Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1890-07-03
The CHURCH REJ0lCES.
The Kiss Of Welooms Gwen to the Rs
turning Wandsrer.

Rev. T. Do Witt Talmsge Talks Of the Return
Of the Lott Sheep to the Fathers Fold and
With What Joy They are Welcomed
Rev T. De Witt Talmage preached TO the
usual large audience last Sunday In the
Brooklyn Academy OF Music. His subject
was the return Of the Prodigal Son: "The
Kiss OF Welcome" and his text Luke y ~:
"When he was yet q great way OF, his
father saw him, and had comp Ission, and
ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
Following Ia the sermon:
One Of the deepest wells that inspiration
ever opened is this we'll Of parable which
we can never exhaust The parable, sup
pose, was founded on facts. I have de-
scribed to you the going away OF this prodi.
gal son from his fathers house, and have
showed you what hard time h, had down
in the wilderness, and what . very great
mistake it was for him to leave SO beauti-
full home for such q miserable desert.
But he did not always stay in the wilder
ness; he came b ,ck after while. We o
not read that his mother came to greet
him. / suppose she was dead. She would
have been tn. first to com3 out The
father would have given the second kiss u
the returning prodigA; the mother the
first. II may have been for the lack OF her
example and prayers that he becam,
prodigal. Sonnet mos the father docs not
know how to man age the children OF the
household. The chief work com g upon
the mother. Indeed, no one ever gsts
over the cal unity of losing a mother in
carly life. Still, this young man was not
ungreeted when ne camo back.
However we'll app lrelled We m W b, in tho
morning when we start out on journey,
before night what with the dust
nnd the jostltng, we have lost all
cleanliness of appe france hut this p-odi-
gal, when ne started from ths swine
trough, was ragged and wrstchcd an his
appearance, after he had gone through days
OF journeying AMI exposure, you can more
easily imagine than describe. As the peo.
pie see this pro ligal coming on homeward,
they wonder who he is. They say: ~
wonder what prison he has broken out Of.
l wonder what lazaretto he ha, escaped
from. ] wonder with what plague hs will
smte the air." Although these people
may have been we'll acquainted with the
family yet they do not imagine that this Is
the very young man who went off only u
little while ago with quick step, and ruddy
cheek, and beautiful apparel Tho young
man think walks very fast. He LOOKS as
though he were intent upon something very
important. The people stop. They look at
him. They wonder where he came from.
They wonder where he Is going to.
You have heard OF son who went of to
sea aud never returned. All the people in
the neighborhood thought the son would
never return, but the pare Is came to nc
such conclusion. They would go by the
hour, and day. and sit upon the beach,
look ng of upon the water, expecting to
see the sail that would bring home the
long absent Toy. Aud so l think this
father OF my text sat under the vine look
ing out toward the road on which his son
had departed; but the father has changed
very much since we saw him last. His
hair has become white, his cheeks
are furrowed, his heart is broken
What Is all his bountiful table to him when
his son may bs lacking breadi What is al
the splendor OF the wardrobe OF tina,
homestead when the son may not have
a decent coati What are all the
sheep on that hillside to that father wher
his pet lamb is Comet Still he sits anC
watches, looking out on the road, and one
day he beholds foot traveller. He see.
him rise above the hill; first the heal and
after while the entire body; and as soon n!
he gets fair glance OF HIM he knows it i.
his rccreant son. He forgets the crutch
and the cane, and the stiffness OF the Join 9
and bounds away. / think the people al
around were amazed. They said: ut i.
only footpad. 1t is only some old tramr
The father knew better.
The change in the sons appearance coult
not hide the marks by which the fathe,
knew the boy You know that persons o
great deal OF independence Of character
are apt to indicate 1t in their walk. Fo
that reason the sailor almost always has
peculiar STEP not only because he stand
much on shipboard amid tho rocking o.
the sea- and he has to balanc, himself, bu
he has for the most part IN independent,
Character, which would show in his gait
even II he never went ON the sea; and W.
know from what transpired afterwari, ant
from what transpired before. that this
prodigal son WI OF an independent ant
frank nature; and suppose that the char
acteristics OF his mind and heart were tn,
characteristics Of his walk. And 50 the
father knew him. He pat out his witheret
arms toward him; he brings his wriakle'
face against the pale cheek OF his son h
kisses the wan lips; he thanks God tn !.
the long agony is over. "When he wa
yet great way of, his father saw him
and had compassion. and ran, unl Tell OF
his neck and kissed him."
wonder IL Cots eyesight can descry u
when we are coming back TO Aim. Tn
text pi lures our conditioa-we are a grea
way of. That young man was not farthe
OF from his fathers house, sin IL no
farther on from holiness, hell is not farthe
OF from heaven, than we have been by on
sins away OF from our God; aye, so far O.
that we could not hear His voice, thong
vehemently He has called US year afte
year. do not know what bad habits yo
may have formed, or in what evil place
you have been, or what false notions yo
may h.ve entertained; but you are read
to acknowledge, II your heart has not bee
changed by the grace OF God. that you al
great way off-aye. 40 far that you ca
not get b,ck Of yourselves You woul
liks to come back. Aye. this moment yo
would start, il 1t were not for this sin, an
that habit, and this disadvantage. But
am to tel you of the Fathers cyesigh
HE saw him great way or" He h,