New-York tribune., 1875-01-25

hold of faith can be understood only from the Inside
o"iy "a servant or a iooEpr on No man knowe,h the
father tie and he 70 whom the son eha reveal
him by making him SON You may see tns 10 ms ms
very story. Tue servant who came out TO tdlk wl'l
elder had not at all penetrated 10 the secret OF
the fathers JOv All he knew was that long aostut
bad come baCk alive, and that tne ather VAS gad
that he was not dead. and had ordered him ~ klI
a tat cnlt; OF tne moral elements Oh lle carr,
those which gave all the intensity to tne rtloc,ng' OF
the fathers agony over raj wreck of the Ia JOY
restored Ia love aud nyaty, me menl Rhe" 10
little as he who was questioning hin. 49,
But hite ar that was was qu' enough 10 anEa ne ne
quesOneri and even the father does not eseape is
The father yOu notice Is true ta mS Character
throughout He il alike the father To both SON, as t-
der ana conlieTde IA the one case as IN tne otnI' @ %
out t0 meet the just as ne ran 70 meet
the prodgal lie does not send servant hui Appeals
Ia person Jus as Oh wonder of wontrs, Ine Inn n,, 80
heaven does TO MS rccrrant, renelous, complaining
g the rebel whom he wOul be sned IN ernsang: a I
"COme, and let together" And now near tue
T and ctGn ction. LS thess years DO
serve thee. 1 never t1ansgrers"d tny cor cGinmanu, i
ana never mad from thee even KID 10 make merry
wbo has devoured fhy ltving with harl6s thou hast
Killed for him tie fatted calf" There more fear
fu In the bble than the words IN Wncn men
uBcons sciOusy portray tuer characters Few bet
fer subjects for contempt afforded taan the picture
which this elder son pants OF himself III these lew sen
teuces Look for instance at the outrageous lack OF all
modesty the Had Lis father iad no right TO ms
service and fidelity while the son had bern hyIns ~ hs
house and eating his bread Wac his service something
% be paraded as meriOrous and voluntary cohceH,
son which he lad been at perfect liberty 10 Withhold
Is II indeed thing for NV children or YOURS 10 oaSt o
that they have been dutfu aud afeciionae sons ana
dsug1ersf Cou!d they DC any less and DO worthy oI
Il is a soa. nen who utters these wordsi No. inieed
sense OF that term " All these years 90 serve tne'
aud nave not received SO much as Eli Tor nv SET
vice" All these he had btcn living On the terms
OF servant lL.s II the way III Whcn tih' %
all those years OF fatheily trust ana lainefS
and pleasant dOncs stc intercourse, uhd cOuh4eha
sharing ia inc IatDei PanS anu laO 'io, t., ,, IT,
years have served ana nave not hnd kid iOr lne
gttsr he words MAKE me as my hired servants
The elder coarsey asserts that he Is servant ana
complains tnat he bas been cbealed of bis WAGES ne
the brother who asked Or bis porOu OF goods
He is doing the tAiug. Tue younger wanted
II away from his father. Tne elder reveals
the self-same spirit All things were ms ireey
his father but be Zrumbics uecause he could not MAKE
merry with MS own friends; because he nas not had
bling al al, No danger OF that iDean sdYsu spirit
ever errUg in extTayagant Hospitality HIS ircuds
would have waited oIg Tor an invitation TO a iehst oI
hs making Never d KID had been dyen Had he ever
askedti Would such fatucr Dave Oeen likely TO lie
No one Will draw wrong inference rom these wOrIs
snal keep IN mind the key Thought OF me parable
due the father Tue son could not love Eiin ana not
serve HIM The returned pIadSaL "as no6 10 Ve iu1ne @
a servant, but ne would serve none the less service
viii Ercn NV gordsU The pQiut Is that service
valuable in Gods eyes which not grow 0Gt VI Als
love- The GOspel recognizes no service Tor wages excep
the service " sn whose wages death IL calls Tor tJe
love wHcb freely l. all powers ana faculties aud re-
the Fathers feet, and Ny meat Is 10
90 the viii of Hun that sent NE ana 60 nisG his work"
What from father is not VI The ma ure "
wages Of free gift not or reward, nut OF grace
and he VINO acts upon any other princuIe insists upon
changing household Of God in'O harrack O slaves
But had he received nOt1ingi Not u KID Tor ns
trends: but was TINS the utmost he had 10 askf Was
there other gin TO be named with THIS hte sensual
graf catlont Study the faihoTs answer ana see that
you pot emphasis in the fht place. Ii Is not, sOu,
thou art ever NTH me. Whe Dv brother las aSav
