Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1890-06-27
TALMAGES SERMON.
Weekly Discourse Of the Great
Brooklyn Preacher.

NlSSeu HiHt. Luke AN., ~.
One Of the deepest wells that inspiration
sver opened is this well OF q plrlblS which
we can n9vor exhaust. Thu parable, | SUP
pose, was ioundcl on facts. | have do
scribed to You the going away OF this proli-
gal son from his fathers house, AMI have
shown you what hard timcho had down in
the wilderness and what very great
mistake it was for him 10 leave 50 beauti-
tul n home for such miserable desert.
But he did not always stay In the wilder
ness; lie camo back after while We do
not read that his mother came TO greet him.
suppose she was deal. Sie would have
been the first TO como out. Tho father
would havo given the secon, kiss-to tho re-
turning proligai; tho mother the first. 1t
may have been for the lack OF her example
and prayers that ho became a prodigal
sometimes the father does not know how
to manage tho children OF tho hoas ,holi.
Tho chief work comes upon the mother.
Indeed, no one ever gets over tho calamity
OF losing mother in carly lilo. Still this
young man was not n5reetal whel he cama
back
However we'll app1reled we may be In the
morning WHOM we start out on n journey, be-
fore night what with the dust nnl the
jostling, We have lost 0ll cleanliness OF ap.
Pearance. But this prodigal, whom he started
from the swine trough. was ragsel anl
wretched, AMI his appearance, after he hal
gone through days OF journeyiug and eX-
posllre you can more easily imagine than
describe. AS the people see this proligal
coming on hnmownrI, taey wonder who hs
Is. They say: II wonder what prison HI
has broken out OF. | wonder what lazarett0
he has escapel from. wonder with what
plague no will sm,te tho MIR Although
these people may have hesn we'll acqulintsl
with the family, yet they do not imagine
that this is tho very young man who went oil
only little while ago with quick step, aud
ruddy cheek, anil beautiful apparel. The
young man, think, walks very fast. Ht
looks as though he were intent uron some
thing very important. Tho pcOp.o stop.
They look at him. They wonder whcro he
came from. They wonder where ho is 60
ing to.
You have heard OF n son VINO went OF to
sen and never returned Al tho people in
the neighborhood thought tho son would
never return, but the parents came 10 no
such conclusion. They would go by the
hour and day and sit upon the beach, look
Cg of upon tho water, expecting to see the
sail that would bring hoTlo the long absent
boy. And 50 think this father OF my text
sat upon the vine looking out toward the
road on which his son had departed: but
we saw him last. His hair has become
white his checks are furrow we'd, his heart
is broken. What is all his bouutiful table
to him when his son may 10 lacking bread'
What is all the spleudor Of tho wardrobe
OF that homestead when the son may not
have a decent coat What nre all the sheep
on that hillside tc that father when his pet
lamb is gomez Still he Git5 and watches
looking out on the road and on1 day he DO
holds foot Traveller. lie sees him rise above
the hill; first the head AMI after awhile the
entire boly; md as soou ns he gets fair
glance of him he knows it Is his rocreant sou.
He forgets the crutch, and the cane, an the
stiffness OF the joints anl bounds away. |
think the people all arounl are amazed.
They said 1T is only footpal. 1t is only
some old tramp Of the road, Don't go out TO
meet him" The father know better
Tho change in the sons appearance could
not hide the marks by which ths father
knew the boy. YOu know that persons OF q
great deal OF independence Of character are
apt to Indicate 1t 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
al independent character, which would show
In his gait even il he never went on the sea
snd we know from what tranSpired after
ward, and from what transpircd before, that
.nis prodigal sou was OF an independent and
frank nature; anl | suppose that the char.
acterstics OF his min anl heart were tho
characteristics of his walk And 50 the
father knew him. lie puts out his withercd
arms towarl him; he brings his withered
face against the pale cheek of his sou; he
kisses tho wan lips; ho thanks God that the
long agony is over. "Whcn h3 was yet a
IA e. Ia. t,.4
compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck,
and kissed him"
Oh, DO you not rccognizo that ratheri
Who was itS 1t Is Coil l have no SYM
pathy with that castiron theology which
represents Col MS hard. severe an vindic-
tive God is Father-kind, LOVING, lcnicnt
gentle, long. suffering, patient ani lie flies
to our immortal rescue. Oh. that we might
realize 1t. A wealthy Lady in ono OF the
eastern countries was going of for some
time, and she aSkei her daughters for soms
memento IN carry with her. One OF tho
daughters brought marble tablet, beauti.
fully inscribed, an another daughter
brought 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
60 with you" The mother recognized 1t as
the best Of oil the mementoes Oh. that our
souls might 60 out toward our Father; thts
our hearts might bo written all over with
the evidences Of His loving klnln1ss, anl
that we might never again forsako Him.
In tho first place, notice In this text th
fathers eyesight; in tho second place | no.
tico the fathers haste; ami, in tho third
place, | notice the fathers kiss
To begin: The fathers eyesight. "Whcn
ko, ,NT Ia fat tkaN htf,NN
You have noticed how oil people sometimes
put book of on tho other side of the light.
They can see at distance a great deal easier
than they can close by. | do not know
whether this father could see we'll that which
was near by. hut do know he coull SEQ
Sreat way of. "lIis father saw him. Per.
lap3 he had been looking for thu return Of
that boy especially that day. / dono know
but that he had been In prayer, and that God
aad told him that that day the recreant boy
would come home. "rhe father saw him a
great way of"
wonder II Coils eyeslght can descry MS
vhen we arc coming back to Himi Tue
;ext pictures our c)ndtion-we are great
way off. That young man was not farther
,T from his fathers houso, sin Is not farther
,ff from holiuo5S hsll Is mob farther of from
heaven, than we have boen by our sins away
w from our g ID, ayS, 30 far off that we
.ould not hear His voic,, though vsh emsntly
70 has called W year after year l do not
tnow what bad habitI You may have
'ormei, or in what evil places you have baen,
" what false notions You mly have enter
alusd; but you ars raa ly 10 ackno wlelge,
your heart has not bosn changed by the
grace Of Col, that You arc q great way OH
AYE, so far that you cannot get back Of
yourselves. You would lit5 10 c1n, back.
Ava fhia nnnnnt van would glarE IN N " a
n0tfor this sin, Gnl that habit, and this dis
advantage.
But am TO tell you OF tho Fathers eyo.
sight. "He saw him great way or" he
has seen all your frailtie', all your struggles,
all your disadvantage. lIs has bs3n long.
Ing for your coming. Ho has not bsen looI-
lpg at you with q critics eye or a bailiffs eye
but with fathers eys; AMI IL a piront ov5r
pitiei child, Col pitej you. You say
"0h, l had so many evil surroundings when
started life." Your Father see3 it. You
nav. az hava M n, any h1d atirrhu ~ - 1, n M