Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-08
DR.. TALMAGE breaches
ON FRIVOLOUS EXCUSES
PARABLE OF WEDDING FEAST
FURNISHES INSPIRATION

Frivolous Excuses was the theme
yesterday of Rev. Frank Dewitt
Talmage delivered in the First Presby-
terrain church.
In this sermon the preacher gives
the modern application of the parable
of the wedding Feast" and the
varied excuses sent by those who alb
sented themselves, but who desired to
conceal the real reason The text is
Luke 14:1S, "And they all with one
consent began to make excuse"
at is comparatively seldom that
men are convinced by argument" said
DIR. Talmage. "In every period the
soever irrefutable his arguments, has
been treated with incredulity and
sometimes with ridicule.
"The little children used to point
their fingers to their foreheads when
the Genoa sea captain passed by, and
all Europe called Columbus crazy be-
cause he believed in circumnaviga-
tion.
''Up to Kepler's time this world was
supposed to be a great animal; the
wind its breath; the sulphur and min
eral veins it's ulcers; the eruption and
volcanic pulsations it's coughings.
"Galileo had to publicly renounce
the theory which he could logically
prove. because the church considered
it heresy.
1.-THE young scientist who read a
paper some years ago arguing that the
coral islands We're built by a small
insect was prosecuted and expelled
from the French Academy, and, brok-
en-hearted and in disgrace, he COM
mitted suicide.
Few Have the Courage
ITO introduce any innovation into
the realm of thought by the power of
argument is a task that few have the
courage to attempt and fewer still the
power to achieve.
but though argument and fact are
often futile, there are two wizards
who can always charm-he who can
tell a story and he who can paint
picture. With one FASH the artist of
the brush or pen can carry the truth
home.
"The public speaker who Yields the
greatest influence today is not the
scientist or the logician, but the orator
who can tell the common people what
thing is like. Christ nearly always
spoke In PARALLELS. His analogies were
the wheat and the tares and the mus
tard seed, and the birds of the air,
and the lilies of the valley. Every
body can understand a similitude.
zone of these matchless similitudes
Is the scene of the text. The kingdom
Of heaven is compared to a feast, to
which many guests have been invited.
Manners and customs change, but
in all periods and in all lands the idea
of feast has been familiar. They
have been celebrated from time inn
memorial.
"Laban made great feast when he
gave his daughter Leah in marriage to
Jacob. Archelaus made a great feast
for those who came to his fathers
funeral Kenilworth Castle blazed and
cannons doomed during the days of
Elizabeth and courtiers drank to the
health of the queen. Feast OF the
Passover. feast OF Pentecost, feast of
Tabernacles, We're the three great an
nual festal occasions of the Jews.
"The Holy Communion was institut-
ed at feast OF Christ and his twelve
apostles. The comparison of the
kingdom of heaven to feast is. there
fore, a very simple and familiar one.
But bark! When the time comes for
the guests to arrive knock after
knock Is heard. Regret after regret
is handed in. Insult is heaped upon
insult, And they all with one consent
began to make excuse"