from me-" but son, tbOu art ever WIN e. Is II Tor
thee to talk " having nothing tnOI hast nad
ali these years and with me ali things that are
minef Shall nan complain of lack OF money
IN hs purse when the door OF the eXchequsr open 10
hmf shall he OuGn over cry cstern wAen The reScr-
close by ms G0orf l. II Tor man 10 tax OF re-
ceiylng reward and wages IRON God WDeu, tAe very
moment he becomes son OF GO1, he Il greeted wlin
oil things yOurs-tsk auo yC small receiver SNAIL
son murinnr abou' gIIs Wheh the ever ol every per
feet ett TO hm, "tlOu art ever with mt, and al
tnat have is thiue-ny pTescnce my WISDOM NV syn-
ather; and II tnOu dOst abide iu me and my woris Ia
tuee thou shalt ask what thou Will, and IL shall De
done" What vesuge OF the sp o. son can I've ~ nun
who, with such 1aiher Insult hn aud complains Of
seryIcei VIII It staLdf These years serve .nre,
and never have l t.dn'Gressed" IL Il macn iO
say, even for loving s0n. meInber once more,
We are tryng Oy a 1hal, not by "a judicial
te 2 The question already answered. He nad vlO-
ting himself on me footing of servant NHtttver ne
might be able TO say 40 servant ne coud nj say AZ
gresslns' rt & 'l{ ~ rrssions @ against ftpcriy
affection cuuhueuce lay at bis door He mad never
Yet what WAS tus staD al Ills ialDfrr
Leart: tuis coarse importation upon fathers alice
tiou and justice; tLs vle ahuse OF hn over whom hls
father rel0icn2f Take the mattr Nome. Do you
kuow Of ANYTHING that would grieye you more than
have one your children nate anCthcTf t. yOdr own
fut1erly instinct sucn hatred Is unnatural and nor
Tbe: and your instinct in TINS is only "a r. hac-
lion Of Gods feeling embodied N His gospel winch
refuses separate the traternai spirit frOm the ia
aud Insists that who loves God sI love lis brother
Gj-o. see the mead pampered wretch as stands 1T
the fathers door, and eaTns from menIa thtt MS
brother has returned Inc very ~Oiu OrC'her mao
deIs him. He Will not accept tne word " las my s'D
Is come WHO hath deVOuTed t1Y living hhht Dlitef-
and venom N the words lie may De by sou since
You are weak enough 10 receive and least him. but lac Is
10 brother have served thes all these years.
and never transgressed thy commandment This thy
s0n hne sOn, f,rsOotAi WORTHY bearer OF my
name. The poor, narrow sou, after All his experience
OF iathery regard could hoI ubdeF-'Ihd NO" sohSnp
could OtEer basis than service. service loo
wages VINO had iaied Of service had surely
rigDru place at the table ana no claim 20 mo I4oe
anu ring. Aar, alas, II IS a picture or tue worlds
iegaI righteousness. "'rnis world will not
live man reDents; uahd ana ~ Glu, VIVA. S
what are changed affections 30 iohg AS d"bt mains
unpaid. d seryce unrendereaf David's instinct was
truthful which prompted tLe words, Let le 1a,I now
into the hands OF the Lord Tor very great are His me
cies but let not fall nto The hands OF men Ihanks
be 10 God that hdman penltence has FLtbrr 10 20 20
Tbauks be 10 God that sinner Is tried Oy FatEieis
heart for II would go hard indeed with him. we're lie
forced u good his wasted pOrtiDn Or 10 pay his
way through serytUdr back 10 sonship. Yet observe
how, thro5gh all the Father Remains constant to HIS
fatherhoO. Through All HIS kindness ana consideration
IoI .t tne TIa' Fatbar seys We ought 10 rei,uce
The brother nas holnr. he will not cuDcede Tue
Vas lost he was dead but he has returned ana he iE
still thy brother We ought TO reolce. He III
rags, 1 know; from vAe hauAts aud COMPANIONS,
/ Enow. He has spent LIS subs ance, know
he mas been keeper OF swine, know. But he nas
come nome: come nome with peniteDce aud Confession,
and II IL meet that make merry. l nave hin sale
and sound not Ouy IN body, but in the higher dearer
better sense safe fOrgven IN sonshp sought aud
founc my son. truly now tnat he lis al my table
iu borrowed robes and without penny than when ne
went'fro my door IN the pride and gayet OF hs new
riches" And now can we not see wLy ihis
unpleasant story added 10 tile
which has become fami.r and go
dear TO US ALI Was II necessary
as the first part in what alienation from God
consists and restoration To ms favOr depenIs
Perhaps II had had only first part sAOuid have
gotten imperfect, Onesded conception OF what II is
10 be prOdga Sin against our father as revealed IN
hying far country and wasting the substance III