Milford chronicle., 1888-08-17
TALMAGE IN THE SOUTH
"AND HE WAS ANGRY, AND WOULD
NOT GO M"


turned Prodigals.
ATLANTA, Ca, Aug. I2-The Rev T. De
Witt Talmage, d. D., Of Brooklyn, is In this
region. He has spoken several times at the
great Piedmont Chautauqua, and his public
appearances are attended by vast mulutudes
everywhere. Preaching from the text luke
XIV, 2S) sAnd he was angry and would not 60
in" he said;
Is the elder son Of the parable so unsym-
pathetic and so cold that he is not worthy OF
recognition! The fact is that we ministers
pursue the younger son. You can hear the
fapping of his rags in n@hy a sermonic
breeze, and the branching of the pods for
which he was an unsuccessful contestant l
confess that for long time was unable to
train the camera obscura upon the elder son
of the parable. I never could get a negative
for a photograph. There was not enough
light in the gallery, or the chemicals were
poor, or the sitter moved IN the picture.
But now think have him. Not a side face,
or a three-uuarters, or the mere busk but
full length portrait as he appears to me The
father in the parable of the prodlgal had
nothing to brag of in his two sons. The one
was a rake and the other a churl find
nothing admirable in the dissoluteness of the
one and find nothing attractive in the acTid
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 homestead
bursts the minstrelsy. The floor quakes with
the feet Of the rustics, whose dance is always
vigorous and resounding. The neghbors
have heard Of the return of the younger son
from his wanderings, and they have gathered
together. The house is full of congratulators.
suppose the tables are loaded with luxuries.
Not only the one kind of meat mentioned,
but its concomitalts. "Clapl" go the Gym
balls, "thrumr' go the harps, "click!n go the
chalices, up and down go the feet inside,
while outside is q most sorry spectacle.
The senior son stands at the corner Of the
house, frigid phlegmatic. He has just come
in from the fields in very substantial apparel.
Seeing some wild exhilarations around the
old mansion, he asks of n servant passing by
with a 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 IL he were
not conscientiously opposed to dancing that
he would have joined in the oriental schot-
tische. 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 air do not sharpen
his appetite. The lively music does not put
any spring into his step. He is in terrible
pout He criticises the expense, the injustice
and the morals Of the entertainment The
father rashes out bareheaded and coaxes him
to come in. He will not go in. He scolds
the father. He goes intoa pasquinade against
the younger brother, and he makes the most
uncomely scene. He says, Father, you put
r a premium on vagabondism. l stayed at
home and worked on 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 a calf; but the scapegrsice went of
4 in fine clothes ard he comes back not fit tC
n be seen, and what a time you make over him.
n. He breaks your heart and you pay him
n. for it, That calf to which we have beer
n giving extra feed during all these weeks
n wouldn't be so fat and sleek if had known
II to what use you were going to put it'll That
Il vagabond deserves to be cowhided instead Of
m banqueted, Veal is too good for himP Thai
u. evening, while the younger son sat telling
n his father about his adventures, and asking
n about what had occurred on the place since
his departure, the senior brother goes to bee
n. diseusted and slams tho door after him
That senior brother still lives You can sec
m. him any Sunday, any day Of the week. Att
"a. meeting Of ministers in Germany some on
y asked the question, "Who is that elder sonf
m and Krummacher answered, II know him;
m saw him yesterday And when they IN
H. sisted upon knowing whom he meant, h
ly. said, myself; when I saw the accountof tn
al conversion of a most obnoxious man, wa
n. irritated."
IN First, this senior brother of the text stand
for the self congratulatory, self satisfied, sci
Ig' worshipful man. With the same breath j
which he vituperates against his younge
AZ brother he utters a panegyric for himself
lily The self righteous man of my text. like ever
n m other self righteous man. was full Of fauis
. ; He was an ingrate for he did not appreciat
the home blessings which he had all thOs
years, He was disobettent, for when th
father told him to come in he stayed out II
~ was a liar, for he said that the recreant so
had devoured his fathers living, when tt
father, so far from being reduced to penurl
had a homestead left, had instruments OF mi
- sic, had jewels, had a mansion, and, instea
2 of being pauper, was prince. ms sen'
brother, with so many faults Of his own, WI
merciless in his criticism of the young
on brother. The only perfect peop
IL that ] have ever known were u
Mi terly obnoxious was never so bad
cheated in all my life as by a perfect ma
He got so far up in lis deyotiOns that he w
clear UP above all the rules Of common no
esty. These men that so about prowlI
among prayer meetings and in places OK bu'
ness, telling how good they arc look out 1
them: keep your hand on our pocket boo
a. have noticed that just in proportion that
a man gets good be gets humble. The de
u Mississippi does not make as much NOISE
ia the brawliug mountain rivulet. There Il
all, been many a store that had more goods
ren the show window than inside on the shelV
This self righteous man of the text stood
II, the corner of the house hugging himself
n admiration. We bear a great deal IN G
= dav about the higher life. Now, there {
or two kinds Of higher life men. The one 1
's sa admirable, and the other are most repulsi
lns The one kind Of higher life man Is very le
~, y, ent In his criticism of others, does not D
" PRAYER meetings to death with long b
- angues. does not talk great deal about hl
' l'h' self, but much about Christ and heaven, g
ser kindlier and more gentlc and more use
.O0. until one day his soul spreads wi
ung and he flies away to eternal rest, q
anu anu everybody mourns his departure. The ot
ios- higher life man goes around with Bible
iar- spicuously under his arm, goes from chul
Sn iSn' to church, a sort Of general evangelist,
nuisance to his own pastor when he IS
lin. home, and a nuisance to other pastors WI
- he is away from home; runs up to some Il
for who is counting out roll Of bank bills
Up running up a difficult lipe of figures,
y asks him how his soul isl makes rellglo
Is dose of ipecacuanlla; standing in religi
al. meeting making an address, he has
es. patronizing way, as though ordinary Ch
os: tians were clear away down below b
~ ~ so he had to talk at the top Oh
1rs. voice IN order u make 'u'''n ue"i 'u' ~
" same time encouraging them to hope
that by climbing many years they may a
m a while come up within sight Of the pl
s; ~ where he now stands. tell you plainly
n ..aari,n rnistarine honncing sinner IS