The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1889-02-08

and cheerful Of soul. How do you
account for the fact that these life in
surance men tell us that ministers as
class live longer than any othersf
It is because Of the joy Of their work,
the JOY Of the harvest field, the JOY OF
greeting prodigals home to their
fathers house.
Oh, we are in sympathy with all in
nocent hilarities. We can enjoy a
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 kingdom of God. The great
eras of every minister are the outpour-
ings of the Holy Ghost, and thank
God / have seen eighteen Of them.
Thank God, thank God!
CHRISTIANS RECEIVE A CONVERTED
SOUL WITH OPEN ARMS
Nv. notice, also, when the prodi-
gal comes back all earnest Christians
rejoice. If you stood on Montauk
Point and there was a hurricane at
sea, and it was blowing toward the
shore, and vessel crashed into the
rocks and you saw people get ashore
in the lifeboats and the very last man
got on the rocks in safety, you could
not control your joy. And it is q
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 a
stereotyped supplication we have heard
over and over again for twenty years,
but a putting of the case in the hands
of God with an importunate pleading.
No long prayers. 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 answered were short prayers:
"God be merciful to me a sinner"
Lord, that I may receive my sight,
'Lord, save me or I perish. " The
longest prayer, Solomon's prayer at
the dedication of the temple, less than
eight minutes in length, according to
the ordinary rate of enunciation.
And just hear them pray now that
the prodigals are coming home. Just
see them shake hands. No putting
forth of the four tips of the fingers in
a formal way, but hearty grasp,
where the muscles of the heart seem
to clench 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 fifty years ago in the old country
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 off his shackles and he came and
stood by the prison door, and when
the jailer was opening the door, with
one stroke he struck down the man
who had incarcerated him. Passing
along the streets of London he won
iered where his family was He did
not dare to ask lest he excite suspicion,
but, passing along little way from
the prison, he saw Keith tankard, a
cup that belonged to the family from
to generation--he sawjt in a
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 tankard
in the window, hoping he would see
It; and he came along and saw it. and
at the door, and went in, and
The long absent family were all to-
gether again. Oh, if you would start
sor the Kingdom Of God today. think
some of you would find nearly all
your friends and nearly all your fami-
les around the holy tankard of the
holy communion-fathers, mothers,
brothers, sisters around that sacred
,ankard which commentaries the love
If Jesus Christ our Lord. Oh, it will
oe great communion day when your
whole family sits around the sacred
One on earth, one in heaven.
FOR THE RETURN OF PRoDIGALs LET
EVERY ONE PRAY.
V. Once more | remark, that |
when the prodigal gets back the in
aabitants Of heaven keep festival.
I'm very certain of it. If you have
never seen a Geographic chart, you
nave no idea how many cities are con-
lected together and how many lands
Nearly all the neighborhoods Of the
Earth seem articulated, and news flies
rom city to city, and from continent
o continent. But more rapidly 60
he tidings from earth to heaven, and
when a prodigal returnsit is announced
,efore the throne of God. And if these
ouls this morning should enter the
lingdom there would be some one in
he heavenly kingdom to say That's
ny father" That's my mother"
That's my son." That's my daugh-
er, That's my friend, That's the
me | used to pray for" That's the
me for whom 1 wept so many tears"
md one soul would say, "Hosanna"
md another would say, "Hallelujah"
Pleased with the news the saints below
In songs their tongues employ;
Beyond the skies the tidings CO.
And heaven is filed with JOY
Nor angels can their joy contain,
But kindle with new fire;
The sinner lost is found, they sing,
And strike the sounding Tyre.
At the banquet of Lueullus sat
Cicero the orator, at the Macedonian
1911 .o4 D1,,1,,, A., - ~ tho |