The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1890-07-03

him: Back with you Have more spirit.
Don't be hamperel with religion. Tims
enough yet. Wait until you get sick Wait
until YOU get old" Satan s,yS: BACK with
you you are so bad that God will have moth.
ing to do with you or, "You arc good
enough and need no Reieemer. Take thine
ease, eat, drink and be merry" Ten thou
sand voices say: Back with you God is
hard master. The church is a collection Of
hypocrites Back into your sins: back to
your evil indulgenceS; back to your prayer
less pillow. The sillicst thing thata young
man ever does is to come home after he has
been wandering" Oh, how much help man
does want when he tries to become a Chris
tian! Indeed, the proligal cannot find his
way home to his fathers house alone. Un-
less some one comes to meet him he had bet
ter have stayed by the swine troughs.
When the tide comes in you might more
easily with your broom sweep back tho
surges than you could drive back the ocean
of Your uuforgiven transgreSsions. What
are we to do? Are we to fight the battle
alone, and trud &c on with no on9 to aid US,
and no rock to shelter US and no word OF
encouragement to cheer us? Glory be to
God, we have in the text the announcement:
"When he was vet great way off his father
ran" When the sinner starts for God, God
starts for the sinner. God docs not come
out with a slow and heSitating pace The
infinite spaces slip beneath HIS feet and He
takes worlds at bound. "rhe fnther ran"
Oh, Won erful III letting, whei Go AMI the
soul com, together. "rho father ran
You start for Go | al G) starts for you,
and YOU meet; and while the an 3els reioic,
over tn, meeting your lon, injurel Fatl,t
fall, upon your ne,'i with Alterations OF COM
passion aul parIol. Yourpoor, wAulering,
Sinful, pollutel soul and the loving, etorhh
Father have mst.
IremarS upon the fathers kiss. "as fell
Oh his meek" my text says, "an | KISS,
him" 1t is not every father tlot woull
have done that way. Son> woutl have
scoldel him, aal slid: "dero, You went OF
with beautiful clothes. hut now you are NIL
in tatters. You went or healthy, Cn.l Co No
back sick an wastel with your dissipations."
He did not say that. The son, all haggard AMI
ragged aud filthy aud wretchel, stool before
his father. The father charged him with
none Of his wauderings. He Just rocslVei
him. He just kissed him. His wretcaoi-
ness was recomnen iation to that fathers
describe the love OF Gol?-the urlor with
whica He receives sinner back again?
Give ma a plum not, with which l mly
fathom this ss, Give me a 10 llsr with
which I cau scale this height. Give M,
words with wlica cal de'crlo, t lis love.
The ap postles say in one placs, "ln;,arch.
able: in anothsr, "past liu ling out"
Hsi ,ht ovsrtopping all h,iylt; dopth plun5-
ing beneath all depth; brea1ta co passing
all INN ensity.
On, this love. God 50 Lowell the world BE
loves YOU Don't you b,lievs it? Has He
not done everything to mike you think so?
Hs has given you life, hellth, Is,
10 nc---the uss of your hsll, tn, sight OF
your eye, the hearing of your ear. He has
strewn yolr path with msrctes Fl, has fed
you, clothed You, shslterel you, defea lei
you, loved You, i'm >jrtunsl you all yoIt
life long Don't you believs He loves you?
Why, il now you sholtl start up from the
wilderness Of your sin FL, would throw bosh
arms around You. 70 make you bsileye thas
H, loves You He sSoope to m a15cr an cross
an sepulchre With all tn, passions OF His
holy nature rouseI Ho stands bsfore you TO-
day, anl would coax you to happiness au
heaven. Oh, this Fathers kiss! There Is 50
much meaning aul love aui compassionate:
SO much pardon in it; so much hsaven Ia it.
I proclaim Him tho Lord Col marciful,
gracious and long suffering, abundant i'll
goodness and truth. Last you would not be-
lieve Him He goes up Golgotha, and while the
rocks are rending, and the graves are open-
ing, and the mobs are bowling, and the sun
is hiding, He dies for you. SEQ Hin! See
t1lfu OH Gue uOuuG Ol CTuciuAOu ouo s"ooV
on His brow tinged with the blood exuding
from His lacerated temples! Sec His eyes
swimming in death Hear the loud breath
ing of the sufferer as He pants with world
on His heart! Hark to the fall of the blood
from brow and hand and foot on the rocks
beneath-drop! drop! drop! Look at the
nails! How wide the wounds are! Wider do
tttsy cape as His body comes down upon
them. Oh! this crucitixion agony Tears
melting into tears Blood flowing into blood:
Darkness dropping W darkness. Hands OF
men Joined with hands Of devils to tear apart
the quivering heart of the Son of God!
Oh, will He never speak again? VIII that
crimson face never light up again9 He will
speak again; while the blood is suffusing Hts
brow, and re ideniug His che,'s, aal gather
in on nostril anil lip an You think He Is
exhausted an | cannot sp ,aS, he crles out un-
til all the ages hear Him: "Father, forgive
thom, they know not what they do" Is
there no emphasis in such a scene as that to
make your dry eye; weep AMI your haru
heart break? Will you turn your back upon
it. and say by your actions what the jews
sal, by their wor,ls: 'His hlool b, us,
anI on our chillren9" What does it all
mean, my brother, my sister? Why, ltnieans
that for our lost raco there was u Fathers
kiss. Love brought Him down. Love opened
the gate Love lei to thC sacritiG, Love
shattered the grave Love liftel Him up IN
resurrection Sovereign love? Omnipotent
love- Infinite love! Bleeding love! Ever.
lasting love!
Ga, for thiI love le! rocks al lhill'
Their liStny silenct brclt:
And all Harmonious hu nan tongues
The SaYioars praises sp'ak
Now, will you accept that Fathers kissa
The Holy Spirit comes to you with His arous
inr. melting. alarming, inviting, vivifying
influence. Heare", what creates in thee that
unrest? 1t is the lToly Ghost. What infu-
encc now tells thee that it is time to fly, that
TOMORROW may be too late; that there is one
door, one road, one cross, one sacrifice, one
Jesus? 1t is the Holy Ghost
My most urgent word is to those who. like
the young man of my text, are a great way
of. AMI they will irt for hone, and they
will get home. They will yet preach the Cos
pei, anl on communion days carry around
the )nsecratel bread, acceptable to every
boly, because of their holy life anil their
conSecratel behavior. The Lord is going to
save YOU Your home has got to bs rebuilt.
Your physical health has got to be restored.
Your worldly business has got to be recon-
structed. The Church OF God is going to re-
joico over your discipleShip. You are not
Gospel hardsnsl. You have not hearl
Or read many sermons during the last few
years. on no llOI weep uuV lhc Sho"ci 10
not far OF. You sigh, AMI you have noticed
that there is always sigh in the wind before
tue rain falls.
There are those who would give anything
it they could find relief in tears. They say:
"Oh, my wasted life! Oh, the bitter past!
Oh, the graves over which have stumbled!
Whittier shall l fly? Alas for the future!
Everything is dark--so dark, so dark. God
help me! Col pity mem Thank the Lord
for that last utterdnc, You have began to
pray, ,aui when a man begins to petition, that
sets all heaven flying this wav, and God steps
in anil beats back the hounds of temptation
to their kennel, AMI arounl about the poor
wounded soul puts the cover OF Ills parton