Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-02-04

and 1hen sonl cones back there is in
His heart the surging of "a infinite ocean
of gladnees, and TO express that pladness
it takes all the rivers OF pleasure. and ell
the thrones Of pomp, and eli the ages of
eternity. 1t is a joy deeper than all de pth,
and higher than all height, aud wider Than
oil width, and vsster than ali immensity.
1t overstsps, it undeigirds, it outwe'ghs
all the united splendor aod Joy of the uni
verse. Who can tell what Gods ioyi.?
For ten years father went three times
a day to the depot. His son went off in
aggrsvating circumstances, but the father
said: He will come bsck.D Tire strain
was too much, aud his mind parted. and
three times day the father went. In the
early morning, he watched The train. its
arrival, the stepping out Of the pss9enge &.
and then the departure o. the train. At
noon he was there again watching the adj
vance OF the train, watching the departure.
At night, there agein watching the
coming, watching the goi- for ten years.
He was sure his son wC aid come back.
God has been watching and waiting for
some of my brothers, Is years, twenty
Years, thirty years, forit years, perhaps
fifty yesrs-waiting, waiting, watching,
wstchil z; and if this morning the prodi-
gal should come home, what "a scene of
gla1ness and fsstivity, AMI how the great
Fathers heart would rejoice at your
coming home You will come, some of
you, will you moi? You will, you will
THE GOODNESS OF GOD.
III. notice also that ghen a prodigal
comes home there ia The joy of the minis
ters Of religion. Oh, it is grand thing
to preach this gospel. know there has
been great deal said abOnt the trials and
The hardships of the Christian ministry.
wish somebody wouId write good,
rOusirg book about the joys of the Chris
tian ministry. Since l entered the pro-
fession l have seen more of the goodness
of God than I will be able to celebrate iu
all eternity. l know eone boast about
their equilibrium, and they do not rise
into enthusiasm, ard they do not break
down with emotion; but confess to you
plainly that VIXEN l see man coming to
God, and giving up bis sin feel in body,
mind, a1d s0rl transport. When see
a man who is bound hand and foot in evil
habit emaciated, rejoice over it as though
it were my own emancipation. When to-
day in our communion service such thrOngs
of yours and old stand ut these altare.
ana 10 this presence of leaveu and earth
and hell attest their allegiance to Jesus
Christ, l feel r joy something akin 10
that which the apostle describes when he
says: Whether in the body l cannot tell
or out of the BODY l cannot tell; God
Enoweth."
Oh, have not ministers a right 20 re-
jOice when prodigal comes home? They
blew the trumpet, and ought they not to
be glad of the gathering Of the host? They
pointed TO the full supply, and ought they
not TO rejoice when souls pant as the hart
for the water brooks? They came forth
saying: "All things are now ready"
ought thsy not to rejoice when the proii-
gal sits down at the banquet?
MINISTER'S LIVE LONG.
Life insurance men will all tell you that
ministers Of religion rs q clsss live longer
than any other. II i5 confirmed by tire
statistics OF all those who calculate upon
human longevity. Why is it? There is
more daft upon the nervOn9 sys;em than
in any other profession, and thsir toll is
most exhaustiug. have seen ministers
kept on miserable stip=nss by plrsimoni-
Gus congregations who wondered at the
dGllnes1 o( TIC seTU.CS,, P..v,- tic n.o.. Uf
God were perplexed almost to death by
queotions OF livelihood, aud had not
euough nutritious food to keep any fire iu
their temperament.
How do you account for the fact that
these life insurance men tell us thlt min
listers rs q class live longer than any 9th
ere? It is because of the joy Of their work,
the Joy OF the harvest field, the joy of
greeting prOdgAl home 10 their Fathers q
house.
Oh, we sre in sympathy with all inDO-
cent hilarities We can enjoy a hearty
soDg, and We can be merry with the merri-
est; but those of Us who have ioiled in the
service are ready 20 testify that oil these
icys are tame compared with the satisiaC-
tion of seeing men enter the kingdom of
God. The great eras of every minister are
the ohtpourings of the Holy Gh'st, and l
thank God 1 have seen eighteen of them.
Thank God, thank God!
EARNEST CHRISTIANS BEJOICE
". notice also when the pTcdigal
comes back, all earnest Christians rejoice.
II YOU stood on Moniauk Point aud there
was p hurricane at seq, and it was blowing
toward the shore and a vessel crashed into
the rocks and you saw people get ashore in
TIE life-boats and the very last man got on
the rocks in safety, you cO1ld not control
your 10y. And it is glad time when the
Church Of God GEES men who are tossed on
the ocean of their sins plant their feet on
the rock Christ Jesus.
Oh, when pro1igsls come home just
! berr those Christians sing. Just near
those Christians pray. It is not a s'erCo
typed supplicatio1 we have heard ever
and over again for twenty years, but a
putting of the case ia the hands of God
with an imDortunate pleading. No long
prayers. Men never pray at great length
unless they have nothing 20 say and their
hearts are hard and cold. All the prayers
in the Bible that were answered were
short prayers: "God be merciful to me a
sinner" Lord, chat l may receive my
sight" "Lord, save me or l perish. "
IRE longest prayer, SolOmon's prayer at
the dedication of the Temple, less than
eight minutes in length, according 20 the
ordinary rate OF euunciatio1.
GIVEN \ HEARTY GRASP.
And lust hear them pray now that the
prodgsls a,e coming home. Just see them
shake hands. No p1ttipg forth of the
four tips of the ti1geTs IL formal way,
but hearty grasp, where the muscles OF
the heart seem to clentch the fingers OF one
hand around the other hand. And then
see those Christian faces, how illumined
they are. And see that old man get up
and with the same voice that he sang tiity
wears sgO in the old country Westinghouse
say. "Now, Lord, leitest Thou Thy ser
want depart in peace, for mine eyes have
seen Thy salvation There was q man of
Keith who was hurled into prison in time
of persecution, and 0ne day he got off his
shackles and he came and stood by the
prison door, and when the iailer was open
ing the door, with one stroke he struck
down the man y no had incaIcersted him
Passing along the streets of London he
wondered where his family was.
He did not dare to AK lest he excite
suspicion, but, passing along little way
from the prison, ne saw Keith tsnkard'
a cup that belonged TO the family from
generation to generatiOn-be saw it in
window. His family, hoping that some
dsy be would get clear, came aud lived a;
near as they could to the prison house,
and they set that Keith tankaTd in tine
window, hoping he would see it; and ne
came along and saw it, Gnd knocked ST
the door. aud went in, and the loug-ao'
sent family were all together again. OBJ,
~ rnn Narld start for the kingdOm of Coo