Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1888-08-16

living at the same time, but from thei,
writings you never would suppose they
heard of each other. Religious jealousies
The Mahommedans praying for rain dur.
ing drought, no rain coming. Then the
Christians begin to pray for rain and the
rain comes. Then the Mahommedans meet
together to account for this and they re.
solved that God was so we'll pleased with
their prayers He kept the drought on 30 AZ
to keep them praying; but that the Chris.
tians began to pray and the Lord was Sc
disguised with their prayers He sent rain
right away so He would not hear any
moro Of their supplications. o, this ac-
cursed spirit Of envy and jealousy! Let
us stamp it out from all our hearts.
A wrestler was SO envious of Theogenes,
the prince of wrestlers, that he could not
be consoled in any way; and after Theog-
enes died, and a statue was lifted to him
in public place, his envious antagonist
went out every night and wrestled with
the statue until one night he threw it, and
it fell on him and crushed him to death.
So jealousy is not only absurd, but it is
killing to the body and it is killing to the
soul. How seldom it is you find one mer-
chant speaking well of a merchant in the
same line of business. How seldom it is
you hear a physician speaking well Of q
physician on the same block.
o, my friends, the world is large enough
for all of us. Let us rejoice at the success
of others. The next best thing to owning
a garden ourselves is to look over the fence
and admire the flowers. The next best
thing to riding in a fine equipage is to
stand on the street and admire the pranc-
ing span. The next best thing to having .
banquet given to ourselves is having a
banquet given to our prodigal brother that
has come home to his fathers house. Be-
sides that, if we do not get as much honor
and as much attention as others, we ought
to congratulate ourselves on what we
escape in the way Of assault. The French
General riding on horseback at the head of
his troops heard a soldier complain and
say: sit is very easy for the General to
walk" Then the General dismounted and
compelled the complaining soldier to get
on the horse. Coming through a ravine q
bullet from a sharpshooter struck the
rider and he fell dead. Then the General
said: ''How much safer it is to walk than
to ride"'
y
senior brother Of my text stands for the
pouting Christian. While there is SO much
congratulation within doors, the hero Of
my text stands outside, the corners of his
mouth drawn down, looking as he felt
miserable. l am glad his lugubrious ply
siognomy did not spoil the festivity with
in. How many pouting Christians there
are in our day-Christians who do not like
II l..
do not like the hilarities of the young
pouting, pouting, pouting at society, pout-
ing at the fashions, pouting at the news
papers, pouting at the Church, pouting at
the Government, pouting at the high
heaven. Their spleen is too large, their
liver does not work, their digestion is
broken down.
There are two cruets in their castor al
ways sure to be well supplied-vinegar
aid red pepper! o, come away from that
mood. Stir little saccharine into your
disposition. While you avoid the disso-
luteness of the younger son, avoid also the
Feasibility and the petulance and the
pouting spirit of the elder son, and initiate
the father, who had embraces for the re-
turned prodigal and coaxing words for the
splenetic malcOntent.
All! the face of this pouting elder son is
put before us in order that we might better
see the radiant and forgiving face of the
father. Contrasts are mighty. The
artist in sketching the field of Water
loo years after the battle put a dove
in the mouth of the cannon. Raphael,
in one of his cartoons, beside the face of
a wretch put the face of a happy and in.
nocent child. And SO the sour face of this
irascible and disguised elder brother is
brought out in order that in the contrast
we may better understand the forgiving
and radiant face of God. That is the mean
ing of it-that God is ready to take back
anybody that is sorry, to take him clear
lack, to take him back forever, and for
ever, and forever, to take him back with q
loving hug, to put a kiss on his parched
Zip, ring on his bloated hand, an easy
shoe on his chafed foot, a garland on his
bleeding temples, and Heaven in his soul.
o, fall fiat on that mercy! Come, my
brother, and let us get down into the dust,
resolved never to rise until the Fathers
forgiving hand shall lift us.
o, what a God we have! Bring your
dOxologies. Come, earth and Heaven, and
join in the worship. Cry aloud. Lift the
palm branches! Do you not feel the
Fathers arm around your neck? Do you
not feel the warm breath of your Father
against your cheek: Surrender, younger
son! Surrender, elder son! Surrender
all! o, go in to-day and sit down at the
banquet. Take a slice of the fatted calf,
and afterward when you are seated with
one hand in the hand of the returned
brother, and the other hand in the hand of
the rejoicing father, let your heart beat
time to the clapping of the cymbal and the
mellow voice of the flute. SIT is meet that
we should make merry and be glad, for
this thy brother was dead and is alive
again; and was lost and is foun1."
hnw tn az AAO0N