Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1906-07-21
{,
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank DC Witt Talmage, D. D.

Los Aurclos, July 10. The familiar
parable o thc kings wedding supper
- presented by the preacher in this
sermon ia "a new light and is made the
basis for unlimited invitation TO all
hdSses The text is Matthew xxi, 10.
The wedding was furnished with
guests
Some people are born ascetics. They
love To travel TIE rough roads Instead
OF the smooth. They profess to de
spise every form of comfort and ease.
Like john The Baptist, they would
clothe themselves in skins aud banquet
upon locusts and wild honey. They
believe that primitive man In his dug
out. eating his raw meat and herbs as
he hunts them day by day, Is II better
tyne vi the human race than Is the
modern man living in "A h0thOuse and
sleeping upon feather bed and pro-
tecting himself from the rains of sum
mer and the colds of winter with um-
brellas und rubbers and storm over
coats Like Emperor William L. OF
Germany, they believe that, though
they may live In palace, yet the body
rests better upon the hard camp cot.
the relic of many battlefelds, and the
cOarscr the food they eat the more
physical aud mental strength they Will
have.
The banquet hall may have a bad
name OH account OF the gourmets and
gluttOns who make out Of its table q
shrine yet one of the most Important
political, social. ecclesiastical, financial
and literary factors of the world has
been the banquet hall When Glad
stone. a Disrael, Salisbury and
Balfour wanted to explain the state
policyof the British government, where
did they utter their manlfestoes: They
again-and again spoke to the British
empire and 30 the world over the ban
qnet table. which WIS spread to cele-
brate the induction of a new lord may
or Of london into Office When Henry
w. Grady wanted to bind the new
north tothe new south with the golden
cords OF love. where did he do III AT
the New ENGLAND banquet held In New
York city IN 1885 to celebrate Fore
fathers day How did New York and
America honor the electrical triumphs
of the inventor OF the telegraph, sam
uel +. B. Morse? BY public dinner
on Dec. %. 1863. How did New York
honor the cable triumphs Of Cyrus w.
Field? In the same way, by public
hannuet three years later How does
the New York chamber of commerce
not only cement the business interests
ca the news world together, but also
s ~ fan ITS -eltief merchants. and
Manufacturers the greatest tnanciers
of the wor'I - give them words OF
advice? ~ their annual banquet5'
Aud how did ihe American pulpit non
or one of lis greatest theolosians few
years ago Rev. Dr. Uerrick Johnson.
than whom there WAS not al that tune
more powerful personality IN any
professoriai chair in The westf by ii
nlbljc BANQUET given IN chicago in
Jauuarv 1863. The braiuy men OF
this country do not gather in the ban
niet hail FOR great feast Of material
Wand. nearly a. much as for "a ieast
Of intellectual, moral and splrituai
foods Thus am glad today that this
symbol of my text is found in ban
onet hall. Furthermore II Is foand IN
the most fascinating Of all banquet
halls namely. at wedding feast
the Gacats were Secured
Won know ,his parable without our
ooiug into details The king wanted
70 mako u great feast to celebrate the
wedding of his son. The loving father
invites maay guests 10 the wedding
hut they all refuse to come. Then the
king saws TO his servants, go out into
the highways aud the hedges and con-
moi tham 70 come" Then the servants
qo and bring In the new guests. Now
1t is my purpose to talk to you about
this banquet hall and point out FOR
Won the different characteristics ana
the social status of the guests IN
thinking over this parable we otteh
dwell on the direct lesson Of the wide
gospel invitation it conveys without
noticing the characteristics Of the men,
the women and the Children who were
finally persuaded to sit down at tue
wedding feast of the royal Son of COD
Jesus Christ
Let us find Il vantage ground 10
stand on. Let us, in the first place,
I learn how we can best study the per-
sonal characteristics of these wedding
guests. Shall we do this by entering
the brilliantly lighted banquet hall and
watching the actions of the guests who
! are gathered about the tablef Nay
You cannot tell what a man is like
when he is dressed up and out for an
evening entertainment In order 70
find out what he truly Is You must 20
and talk with him at his work. His
| Sunday clothes are not the true index
Of his life. Many man has gone tC
an evening reception in a borrowed
dress suit. Many Il woman who Is
most elaborately appareled for a par
ty is a slattern when in her own home
Thus in order to find out the different
characteristics of the wedding guests
we should follow one Of the servants
who goes forth by the kings com
mand to gather in the guests for the
wedding.
Those who Accepted.
Now, what did the king say? "Go ye
therefore, into the highways and a:
many as ye shall ind bid to the mar
riage." That means: "Oh, servant, a.
soon as you get into the street giv'
this wedding invitation TO the first mel
and women and children you meet
Make no exceptions to this rule. Sligh
no one. Ask all who will to come.
Now, whom do you suppose the servan
taturally first accosted@ Probably til