The Russellville Democrat., 1888-08-23
PHARMACIES SERMON.
The Parable of the Prodigal Son
 In New Dress.
sermon Bearing Upon tho Elder Broth or and Those Christians Who Have No Faith in the Conversion
 of Prodignis.


 The following sermon was delivered by Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage at the Piedmont Chautauqua in Georgia. His text was:
 And he was angry, and would not go in.- Luke xv.. eS
 Is the elder son of the parable SO un- sympathetic and so cold that he is not worthy of recognition? The fact is that we ministers pursue the younger son. You can hear the Tapping of his rag in many a sermonic breeze, and the cranch- ing of the pods for which he was an un- successful contestant I confess that for a long time l was unable to train the camera obscura upon the elder son of the parable. never could get negative for a photograph. There was not enough light in the gallery, or the chemicals were poor or the sitter moved in tho picture. But now I think l have him. Not 0 side-face, or three quarters, or the mere bust, but full-length portrait as he appears to me. The father in the parable of the prodigal had nothing to brag of in his two sons. The one was a rake and the other churl. I find noth- ing admirable in the dissoluteness of the one, and find nothing attractive in the acrid sobriety of the other. The one goes down over the larboard side and the other goes down over the starboard side, but they both go down.
 From the window of the old home estead bursts the minstrelsy. The floor quakes with the feet ot the rustics, whose dance is always vigorous and resounding. The neighbors have heard of the return of the younger son from his wanderings, and they have gathered together. The house is full of congratulations. I suppose the tables arc loaded with luxuries. Not only the one kind of meat mentioned, but it's eoncomitants. "Clapi" go the cymbals, 'thruml" go the harps, "click P' go the chalices, up and down go the fec inside, whAe outside is 6 most sorry spec tacle.
 The senior son stands at the corner of the house, a frigid phlegmatic He has just come in from the fields in very sub stantial apparel. Seeing some wild ex- hilarations around the old mansion, he asks of a servant passing by with goat skin of wine on his shoulder what all the fuss is about. One would have thought that, on hearing that his younger brother had got back, he would have gone into the house and rejoiced, and if he were not conscientiously opposed to dancing, that he would have joined in the Oriental schottische. No. There he stands. His brow lowers His lip curls with contempt. He stamps the ground with indignation. He sees nothing at all to attract. The odors of the feast coming out on the ar do not sharpen his appetite. The lively music does not put any spring into his step. He is in terrible pout He crit tof. Il, ha ipin morals of the entertainment. The father rushes out bareheaded and coxes him to come in. He will not go in. He scolds the father. He goes into pas- quinade against the younger brother, and makes the most uncomeIy scene. He says:
 ''Father, you put premium on vaga- bondism. l staid at home and worked 0 n the farm. You never made party for me; you didn't so much as kill kid; that wouldn't have cost half as much as calf; ; but the scapegrace went of in fine clothes, and he comes back not fit to be seen, and what time you make over him! He breaks youl heart, and you pay him for it. That calf to which we have been giving extra feed during all these weeks wouldn't be so fat and sleek if had known to what use you were going to put it. That vagabond deserves to be cowhided instead of banqueted. Veal is too good for himl"
 That evening" while the younger son sat telling his father bouthis advent ures, and asking about what had occurred on the place since his departure, the senior brother goes to bed disgusted, and slams the door after him. That senior brother still lives. You can see him any Sunday, any day of the week. At 8 meeting of ministers in Germany some one asked the question: "Who is that elder sonY" and Krumacher answered: 'T know him; I saw him yesterday" And when they insisted upon knowing whom he meant, he said
 Myself. When I saw the account of the conversion of a most obnoxious man, was irritated."
 First, this senior brother of the text stands for the self f-congratulatory, self satisfied, self-worshipful man. With the same breath in which he vituperates against his younger brother he utters a panegyric for himself. The self righteous man of my text like every other self-righteous man, was full of faults He was an ingrate, for he did not appreciate the home blessings which he had all those years. He was disObedient for when the father told him to come in he statd out. He was liar, for he sald that the recreant son had devoured his father's living when the father, SO far from being reduced to penury, had a homstead left had instru- ments of music, had jewels, had q man . sion, and instead of being pauper was a prince. This senior brother, with so many faults of his own, was merciless in his criticism of tho younger brother. The only perfect people that l have ever known were utterly obnoxious l was never SO badly cheatei in all my life as by @ perfect man. He got so far up in his devotious that ho was clear up above all the rules of common honesty. These men that go about proving among prayer meetings, and in places of busi- ness, telling how good they are-look out for them; keep yonr hand on your pocket booki have noticed that just in propor- tion as a man gets good he gets humble. The deep Mississippi does not make as much noise as the crawling mountain rivulot There has been many a store that had moro goods in the show window than inside on the shelves.
 This seif-righteous man Of the text stood at the corner of the house hugging himself ln admiration. We hear great deai in oar day about tho higher life. No,s. there are two kinds of higher-life men. Tho one are admirable, and the other are mast repulsive. The one kind of hirher-lifr man is very lenient in his criticism af others. does not bore prayer msetlnas Co death with long harangues, does aot taik great deal about himself but much about Christ and Heaven, gots kiadIlcr, end more gentle, and more use- faL uafii one day his soul spreads a wing aud be aies away ta eternal rest, and sffry body nEHurns his departure. The other hiNhrrsllte mnn goes around with a nlhie oauspteaeusiF under bis arm, goes frum ehufeh ta church, sort of gem erai esanFnilstt is uuiHance Co his own FastFF ehsn b. is a home. and nui- aanrs t8 efhef pastors ahen he Is away from hcmaf fuas ap to some man who is counting uf a rail of bank bills or running ap a dlnculi line of fig