Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-11-20
TALMAGE
SERMON
By Rsv.
FRANK De WITT TALMACE. DID,.
Pastor Of JEFFERSON Park Presby-
terian Church, Chicago

Chicago, Nov. 16.-The duty Of
Christian laymen to present the gospel
invitation to people who have not yet
accepted It is enjoined in this sermon
by Rev. Frank De witt Talmage on
the text Luke xiv, %, go out into
the highways and hedges and compel
them to come In
Christ was comparing the kingdom
Of heaven to a great banquet which
God had prepared for his invited
guests, who would not come. The
Earl of Leicester made great prepara-
tons to receive Elizabeth. the Virgin
Queen Of England" when she visited
the castle halls Of old Kenilworth
Not only was his banquet hall brilliant
with many lights, but no sooner did
the royal guest step upon the draw
bridge which led into the castle than a
raft, made as a floating island, came
into view. Upon this floating island
sat a beautiful woman. She was sur
rounded by her water nymphs. She
came, as queen of the lake, to bend
the knee In homage to the visiting
queen. At night while the banquet
went on the heavens were af'ame with
the illuminations Of fireworks. Such"
wrote the clerk Of Queen Elizabeth's
council chamber. was the blaze Of
burning darts. the CLEAN Of stars
coruscant, the streams and hail Of
fiery sparks, lightnings of wildfire and
night-shot Of thunderbolts, with con-
tinuance terror and vehemency. that
the heavens Numbered, the waters
surged and the earth shook. and for
my part, hardy as l am, it made me
vengably afraid" But though the
queen lover made great and wonderful
preparations to receive his royal guest
in the gorgeous banquet hall Of old
Kenilworth, he made no such prepara-
tons as God had made in the parable
to receive his heavenly guests. who
would not come.
But, as the divinely invited guests
would not come. then God practically
said: 81 will have my banquet hall
filled Notwithstanding. If the guests
for whom the banquet was prepared
will not come to me, then l will send
out for those who will appreciate 1t.
will compel them to come in" So the
Lord in the parable said to his serv-
ants, as Christ now says to us church
members, go out into the highways
and hedges and compel them to
come in" The purpose Of this dis
course is to show how, as individual
church members. we can become heav-
emily constrainers and present the gos-
pei invitation to sinful men and women
whom we meet in our daily walks Of
life. 1t is to show how, by gospel con-
secrated work among Individuals we
can change an empty church into a
crowded sanctuary and by depicting
the places Of EVIL resort we can ulti
mately make full heaven.
Mr.. Moody's Plan.
When some one asked Mr.. Moody:
How shall we reach the masses for
Christ? How shall we give the gospe.
Invitation to those sinners who are out
in the highways and the hedges7" he
bluntly answered his questioners. go
after them" But how are we to go
after them? First, as Christ's disciples
we should begin our personal work
among individuals by presenting the
gospel of Jesus to those who are closest
to us. We should present Christ first
to our fathers and mothers. to our hus-
bands and wives and brothers and Sis
ters and children. to our dear friends
and to all who are bound to us by the
ties of blood and love. We should do
just the same as Andrew. the brother
Of Philip. did when he was converted.
No sooner did he see the face of Christ
than he practically said to himself
why, I must Immediately 60 and hunt
up my dear brother Philip. How hap
py l can make him! We have been side
by side In all our Joys and sorrows
from the time we were born. He must
share today in my new hope" 1t IL
upon this action Of Andrew. who at
once went and carried the gospel invi-
tation to his brother that the great
brotherhood of Andrew and Philip
has been established.
But, though the eternal salvation Of
our unrepentant loved ones ought to
be a perpetual cause Of anxiety for us
day In and day out. yet there are thou
sands and hundreds of thousands Of
church members who never think 1t
obligatory for them to present the love
Of living Christ to those who ought
to be as dear to them as a Jonathan
was to a David, a Damon to a Pyth-
las or the memory of a murdered king
Of Denmark was to an avenging son.
These church members are ready to in
vite those friends to their homes, but
they are not willing to personally in
wife them to sit at the hottest Of all tn
bles-the TABLE Of the blessed commun-
lon. They are ready to talk with their
friends upon politics or business, but
they are not ready to discuss with them
the greatest of all questions. What
shall 1t profit a man II he should gain
the whole world and lose his own
soul" They are ready to sound the
praises Of their friends to their other
friends. but they are not ready to
sound forth to their earthly friends
the praises OF their Heavenly Father.
They are always ready to introduce
one earthly friend to another. but they
are not anxious to make their earthly
| cornpa niONs accumulated with that Mt