Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-16
THE FATHERS KISS
Lovingly Bestowed Upon the Prodigal
Son, Returning Repentant
AFTER YEARS OF WANDERING,
Typical Of the Welcome That Awaits Every
Sinner Who Turns
FROM WICKED TO RIGHTEOUS WAYS


ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPArcH.I
BROOKLYN, June 15.-Dr. Talmage's SER
mon for to-day is on the "Prodigal Son,
and his text, Luke xv., 20: "When he was
yet great way of, his father saw him and
had compassion, and ran. and fell on his
neck and kissed him." Following is the
sermon:
One of the deepest wells that inspiration ever
opened is this well Of parable which we can
never exhaust The parable. l suppose, was
founded on facts have described to you the
going away of this prodigal son from his
fathers house, and have showed you what a
hard time he had down in the wilderness. and
what a very great mistake 1t was for him to
have so beautiful home for such a miserable
desert. But he did not always stay in the
wilderness; he came back after while. We
do not read that his mother came to greet him.
1suppose she was dead. She would have been
the frst to come out. The father would have
given the second kiss to the returning prodigal:
the mother the first 1t may have been for the
lack of her example and prayers that he be-
came a prodigal. Sometimes the father does
not know how to manage the children OF the
household. Tne chief work comes upon the
mother. Indeed no one ever gets over the
calamity of losing mother in early life. Still,
this young man was not ungreeted when he
came back
However well apparelled we may be in the
morning when we start out on journey. be-
fore night, what with the dust and the jost-
ling, we have lost all cleanliness of appearance.
But this prodigal, when he started from the
swine-trough, was ragged and wretched, and
his appearance, after he had gone through days
of journeying and exposure, you can more
easily imagine than describe. As the people
see this prodigal coming homeward. they
wonder who he is. They say: 81 wonder what
prison he has broken ont OF wonder what
- ,.,I dorN
what plague he will smite the air." Although
these people may have been well acquainted
with the family vet they do not imagine tnat
this is the very young man who went oil only
little while ago with quick step and rudy
cheek. and beautiful apparel. The young man,
think, walks very fast. He looks as though
he were intent upon something very mportant.
The people stop. They look at him They
wonder where he came from. They wonder
where he is going to.
THE FATHERS SORROW.
You have heard of a son who went of to sea
And never returned. All the people IN the
neighborhood thought the son would never re-
turn, but the parents came TO no such conclu-
sion. They would go by the hour and day, and
sit upon the beach. looking off upon the water,
expecting to see the sail that would bring home
the long-absent boy. And SO think this father
of my text sat under the vine looking out
toward the road on which his son had departed;
but the father had 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 be lacking bread? What is all the
splendor of the wardrobe of that homestead
when the son may not have decent coat?
What are all the sheep on the hillside to that
father when his pet lamb is gone7 Still he sits
and watches. looking out on the road, and one
day he beholds foot traveller. He sees him
rise above the hill: first the head and after
awhile the entire body; and as soon as he gets
fair glance of him he knows it is his recreaut
son. He forgets the cruJch, and the cane. and
the stiffness of the JOINTS, and bounds away.
! think the people all around were amazed.
They said: lit is only footpad. 1t is only
some old tramp of the road. Don't go out TO
meet him." The father knew better.
The change in he sons appearance could
not hide the marks by which the father knew
the boy. You know that persons of great
deal of independence of character are apt to in
cicate it in their walk. For that reason the
sailor almost always has pecnliar step, not |
only because he stands much shipboard |
amid the rocking OF the sea, aud he has 10 bal
ance himself, but he has tor the most part an
independent character which would show in
his gait even if he never went to the sea; and
we know from what transpired before, that his
prodigal son was of an independent and frank
nature; and suppose that the characteristics
of his mind and heart were the characteristics
OF his walk. And so the father knew him. He
puts out his withered hand toward him; he
brings his wrinkled face against the pale cheek
of his son; he kisses the wan lips: he thanks
God that the long agony is over when he
and had Compassion, and ran and fell on his
neck and kissed him."
THE BEST MEMENTo.
Oh, do you not recognize that Father7 Who
was 1t3 1t is God! L have no sympathy with
that cast-iroE theology which represents God
as hard, severe and vindictiye. God is father
kind, loving, lenient gentle, loug-suffering,
patient. and He flies to our immortal rescue.
Oh, that we might realize it. A wealthy lady in
one of the eastern countries was going off for
some time, and she asked her daughters for
some memento to carry with her. One of the
daughters brought marble tablet, beautifully
inscribed; and another daughter brought
beautiful wreath OF flowers. The third daugh-
ter came and said: Mother, brought neither
flowers nor tablet, but here is my heart. have
inscribed it all over with your name, and where
ever you 20 IL will go with you" The mother
recognized it as the best of all the memeutoes.
Oh, that our souls might go out toward our
Father-that our hearts might be written all
over with the evidences of His loving kindness,
and that we might never again forsake Him.
In the first place, l notice in this text, the
Fathers eyesight; in the second place, notice.
the Fathers haste; and, in the third place,
notice the Fathers kiss.
To begin: the fathers eyesight. when he
was great way off his father saw him." You
have noticed how old people sometimes put a
book on on the other side of the light. They
can see at a distance great deal easier than
they can close by. do not know wnei her this
father could see well that which was near bv,
but do know he could see a great way of.
His father saw him" Perhaps be had been
looking for the return of that boy especially
that day. do not know but that he had been
in prayer, and that God had told him that that
day the recreant boy would come home. "rhe
father saw him great way off," 1 wonder if
Gods eyesight can descry us when we are COM
ing back to Him? The text pictures our
cOnditlon-we are a great way off That young
man was not farther of from his fathers
house, sin is not farther off IRON holiness, hell
is not farther off from heaven than we have
been by our sins away off from our God: ave-
so far off that we conld not hear His voice
though Vehemently He has called us year after |
year.
VERY FAR FROM HOME.
1 do not know what bad habits you may have |
formed, or in what evil places you have been, |
or what false notions you may have entertained; |
but you are ready to acknowledge. If your |
heart has not been changed by the grace of God. !
that you are great way off-aye, so far that |
you cannot get back of yourselves. You would |
like to come back. Aye, this moment you would |
start if it were not for this sin, and that habit
and this disadvantage. But am to tell you of |
the Fathers eyesight He saw him great |
way or" He has seen all your frailties, all |
your struggles. all your disadvantages. He |
has been longing Tor your coming: He has not
been looking at you with a critics eye or |
bailins eye, but with Fathers eyei and II |
parent ever pitied child, God pitIes you. You |
say: "Oh, had so many evil surroundings when |
i started life" Your Father sees it. You say: |
i have SO many bad surroundings now, and 1t |
is very difficult for me to break away from evil /
associations" Your Father sees it, aud If you |
should start heavenward-as | pray you may
your Father would not sit idly down and allow
you TO struggle on up toward Him. Oh. no!
Seeing you great way off, He would fly to the
rescue. How long does il take father 10 leap
into the middle Of the highway if his child be
there, and a swift vehicle is coufup AID may
destroy hlmF Five hundred times longer than