Connecticut western news., 1894-09-20
JOYS OF RELIGION.
OR, TAlMAGE FINDS INFINITE PLEAS
 uRE IN cARlST'S SERVICE.

ONE iN CF1NiS 'S S6HNlCE. He Deprecates Overmuch Hairsplitting
 Thsolowy-A Good Man. Good Woman,
 the Beat Arguments In Behalf of Chris
 tiAnity-The Power of Prayer.
 BROOKLYN, Sept. 16 Rev. Dr. Tal- mage, who is still absent on his round the world tour, has selected as the sub ject of his sermon through the press for today Holy Conpulsion, tho text being Luke xiv. i3, And compel them to come in"
 The plainest people in our day have luxuries which the kings and queens of olden times never imagined. I walked up and down the stairs of Holyrood pal ace--a palace that was considered one of the wonders of the world-and I said. "Can it be possible that this is all there was of this reputed wonderful placeG" And this is the case in many other instances There are fruits in Westohester 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 festivity, and the wealthy man of my text plans a great entertainment and invites his friends If one builds beau tiful home, he wants his aoquaintances to come and enjoy it. If one buys an exquisite 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 50 provokes the master of the feast as that
 We'll, these people invited to this great banquet of the text made most frivolous excuses The fact was, SUD- pose, that some of them were offended that this man had succeeded 80 much better in the world than they had hok0 pCOpl0 III hAl ONSup0bIOuS tAuu professions who consider it a wrong to them that anybody else is advanced. I suppose these people invited to the feast said among themselves: We are not going to administer to that mans van ity. He is proud enough now. We won't go. Besides 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 @ unan- imous refusal. One man said, "Oh, have bought farm, and must go and look at it. :" He was land speculator and had no business to buy land until he knew about 1t A frivolous excuse Another man said, 1T have bought five yoke of oxen" The probability is that he was a speculator in live stock. He ought to have known about the oxen 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 come" when If he had said to his wife, II have an invitation to splendid din- ner. It is highly complimentary to me- I should very much like to go. Willy go along with me2'' she would have said. ITO De sure, Twill go" Another frivolous excuse. The fact was that they did not want to go.
 Bring In the Lowly.
 Now" said the great man of the feast, II will not be defeated in this matter. have with an honest purpose provided 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 blind man give him your arm and fetch him in, and when you find lame man give him orutch 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 wretched that he has never been invited anywhere then by the kind est tenderness and the most loving in- vitation 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 a good many years ago. and the disciples gathered around it. and they thought they would have a good time all by themselves, but while they sat by 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 heaven ly 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 sin ming, bleeding, suffering. dying, groan- ing world a voice breaks from the heav- ems, saying: Drink, O friends. Yea, drink, O beloved" O blessed Lord Jesus, the best friend I 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 sounds hear
 Bursting on the ravished earl
 Heavens redeeming work Is done.
 Come, and welcome. sinner, come.
 Religion Is joyous thing do not want to hear anybody talk about reli- zion as though it were funeral. do not want anybody to whine in the pray or meeting about the kingdom of God. do not want any man to roll up his eyes. giving in that way evidence of his sanotity. The Inen and women of God whom happen to know for the most part find religion great joy. It is collaboration to the body. It is invig- oration to the mind. It Is rapture to. the soul It is balm for all wounds. It Is light for all darkness. It is harbor from all storms, and though God knows that acme of them have trouble enough now, they rejoice because they are on their way to the congratulations eternal.
 Universal Brotherhood.