The Russellville Democrat., 1889-02-14
PRICE FIVE CENTS.


 lngi "Afl things are nov ready" ought they not to rejoice when the prodigal sitS down at the banqueF
 Life-insurance men will all tell you that ministers of religion as a class i've longer than any other. It Is confirmed py the statistics of all those who calculate upon human longevity. Why IS tN There Is more draft upon the nervous system than in any other profession, and theff toil is most cxhausting. l have seen mln- isters kept on miserable stipends by par siinoniogz eongregations who wondered at the duilness of the sermons, when the men of God were perplexed almost to death bysquesti0ns of livelihood, and had not enough nutritious food to keep any fire in their temperament. No fnel, no fire. have sometimes seen the inside or the life of many of the American clergymeD--neyer accepting theH nos pitality, because they can not aHoro it, but I have seen them strug- gle on with salaries of nYe or six hundred dollars year-the average less than that-their struggle we'll depicted by the Western missionary, who says in letter: ''Fhank you for your last remittance; until It came we had not any meat in our house For one year, and all last winter, although It was a severe winter. our children wore their summer cl0thes.1 And these men Of God I find in different parts Of the lana struggling against annoyances and e1- asperations innumerable; some or mem week after week entertaining agents who have maps to sell, and submitting them- selves to all styles of annoyance, and yet without complaint and cheerful of soul How do you account for the fact that these life insurance men tell us that ministers, as class, live longer than any othersr It is because of the joy of their work, the joy of the harvest field, the joy of greet ing prodigals home to their Fathers house.
 We are in sympathy with all innocent hilarities. We can enjoy hearty song and we can be merry with the merriest; but those of us who have toiled in the service are ready to testify that all these joys are tame compared with the satisfaction of seeing men enter the king dom of God. The great eras of every minister are the outpourings of the Holy Ghost, and thank God have seen eight cen of them Thank God Thank God!
 4 Inotiee, also. when the prodigal comes back, all earnest Christians rejoice. If you stood on Montauk Point. and there was ahurricane at sea, and it was blowing to- ward the shore, and vessel crashed into the rocks, and you say people get ashore in the lifeboats, and the very last man got on the rocks in safety, you could not eon- trol your joy. And it is glad time when the Church of God sees men who are tossed on the ocean of their sins plant their feet on the rock Christ Jesus.
 Oh when prodigals come home just hear those Christians sing. Just hear those Christians pray. It Is not d stereotgped supplieation we have heard over and over again for twenty years, but the putting Of the case in the hands Of God with an i'm portunate pleading. Men never pray at great length unless they have nothing to say and their hearts are hard and cold All the prayers in the Bible that were an- gwerea were short prayers: God be meFciful to me, sinner" "Lord, that ] may receive my sight" "Lord, save me or perish" The longest prayer. Solo, mons prayer at the dedication Of the Temple, less than eight minutes in length, according 10 the ordinary rate Of enuncia- ton.
 And just hear them pray now that the prodigals are coming home. Just zee them shake hands. No putting forth of the four tips Of the fingers in formal way, but hearty grasp, where the mus cles of the heart seem 10 cleueh inc fingers of one hand around the other hand. And then see those Christian faces, how H. lumined they are. And see that old man get up, and, with the same voice that he sang fifty years ago in the old country meeting house, say: "Now, Lord, lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation" There was a man of Keith who was hurled into prison in time of persecution, and one day he got of bis shaekles and he came and stood by The prison door, and when the jailer was opening the door, wlth one stroke be struck down the man who had incareerated him. Passing along the streets of London he wondered where his family was. He dld not dare to ask Lest he excite suspicion, but, passing along 6 little way from the prison, he saw a Keith tankard, 6 cup that belonged to the family from generation to generaiion-he saw it in 6 window. His family, hoping that some day he would get clear, came and lived as near as they could to the prison house, and they set that Keith takared in the window, hoping he would see t: and he came along and saw it and knocked al the door and went in, and the long-absent family were all to- getbef again. Oh, f you would start for the Kingdom Of God to-day think some Of you would 6nd nearly all your friends and nearly all your families around the holy tankard Of the holy eOmmuniOD- fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters around that sacred taukard which com memorates the love Of Jesus Christ our Lord. On, 1t will be a great communion A Far ihe sacred taukard One Ou earth, one ia Heaven.
 b. Once more l remark, that when the prodigal gets back the inhabitants of Heaven keep festival am very certain Of it. " you have never seen tslegraphie chart, you have no idea bow many cities are connected together and how many lands. Nearly all the neigh borh0ods of the earth seem artiealated and news flies from city tO city, and from continent to continent But more rapidly go the ti- dines from earth 70 Heaven. and when procigal returns it is announced before the throne of God. And h these s0uls this morning should enter tbe kingdom there w0ald be some one in tAe Heavenly kingdom 10 say trhArs my father" "thsts my mother" 4that's my son." sAthat's iny daughter, {" 'thats my friend 'thats fhe one used 70 pray for" @that's the one for whom l wept so many tears," and one soul would say "Ho- sanna" and another soul would say @Hslleiu.ah 20
 Pleased win the news the ssints below
 In sohgs thegf I0nggss employ;
 Beyond the skies the tidinEs 70.
 And EeaYeu is biled with Joy.
 &0r angels cas- fbeir 39y couta3n,
 But ndle wlth aew fire
 The sinneF iosg is fouad. they siug.
 And strike the sounding lyre.
 AT the banquet of Luculias sat Cicero the orator, al the Macedonian festival sat Philip the Copquer0T at the GreciaH banquet sat Socrates the pbilOs pher, but at our FaiheF's table sit all the returned prodiga4s, more than con- qBerOrs. The table is 60 w ids its leaves reaeh across seas aud across lAnda.