The Penn's Grove record., 1891-06-26
PENIS GROVE, N. j., FRIDAY. JUNE 26. 1891.

- Y ou are my brother" mo, 1 am not; 1
an a brute. Have you seen anything OF my
wife and children? Are they dead? l drove
them out last night in the storm. am a
brute. John, do you think there is any help
for me2 Do you think | will ever get over
this life of dissipation" He said, "Brotber,
there Is Just one thing that will stop this"
The prodigal ran his finger across his throat
and said: THAT will stop it. and I'll stop it
before night. Oh my brain: | can stand it
no longer" That proiigal never got home.
But ! will tell you Of a prodigal that did get
home.
In England two young men started from
their fathers house and went down to Ports
mouth. The father could not pursue his
children; for some reason he could not leave
home, andtso he wrote a letter down to Mr..
Griffin, saying: "Mr. Griffin, / wish you
would go and see my two sons. They have
arrived in Portsmouth, and they are going
to take ship and going away from home. L
wish you would persuade them back" Mr..
Griffin went, and he tried to persuade them
back. He persuaded one to go. he went
with very easy persuasion, because he was
very honesick already. The other young
man said 81 will not 20. i have had enough
of home. I'll never go home" well" said
Mr.. Griffin, then if you won't go home, I'll
get you a respectable position on a respect
able ship" mo you won't" said the prodi-
gal; mo yod won't. l am going as a COM
mon sailor; that will plague my father most,
and what will do most to tantalizea and worry
him will please me best"
Years passed on, and Mr.. Griffin was seaIed
in his study one day when a message came
to him that there was a young man in irons
on n ship at the dock-a young man con-
demned to death-who wished to see this
clergyman. Mr.. Griffin went 10y to the
dock and vent on shipboard. The young
man said 10 him, "You don't know me, do
..' an ~ h. aafl. AI hnn1t know Won ~
''Why, don't You remember that young man
you tried to persuade to go home, and he
wouldn't gog' 'Oh, yes" said Mr.. Griffin.
care YOU that mann YES, l am that
man. said the other. Il would like to have
you pray for me. l have committed muir
der, and | must die, but l don't want to go
out of this world until some one prays for
me. You are my fathers friend and l
would like to have you pray for me-"
Mr.. Griffin went from judicial authority to
iudicial authority to get the young mans
pardon. He slept not night nor day. He
went from influential person to influential
person until some way he got that young
mans pardon. He came down on the dock,
and as he arrived on the dock with the par
don the father came. He had heard that his
son, under a disguised name. had been COM
hitting crime and was going to be put to
death. So Mr.. Griffin and the father went
on the ships deck, n at the very moment
Mr.. Griffin offered the pardon to the young
man, the old father threw his arms around
the sons neck and the son said; Father, 1
have done very wrong and | am very sorry.
| wish / had never broken your heart. l am
verv sorry ''Ohr said the father, don't
mention il; it don't make any difference
now. 1t is all over. l forgive you, my son"
aud he kissed him and kissed him and kissed
him. ,
To-dayI offer you the pardon of the Gospel
ELL fran .ar.Anr Dir rnt nqFn
what your sin has been. Though you say
you nave committed a crime against God,
against your own soul, against your fellow
man, against your family, against the day
of Judgment, against the cross OF Christ
whatever your crime has been, here is
pardon, full pardon. and the very moment
that you take that pardon your heavenly
Father throws His arms o about you
and says: MY son, forgive you. ills all
right. You are as much in Ny favor now as
if you had never sinned." OF there is joy on
earth and Joy in heaven. Who will take the
Fathers embraced
There was a gentleman in a rail car who
saw in that same car three passengers OF
very different circumstances The first was
a maniac. He was carefully gunrded by his
attendants. His mind, Xix a ship dismasted,
was beating against a dark, desolate coast,
from which no help could come. The train
stopped, and the man was taken out into the
asylum to waste away, perhaps, through
years of gloom. The second passenger was q
culprit. The outraged law had seized on
him. As the cars iolted the chains ratified:
On his face were crime, depravity and
despair. The train halted and he
was taken out to the ~penitentiary,
to which he had been condemned.
There was the third passenger, under
far different circumstances Sh was
a bride. Every hour was gay as a marriage
bell. Life glittered md beckoned. Her
companion was taking her to his fathers
house.. The train halted. The old man was
there to welcome her to her new home,
his white locks showed down upon her as he
sealed his word with a fathers kiss.
Quickly we fly toward eternity. We will
soon be there. some leave this life con
demDed. Oh, may it be with us, that, ieav-
ing this fleeting life for the next, we may
find our Father ready to greet us to our new
home with Him forever. That will be a
marriage banquet! Fathers welcomed
Fathers bosoml Fathers kiss! HeavenI
Haauant