Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1886-07-15
Sunday Evening Sermon.
THE LOST SON

''But Abraham said, son, remember that thou in
thy life time hadst thy good things and Lazaress
his evil things; but now be is comforted and tho.
art tormentcd And bcsiaes all this there is .
great gulf fixed between US and you so that the:
which would pass from hence toyou cannot neitheI
can thew pass to as that would come from thence.
Luke xvi: 25-2j
one peculiarly of this tex. is tina, It represents
God in the person Of Abraham speaking to LOST
soul in He'll and calling him son.
1t has been observed that in the scriptures per-
son ulafestinga peculiar quality, or disposition
was called the of that quality. Thus Eli S
sons were called the ''sons Of Bea" Those
who are pacific in temper are called the ''sons OF
peace The disObcdcnt and refractory are called
'',he Children OF disobec;cEce." The truth loving
inquirers after wisdom called ''the Children OF
light" The evil tempered are called children OF
the devil This in sense is true, but it can
never abrogate the facts that yoa are Gods by
creation, Gods by preservation and Gods by re
dcmption for che so loved the world that he gave
his only begoi,en that whosocversDelcireth on
him should not perish
What claim has the devil upon you that h.
should be your father; only this that some of yon
at times act more Ike devils than like being of
goodness and love, or tl,an like would expect
ii being TO act who was endowed with reason and
unlimited capabilities of happiness or pain.
One great study has been 'how may I become
o child of God:' Various devices have been Zee
commended such sacrifice, baptism. good works,
faith c. These all have their value in the
Christian system. Eut neither of them nor all Of
them combined can make you Gods Child. Even
~, ti,n sta not
make you Gods child. 1t creates 10 new truth
Ii does not make that true Which was not true b.
fore. 1t simply appropriatcs that which il trae
and it is true whether you believe it or rot viz:
that you are Gods child. The sin Of the race is
in disbeieiying this and acting .as il it were not
tire. To believe il briggs MS into consciousness
of our true relations nip and inspires us 70 live
becometh children Of Go,.
Take the of the prodigsl. He became
wanderer bit was still son. When he was
clothed in rags, and was ierding swine and would
have fed upon the hiiels that the swine did eat, he
was still his son. Bat he hsd gone away from,
home become va..abond and begsar; he had
wasted his living with haricts and had deprived
himself OF all Tie blessings OF home AMI parental
love. A fathers loye, mothers tears, the desire
Of friends for his return, not ail the powers OF
earth could give him the blessings and comforts OF
home while he remained away. When he returned
he was received with giaGness, SO God will receive
every wanderer who viii fe:nru. But It is i'm
possible fo- God to give the blessings OF pure
life 10 those who are wasting their substancc in
sin.
The text presents the OF ol;a who bad gone
so Tar he coui not return Ns3 may do THIS even
in this life. The tendency If humanity is toward
fxedness of character. Old men seldom change
Habits indaigcd FOR wears are seldom broken.
is scientifically true tiiet men the giif 10
state 81 character frv,,i which, there Is return
God loved him, Christ died fer him, all sinng his
career wsrniiiss anh Invitations baye sounGet:
in his cars but he has gone c r:lti! he i les. be-
YEN. recovery.
Return d waEae-er. return
snsi seek thy fsihefss face.
Those new desires that in thce burn,
Were kinGlei b. lis Crate