Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-08-13


on, that by climbing many years they may
after awhile come up within sight of the
place where he now stands tell you
plainly that roaring, registering, bOunc-
lug sinner is not 20 repulsive to me rs that
hgher-liie maltOrmatOn. The former
may repent, the latter never gets over his
pharisalsn. The younger brother OF the
parable came back, but the senior brother
stands outside entirely obliviOus of his
own delinquenCies and deficits, prOnounc-
ing his own euogium. Oh, how much
easier it is TO blame others than to blame
ourselves Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed
the serpent, the serpent blamed the devil,
the senior brother blamed the younger
brother, and none of them blamed them
selves
THE DEsP0SDENT CHRISTIAN.
Again, the senior brother of my text
stands for all those who are faithless about
tine reformation Of the dissipated and the
dlssOlute. Ia the very tones of his voice
you can hear the fact that he has no faith
that the reformation OF the younger son is
genuine. His entire manner seems to say,
That boy has come back for more money
He got third OF the property; now he
has come back for another third He will
never be Contented 10 stay on the farm
He will fail away / would 10 in too aud
rejoice with the Others If ! thought this
thing was genuine; hut it is sham. That
noy is a confirmed inebriata and de-
bauchee' Alas, my friends for the in
crednlity in the Church Of Christ Ia re.
gRri to the reclamation OF the recreant.
You say q man has been a strong drinkvr.
! say, Yes, hut he has reformed "Oh, 80
yuu F7y. with lugubrious face, i hope
yon are not mistaken, hope yuu are
not mistaken" YOu say, Don't
rejoice too much over his conversion, for
soon he will he unconvertad, fear.
Dan't make too big party for the re
turned prOligal, or strike the timhrel too
loud; and if You kill cali, kill the one
that il on the commons and not the one
tha, has been luNuriating in the paddock. -
That is the reason why more prod,gals do
not come home To their fathers house. II
is the rank inlideity in the Church Ot
God on this subject There ia not house
on the streets OF Heaven that has not IN il
a prulgal that has retm1eh and 5,rIyed
home There could be utuflcd before
you a scroll OF hundred ,housand ,lBm-s
the names of prodigals who came back
forever reformed. Who WAS John Eunyan?
A returned prodigal. Who was Richard
Baxter? 4 returned prodigal. WHO was
George Whitelield, the thunderer3 4 re-
Turned prodigal. Aud | could 90 ont in
all directions in this audience and lind on
either side those who once far astray for
many years, have been faithful, and their
eternal salvation is as sure A. though they
had been ten years IN Heaven. And yet
some of you have not enough faith in their
return.
VEL, ONE THE PRObIGAL.
You do not know how to shake hands
with pgoiigal, Iou do not know how 20
pray for him Yon do not know how to
greet him. lie wants TO sail in the warm
gult-siream of Christian sympathy. You
gre the iceberg against which he strikes
and shiyers. You say he has been prodi-
ga!. | know it, But You are thesOur, NJ
responsive, censOrIous, saturnine, cranky
elder brother, aRd Il you are going to
heaven one would think some people would
he tempted to 20 to perdtlon to get away
rom you. The huatsr5 say that n deer
he shot the other deer shove him ont of
heir company, and the general rule is,
away with the man who h5s been wounded
with sin. Now, | say the more bones 4
man has broken the more need he has
OF hospital, and that the more man has
haau h-uisni aui cut w,Ih sin tNa more
need ne hls to ha carried into human and
divine sympathy. But Tor zach men there
"a not much room in thi5 world the men
who waut tn come back after wandering
Plenty Of room for elegant sinners, sinners
in velvet and satin and lace; iOr sinners
hiph-sahried; for kid gloyed and patent
leather pinncrS; for sinners fixed up by
hair-drtsser5, pomatumed and lavendercd
aud cl,0gqed ami lrizh'ed and crimpet
and banged sinnerS-plenty Of room.
Such we meet elegantly at the door OF our
churches, and We invite them into the
best seats with Chesteriieldiau glilan-
tries; we usher them into the house Of
God, and put soft ottomans under Their
feet, and put a gilt edged praye--book IN
their hand, and pass the contribution box
before them with an air Of apology, while
they, the generous sOllS, take out the eN-
uuisite portemonnaje, and open 1t, and
with diamondcd-iinge push down beyond
the ten-iolnU gold. pieces and GeliCateiy
pick out "a an expression o! grltituie
their Offering f. the Lord, of one cent.
ROOM FOR SINNERS.
For such sinners, plenty Oi room, plenty
Of room. But for the man Who has been
drinking until his coat is threadhare and
his face is CryEipelased and his wife, wed
ding dress il in the pawn-broker' shop,
and his children instead Of being in school,
are ont begging broken bread at the base
ment doors Of the city-the man, body,
mind and soul on fire with the flames that
have leayed from the scathing, sclrching,
blasting, consuming cup which the drunk,
ard takes, trembling, and agoni1ad, aud
atlrghted, aud presses to his parched lip.
and his cracked tongue, aud his shrlekng
yet immortal spirit-nO room.
Oh, il this younger son OF the parable
had not gone 20 far oil, if he had not drop.
ped 30 low in was said, the protest would
Uot nave DN-l ~ StNftfr NAL EplhE Al''ti
over the precipiCe a, the younger son did,
the elder son is angry aud will not 20 in.
On, he not 50 hard in your criticism OF
the fallen, lest thou thyself also he tempt.
cd. A stranger one Sunday staggered up
and down the aisles OF my church, disturb,
ing the service until the service had to s;Or
until he was taken from the room HC
wa a minister of the Gospel OF Jesus
Christ Of sister denomination That
man had preached the Gospel, that mau
hpi broken the bread of the Holy Com
munion for the people. From what a
height to what n depth On, | was glad
there was no smiling in the room when
that man was taken ont, his poor wife fol
loving HIM with his hat in her hand, ani
his coat on her arm. 1t was rs solemn to
me "a two funorals-the funeral Of the
hoiv and the funeral of the soul. Beware
lest thOu also he tempted.
4 RUINED WRETCH.
An invalid went to South America for
his health, and one day sat summing him
self on the beach, when he saw something
crawling up the beach, wriggling toward
him, and he was aft-ighted, lie th1nght
it was a wild heast, or reptile, and he
took his pistol from his pocket Then he
saw it was not \ wild beast, II was a
nan. an immortal man, = man made in
Gods own image; and the poor wretch
crawIcd up to the feet Of the invalid and
asked for strong drink, and the invalid