The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1890-06-20
THE PRoDIGAL SON.
DR.. Talmage on the Lessons
Taught By the Parable.
Power OF the Parental FeeiIng-The
Heavenly Father Ever Ready to Receive
the Repentant sInner-The Lords
Love Beyond All Measure.

NOuARoA COu- his IeXI was from LUKE,
XIV. 20: when he was yet great way
OF his father saw him and had COM
passion and ran and fell on his neck
and kissed him." Following is the ser
mon:
One OF the deepest wells that inspira-
tion ever opened is the we'll of aparable
which we can never exhaust The par
able / suppose was founded on facts.
] have described to you the going away
OF this Prodigal Son from his fathers
house and 1 have showed you what
hard time he had down in the wilder
ness and what very great mistake it
was for him to leave so beautiful
home for such a miserable desert But
he did not always stay in the wilder
ness He came back after awhile.
We do not read that his mother came
TO greet him i suppose she was dead
She would have been the first 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 became n prodigal- Sometimes
the father does not know how to man
age the children of the household. The
chief work comes upon the mother.
Indeed, no one ever gets over the calam-
ity of losing mother in early life.
Still this young man was not ungreeted
when he came back.
However we'll apparelled we may be
in the morning when we start out on a
journey, before night, what with the
dust and the jostling. we have lost all
cleanliness of appearance. But this
prodigal, when he started from the wine
trough, was ragged and wretched and
his appearance, after he had gone
through days of ;ourneying and ex-
posture, you can more easily imagine
than describe. As the people see this
prodigal coming on homeward they
wonder who he is They say: 81 won
der what prison he has broken out of.
/ wonder what lazerette he has escaped
from. ! wonder with what plague he
will smite 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 little while ago with
quick step and ruddy cheek and beauti-
full apparel. The young man l 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 a son who went of
to sea and never returned. All the PEG
pie in the neighborhood thought the
son would never return, but the parent,
came to no such conclusion. They
. would go by the hour. and day, and 81
upon the beach, looking of upon the
water. expecting to see the sail tina
would bring home the long absent boy
And so think this father of my tex
sat under the vine looking out towar,
the road on which his son had departed
but the father has changed very mucl
since we saw him last His hair has be
come white, his cheeks are furrowed
his heart is broken. What is all hi
bountiful table to him when his Sol
may be lacking bread? What is all tn
splendor OF the wardrobe of that home
stead when his son may not have de
cent coat? What are all the sheep Of
that hillside to that father when his pc
lamb is gone? Still he sits and watches
looking out on the road, and one day h
beholds a foot traveller. He sees hin
rise above the hill; first the head an
after while the entire body; and a
= soon as he gets fair glance he know
IL Is his recreant son. He forgets tn
crutch, and the cane, and the stiffness
the joints and bounds away. / thin
the people all around were amazed
They said: at is only footpad. 1t
only some old tramp of the road. Don
go out to meet him" The father kne
better.
The change in the sons appearan,
could not hide the marks by which IL
father knew the boy. You know thi
persons of great deal of independent
of character are apt TO indicate it
their walk. For that reason the sail
almost always has a peculiar step, n
only because he stands much on shi
board amid the rocking of the sea, al
he has to balance himself, but he h
for the most part an independent cha
Rcter, which would show in his ga
even IL he never went on the sea, al
we know from what transpired afte
ward, and from what transpired befor
that this prodigal son was of an ind
pendent and frank nature; and su
pose that the characteristics of h
mind and heart were the characteristic
VI his walk. And so the father knC
him. He put out his withered arms I
ward him; he brings his wrinkled IA
against the pale cheek of his son;
Kisses the wan lips; he thanks God tn
the long agony is over. "When he W
yet great way of his father saw hi
and had compassion, and ran, and Il
on mis- neck and kissed him"
o. do you not recognize that fathe
Who was IL? 1t is Godl have no sy
pathy with that cast iron theolo
which represents God as hard. seve
and vindictive. God is Father-kin
loving, lenient gentle, long sufferir
patient. and He flies to our immortal n
cue. o, that we might realize it.
wealthy lady in one OF the Easte
countries was going OF for some tin
and she asked her daughters for sol
msmento to carry with her. One of t
daughters brought n marble table
beautifully inscribed, and anoth
daughter brought a beautiful wreath
flowers. The third daughter came a
said: Mother, brought neither 10
ers nor tablets, but here is my heart
have inscribed 1t all over with yo
name. and wherever you go it will
with YOU" The mother recognized
as the best OF all the mementoes.
that our souls might go out toward O
Father-that our hearts might be W.T.
ten all over with the evidence of his IL
ing kindness and that we might new
again forsake Him.
In the first place I notice in this te,
the fathers eyesisht; in the seco
place. notice the fathers haste; AT
in the third place, notice the fathe
kiss.
To begin: The fathers eyesigl
when he was great way of I
father saw him" You have motto
how old people sometimes put a DO