Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-11-17
TALMAGE
SERMON
BY Rev.
FRANK DE WITT IALMAGE. DID,.
Pastor OF Jefferson Park Presby-
terrain Church, Chicago

Chicago, Nov. 16.-The duty of
christian laymen to present the gospel
invitation to people who have not yet
accepted 1t 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 q great banquet which
God had prepared for his invited
Earl Of Leicester made great prepare
lions to receive Elizabeth, the Virgin
Queen OF England" when she visited
Khe 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
raft, made as floating island. came
anto view. Upon this floating island
sat 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 afiame with
&he 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
0ery sparks, lightnings of wildtire and
Alght-shot OF thunderbolts, with con-
tinuance terror and vehemency, that
the heavens thundered, the waters
Surged and the earth shook. and for
my part, hardy as am, it made me
vengeably afraid" But, though the
queen lover made great and wonderful
separations to receive his royal guest
In the gorgeous banquet hall of old
Kenilworth, he made no such prepare
6ens as God had made in the parable
% 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
Hlled Notwithstanding. If the guests
Tor whom the banquet was prepared
VIII not come to me, then l will send
out for those who will appreciate it.
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 mem ers, we can become heav-
emily constra ners and present the Cos
pei Invitation. to sinful men and women
whom we meet in our daily walks of
life. 1t is to show how, by gospel con-
aeecrated work among individuals, we
can change an empty church into a
1crowded sanctuary and by depicting
the places of evil resort we can ulti-
motely make full heaven.
Mr.. MOody's Plan.
When some one asked Mr.. Moody:
'T1ow shall we reach the masses for
Christr How shall we give the gospel
invitation to those sinners who are out
In the highways and the hedges?" 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
70 Us. We should present Christ first
TO our fathers and mothers. to our hus-
bands and wives and brothers and sis.
<ers and children. to our dear friends
and to oil who are bound to us by the
6es OF blood and love. We should dc
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, must Immediately go and hunt
up my dear brother Philip. How hap
py can make him! We have been side
by side in all our joys and sorrows
from the time we were born. He mus
share today in my new hope" 1t i.
upon this action of Andrew, who a
once went and carried the gospel invi
ration to his brother, that the gres
brotherhood of Andrew and Philip
has been established.
But, though the eternal salvation o
our unrepentant loved ones ought t
be perpetual cause of anxiety for u
day In and day out. yet there are thou
sands and hundreds of thousands o
church members who never think
obligatory fer them to present the Low
OF living Christ to those who ough
70 be as dear to them as q Jonathan
was to q David. u Damon to a Pyth
las or the memory of a murdered kin
Of Denmark was to an avenging sor
These church members are ready to il
vite those friends to their homes, bu
they are not willing to personally il
Vite them to sit ut the hottest of all t;
bles-the table of the blessed commul
ION. They are ready to talk with the
friends upon politics or business, br
they are not ready TO discuss with thel