Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-07-16
THE PENITENT PRODIGAL
DR.. TALMACE PORTRAYS THE
hOME-SICk SOUL.
The Pleasures OF Sin Not Equal TO
the Promise Held Out--The Severe
Discipline Of Experience shown
by vivid lliustrmIionS.

by vivid illustrations.
BROOKLYN, N. Y, June II lsof.-Dr.
Talmage's sermon this morning was AN
appeal to young men. Numbers of
these come to the Tabernacle services,
many OF them from country homes,
where they received Christian training,
which, in the temptations of city life
has been cast off. Dr. Talmage called
his sermon, The Home-Sick Soul and
his text was from the Parable of the
Prodigal Son, Luke Is; Is, Il will arise
and go to my father"
There is nothing like hunger to take
the energy out of man. A hungry |
man can toll neither with pen nor hand |
nor foot. There has been many an
army defeated not SO much for lack Of |
ammunition as for lack Of bread. 1t
was that fact that took the fire out of
this young man of the text A travel |
er tells us that in Asia Minor there are
trees which bear fruit looking very
much like the long bean of our time.
1t is called the carab. Once in u while
the people reduced to restitution would
eat these carabs, but generally the
carabs, the beans spoken of here in the
text. were thrown only to the swine
and they crunched them with great
avidity. But this young man Of my
/ text could not even get them without
stealing them. So one day amid the
swine troughs he begins to soliloquise.
He says, "rhese are no clothes for
rich mans son to wear; this is no kind
of business for Jew to be engaged in
home; will arise and go to my
father"
And when this young man resolved
to 60 home it was very wise thing
for him to do, and the only question is
whether we will follow him. Satan
promises large wages if we will serve
him; but he clothes his victims with
rags, and he pinches them with hunger,
and when they start out to do better
he sets after them all the bloodhounds
OF perdition.
The resolution Of this text was
formed in disgust at his present cir
cumstances. If this young man had
been by his employer set to culturing
. flowers, or training vines over an ar
Dor, or keeping account OF the pork
market, or overseeing other laborers,
he would not have thought of going
, home: II he had had his pockets full OF
, money, if he had been able to say, 81
) what's the use of my going back to my
? fathers house? Do you think am 60
ing back to apologize to the old man?
Why he would put me on the limits; he
A.. would not have going on around the old
place such conduct as l have been en-
a gagged in; won't GO home; there is no
. reason why l should go home; l have
plenty of money, plenty of pleasant
3 surroundings, why should I go homc"'
. All! it was his pauperism, it was his
J.. beggary. He had to go home.
( Supposed come into your house and
end you severely sick, and know the
r. medicines that will cure you, and
Il know the physician who is skillful
n enough 10 meet your case. You say
l. Bring on that medicine, bring or
h that physician, am terribly sick ant
v want help" If l come to you anl
70 you feel you are all right in body ant
h all right in mind, and all right in soul
It you have need of nothing; but suppose
10 have persuaded you that the lepros,
I'd Of sin is upon you, the worst OF al
Is sickness, O.then you say: Bring me
II that balm of the Gospel, bring me tina
n. divine medicament, bring me Jesu
,e Christ"
70 But says someone in the audience
show do you prove that we are in
ruined condition. by sin?' Well, ca
prove it in two ways, and you may hav
your choice. can prove it either b
Ut the statements of men, or by the state
~ ment Of God. Which shall it be? 70
n all say, '.let us have the statement c
IS God" Well, he says in one place. 18th
IN heart is deceitful above all things an
Is desperately wicked" He says i
* another place: ''What is a man th'
u In tOh
ne born of a woman, that he should
IN righteous?" He says in another plac
az "There is none that doeth good, n
~ not one." lie says in another plac
$50 "As by one man sin entered into II
!" world, and death by sin; and so deaf
passed upon all men, for that all ha'
sinned." well" you say, Il am wi
ing to acknowledge that, but WI
,ca should take the particular rescue tn
you propose?" This is the reaso
'.Except a man be borp again he cam
he see the kingdom of God" This
'on the reason. There is none other mar
nd. given under Heaven among men wheI
ars by they may be saved" Then there a
ar. a thousand voices here ready to sa
en- "Well,I am ready to accept this help
OF the Gospel; l would like to have Il
OF divine cure how shall go to work
ner Let me say that mere whim, an u
lrs. defined longing amounts to nothin
Tor You must have a stout, tremendo
Inc resolution like this young man OF t
IND text when he said: 81 will arise and
at to my father"
re. Again, notice that this resoluti
1ul of this young lman of the text v
a1k founded in sorrow at his misbehavi
It was not mere physical plight.
was grief that he had so maltreated
father. 1t is sad thing after fail
has done everything for child,
have that child be ungrateful.
"How sharper than serpent's tooth, 1t
To have y thankless child"
That is Shakespeare. "A foolish
is the heaviness Of his mother" Il
is the Bible. Well, my friends, h
not some Of us been foolish prodiga
Have we not maltreated our Faith
60