The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-02-01
THE.PRODIGAL SON."
Another OF Mr.. Reads Interesting
Sermons in the Baptist Church
List Evening..-"lIis Con-
sideratiOn."

Last evening Rev. |. W. Read preached |
the fifth of his series of sermons on the |
"Prodigal Son." These sermons have
awakened considerable interest in Mr..
Reads congregation, and the First Bap-
fist church Is largely attended each Sun
day evening. His Consideration was the
subject last evening, and here is a synop-
sis of the discourse:
No one while yet asleep can tell a
dream which he may have had. There
must be return of consciousness i'll or
der to impart information of mental
activity during the hours of sleep. This
is also true in moral sense. There must
be return OF moral consciousness ia or
der to impart any information as TO the
moral state during the time OF dissipa
ton This was evidently the condition
of the Prodigal when he came to him
self, D." as recorded in the 17th verse OF this
chapter The man who departs from
God deserts himself, and he who comes
back to God comes to himself. This
statement is capable oil abundant proof.
The Prodigal is complete Illustration of
| il.
| First An evil course brings one into
| state of madness so far rs II proper
consideration for happiness is concerned
No one who is mad can be himself in his
better nature. The madness of sin de-
stroys all the good there is in Il mans
character. a. Bad habits dull the
moral sense and stilie mental activity
This may be demonstrated in many ways
! aud by reference to every day lite, The
moral sense of the brightest man is dulled
| by persistency in evil ways. Take the
young man who would not allow any one
| for whom he had any respect see him en-
| ter saloon, or hear an oath escape his
| lips in the early stages of his downward
course, by and by has his finer feelings
so dul!ed by sin that he has no self re-
spect whatever. 1t is the same with
mental power Men destroy their power
of consecutive thought by continuance
in dissipation. 1t was thus with the
Pfodigal, whose life we are studying, and
it is thus with every prodigal in all ages
of the world Beware of the maddening
power of sin (2l Satan has possession
of the soul which produces madness
You remember the accounts given in the
Gospel Of those vino were mad and tore
themselves because they were controlled
by the devil What is the man now who
Stays his fellow, but mad. and who pro-
duces that madness, if not satan? Sin is
madness, and it does wreck the soul in
cOnst quence of its power.
Second At this point of degratou the
PrOdigal came TO himself he considered
he thought on his present need, and of
the abundance Mt his father house. Oh,
that men would consider soon enough Ia
save themselves from wrelchcdness and
woe. % He then saw how bad his
situation really WAS Before this it had
seemed that he gave no thought whatevef
to the future Men would be saved great
suffering if they would only look beyond
present comforts and delights He saw
that he was bound to perish with hun
ger, not that he was simply hungry, bul
that hunger was sure 10 cause his death
There was no help. Every man must
} realize that h will inevitably perish with
out God Il is related of an English
minister that on one occasion when re-
turning home three men came up behind
him, and ut some remark one of the three
. called on God to damn his soul eterually
The minister turned and said: oh man
suppose God should say amen to tina
prayer and send you to hell aud ther
passed on The man could not shake of
: the impression thus made He Went home
q and was taken with a fever and in hi.
0 rawlings he spoke Of MS lost condition, anJ
. that God had sent an angel to tell him ot
= it. referring to the thnu thtlcsS words
, The minister was sent tor and pointed hin
e to iIe Lamb OF God" and he was saved
He ,me to himself and saw his relation
, to God oh, that every prodigal here TO
mis- bit wonld come to himself enough I,
think of God ard salvation through
n Christ (2) He thought how much bet
d ter off he might be when he reflected upol
4 his fathers home. The hired servants
there had plenty. There was no iange
; whatever of starvation in his father
k country. There was bread enough 10
h every one Not only that, but there wa
, some TO spare-the supply would neve
give out All could never be consumed
= How foolish in him to perish when h
: knew that there was no need of it, Hos
b like the rebel against God is this situation
of the Prodgal There is plenty ia God
country and to spare and YET there ar
u many why are perishing for lack OF til
d very food which Christ is ready to supply
/ I'D -. e
~ sciousness. There are always signs t
indicate the return of consciousness O
the sleeper, or the curably insane; and s
Ne also in the case of the Prodigal in hi
i moral insanity. This is true in the cas-
ia of every soul who comes to himself in
spiritual sense. IT, Uneasiness IN pre-:
ent surroundings is perhaps the first in
dication of anything like an appreciatio
of the true situation. This is true in lh
n secular world as well as the spiritual.
" young man who was thoughtless as TO hi
II eternal condition, and who had give
evidence as to his heedlessness by lii
Of recklessness, was busy one day in h
u employment, when suddenly the though
( of God came into his mind, and he Coul
n no! drive it away. He became uneasy
= his separation from God By and by {
the thought of the boundless love {
u God, and his remarkable mercy towar
IN him. he was melted to tears and sougi
" and found his fathers house. Like Il
q Prodigal, he could not rest easy | wis
many here tonight might become uneas
u on account of sin, (2) Discomfort
st another evidence 81 returning consciou
be ness A man who does not succeed
business becomes discontented and thinl
OF the best methods to be pursued to e
III cape the crash which is inevitable wi
IN present methods. The Prodigal was vel
8. much disconnected with his condition
ID a swine feeder. but more so because
was starving. 1t was the certainty
20 death which made him discontinued.
III would do the sane for any of us. Ho
Y many are there who are ont in world
er sin, where spiritual hunger is in the sol
and spiritual death is certain, who recol
=