The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-12-10

y
looked upon lost humanity as so many jewels,
crushed and trOdden under foot fit to sparkle in the
crown Of the hi EIornal II they we're only washed
and polished i, was HIS feprOaoh whIch He has
carried up to the throne OF HIS CORY and rejoices
in the same " rms man Ieceiyetn sinners"
This glorious conception breaks across our souls
In the darkness oil reientence, and in the mig It of
death STAYING our solls and keeping them from
fOunde j-"1nis man receiUeth sinners and eatsth
aOih Mem," and every time the gates of Heaven
open, IN goes one 20 ever be guest at His eYerast
ing feat. This paraDe the copy OF particular
individual; it an ideal but with features selected
from many models. IL IS ecectic-or as, wlen the
fectlon, he would gather all the beauties Of Greece
aud eCted from each some perfect featurej so
that when the matchess thing was completed every
sented ana yet no one cou I'M II exclusively as
her own So TINS parable not the out'and-out PIC
ture any one, but of tue race. Every errlug mortal
recognizes hin sell IN some oil its features.
. here has beon much ado made by tue commenta-
tors as TO who is represented in the parable or
drama. he fact Is, the tall OF man, and the actual
apostacy of eacn individual. But we are told tnat
the two sons represent Inc jewish and heather d s
pepsatiOL 8; others say angels and men; but 1t is
hardly in keeping win the previous parable, which
represents the ange rejoicing over one sinner that
repentetb. suddenly RrOwlng jealous, complaining
that for their fde ity they had never received kid,
with which 10 make merry with their friends. Many
OF the commentators are but spiritual vandas r1ng
the scriptures OF their natural beauty and obvious
they build then houses, cut away all the native
forest trees, grub up the vines, and plant in their
places locusts, holyhOcks, and suntlowers.
In Scripture, in nature that which Is trueSt TO
nature IS Cest; ana in this parable NJ sc ms most
natural to the design OF the Saviour to divide all
mankind into two c asses, seeking happiness by
two Ways-the younger son, through unrlghteous-
ness, whIch desrades; the elder by self-rght9ous-
ness, which enslaves If you ask as to the ments
OF the two reply that one road Ii ads to perdiuOn,
and the olher alsO-you will be lost If you take
either.
The Master seems to have ever had before Hi n
the vans OF our nature; for The mind Graves both
the dramatic and tragic 1t thus want mIsdlrected
ton, when the most extreme misery may confront
them vita tear ess eyes and IMPLYING hearts. Now
the scriptures meet TINS want IN giving us truth III
both tragic and dramatic dress.
This drama has ITS various The first is the
son at home. there is both Divine and human
side to the parab One shows his alienation and
departure Irom his heavenly Fathers house and the
other the earth y Fidelity to one is the measure of
fathfuness to the other 1t sets forth his conduct
both Godward and manward Let us look at nat
earthly home. with It's joys and affinl'ies, and learn
how great the power that can turn us away. "Tne
Christian home" Is almost the only yestge OF lost
Paradise-God founded 1t in that transient but
blssful home to be q memorial of Eden until it
should be regained. Upon it He pronounced FL 8
swn benedcton; upon the institution in whicl 1t
was founded, AMID the songs, fragrance, and sun
shine OF that bi su abode.
Some OF you young men have no homes, but
memory has raled monument more enduring
than Paran marble. Orphans can appreciate what
have to say, ior, alas! home never has Its true
dimensions but IN the retros pectiVe. Perhaps some
OF you have not forgotten the pang at the rupture
OF home ties. When duty carried you away, or
call OF your country, IL was IKE rendlng your heart
You summoned the power of your manhood TO
kiss your mother in good-Dy You shlvered with
emotion when you grasped the pa sled hands of your
grey haired father, as YOU saw the tears coursng
down the grooves that time had carved upen hls
face and with lalterIng voice said, "Good-by my
dear boy; may the blessing OF your fathers God bo
upon YOU" 1t was like giving up the ghost When
your sister clung to you and wept over you, and
from whom you had almost to escape by violence as
when you ad go Q pace and cast a lingering look
homeward, 1t never ooked lovely, the vines never
hung so graceful ly, nor the flowers seemed fra
grant, nor the hillside over which your youth had
gan boiled, 80 richly othed IN living green or the
brook in which you had laved your infant feet,
And now Is not that fearful power that could
BRING son 10 ask such separatonY On! there is
amount of merit IN the sou that leaps the bounds
OF both Divine and human affection. Neither the
wooings OF iove nor the caressss of affection can
bind II; for 1t tIamples both law and love. IL Is
the awiul fact OF sin that makes the waywaId heart
.Father give me the portion that falle,h to me-"
! ought here remark that tn law OF prImogemture
with the jews somewhat different from the feuda
system: If there were two sons the property was
divide into ihree parts, two OF which accrued to
the elder. 1t Tor this third part that this heart
less son broke forth demand, like clap of thuu-
der from clio Idless sky l. announced to his father
that from his sons heart all affection had fed.
He asks his 1ather to become the executor of
his own viii; he LAYS hold of death, and brings
him to confront his father with all the attendant
sorrows OF his inture disso pti9n; Nay the father
hoping for his death III order to come into poses
sion OF his inheI tance.
death without dying, for where testament is tnere
must also be the death of the testator.
Ny impenitent brother mans iber yis the most
gigantic power he ever possessed. Ii has filed perdI
tICn with hapIess victims. GOD expostulates ke a
ther; he eli cumvents by His love He warns aud
cntreats until ali motives are exhausted AMI then
He hsnds man over 10 his WILL aud will not smut
the gates OF Paradis, AGAINST his departure. but
will exc aim as you go 'My spirit shall not al ways
strive with man" GIVE, give" is ever the language
OF tie apostate, the sinners htanY.
Let us over look another fact. The father did
not try to prevent him. though his heart yearned
for him. The Iather was not Altogether taken by
surprise; for love detects the shadow of turDIng;
love is more watc ltul than jlstice the All seeing
eye is located in the perfection of love- The father
yields to hat tie cannot avert without DO ng vo-
lence to the l' ertT OF hIs son, and sad divides
unto them his living, as unto the parent PAIR he
divided them their living. And unto Adam He
said Thou hast eaten of the tree Of which com
manded thee, saying, Tnou shat not eat of it,.
Cursed is the ground for thy sake in sorrow shalt
thou eat of 1t ali he days of tny life"
Ny young Il lends, we have entered the vestlbule
of tins parable, nom which we hope to address you
several evenings.