The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-07-22

ger down the highways or the public
streets and hear him say to men on the
fight and to men on the left. Come, come,
to the marriage of the kings son.
see him dart off to the side. He is about
to disappear In the doorway of an adjoin-
Ing house. where are you going, mes
senger?" l cry. THE king did not bid
thee 20 into any homesi Thy command
reads. Go We. therefore into the high
ways That is a private home. That
Is not the public street Every mans
home is his, castle, and you have no right
to enter there" mo right" answers the
guide. why If ! did not enter some
homes there would be thousands OF in
valids who would never be invited to
come to the kings banquet. DID you not
see the pale cheek of that tired sick
woman at the window? I am going to
tell her to come to the marriage banquet
OF the kings son."
We enter the house and go into the
sickroom. The nurse meets US at the
door and says flush! Don't make a
noise She is very sick today. She is
failing very rapidly. She has been an
invalid in this room for Ave, ten or
even twenty years. Her time Of de-
parture is now not far off" I know
it," says abe kings messenger. Il know
it, She has had too many pains here,
She has suffered enough She must get
up and out of this bed and put on the
bloom Of eternal youth She must renew
her strength She shall mount up with
wings as eagles She shall run and not
he weary She shall walk and not
faint" But" says the nurse, she
cannot even move a limb See, she is
paralyzed." IT know It," says the mes
senger. but remember I have not come
to bid her crawl AROUND on crutch.
Remember I have come to ask her to
attend the banquet of the Kings Son.
If NV Lord is willing to ask her to
come. surely he will give to her the
needful strength with which to walk to
his banquet hall and attend His Sons
feast" would you like to come, suf-
fering invalld?" asks the messenger.
well, rise up and come now
For lnvaIds, Too.
What a blessed and glorious time that
will be when all the sick and the helpless
who for months and years have been
counted among the shut ms shall at
tend the banquet of the Kings SOM When
one of the greatest ministers of the world
a few years ago was dying In the east MS
poor sick suffering grandchild, lifelong
invalid. was sobbing in the hall. AS
friend of my mother was passing into the
sickroom she stopped and spoke TO the
Invalid child rs grandpa better?" the
little girl asked mo: he is dying" was
the answer ooh" she said, why did
not God take me and leave him? | am OF
so little use in the world, and he is of so
much use" Are. when the Kings ban
ouet is to be spread Gods messenger Will
come and get thee, weak, invalid grand
child as we'll as grandmother You nave
been praying enough in that dark room'
God has heard your prayer. Gods mes
senger will come soon, and when he comes
YOU will not have to go into the BAN
oh
have TO be carried there on litter. You
will walk there; you will leap there even
as the lame man whom Peter spoke to
at the beautiful gate went into the tenn
pie leaping and singing and praising God
The banquet, the banquet OF the klng is
spread for Gods suffering ones OF the
sick chambers.
Rut as we come out into the sunlight
from the sick chamber the messenger OF
the king turns down into dark street,
| clutch him by the arm as / say; Don't
go there. You are evidently not acquaint-
ed with this city. 1t may be all right TO
ask the poor to the kings banquet Poor
people may be just as honorable as the
rich But do not ask the criminals. W ny,
those people living here belong TO what
are called the outcast classes You are
now going into the depraved districts of
our city. You would not have harlot or
a thief or a drunkard or a libertine at
tend the marriage of the Kings Son.
Yes. 1 would, If they repent OF their
sins" answers the messenger. do you
not remember the royal command, Go We,
therefore, into the highways and hedges.
and as many as We shall find bid to the
MARRIAGE"
Then l look and find these words In the
Bible: 80 the servants went forth out
into the highways and the hedges and
gathered together all, as many as they
found. both bad and good" The bad,
the depraved the outcasts, were invited
as we'll as those who had never been
behind the prison bars and had never
done anything for which they ought to
have been there II they had received their
just dues.
Criminals Were Asked.
Thus as I go to that banquet door and
push it a little open I find the strangest
assortment of people, You would not be-
lieve those people are there unless you
come and look for yourself But as we
are today following the Kings messenger
around and as we hear him saying to
this man and to that. Come TO the mar
riage. come to the divine wedding feast"
methinks he suddenly turns to us and
A.