Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-06-21

Oh. wonderful IN seting whea Col and the
soul come together "Ths father ran"
You start for God AMI God starts for you,
and you meat; and while the angels rejoice
over the nesting your long injdr5i Father
falls upon your neck with attestatoas Of COM
passion and pardon. Your poor, WANDERING,
sinful polluted soul and eae loving, etsrnli
Father have met.
remark upon the fathers kiss He fell
on his neck" my text says "an kiss9
him. 1t Is not every father that would
have done that way. Some would nave
scolded him, aud said. "aere, You went off
with beautiful clothes, but now you are all
in tatters. You went off healthy, and coma
back sick AMI wasted with your dissipations.n
He did not say that. The sou, all haggard and
ragged and filthy and wretched, stood before
his father. The father charged him with
none of his waudsrings. He Just resolved
him. He just kissed him. His wretched-
ness was Recommendation to that fathers
love- Oh, that fathers kissl How shall |
describe the love of Gois-the ardor with
which He receives a sinner back again?
Give me piumnet, with which l my
fathom this sea- Give me la1dsr with
which 1 eau scale this height. Give ma
words with which can describe this Iowa.
The apostles say in one place, ''unsearch-
Height overlapping all height; depth pluuy
ing beneath all depth; breaith composing
all immensely.
Oh, this love! God 50 loved the world, He
loves you Don't you believe it, Has He
not done everything TO make you think 50?
/ He has given you life, health, frisn Is
home-the use Of your hani, the sight OF
your eye, the hearing of your ear. He has
strewn your path with mercies. Hs has fed
you clothed you, sheltered you, defended
you loved you, importuued you all your
life long. Don't you bellows He loves yous
Why, il now you should start up from thu
wilderness OF your sin He would throw both
arms around you. To make you believe that
He loves You He stopped to man ger au1 cross
and sepulehre With all the passions OF His
holy nature reused He stands before you to-
day, aud would coax you to happiness an
heaven. Oh, this Fathers kiss! Thore is 50
much meaning aud loveand compassion in it;
50 much pardon in it; so much heaven Ia it.
proclaim Him tho Lord Col, marcifu',
gracious and long suffering, abundant III
goodness and truth. Lest you would not De
lieve Him He goes up Golgotha, and while the
rocks are rending, and the graves are open
ing, and the mobi are bowling, and the sun
is hiding, He dies for you. Sea Himl See
Him on the Mount of Crucifxion, the sweat
on His brow tinged with the blood exudlnS
from His lacerated temples! Sec His eyes
swimming in DEATH Hear the loud BREATH
ing of the sufferer as He pants with world
on His heartl Hark to the fall of the blood
from brow and hand and foot on the rocks
beneath-dropl dropl drop Look at the
nails! How wide the wounds arei Wider do
they cape as His body comes down upon
them. OH this cruciixion agony Tears
melting into tears. Blood flowing into blood:
Darkness dropping on darkness Hands of
men joined with hands of devils to tear apart
the quivering heart of the Son of Gotl
Oh, will He never speak again? Wlil that
crimson face never light up again? He will
speak again; while the blood is sufuslng HIS
brow and reidening His cheeI, aud gather
ing on nostril AMI lip, AMI yol think He is
exhausted and cannot speak, He cries out I'M
til all tine ages hear Him: Father, forgive
them, they know not what they dor Is
there no emphasis in such a scene as that to
make your dry eyes weep aul your hard
heart break? Will you turn your back upon
it. and say by your actions what the jews
said by their words: His blood be on us
and on our childrenY What does it all
mean. my brother, my sister? Why, itmeans
that for our lost race there was Fathers
kiss. Love brought Him down. Love opened
the gate Love led to the sacrifice. Love
shattered the grave. Love LITE Him up in
resurrection. Sovereign love? Omuipotent
Lowell Infinite Lowell Bleeding love! Ever
lasting love!