New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-11


confess II 10 themselves Whether they come with the
yb The wyyecl - atv strer,b ~ I'm ~, pei i
pOntment OF sinful amDitiOns-there do come times
away, for tue Joy OF NOBLE work which they despsed,
and for the peace OF innocence. on how that soul
most riehlyendowed sons, breaking M ike bitter
fountain through all their pride OF intellect ana through
all their defiance OF God Hear poor shelley as ne wan
ders on the beach at Naples:
Ala Aas have ', Dor hope nor he,lih'
Nor that content surpssiuE wealth
The sage In meditation found.
Aae waikei With inward glory crowned
' nS sS despair so. 2Gss sf is5 ni Iis DOL ''''
could e down Ike a tire child
And weep away TIE lie Of
M1sl have borne and YET must bear
All team ae, s is. e BE- n aa4B sea- 1 'H mr.
NJ cheek grow cold an Lear the sea
Breathe Ter nv dying brain ts La. monotony'
It is from the greatest master OF English verse He
began TO be in want.
And from this point the history Of such sou there
il usually either quick. desperate plunge into com
pete ruin struggle the lost ground The
latter wis the case with our prOdigaL Home and
fathery love mad quite lost their power; ana az he
there In his Wretcneduess the memory OF the
old days OF peace and plenty came back upon him with
power He came TO himself. He was as man walked
out Of long, dreadful dream IL was not only tnat De
himself ragged and filthy, not only that he was
consumed with hunger but these stern agents had dis
PEELED the delusOn which mao blinded hiu aud showed
him MS indebtedness the legitimate result Of his
leaving his fathers house. tie Oeggar and an
Oucast aut before all aud ~ the cause OF ALL he was
| sinner He would 90 home then, not az hungry man
asking lor Dread Dl as sinful sou ASKING iOrelVchess
" l Will say, not Father, Im hungry but father
have sinned against Heaven aud IN thy sight and am
no more worthy 10 De called my SON. make me a. one
OF thy hired servants The slavish spirit not gone
yet he would understand better by and by the folly
OF the Thought mat he could anything but son
in his fathers house enjoy favor any other
ground than that Of his fathers Tree love and mercy
He arose ana went 70 his father lie did not 20 10
other citizen OF tha Tar country to seek new and
better service He abandoned the far country aud all
It, service entirely He would get bread rdoD
By cnangc OF service, any more than sinful man
many seek do by trying new OF sin Pardon
aud peace cannot he had Ia absence from Cod They
that fault must be abandoned; the whole economy
OF sin must oe forsaken, ana the man must
illustrated the nature OF a true sorrow for
The apostle, YOU remember. makes a distinction be
pentdnce as growing ont OF sorrow gJdly sorrow
which "orketh repent9nce:' Tue proIisai might nave
hunger, and yet have left the Tar country; but
when he arose audi went Ia MS father that showed the
real character OF hls sorrow. That vas repentance
Mere SORROW winch weeps aud sits stu, - not repent
auce Il pentauce Is sorrow converted into faction,
into movement toward new. better life.
