The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-11-23


vitation to people who have not yet ac-
cepted it is enjoined In this sermon by
the Rev. Frank De Witt Talmage on the
text Luke xiv. %, Go out Into the high
ways 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 preparations to receive Eliza
beth, 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
drawbridge 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 afiaIne with the Nominations of
fireworks. Such" wrote the clerk Of
Queen Elizabeths council chamber, was
the blaze of the burning darts, the CLEAN
of stars coruscant, the stream and hail
of fiery sparks, lightnings of wild fire and
f1ing-shot of thunderbolts, with continu-
ance of terror and vehemency, that the
heavens thundered, the waters surged
and the earth shook, and for my part,
hardy as 1 am, it made me veugeably
afraid" But though the queen lover
made great and wonderful preparations
to receive the royal guest in the gorgeous
banquet hall of old Kenilworth, he made
no such preparations 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: IT will have my banquet hall filled
Notwithstanding. If the guests for whom
the banquet hall was prepared will not
come to me then will send ont for those
who will appreciate 1t. / will compel
them to come in" So the lord In the par
able said to his servant, as now Christ
says to us church members, Go out into
the highways and hedges and compel
them to come in" The purpose of this
discourse is to show how. as individuals
church members, we can become heaven
" constrainers and present the gospel
Invitation to sinful men and women whom
we meet In our daily walks OF life. 1t is
to show how, by gospel consecrated work
among individuals, we can arrange an
empty church into crowded sanctuary
and by depicting The places of evil resort
we can ultimately 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 gospel
invitations to those sinners who are out
In the highways and the hedges?" he
bluntly answered his ouestioners, go af-
ter them" But how are we to go after
them? First, as Christ's disciples, we
should begin our personal work among
individuals by presenting tine gospel OF
Jesus to those who are closest to us. We
should present Christ first to our fathers
and mothers, to our husbands and wives,
and brothers and sisters 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 con-
verted. No sooner did he see the face OF
Christ than he practically said to him
self: why, l must Immediately go and
hunt up my dear brother Philip. How
happy 1 can make .himl 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 is upon
this action Of Andrew, who, at once, went
and carried the gospel invitation 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 thousands and
hundreds of thousands of church MEM
bers who never think 1t obligatory for
them to present the love of a living
Christ to those who ought to be as dear
to them as a Jonathan was to David,
a Damon to Pythias Or the memory OF
a murdered king Of Denmark was to an
avenging son. These church members are
ready to invite those friends to their
homes, but they are not willing to per-
sonally invite them to sit at the holiest
of all tables--the table of the blessed
communion. 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 If he shall 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 in
troduce one earthly friend to another, but
they are not anxious to make their earth
ly companions acquainted with that Dr.
vine Companion who Is ever willing to be
our helper and guide along the troubled
journey of life.
These church members are not ready
to do as a Sunday School teacher did
some years ago. She was the daughter
of one of the wealthiest financiers in the
would. Her teacher who was a very in
innate friend of my mother, told Of the
incident. Being converted. the young girl
not only gave her heart to Christ, but she
at once wanted those who were dearest to
her to do the same. So, a few days be-
fore her public profession In the church
she came to her father and said, Papa,
1 am going to join the church next Sun
day, and want you to come and see me-"
mo. daughter" answered the father 1T
am ready to do anything for you but I
can't go to church Your mother, you
know, attends to that part of the family
duties. Besides, Helen, have a very i'm
portant meeting next Sunday with one of
our New York boards, and cannot go to
church." Father" persisted the young
girl. you say you love me. I believe you
do. If was to be married next Sunday,
would you be there, would you not? Well.
father, 1 am going to a more important
am going. to give my troth to Jesus
Christ. He is to be more to me than ever
an earthly husband can be. and / want
you to be there" The tears began to rain
down the great financier's cheeks as he
Yes, Helen, I will CO." AS a
result of that invitation and that service
the father gave his heart to God He is
today waiting in heaven the advent OF his
Christian daughter whose faithfulness
led him to the foot of the cross Oh that
you and ], as gospel evangelists. might be
willing to begin our evangelistic work at
homeTbegin by putting our arm in low