Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1897-03-11
A FESTIVE RELIGION.
REY. Or. TALMAGE INVITES THE
WORLD TO A BANQUET.

ue Takes ~ Text, "brtng Hither tho /
Fatted Calf" and breaches An InsPir- !
ing Sermon on the Joy OF a Saved Soul. I
A Grand Peroration.
WASHINGTON, March THE gladnesses |
IT religion are set forth by DR.. Talmagc in
bis sermon under the figure Of q banquet, |
and all the world is invited to be guests.
The text is Luke Nv, 20, Bring hither
the fatted calf and kill IL.
In all ages of the world it has been Gus
tomary to celebrate joyful events by fes-
tiyity-the signing Of treaties, the proc
lamation Of peace, the Inauguration Of
presidents, the coronation of kings, the
Christmas, the marriage. However much
on other days of the year our table may
have stinted supply, ON Thanksgiving day
there must be something bounteous. And
all the comfortable homes of Christendom
have at some time celebrated joyful events
by banquet and festivity. Something has
happened on the old homestead greater
than anything that has ever happened be-
fore. A fnvorite son whom the world sup
posed would become q vagabond and out
law forever has got tired of sightseeing
and has returned to his fathers house.
The world said he never would come back.
The old man always said his son would
come back. He had been looking for him
day after day and year after year. He knew
he would come back. Now, having return
ed to his fathers house, the father pro-
claims celebration. There is in the pad
dock calf that has been kept up and fed
to utmost capacity, so as to be ready for
some occasion of joy that might come
along. All, there never would be grand
er day on the old homestead than this day.
Let the butchers do their work and the
housekecrers bring in to the table the
smoking meat. The musicians will take
their places, and the gay groups will move
up and down the floor. All the friends and
neighbors are gathered in, and an extra
supply is sent out to the table of the serv-
ants. The father presides at the table and
says grace and thanks God that his long
absent hoy is horne again. Oh, how they
missed hilnl How glad they are to have
him back!
One brother stands pouting at the back
door and says: "This is great ado about
nothing This bad boy should have been
chastised instead of greeted. Veal Is too
good for him." But the father says,
Nothing is too good; nothing is good
enough" There sits tho young man, glad
at the hearty reception, but shadow of
sorrow fitting across his brow at the re-
membrance of the trouble he had seen. All
ready now. Let the covers lift. Music. He
was dead, and he is alive again. He was
lost, and he ia found By such bold image
ry does the Bible set forth the merrynak-
| ing when soul comes home to God.
Tho JOY Of q Convert.
| First of ell, thero is tho new convert 8
| joy. 1t is no tame thing to become Chris
| tian. The most tremendous moment in a
! mans lifo is when he surrenders himself
| to God. Tho grandest time on the father S
homestead is when the boy comes back.
Among the great throng who in the par-
| lors Of our church professed Christ one
night was O young man who rext morn
| ing rang my doorbell and said: "Sir, l
cannot contain myself with the joy l feel.
came hero this morning to express it.
have found more joy in five minutes in
serving God than in all the years of my
| prodigality, and came to say So" You
| have seen perhaps man running for his
| temporal liberty and the officers Of the
law after him, and you saw him escape, or
afterward you hear the judge had pardon
ed him, and how great was the glee OF
that rescued man, but it is q very tame
thing that, compared with the running fol-
ones everlasting life, the terrors of the
law after him and Christ coming in tc
pardon and bless and rescue and save.
You remember John Bunyan in his
great story tells how the pilgrim put his
a l. 20
life, eternal life!' A poor car driver some
time ago, after years having had to strug
gle to support his family, suddenly was
informed that large inheritance was his
and there was q joy amounting to bewil
derInent, but that is small thing COM
pared with the experience of one when HI
has put in his hands the title decd to tht
joys, the raptures, the splendors of heaven
and he can truly say, "Its mansions ar
mine; it's temples are mine; its songs ar
mine; it's God is ,nine" Oh, it is no tam,
thing to become Christian! 1t is a'merry
making; ii Is the killing of the fatted calf
it is o jubilee. You know the Bible neve
compares it to q funeral, but always com
pares it to something delightful. 1t i
more apt to be compared to banquet thai
anything else. 1t is compared in the Bibl
to water-bright, flashing water, to tn
| morning t1reworked, mountain
transtigurod morning.
wish could today take all the Bibl
expressions about pardon and peace ant
life and comfort and hope and heavel
and twist them into one garland and pu
it on the brow of the hImblest child @
| God in this assemblage and cry, Wear il
| tt of
daughter of the Lord God Almighty" Oh
the joy Of the new converti Oh, the glad
ness OF the Christian service! You hav
seen sometimes a man in religious as
semhly get up and give his experience
Well, Paul gave his experience. He aros
in the presence of two churches-thec churc
on earth and the church in heaven-and h
said, 'Now, this is my experience, SORROW
full, yetalways rejoicing; poor, yet maxim
many rich; having nothing, yet possess
ing all things" If the people in this hous
knew the joys of the Christian religion
they would all pass over into the kipgdol
of God tho next moment. When Dani'
Sandeman was dying Of cholera, his a
tendant said, "Have you much pain9
"Oh," he replied, since found the Lor
I have never had any pain except sin.
Then they said to him, would you lii
to send message to your friends?" Ie
would. Tell them that only last nigl
the love Of Jesus came rushing into IL
soul like the surges of the sea, and he
to cry out: Stop, Lord, it is enough; stol
Lord, enoughp Oh, the joys Of tn
4 Christian religion! Just pass over fro
those tame joys in which you are indul
: ing, joys of this world, into the raptur
\ of the gospel. The world cannot salts
1 you; you have found that out. Alexande
: longing for other worlds to conquer, az
9 yet drowned in his own bottle; Byrc
: whipped by disouietudes around the worl'
4
EYz11gzuEtzzHs1a5as1Izz5Ey