The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1889-02-06
THE PRoDIGAL'S RETURN.
Sermon by the Rev. T. Dewitt
Talmage, D. d.
He Rejoices at the Reception OF 24o New
Members OF His Flock, and breaches
About the Return of the Prod
igal SOMA Day OF Jubilee.

especial communion reception OF 240 new
members, making the present communicant
membership Of the Brooklyn Tabernacle
4,4O8. DR., Tslmage took his text from the
fifteenth chapter Of Luke, twenty-third
verse: "Bring hither the fatted calf and
kill it." The eloquent preacher spoke as
follows:
Joy JOY Joyl We banquet to-day over
this accession Of multitude of souls Ir all
ares OF the wor IL has been customary tc
celebrate joyful events by festivity-the
signing OF treaties, the proclamation OF
peace, the Christmas. the marriage. How.
ever much on other days OF the years out
table may have stinted supply, on Thanks
giving Day there must be something bount-
eous. And all the comfortable homes OF
Christendom have at some time celebrated
joyful events by banquet and festivity.
Something has happened in the old home
stead greater than any thing that has ever
happened before. A favorite son, whom the
world supposed would become vagabond
and outlaw forever, has got tired Of sight
seeing and has returned to bis fathers
house. The world said he never would come
back. The old man always said his son
would come back. He had been looking for
him day after day and year after year. He
| knew he would come back Now having
returned TO his fathers house, the father
| proclaims celebration.
There is calf IN the paddock that has
been kept up and fed TO utmost capacity SO
| as to be really for some occasion Of jov that
| might. come along. All there never will
| be grander day on the old homestead than
this day. Let the butchers do their work,
and the housekcepcrs bring in 10 the table
the smoking meal. The mus clans will take
their places, and the gay groups will move
up and down the floor AL the friends and
neighbors are gathered in, and extra supply
Is sent out TO the table OF the servants. The
father presides Mt the table and says grace,
and thanks God that ris-long absent boy Is
home again. OH how they missed him {;
how glad they are TO have him backi One
brother indeed stands pouting at the back
door and saws: This Is great ado about
nothing; this bad boy should have been
chastened instead of greeted; veal Is too
good for himl" But the father says: moth
ing Is too good, nothing is good enough"
There sits the young man, glad at the hearty
reception, but shadow OF sorrow fitting
across his brow at the remembrance Of the
trouble he had seen. All ready now. Let
the covers lift. Music. He was dead and
he Is alive again He was lost and he is
found by such bold imagery does the
Bible set forth the merry-malling when a
soul comes home 10 Col.
L-First Of all there is the new converts
Joy. It is no tame thing TO become Chris
tian. The most tremendous moment in q
fnan,a lifa 10 ,vhan ha aurrandara httnaaif IN
God. The grandest time in the fathers
homestead Is when the boy comes back.
Among the great throng who in the parlors
Of this church professed Christ one night
was young man who next morning rang
at my door bell and said, "Sir, can not
contain myself with the Joy feel; came
here 10 express IL. have found more Joy
in five minutes.in serving God than In all
the years Of my prodlgality, and l came 10
say So"
You have seen, perhaps, q man running
for his physical liberty and the officers OF
the law after him, and you saw him escape.
or afterward you heard the Judge had par
doned him, and how great was the glee OF
that rescued man; but II Is q very tame
thing. that, compared with the running for
ones everlasting life-the terrors OF the
law after him, but Christ coming In 10 par
don and bless and rescue and save. You re-
member John Bunyan in his great story tells
how the Pilgrim put his fingers In his ears
and ran, crying; Life. life; eternal lifei'
A poor car-driver in this city some years
ago, after having had a struggle 10 support
his family, suddenly was informed that q
large Inheritance was his, AM there was
Joy amounting TO bewild erment, but that Is
q small thing compared with the experience
OF one when he has put In his hands tho title
deed 10 the joys, the raptures, the splendors
Of Heaven, and he can truly say; Its man.
sions are mine, It's temples are mine, Its
songs are mine, It's God is minem
o, IL is no tame thing to become Chris
tlan. II is merry making. Is Is the kill
ing Of the fatted calf. 1t is Jubilee. You
know the Bible never compares II 10 funer-
al, but always compares II TO something
bright. II Is more apt TO be compared 10 a
banquet than anything else. tits compared
In the Bible TO the water, bright, flashing
water; TO the morning roseate. hreworked,
mountain -transfgured morning. / wish ]
could to-day take all the Bible expressions
about pardon aud peace, and life, and CON-
fort, and hope, and Heaven, and twist them
into one garland, and put 1t on the brow Of
the humblest child Of God In this Assem-.
blage, and cry: "Wear it, wear IL now,
wear II forever. son Of God, daughter Of the
Lord God Almighty" o, the Joy Of the
new cVnvertl o, the gladness Of the
Christian service.
You have seen sometimes man In re-
llgious assembly get up and give his expert
ence. Well, Paul gave his experience. He
arose In the presence OF two churches, the
church on earth and the church In Heaven,
and he said: "Now this Is my experience
'Sorrowful yet always rejolcing-poor, yet
making many rich-having nothing, yet pos
sessing all things'" II the people In this
house this morning knew the Joys OF the
Christian religion, they would all pass over
into the kingdom Of God the next moment.
When Daniel Sandeman was dying OF cholera
his attendant said Have you much painin
"0," be replied, "since found the Lord
have never had any sain except sln." Then
they said to him: "Woud you like TO send
n message TO your friendsln Yes, would;
tell them that only last night the love OF |
Jesus came rushing into my soul like the |
surges OF the sea, and ! had 10 cry out;
Stop, Lord, II is enough; stop, Lord,
enoughp" o, the joys Of this Christian re.
liglonl
Just pass over from those tame Joys In
which you are indulging-joys Of this world |
Into the raptures Of thegospel. The world |
can not satisfy you; you have found that
longing for other worlds 10 |
conquer, and yet drowned In hiso bottle;
Byron whipped by disquietudes around tho |
world; Voltaire cursing his own soul whilo |
all the streets Of Paris were applauding him;
Henry ii. consuming with hatred against
poor Thomaa a Becket--all Illustrations Of |