The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1897-03-13
4 FESTIVE RELIGION.
nv. DR. TALMAGE INVITES The
WORLD TO A BANQUET. =

,,tted Calf" and breaches an Inspir-
irg Sermon on tho Joy of q Saved SOUL
Grand PcrOration.
WASHINGTON, March 1.-THE gladnesses
. eligion arc set forth Ivy DIR. Talmage III
J ; sermon under the figure of IL banquet,
,1 all the world IS invited to be guests |
IT,, text Is Luke XIV, %, Bring hlther
I, !, futtcd calf and kill 1t.
all ages OF the world 1t has been Gus
s. airy to celebrate joyful events by fes-
4 ty-the signing of treaties the proc.
alton Of peace, the Inauguration OF
s;dents. the coronation OF kings, the
,ristmas, tho marriage. However much
4, other days Of the year our table may
,c q stintcd supply, on Thanksgiving day
70 must be something bounteous. And
the comfortable homes Of Christendom
80 at some timc celebrated Joyful events
~ banquet and fcstivity. Something mas
u ,,nenCd ON the old homestead greater
,hnn anything that has ever happened bo-
tore. A favorite son whom the world sup
,.uscd would become a vagabond and out
law forever has got tired of sightseeing
j, III has returned to his fathers house.
:. {. world said no never would come PACK.
= /, old man always said his son would
Z 10 DlCA. x1S nuu tSSSA AOoNAAts - 1890
I. after day nna year after year. he knew
1 would como back Now, having return
To his fnthcr's house, the father pro-
inns celebration. There Is in the pad
4, TX u cnff that has been kept up and fed
/, utmost capacity, SO as to be ready for
s,,.ne occasion of Joy that might come
along, All, there never would be grand
~ flnv ON the old homestead than this day.
LIT tho butchers do their work ana the
f,u,sckecpcrs bring In to the table the
smoking meat. The musicians will take
their places and tho gay groups will move
% and down tho floor. All the friends and
nCiRhhors arc gathered In, and an extra
~upply Is sent out to the table or the serv
,nts. The father prcsides at the table and
suys grace and thanks God that his long
absent boy Is homo again. Oh, how they
,uisscd him! How glad they nre to have
him back! :,
Ono brother stands pouting at the back
door and says: '.This is n great ado about
,othing. This bad boy should have beer
chastiscd instead of greeted. Veal Is toe
rood for him" But tho father says
Nothing is too good; nothing is good
.nough.'' There sits the young man. glat
at the hearty reception, but shadow O
sorrow fitting across his brow ut the re
memhrancc OF tho trouble he had seen. Al
ready now. Let l.o covers lift. Music. III
was dead and he is alive again. He VIZ
ry docs tho ..iblo set forth the merrymak
inR when u soul comes home to God.
Tho JOY Of Convert.
First of all, .thcreris tho nesH convert
10y. II Is no tuno thing to become a Chris
tim. Tho most tremendous moment In
mans life iswhen he surrqnders H1nsel
to God. Tho Erandcst timo on tho father
homestead Is when the boy comes back
Among the great throng who In the pm
lors Of our church 'ofessed Christ on
night WAS u young man who Ecxt morn
Ing rang my doorbell and said: "Sir,
cannot contain myself with tho JOY fee
came hero this morning to express 1t
hnvc found moro Joy in five minutes !
serving God than in Ill the years of IN
prodigality, and came TO say So - Yo
hnyo seen perhaps n man running for hi
temporal liberty mud the officers of til
law after him, and you saw him escape, {
nfterwar,l you hear the judge had pardon
cd him, and how grcat was the glce