Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-06-27
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINES sun
DAY SERMON.
Subject: The PrOdigal Son"

TEXT: ''IV1eu he ,Cds Vct n qrent udrJ 0F
his father snW him, and had compassion
on him, and ran, and fen on has ,tecL:, dnG
kissed him. Luke XIV, 81.
One of the deepest wells that inspiration
ever opened is this well Of parable which
pose was founded on facts. | have. de
scribed TO you the going away Of this proli-
gal son from his fathers house, and have
shown you what hard time he had down liz
the wilderness and what very, great
mistake it was for him to leave 50 heauti-
full home for such a miserable desert
But he did not always stay in the wilder
ness; he came back after a while. We 10
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 re-
turning prodigal; the mother the first. It
may have been for the lack OF her example
and prayers that he became a prOdigai.
Sometimes the father does not know how
to manage the children of the household.
The chief work comes upon the mother.
Indeed, no one ever gets over the calamity
of losing a mother in early life. Still this
young man was not ungreeted when be came
back
However well appareled we may be in the
morning when we start out on journey, be-
fore night, what with the dust and the
joStling, we have lost all cleanliness of ap-
from the swine trough, was ragged and
wretched, and his appearance, after he had
gone shrOugh 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. l wonder what lazaretto
he has escaped from. | wonder with what
plague he will smite the air" Although
these people may have been well acquainted
with the family, yet 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
young man. | think, walks very fast. He
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.
You have heard of a son who went off to
sea and never returned. All the people in
the neighborhOod thought the son would
never return, but the parents came to no
such conclusion. They would 60 by the
hour and day and sit upon the beach, look
ing Off upon the water, expecting to see the
sail that would bring home 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
is broken. What is all his bountiful table
to him when his son may be lacking bread?
What Is all the splendOr of the wardrobe
Of that homestead when the son may not
have decent coat? What are all the sheep
on that hillside to that father when his pet
lamb is gone? Still he 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 fair
glance of him he knows it is his recreant son.
He fOrgets the crutch, and the cane, and the
stiffness of the joints, and bounds away. [
think the people all around are amazed.
They said: 1T 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 always has peculiar step,
not only because he stands much on shipboard
amid the rocking of the sea, and he has to
balance himself, but he has for the most part
an independent character, 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 transpired before, that
this DrOdigal son was of an independent and
frank nature; and | suppose that the char
acteristicS 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 bringN his withered
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
great way off, his father saw him, and had
compassion, and ran and fell on his neck,
and kissed him"
Oh, do you not recognize that Father?
Who was it? It is God I have no SYM
pathy with that cast-iron theology which
represents God as hard, severe and vindic-
tive. God is a Father-Isnd, loving, lenient,
gentle, long sutferin9, patient, and He flies
to our immortal rescue. Oh, that we might
realize it. A wealthy lady III 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 marble tablet, beauti-
brought a~beautiful wreath of flowers.
The third daughter came and said Mother,
| brought neither flowers nor tablet, but
here is my heart. have inscribed it all over
with your name, and wherever you go it will
go with YOU The mother recognized it as
the best of ali the mementOeS Oh. that our
souls might go out toward our Father: that
our hearts might be written all over with
the evidences of His loving kindness ami
that we might never again forsake Him.
In the first place, notice in this text the
fathers eyesight; in the second place. [ no
tlce the fathers haste; and, in the third
place, I notice the fathers kiss
To begin: The fathers eyesight. ''When
he was a great way off his father saw him >
You have noticed how old people sometimes
put book off on the other side of the light
They can see at a distance great deal castor
than they can close by. L do not knoH
whether this father could see we'll that Will
was near by, but do know he could sea
great way on. his father saw him. Per
haps he had been looking for the return of
that boy especially that day. l do not know
hut that be had been i'll prayer and that Col
had told him that that day the recreant boy
would come home .,Tha father saw him q