The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1890-06-27
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
New Lessons from tho Parable of
the Prodigal Son.
The Watchfulness aud Mercy of God To-
ward His children TypIfed In the
Parental Love aud Forbear-
ance with OGsprInE.

viz A0AAOhAuE cCLAH0u IN IHG
Academy of Music, taking for his text;
When he was yet great way of, his father
saw him. aud had compassion. and ran ana
fell on his neck and kissed him. Luke
Nv. 20.
One of the deepest wells that inspira-
ton ever opened is this well of par
able which we can never exhaust The
parable, l suppose, was founded on
facts. 1 have described to you the go
ing away of this prodigal son from his
fathers house, and i have showed you
what a hard time no had down in the
wilderness, and what a mistake it was
for him to leave so beautiful home for
suck a miserable desert But he did not
always stay in the wilderness; he came
back after awhile. We do not read
that his mother came to greet him. 1
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; tho mother the first.
1t may have been for the lack Of her
example and prayers that he became a
prodigal. Sometimes the father does
not know how to manage tho children
of the household. The chief work
upon inc lHuttus no
one ever gets over the calamity of los
ing mother in early life. Still, this
young man was not ungreeted when he
came back.
However well appareled we may be
in the morning when we start out on a
journey, before night. what with tho
dust and tho jostling, wo 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 expos
ure, you can more easily imagine than
describe. AS the people see this prodi-
gal coming on homeward they wonder
who he is. They say: 81 wonder what
prison he has broken out Of l 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 lit
tie while ago with quick step and rud-
dy cheek and beautiful apparel. The
young man, think, walks very fast.
lie looks as though he were intent upon
Eomething very important The peo-
pie stop. They look at him. They
wonder whers he came from. They
wonder VIII ere he is going to.
You have heard of son who went OF
10 sea and never returned. All the peo-
pie in the neighborhood thought tho
son would never return, but the parents
same to no such conclusion. They
would go by tho hour, and day, and sit
dpon the beach, looking off upon the
water, expecting to SEQ 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
tho road on which his son had departed;
but the father has changed very much
since we saw him last His hair has be-
come white, his checks are furrowed,
his heart Is broken. What Is all his
bountiful table to him when his son
may be lacking bread7 What is all the
spfendor OF the wardrobe of that home
stead when the son may not have de.
cent coat2 What are all the sheep on
the hillside to that father when his pet
lamb is gone? Still he sits and watches,
looking out on the road, and one day he
beholds foot-traveler. He sees him
IISo duONb Nll6 HISS nEob lno ntN1Q anu
then the entire body; and as soon as he
gets fair glance of him he knows it is
his recreant son. He forgets the crutoh
and the cane, and the stiffness of the
joints. and bounds away. think tho
people all around were amazed. They
said: at is only a footpad. 1t is only
some old tramp of the road. Don't go
out to meet him." The father knew
better.
The change in the sons appearance
could not hide the marks by which the
father knew the boy. You know that
persons of a great deal of independence
of character are apt to indicate it in
their walk. For that reason the sailor
almost always has peculiar step, not
only because he stands much on ship
board amid the rocking of the sea, and
he has TO balance himself, but he has
for the most part an independent char
acter. which would show in his gait,
even-if he never went on the sea; and
we know from what transpired after
ward. and from what trauspired before,
that this prodigal son was of an indie
pendent 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 arms 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 was yet a
great way off his father saw him and
ran and fell on his neck and kissed
him"
Oh, do YOU not recognize that father?
Who was it? 1t is Godl / 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 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 n marble tablet,
beautifully inscribed; and another
daughter brought beautiful wreath oil
flowers. The third daughter came and
said: Mother, brought neither flow
ers nor tablet but here Is my heart
have inscribed IL all over with your
name, and wherever you go it will &c
with YOU" The mother recognized ii
as the best of all the mementoes. Oh,
that our souls might go out toward our
Father-that our hearts might be writ.
ten 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