The Russellville Democrat., 1889-02-14
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
A Jubilee Occasion Characterised
 by Words of Special Import.
The ProdigaI's Return the Theme Chosen to Illustrate the Welcome Extended to Large Number of New
 Commandments.

Commandments.
 Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage. in . =soent sermon at Brooklyz 1'eE5rnacle. on the occasion of tie reception of two hundred and forty new communicants, chose for his subject the "Return of the Prodigal," his text being:
 Bring hither the fatted calf and kill it--Luke xy. 2s.
 Joyi Joyi Joyi We banquet to-day over this accession of multitude of souls. In all ages of the world 1t has been customary to celebrate joyful events by festivity-the. signing of treaties, the proclamation of peace, the Christmas, the marriage. However much on other days of the year our table may have stinted supply, on Thanksgiving Day there must be something bounteous. And all the comfortable homes of Christendom have at some time celebrated joyful events by banquet and festiyity.
 Something has happened in the old homestead greater than any thing that has eyer happened before. favorite son whom the world supposed would be- come yagabond and outlaw forever, has returned to his fathers house. The
 
 The old man always said his son would come. He had been looking for him day after day and year after year. He knew he would come back. Now, having re- turned to his fathers house, the father proclaims celebration.
 There is a calf in the paddock that has been kept mp and fed to utmost capacity, so as to be ready for some occasion Of joy that might come along. Ah! there never will be a grander day on the old home- stead than this day. Let the butchers do their work and the housekeepers bring into the table the smoking meat. The musicians will take their places, and the gay groups will move up and down the floor. All the friends and neighbors are gathered in, and extra supply is sent out to the table of the servants. The father presides at the table and says grace, and thanks God that his long absent boy is home again. 0hi how they missed him 1; how glad they are to have him back. One brother indeed stands i>seating at the back door and says: ''This is a great ado about nothing. this bad boy should have been chastaned instead of greeted; veal is too good for him" But the father says: 'tNothing is too good; nothing is good
 
 at the hearty reception, but a shadow of sorrow fitting across his brow at the remembrance of the trouble he had seen. All ready now. Letthe 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 mer- " -nmaking when a soul comes home to God.
 <uf al $Har sG tfc joy. It is no tame thing to become a Christian. The most tremendous moment in mans life is when he surrenders him. self to God. The grandesttime on the fathers homestead is when the boy comes back. Among the great throng who in the parlors of this church protessed Christ one night vas young man who next morning rang my door-bell and said: "Sir, I can not contain myself with the joy feel; came here this morning to express it. have found more joy in five minutes in serving God than in all the years of my prodigality, and I came to say so."
 You have seen, perhaps, a man running for his physical liberty and the officers of the law after him, and you saw him es- cape, or afterward you heard the judge had pardoned him, and how great was the glee of that rescued man; but fl is a very tame thing that, compared with the run ming for one'g everlasting life-the ter TOTS of the law after him, but Christ com ing to pardon. and bless, and rescue, and save. You remember John Bunyan, in his great story, tells how the Pilgrim put his fingers in his ears and ran. crying; Life, life, eternal lifeW 4 poor car driver in this city some years ago, after haviEg had struggle to support his fam fly, su&sienly was informed that large inheritance was his and there was joy axn@suting to bewilderIneDt; but that is a small thing compared with the experience Of one who has put in his hands the title deeds to the joys, the raptures, the splen- dorB Of Heaven, and he can truly say "Its mansions are mine, its temples are nine, its songs are mine, it's God is mine"
 On, il is no tame thing to become Chris- sian. It is a merry making. IL is the killing Of the fatted calf. It is iubslee You know the Bible never compares it 10 a funeral, but always compares il to something bright. It is more apt to be compared fo a banquet than any thing else. It is compared in the Bible to the water, bright flashing water; 70 the morn ihg--roseets, fre-worked, mountain tfsnsSgured morning. l wish could to- day take all the Bible expressions about pardon, and peace, and life, aud comfort and hope, and Heaven, and twist them tn- to one garland. and put it on the brow Of the humblest child of God in this assem- blaze, and cry: Wear if, wear it now, wear il forever, son of God, daughter Q. the Lord God Almighty" Oh, the joy of the new convert, On, the gladness Of the Christian service.
 You have seen sometimes a man in . religious assembly get up and give his ex- peFienee. Well, Paul gave bis experience. He arose in the presence Of two churches, the church On earth and the church ia Heaven, and he said. "Now, this Is my experience: S0rrowful, yet always Fe5oie- ing; poor, yet making many rieh--havi1g nothing, yet possessing all th3ngs." II the people in this house this morning knew the joys Of the Christian religion they would ali pass over into the King dom Of God the next moment When Daniel SaademAa was dying Of cholera his attendant sad: Have you much psin:'' AOh," he replied, a'sinee ! found the Lord have never had any pain ex- cepi sin" Then they said to hin: w ould you like 10 send a message 10 your friendss" "Yes, would; tell them that only last night the love Of Jesus came rushing into my soul like the surges Of he sea. and l had to cry Outs Stop, Lord, a is enough; stop. Lord, enough Z" Oh. l8e joys Of ttlas Christian religion,
 Just pass over from those tame joys in which you are indulging-s0ys Of this world--snto the raptures of the Gospel The world can not satisfy you. you hare found that out Alexander longing for other worlds to conquer, and yet drowned ia his owu bottle; Byron whipped by dis qnaetudes around tue world; VOltaire -ursing his own soul while ail the streets of Paris were sppIauding him; Henry II. consuming with hatred against poor Thomas Bseket--aN Illustrations Of the fact that th3s world caa not make q man happy. The very Blan WhO poisoned tie p0manel of the saddle on which Queen Elizabeth rode. shQuted in the street