The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-06-18
THE FATHERS KISS
Rev. Dr. Talmage breaches Q Scr
b pmcn on the Prodigal Son. N. \
How the Prodigal was Greeted BY His
Father on His Return, and How
Our Heavenly Father WIN
Welcome His Children.

DR.. Talmago preached recently on the
Prodigal son, taking for his text, Luke
w., 90: "When he was yet great way
of, his father saw him and had compass
sion and ran, and fell on his neck, and
kissed him." Following is the sermon:
One OF the deepest wells that inspira-
tion ever opened is this we'll Of par
able which we can never exhaust The
parable, Isuppose, was founded on facts.
I have described to you the going away
Of this prodigal son from his fathers
hard time he had down in the wilder
ness, and what very great mistake 1t
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 while. We do not
read that his mother came to greet him.
! 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 prodigal. Sometimes
the father does not know how to manage
the children OF tho household. The
chief work comes upon the mother. In
deed, no one ever gets over the calamity
Of losing mother early in life. Still,
this young man was not ungreeted when
he came back.
However we'll appareled 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
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 SEQ this
prodigal coming on homeward, they
wonder who he is. They say: ~
wonder what prison he has broken out
OF. I wonder what lazaretto he has es-
capped 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 Inn
agine that this is the very young man
who went of little while ago with
quick step, and ruddy cheek, and beau
tiful apparel. The young man, I think,
walks very fast. Helooks as though he
we're intent upon something very i'm
portant The people stop. They looh
at him. They wonder where he came
from. They wonder where he is going
TO.
You have heard Of q son who went Of
tesea and never returned. All the peo
pfe in the neighborhood thought the sor
would never return, but the parents
came to no such conclusion. They woult
go-by the hour, and day, and sit upoI
the beach, looking of upon the water
expecting TO see the sail that woult
bring home the long-absent boy. AnC
30 think this father OF my text sa
under the vine looking out toward thu
road on which his son had departed; bu
the father had changed very much sinc'
we saw him last His hair had becom'
white, his cheeks are furrowed, hi
heart Is broken. What is all his bounti
full table TO him when his son may b,
lacking bread? What is all the splendo
OF the wardrobe OF that homestead wheI
the son may not have decent coat
What are all the sheep on that hillside
10 that father when his pet lamb 1
gone? Still he sits and watches, look
out on the road, and one day he behold
q foot-traveler. He sees him rise abov,
the hill; first the head and after q whil
the entire body; and as soon as he get
fair glance Of him he knows 1t is hi
recreant son. He forgets the orutch
snd the cane, and the stiffness Of tn
Joints, and bounds away. think tn
people all around were amazed. The.
said: at is only footpad. II Is onl.
some old tramp OF the road. Don't q
out TO meet him" The father kneV
better. -.-..
The change in the sons appearance
could not hide the marks by which tn
father knew the boy. \You know tina
persons OF great deal Of independenc
of character are apt TO indicate 1t Il
their walk. For that reason the sailo
almost always has peculiar stop, no
only because he stands much on shiI
board amid the rocking Of the sea, an
he has TO balance himself, but he ha
for the most part an Independent charac
ter, which would show In his gait, eve
II he never went on the sea; and W
know from what transpired afterwar
and from what transpired before, tina
this prodigal son was Of an independen
sud frank nature; and I suppose tina
the characteristics Of his mind an
heart were the charscteristics OF hi
walk. And 90 the father knew him
He puts out his withered arms towar
him; he brings his wrinkied face agains
The pale check Of his son; he kisses tn
wan lips; he thanks God that the Ion
agony Is over. "When he was yet
great way of, his father saw him, an
had compassion, and ran, and fell on hi
neck and kissed him."
o, do you not recognize that father
VINO was it2 1t 10 Godl have n
sympathy with that castiron theolog
which represents God as hard, sever,
vindictive. God 10 Father--kint
loving, lenient gentle, long.sufferinf
patient, and he flies to our immorts
rescue. o, that We might realize 4
A wealthy lady in one of the Easter
countries was going of for somo tim,
and she asked her daughters for som
mennonite tocafry with her. One Of th
daughters brought o marble table
beautifully Inscribed; and snqths
daughter brought q beautiful wreath ,