The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-03-11
SOADA! SERMON
|, ELOQUENT DISCOURSE
,,.,,. Invited to a Banquet"

l,,,ct. "lnviteu 10
,p.;,r hither the fattei calf and
Luke XIV, y.
-. Of the world Il has been custom
NJ hs'ehrate joyful events by festivity.
e. III treaties, the proclamation OF
me Inauguration OIL presluents, Tue
f,,sOn Of kings, the Christmas. the mar
However much ON other DAYS oil the
.aSIa may have stinted supply, on
yinr Day there must DO something
Aud all the comfortable homes
N.,dom have at some time cele-
SSfsI events by banquet and fes-
JSS,methlng has happened on the old
creator than anything that has
-"aned before. A favorite o whom
iAgP snnposed would become n vaga-
W. ontiay forever has got tired OF
~, and has returned to his fathers
ma world said he would v come
The old man always said his son
20 hack. He had been. looking for
sster day aud year after year. He
4. rculd come back. Now having re-
~ his father's house the father pro-
u celebration. There is In the paddock
mat has been kept up and led to ut
4 sona.ity. so rs 10 be ready Tor some
IAN Of ioy that might come along. All,
ssrer would be a grander day on tho
E'ms.,ead than this dayl Let the butch
!, their work, and the housekeepers
,.o thr table the smoking meat. The
rrs will take their places, n the gay
y. viii move up and dova the floor.
N, Priends and neighbors are gathered
al an extra supply Is STAT out to the
-, ,te servants. The father presides at
AHA and says grace, and thanks God
Nj. lonr absent hoy is homo again.
t'v thew missed him, how glad they are
,re him bacS! ,
/ and SAYS: This is a great d about
tiSc This bad boy should have been
[,i.ed instead of greeted. Veal Is too
Gr him" Blu the father says, Moth
4. GOOD enough" There sits the young
dad at the hearty reception. but u
law ~ sorrow fitting across his brow ut
.o~ma,,hrance OF the trouble he had seen.
,s.Jv now. Let the covers lift. Music.
r,s dead and he is alive again! He was
and he Is foundl BY such bold imagery
| I'm Bible set forth the m~errymaking
N A soul comes home to God.
Erst Of all. there is the new converts JOY.
ro fame thing to become u Christian.
most tremendous moment In n mans
when he s~urrenders himself to God.
rrandest time on the fathers homestead
lien the boy comes back. Among tho
throng who in the parlors OF our church
lIessel Christ one night was Il young man
4 next morning rang my door bell and
"Sir. cannot contain myself with the
feel. came here this morning to ex-
il. have found more JOY in five
ute, in serving God than in all tho years
NV prodigaity, and l came to say So
have seen perhaps q man running Tor
TEMPORAL liberty and the officers OF the
after him, and YOU saw him escape, or
trward you hear the judge had pardoned
and how great was the glee OF that res
man; but it is q very tame thing, that,
bpared with the running for ones ever
linz life, the terrors of the law after him
Christ coming in to pardon and bless
rescue and save.
lou remember John Bunyan in his great
~ tells how the pilgrim put his fingers to
ears and ran. crying: Life, life, eternal
4 A poor ear driver some time ago,
er years having had to struggle to sup
h bis family, suddenly was informed that
hrge Inheritance was his, and there was a
amounting to bewilderment, but that is
mall thing compared with the experience
one when he has put in his hands the title
III to the joys, the raptures, the splendors
heaven, and he can truly say, sits man.
rs are mine, its temples are mine, its
Is are mine, its God Is mine!" Oh, 1t is
tame thing 10 become a Christian. 1t Is
nerrymaking. 1t is the killing of the
led cali. 1t is a jubilee. You know the
lie never compares 1t to q funeral, but
rays compares it TO something delightful.
s more apt TO be compared to a banquet
IN anything else. 1t Is compared in the
be 10 water. bright, flashing water, to the
brning, r%oseate. iireworked, mountain
(n,flcured morning.
wish | could to-day take all the Bible cx-
fssions about pardon, and peace, and life,
comfort. and hope, and heaven. and
ist them into one garland and put 1t on
brow Of tho humblest child OF God in
5 Ssscmblage and cry, "Wear it, wear it
w. wa lNi'N'l, sun VI opu, uttt
the Lord God Almighty" Oh, the Joy OF
new convert Oh. the gladness OF the
tristan service! You have sec some.
nes a man in a religious assembly get up
q give his experience. Well, Paul gave
experience. lie arose in. the presence
two churches, the church on earth and the
ureh in heaven, and he said, "Now this is
experlence-sorrowful, yet always re-
eng poor, yet making many rich; having
P'hing, yet possessing all things" If the
opIe In this house knew the joys OF the
rlslian religion, they would all pass over
olhe kingdom of God the next moment.
heD Daniel Sandman was dying OF chol-
3iby"
ron, he replied, "since / found the Lord ]
We never had any pain except SIM" Then
y said to him, "WouId you like to send a
sage to your ~friends?" eyes, l would.
u them that only last night the love OF
Us came rushing into my soul like the
Ises OF the sea, and 1 had to cry ou,
op, Lord. 1t is enough; stop, Lord
Vugh'' Oh the joys OF this Christian re.
ron; Just pass over from those tame Joys
WI'ch you are INDUCING, joys of thi.
plii' into the raptures Of the gospel. Tht
piu cannot satisfy you. You have found
cut Alexander longing for other world.
CONQUER and yet drowned in his own bot.
byron whipped by disquietudes arount
world; Voltaire cursing his own sou
W. aI' me streets OF Paris were applaud
nun; Henry IL consuming with hatrec
"Hs' poor Thomas Beckett
Illustrations Of the fact that thi!
=" cahnot make n man happy
very man who poisoned the pommel o
salaie on which Queen Elizabeth rod,
uu.cu IN The street, God save the Queen!'
moment the world applauds. and tn,
Az moment the world annthtmatizes. Oh
ao oyer into this greater Joy, this sublim,
,aVe, ms magnificent beatitude! The nigh