The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1890-06-26
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Weekly Discourse OF the Great
Brooklyn Preacher.

Brooklyn Preacher.
Text: "IYhen he teas vet a great ,coy oT
his father sa,u him, and had compassion
on hin, and ran and fell on his neck, dad
kissed him,"-Luke XIV, 20.
One of the deepest wells that inspiration
ever opened is this well OF parable which
we can never exhaust, Tho parable, | SUP
pose, was founded on facts, l have do
scribed to you the going away OF this profit
gal son from his fathers house. and have
shown you what hard timehe had down in
the wilderness, and what very great
mistake 1t was for him 10 leave so beauti-
full home for such miserable desert.
But he did not always stay In tho wilder
ness; he camo back after q WHILE We Ito
not read that his mother came to greet him.
| suppose she was dead. She would have
been the first TO come out. Tho father
would have given the second kiss to tho re-
turning prodlgal; the mother the first. It
may have been for tho lack OF her example
md prayers that he became prodigal.
sometimes the father does not know how
TO manage tho children OF the household.
Tho chief work comes upon the mother
Indeed, no one evor gets over the calamity
Of losing mother in early life. Still this
young man was not ungreetei when no came
back.
However we'll appareled we may be In the
morning when we start out on journey, be-
fore night, what with tho dust and the
jostling, we have lost all cleanliness OF ap.
pearance. 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 ex-
posure, you can more easily imagine than
describe. As the people see this prodigal
coming on homeward, they wonder who he
Is. They say: II wonder what prison he
has broken out Of. wonder what lazaretto
he has escaped from. ] wonder with what
plague he will smite tho 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 OIL
only little while ago with quick step, and
ruddy cheek, and beautiful apparel. The
young man, think, walks very fast. FL
looks as though he were intent upon some
thing very important. The people stop.
| They look at him. They wonder where he
came from. They wonder where he is 60
ing to.
sea and never returned All tho people in
the neighborhood thought the son would
never return, but the parents came to nc
hour and day and sit upon the beach, look.
ing off upon the water, expecting to see the
sail that would bring homo the long absent
boy. And so think this father of my text
sat upon the vine looking 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 hear
is broken. What is all his bountiful table
to him when his son may be lacking bread
What is all the splendor Of the wardrobt
II that homestead when the son may no
nave decent coat? What are all tho sheep
on that hillside to that father when his pet
lamb is gomez Still be sits and watches,
looking out on the road and one day he be-
holds foot traveller. He sees him rise above
the hill; first the head and after awhile the
entire body; and as soon as he gets fail
glance of him he knows it is his recreant son.
He forgets the crutch, and the cane, AMI the
stiffness of the joints and bounds away.
think the people all around are amazed
They said: ut is only a footpad. 1t is only
some old tramp of the road. Don't go out t.
meet him." The father knew better.
The change in the sons appearance coul
not hide the marks by which the father
knew the boy. You know that persons of O
great deal of independence Of character arr
apt to indicate it in their walk. For thai
reason the sailor always has peculiar step
note only because he stands much on shipboar,
amid the rocking OF the sea, and he has t.
balance himself, but he has for the most par
an Independent character, which would sho7
in his gait, even if he never went on the sea
and we know from what transpired after
ward, and from what transpired before, tina
this prodigal son was of an independent ant
frank nature; and suppose that the char
acteristics of his mind and heart were TIN
characteristics of his walk. And so tn
father knew him. He puts out his withere,
arms toward him; he brings his withere
face against the pale cheek of his son; II
kisses the wan lips; he thanks God that til
long agony is over. "When he was yet
great way off, his father saw him, and has
compassion, 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 sym
pathy with that castiron theology wbic'
represents God as hard severe AMI vindic
tive. God is a Father-kini, loving, lenient
gentle, long suffering, patient, AMI He llie
to our immortal rescue. Ga, that we migh
realize it. A wealthy lady i'll one Of tn
time, and she asked her daughters for som
memento to carry with her. One Of tn
daughters brought marble tablet, beauti
fully inscribed, AMI another daughte
brought q beautiful wreath of flowers
The third daughter came and said: "Mothar
brought neither flowers nor tablet, bu
here is my heart. have inscribed it all owe
with your name, and wherever YOU go it wi
go with you" The mother Recognized it a
the best of all the mementoos. Oh, that on
souls might 80 out toSlrl olc FaGaer; tn |
our hearts might be written all over wit
the evidences Of His loving kin lass, an
that we might never again forsa'io Hin.
In the first plac,, notice in this text th
fathers eyesight; in til, second place, NJ
tice the fathers haste: an I, in tho thir
place, notice the fathers kiss
To begin: The fathers eyesight. "Whe
he was great way of his father saw him.
You have noticed how oil psoplo sometim;
put book off on the otter side of the liga
They can sec at distance great deal easie
than they can close by. | do not know
whether this father could see well that whic
was near by. but do know he coull seq
great way or. Ellis father saw him" Pei
haps he had been looking for the return @
that boy especially that day. do MOI kno'
but that he had been in prayer, and that Go
had told him that that day the recreant DO
would come horne. "The father saw him
great way off,"
1 wonder if Gods eyesight can descry IL
when we are coming blck to Him? tn
text pictures our condition-we ara grea
way off. That youn, man was not farths
of from his fathers house, sin is not farthe
of from holiness, hsll is not farther OF fro,
heaven, than we have been by OUT sins AVA
of from our God, aye, so far OF that w
could not hear His voics, thou gu vehsmsntl'
He has called US year after year. I do no
know what bad habits you may hay
formed, or in what evil places You have been
Or what false notions You may have enter
tanned; but you arc rea iy to ackno vile lye
IL your heart has not beeu changed by tn
grace Of God, that you are a great way OF
AVE. so far that You cauno5 get baca o
yourselves. You would like to coma bacl
Aye, this moment you would start IL it wer
notfor this sin, and that habit and this dil
advantage.
But lam to tell you Of the Fathers eye
!. sight. "He saw him great way off, Il
has seen all your frailties, oil your struggles
all your disadvantages. He has been lonc
} ing for your coming. He has not bssn look
ing at you with critics eye or a bailifrs ey,
but with a fathers eye; aud IL parent eve
pitied child, Col pities you. You say
"Oh, had so many evil surroundings whe
started life." Your Father sees it. 70
say: "Ihave so many bad surroundings nov
and it is very difficult for me to break ava
from evil associations" Your Father SET
1t, and if you should start heavenward-as
pray you may-your Father would not S
idly down and ALLOW You to struggle on u
toward Him. Oh, no! Seeing you gre
M T. y 4 II