Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1891-07-03
REV. DR.. TAlMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S SUN
DAY SERMON.
SUBJEcT: "THE HON EsICK Soul"

so much for lack OF ammunition as for lack
OF bread II was that fact that took the fire
out Of this young man of the text. Storm
and exposure will wear out any mans life in
time, but hunger makes quick work. The
most awful cry ever heard on earth is the
cry for bread. A traveller tells us that in
Asia Minor there are trees which bear fruit
looking very much like the long bean OF our
time. IL is called the carab.
Once i'll a while the people reduced TO des-
titution would cat these carabS but gener-
ally 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 be begins
to solloquize He says: These are no
clothes for rich mans son TO wear; this Is
no kind of business for jew to be engaged
in1eeding swine; I'll so home, III SO home:
| will arise and go to my father"
| know there are a great many people
who try to throw n fascination. romance,
n halo about sin; but notwithstanding all
that Lord Byron and George Sand have said
In regard TO il, it is a mean, low, contempti-
bic business, and putting food aud fodder
into the troughs Of herd OF antiquities
that root and wallow in the soul OF man is a
very poor business for men and women in
Almighty. And when this young man re-
so,ved TO go home it was very wise thing
for him to do. and the only question Is
whether we will follow him.
Satan promises largo wages II we VIII
servo him, but he clothes his victims with
rags and he pinches them with hunger, and
when they start ont TO do better he sets after
them all the bloodhounds of perdition.
Satan comes to us to-day and he promises all
luxuries, all emo!uments II we will only
serve him. Liar, down with thee TO the pit!
"The wages OF sin is death" Oh, the young
man OF the text was wise when he uttered
the resolution, II will arise and 60 TO my
father
In the time OF Mary the Prosecutor, per-
secutor came to " Christian woman who had
hidden in her house for the Lords sake one
Of Chrsts servants and the prosecutor said.
Where is that hereticf' The Christian
woman said, You open that trunk aud you
win sec the herotic" The prosecutor opened
the trunk, and on the TOP Of the linen Of the
trunk he saw a glass He said, There is no
hereto here" Alb she said you look in
tho glass and you will see tho beretic." As
| take up the mirror OF Gods word to-day
would that instead OF seeing the prodigal
son OF the text we might ses ourselves-our
want, our wandering, our sin, our lost con-
dition-so that we might be as Wise as this
young man was and say, Il will arise and
go to my father"
The resolution OF this text was formed IN
disgust at his present circumstances. IL this
young man had been by his employer set to
culturing flowers or training vines over an
arbor 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, II he had been able
to say, Il have THOUSAND dollars now OF my
own; what's the use OF my going back to my
fathers housei do you think am going back
TO apologize to the old man! why ho would
put me on the limits; he would not have 60
ing on around the old place such conduct as
| have engaged in; | won't 60 home; there
is no reason why should go home; l have
plenty OF money, plenty OF pleasant sur,
roundingS why should so home" Ah IT
was his psuperism, it was his besGary. He
bad 10 60 home.
Some mau comes and says to me: "Why
do you talk about the ruined state OF the
human soull Why don't you speak about
the progress OF the Nineteenth century, and
talk OF something more exhilarating!' 1t Is
for this reason: A man never wants the
Gospel until he realizes no is in a famine.
struck state. Suppose should come to you
In your home and you are iu good. sound,
robust health, and | should begin to talk
about medicines, and about how much better
this medicine is than that, and some other
medicine, and talk about this physician and
that physician. After a while you get tired,
and YOU would say: II don't want TO hear
about medicines Why do you talk to me
OF physicians never have doctor"
But suppose | come into your house and |
flrd you severely sick, and know the medi-
cines that will cure, and know the physi-
clan who is sklltul enough to meet your
case. You say. Bring on that medicine;
bring on that physician. lam terribly sick,
and want help" II | came to you and you
feel you are all right in body, and all right In
mind, and all right In soul you have need OF
nothing; but suppose have persuaded you
that the leprosy OF sin is upon you, the worst
OF all sickness; oh, then you say: Bring me
that balm of the Gospel bring me that di-
vine medcament: bring me Jesus Christi
But says some one in the audience How
do YOU prove that we are in a ruined condi.
tlon by siny' Well, | can prove it in two
ways and you may have your choice. ]
can provo it by the statements of men or
by the statement OF God. Which shall it
bei You all say, Let us have the state
ment of God.' Well, He says in ono place
THE heart is deceitful above all things and
desperately wicked" He says in another
place, "What is man that he should be
that he should be rightecusY' He saws in
another place, There is none that doeth
good, no not one" He says in another
place, "As by one man sin entercth into the
world, and death by sin, and so death passed
upon all men, for that all have sinned."
"Well," you say, II am willing to acGnowl-
edge that, but why should | take tho partic-
ular rescue that you propose" This is the
reason, Except man be born again he
cannot see the kingdom of God" This is the
reason, "There is one name given under
heaven among men whereby they may be
saved" Then there are Thousand voices
cept this help of the Gospel, | would like to
have this divine cure, how shall | go to
work. Let me say that a mere whim an
underlined longing amounts TO nothing.
You must have stout, tremendous IeSolu-
ton like this young man of the text when
he said, II will arise and so to my father"
"Ohr' says some man, "how do know my
father wants meH How do know, il l 20
back, would be received?" "Ohp says
some man, you don't know where | have
been; you don't know how far have wan.
dered; you wouldn't talk that way to me il
you knew all the iuiuuities ] have commit
tedp' What is that fiutter among tho angels
Of Godp 1t is news it is newsl Christ has
found the lost.
Nor angels can their Joy contain.
But kindlo with new fire;
The sinner lost, is found, they sing
And strike the sounding Tyre.
When Napoleon talked of going into Italy
they said: You can't get there. IL you
knew what the Alps were you wouldn't tall
about it or think OF it. You can't get your
ammunition wagons over the Alps" Their
Napoleon rose in his stirrups and waving his
hand toward the mountains, he said, There
shall be no Alps" That wonderful pass was
laid out which has been the wonderment oil
all the years since-the wonderment of al
engineers And you tell me there are such
mountains Of sin between your soul and God
there is no mercy. Then l see Christ wav
ing His hand toward the mountains. hear
Him say, ~ will come over the mountains o
thy sin and the hills Of thy iniquity." There
shall be no Pyren aes; there shall be no Alps
Again. notice that this resolution of tn
young man Of the text was founded in sor
row at his misbehavior. 1t was not mer,