The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-06-27
A FILIAL KISS.
This Was the Text for an
Eloquent Sermon by
Dr. Talmage.
Based Upon the Old but Ever
New Parable of the
Prodigal Son.

Prodigal Son.
BROOKLYN, special-Dr Talmage's ser.
mon for to-day is on the prodigal son, aud
his text, Luke xv. 90: "whon he was vet a
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 a parable which we
con never exhaust. The parable, l suppose,
was founded on facts. lhave described 20 you
the going away of this prodigal son from
his father's house, and 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 homo for such
miserable desert. But he did not always
stay in the wilderness: he came back after
| awhile We do not read that his mother
She would have been the first to come out
| The father would have given the second kiss
| to the returning rrodiga: the mother the
| frat. 1t may have been for the lack of her
example and prayers that lie became o prod.
igal Sometimes the father does not know
how to manage the children OF the house
Indeed. no one ever gets over the calamity
OF losing a mother in early life. Still, this
young man was not ungreeted when he came
| back.
| However we'll aprarelled We may be in the
morning when We start out on q Journey. DO.
fore night, what with the dust ard the jos.
tling. we have lost all cleanliness OF appear.
anre But this prodigal, when he started
from the swine trough, was ragged aud
wretched, and his appearance, after he had
gone through days o: iourneying and expos
ure. You can more easily imagine than de.
scribe. AS the people see this prodigal com.
ing on homeward, they wonder who lie is.
They say: Il wonder what prison he has
broken out o. l wonder what lazaretto lie
has escaped from. ! wonder with what
p!agucle wilsmite the air. Although these
people may have been we'll acquainted with
the iamily, got 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 beautiful apparel. The yonng
man, think. walks very fast. He looks ns
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 off to
sea that never returned. All the people in
the neighhorhood thought the son would
never return. but the parents came to no
such conclusion. They would 20 by the hour
and day, and sit upon the beach. looking OF
upon the water. expecting to see thes that
would briug home lifelong absent boy. And
| so think this father q: my text snt under
the vine looking out toward the road on
which his son hal departed; but the :nther
hns changed very much since we saw him last
His hair has heeome white, his cheeks are
furrowed, his heart is broken. What is all
his bounti;ul table to him when his son may
| be backing breadn What is all the sp,en.
dor of the wardrobe of that homestead when
the son may not have 1erent coat? What
are all the sheep on that hillside to that fn-
ther when hs pet lamb is gone Still he sits
and watches. looking out OH the road, and
one day Re beholds a foottrnvelcr. He sees
him rise above the hill: first The head and
ater u while the entire body; and as
soon US he gets fair glance of him he knows
| it is his recreant son. lie forgets the
crutch. and the stiffness of the joints.
und bounds away. ] think the people all
around were amazed. They said: 1T is
only !ootpad. 1t is only some old tram
Of the road. Don't go out to meet him
The father knew him better.
| The change in the sofl 8 appearance could
not hide the marks by which the father kne.
the boy. You know thnt persons of great
| ueul OI lH1eHtnufu'e III character are ant o
| indicate it in their walk. For the reason the
sailor most always has IL peculiar step, not
only because he stands much upon ship.
| board amid the rocking OF he sea- and lie
has to balance himself, but he has for the
| most part an Independent character which
would show in his gait. even il he never went
| on.the sea; and We know from what transpired
atterward. and from what transpired before,
that this prodigal son was Of an independent
aud frank nature: and suppose the charac
teristics of his mind and heart were the char
acteristics of his walk. And SO the father kne
him. He put out his witherd arms toward
him: he brings his wrinkled iace up against
the pale check of kis son, he kissrs the
wan lips. he thanks God TINT the long ago.
ny is over. when he was yet great way
Off his father saw him, and had com passion
and ran and fell ON his neck and kissed him. {"
Oh, do you not recognize that Father?
Who was it? 1t is God, | have no sympathy
with that cast.iron theology which represents .
God as hard. severe and vindictive. God is
| Father-kind, loving. lenient. gentle, long
suffering, patient, aud He flies to our i'm
mortal rescue, oh, that me might realize it.
A wealthy lady in one of the Eastern coun-
tries Mas going of tor some time. md shs
asked one of her daughters for some memen-
to to carry with her. One Of the daughters
brought marble tablet. beautifully inscrib,
ed; and another brought n benutiful wreath
oftiowers. The. third daughter came and
| sulo. MOtueI. neIIurr movers nor
tablet, but here is my heart. II have in
scribed it all over with your name. aud
wherever you go. it will go with YOU" The
mother recognized it as the best OF all the
mementoes. Oh, that our souls might go
out toward our Father-thnt our henrts
| might he written all over with the evidences
Of his loving Kindness. and that we might
never again iorsake Him.
In the first place, notice in this text the
fathers eyesigh,; in the second place, no.
tice tie father . haste: and. in the third place,
notice the fathers kiss.
| To begin: the fathers eyesight. "When he
vas great way of his fntier saw him
You have noticed how old people come.
times put u book of on the other side OF he
light. They can see ut distance a great
deal easier than they can close by. do not
know whether this fnther could see well that
| which was near by. but / do know lie could
see great way of. His father saw him.
Perhaps he had been looking for the return
oil that boy especially that day. do not
know but that lie had been in prayer and
that God had told him that that day The
recreant boy would come home "The father
saw him grent way off,"
I wouder if Code syesight can dcscry us
when We are coming back to Him: The
text pictures our condition-we are a great
way of. Tint young man waa not farther
of from his father u house. sin is not farther
off from holiness hell il not further off from
|
off from our God; aye. SO far off that we
could hear His voice. though vehemently He
has called us yeara Ter year. do not know
what bad habits you have formed, or in
what evil places you have been. or what fliss
notions y you may have entertained: bnt you
are ready to acknowledge. il your henr, las
not been changed by the grace o. God. that
you nre great way of-ayc. 50 far tina, 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, aad disadvantage. But nm to
| tell you OF the Fathers eyesight "He saw
him great way off," He has seen all your
traiities, all your struggles all your dsad.
vantages. He has been longing for your
coming. He has not been looking at you
| with a critics eve or q ballifs eye
bu, with a Fathers eye; and il
parent ever pities n child. God pities you.
You say: "Oh, had SO many evil surround
ings when started life" Your Father sees
it. You say: Il haveso many bad surround.
ings now, and it is very difficult for me to
break away from evil associations" Your
Father sees it, and if you shonld start
heayenward-ns pray you may-your fa.
thsr would not sit idly down and allow
You to struggle up toward Him. oh. no!
| NH d., .