantment. Then she was introduced in
dining hall the Injuries of which as
tonished the world. Four hundred serv-
ants waited upon the guests. The enter
tainment cost $4,000 each day. Lord Lei
cester made that great supper in Kenil-
worth 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 introduced into hall hung with
silk and cloth of gold and there were
tables aglitter with imperial plate and
laden with the rarest of meats and
ablush with the costliest wines, and when
the second course of the feast came ii
was found that the articles of food haG
been fashioned into the shape of men
birds and beasts. and groups dancing
and jousting parties riding against eac.
other with lances. Lords and prince
and ambassadors, ont of cups fllcl tct:.
brim, drank the health first OF the kin.
of England and next Of the king OF
France Cardinal Wolsey prepared that
great supper in-Hampton court.
A REMARKABLE BANQUET.
But have to tell you of grander en-
tertainment My Lord the King is the
banqueter. Angels are the cupbearers.
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
plates, and am one of the servants COM
ing out with both hands filled with invi-
tations, scattering them everywhere, and,
oh, that for yourselves you might break
the seal Of the invitation and read the
now rSST.'|f for 3i;- ait things are ready"
There have been grand entertainments
where was taking off-the wine gave
out. or the servants were rebellious, or
the light failed. But have gone all
around about this subject and looked at
the redemption which Christ has provid-
ed. and l come here to tell you 1t Is COM
plete. 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 1894 years for his
guests. He has been standing on his
maneled feet, he has had his sore hand
on his punctured side, or he has been
pressing his lacerated temples-waiting,
waiting. It is wonderful that he has not
been impatient 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 as Christ has waited
for us. To prove how willing he is to
receive us, gather all the tears that
rolled down his cheeks in sympathy for
your sorrows; gather all the drops OF
blood that channeled his brow, and his
back. and his hands and feet, in trying
to purchase your redemption; gather
all the groans that he uttered in mid.
night chill, and in mountain hunger, and
in desert loneliness, and twist them into
one cry-bitter. agonizing, overwhelm'
ing.
gather all the pains that shot from
spear and spike and cross, jolting into
one pang-remorseless, grinding, excru
ciating. | take that one drop of sweat
on his brow, and under the gospel glas:
that drop enlarges until see in it lakes
of sorrow and an ocean Of agony. Ina
being standing before you now, ENACT
ated and gashed and CORY, coaxes to-
YOUR love with pathos in which ever!
word is a heart break and every sentenc
martyrdom. How can you think n
trihes?
FOR THE DELAYED GUESTS.
Ahasuerus prepared feast for 10
days, but this feast is for all eternity
Lords and princes were invited to that
You and and all our world are invited
to this Christ is ready. You know tina
the banqueters of olden time used t
wrap themselves in robes prepared 10
the occasion. SO my Lord Jesus nat
wrapped himself in all that is beautifn
See how fair he isl His eye, his bro"
his cheek. so radiant that the stars iav
no CLEAN ana the morning 10 b!1ll'anG
compared with it. his face III c;ins Il
the Joys OF the redeemed, his ha"d nay
ing the omripotent surgery with WHO
he opened bind eyes and s'rala u
al hn M