mn and f1rrofirn his 1ravinr child on father YOU
VINO, ago, the door close upon that errlug
hcadsrJng sou, tell me now well Christ lnterpres your
own heart. Have yuI forgotten the wauacreri Are
scading drops cheek in he dark nignts
i there no burden OF prayer on Your heart IN the
closet and The household altari Has not
your grown woudrously sensitive TO a
strange step on the threshold. and do you
~ God e si ,ather than yoa Has lie less interest in
HIS strayiug ones Is Christ going yOu here
dormant ALI tnro,h those -ad;days " riot and woe
/ ouly 10 be awakened by the prOdgals returni Not
such the teaching OF those words, tue son Of Man 10
come TO seek and that which was lost God
cOmmendeth His love toward u IN that while we were
yet Christ died Jr Us. Not such Is the lesson
the shepherd going out upon the mountains for the
lost sheep, or II Tie woman sweeping Tor the lost piece
money. II there any truth which the Bible pushes
forward Ike beacon II Is the truth OF Gods intense
yearuug over men who are yet IN tAclr sins How WAS
it the eye of the father Watching 80 ntenty
/ the road along which his CHILD had gonet WHAT power
had toucaed his aged eyes mat IN the n5nre when
! toled with bleeding feet over inc stones trans
/ formed by sorrow, emaciated with hunger, 80
different trd ns io1 eanty awa HS from n
door he recognized the son Of MS love- VINO Out the
yerest slave hear-tle elder son tor example would
have dared chai cnge the impulse OF tatherly love
winch sent that Old man as 90 winged feet To- meet tAc
somctnes inurmur that COD requires 80 much. but
read the Bible, lie more on Will see no"
tent aftr OIL He the rst turning Of heart 10 lm
self and he meets Il more imam haf way Win loving
heart or God. We 20 down 10 the very foundation OF
that wonderous economy OF grace whcn rams through
reason upon Gods love Tor MN Can yOJ nnd
In man. IN his domgs, or in hs cir
SUCH riches OF divine lovei Was there anything 10
That prodiga who had trampled upon fatherly love
VINO came back bankrupt, h.thy, ragged, 70 throw
himself upon fatnerly compassion - anything
! that close embraced Nothing. absolutely nothing
| IN these. Every reason, on tue contrary,
why he should have sent him back with reprOaches 10
DIE in the far country. But under AL was stl the fact
he son. aud no father needs any other explanation
than TINS IL enough that the bOv was content To be
a He had Thought that there was something better
than this TIE father desired nothing Detier man tl!s
He knew there hlcssedncss great for the youth
dwell oDedently in his fathers house and he de-
sired happiness Tor hlmset man 20 pour out
upon the OF his love riches Of his tlthery ten
dcrness As he folded aim hls arms the past was as II
! II mad nor neen There was A magnetism in that clasp
drove away last yestige Of the servile spirit
am nor worthy buf he orgo 10 saw make me a ser
/ Want he la0
jOicing This was not the time TO read hOmIies on the
sons ingrautude. NV son Is alive from the dead Ny
son lost and found. Away with AL thoughts of
death and the loss Enough or those III the
far country Let UP thiuK only OF the NE ana
the recovery. Ny son Is at home with a sons heart
ID him. IL is not meet that my should be IN rags
Bring forth the best robe for nm II Is not meet tHat
nv son should he a dishOnOred beggar Am not rich
Nav not do what will with mine own Put ring on
his finger Ii meet that my sou should De hungry
He shall feast as he never did u the far country Bring
forth the fatted calf and XIII H. An THINK the rcnest
feast that day the fathers after all. Home rare
must have been sweet indeed the hungry son, but no
dainty could the sight OF the son at the
table the father. 1t has seemed to me as II could
almost the eager hungry look u love with winch he
sat and watched nlm as he ate.
Brethren, II had 10 lose all OF the Boe hut one pOr-
ton and could choose my portion think II would be
tns parable The whole Gospel Is IN II; and whatever
instruction and strength may gain from the rest OF the
Bible, this lesson, winch Is the central lesson or the
whole Bible, Is what you and | Win our sin,
fare of sin our craving for eternal love, need most
OF all. been able only to sketch. while this para
Die wded with living saving truths must gather
up few Of Its clear. practical, salient teachings and
leave YOU 10 elaborate them IN your closets.
/ All sin has its root In absence from God. Mans
true and normal relation TO God IL that or SON. As
son recognizing the obligations, claiming the privileges,
gng the duties cutvatng the affections OF SON
ship is safe happy useful To forsake TINS position
is 70 enter upon the road 10 ruin.
D. Absence from God results In waste OF life. Man
must live under rule. God gives him a law
which effects the best economy or power, the most
happy development OF which brings out the best
there in him, and puts IL TO the highest uses, which
imposes such restraints will keep power from vast
ing aud innocence from corruption IL man refuses 10
believe this If he thinks he can frame better economy
OF life, he must try the experiment. but
he will try il to his He will i've