Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-05
PASTOR SAYS HEAVEN
IS NOT EXCLUSIVE
DRAWS DIFFERENT INFERENCE
FROM PARABLE
Says Marriage Supper, Where Guests
Were Compelled to Come In, Does
Not Mean That Wayward Are to
Be Made to Enter by Force

VI "The Triumph of the Good was the
the Memorial Baptist chuch, taking for
his text the words, Compel them to
come in He said in part:
rs this parable of the marriage sup
per given to teach that heaven is lit
tie exclusive corner somewhere in this
universe, which is to be peopled by an
exclusive little company, fortunate
enough, through some caprice of the
one who gave the feast to receive an in
vitation? Does 1t teach that God in his
plans and purposes has been surprised
or defeated. and that having prepared a
heaven somewhere he has hard work to
people ff2 Does it teach that some
body must come into this prepared place
even though he has to be. compelled
to come in by force? No, none of these
things are taught. Heaven is not to be
little exclusive corner, peopled by an
exclusive set. Gods purpose has not
been and will not be defeated, and Moth
ing has happened or will happen in this
universe which Is not a part of the orig
inal program, SO far as there has been
any program. And those wandering
from the truth are not to be compelled
to come in by force.
This parable teaches us the great
ness of Gods plans for man, and the
final triumph of the good. Let us not
be diverted by the details of the story
The real thought here is that in the end
the purposes of the good will carry
Just as this marriage feast from the
story of which we learn todav's lesson
was not provided with guests from the
select few, who consider themselves the
heaven-chosen favorites of all Gods
good things, just as the crowd of the
overlooked, uncounted and despised
along the highways were finally the
participants of the good things, so in
the great battle between the good and
the bad, it Is the rank and file of the
people who are to be'considered and the
throngs who crowd life's highways who
are in the end to triumph. Blessed are
the meek for they shall inherit the
earth said the great teacher, and so 1t
will prove in the end. Not only will
those who are despised and oftimes
overlooked, at last be the possessors of
this earth, but 1t is they who are to win
the victories of the good. The people
will triumph In the end. The man who
takes up the cause of the people, the
man who belongs to his fellow man and
has tine courage to champion their
cause will be maligned, despised, de-
serted at the outset, precisely as Christ
was, precisely as very true-hearted
worlds hero has been, but in the end
he will triumph.
Nothing is more patent today in the
tremendous turmoil and transition
through which all the nations of the
world are passing than the passing of
the exclusive, the select. the heartless,
the iphuman. the special privilege, the
inner set and circle, ruling the earth
and possessing all there is worth pos
sessing, and the triumph of the people,
the many, the rights of all, the good
things of the earth for all mankind.
How woefully are those who elect
themselves as the leaders and guides of
mankind, deceiving themselves, and
how serious th0 mistake which they
make when they fear to champion the
cause of humanity as a whole. Along
the path of service unselhsh service to
all who need our service, lies the high
way to honor. How many miss that
pathway, direct their course into the
eul de sac of private gain and SO miss
all.
This is, too let us always remember.
a high sense In which the messengers of
truth and honor and goodness may COM
pei men to come in. Nothing Is so po-
tent as the truth, nothing so deathless
as righteousness and honor, and moth
Ing so absolutely irresistible as an idea
Which lifts up the banner of hope be-
fore the. world. Kings. armies secret
combinations of evil, unhlushing un-
selhshness, disregard OF law and right,
all the tools of repression and oppres-
sion, have fought against II and fight
against 1t today, but all these are but
as owls. seeking to hoot back the rising
sun. The day OF the people and ntelll-
genee ana progress and right has
dawned."