Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1892-09-02
Nor angels can their joy contain,
But kin died with new fire:
The sinner ioat lie found. they sing,
And strike the sounding Tyre.

years. ne had been away from MS IaLE-er
house: but there IS something about the
reading of my text that makes me think he
was hOmesick. Some of you know what
that feeling is. Far away from home some
times surrounded by everything bright and
pleasant-plenty of friends-you have said,
Il would give the world TO be home to-
night" Well, this young man was home
SICK for his fathers house. | have no doubt
when he thought of his fathers house he said,
Now perhaps father may not be living"
We read nothing in this story-this par
able founded on every day ife-we read
nothing about the mother. 1t says nothing
about going home to her. | think she was
dead. / think she had died OF broken
heart at his wanderings, or perhaps he had
gone into dissipation from the fact he could
not remember q loving and sympathetic
mother. A man never gets over having lost
his mother. Nothing said about her here,
but he is homesck for his fathers house.
He thought he would just like to go and
walk around the old place. He thought hi
would just ike to go and see if things were
as they used to be.
Many q man, after having been off for
long while, has gone home and knocked at
the door and stranger has come. 1t is the
old homestead, but stranger comes to the
door. He finds out father is gone mother
is gone and brothers and sisters all gone. L
think this young man of the text said to him
self, perhaps father may be dead" Still
he starts to find out. He is homesick. Are
homesick for heaven?
[ will tell you of two prodigals, the one
that got back and the other that did not get
back In Richmond there is very prosper
Gus and beautiful home in many respects
A young man wandered off from that home.
He wandered very far into sin. They heard
of him often but he was always OF the
wrong track. He would not go home. At
the door of that beautiful home one night
there great cutlery. The young man
IF %loh hon ran dnIU and nod Tha 600~
to see what was the matter. 1t was mid
night The rest of the family were asleep.
There were the wife and children of this
prodlgaI young man. The fact was he had
come home and driven them out
He said: "Out Of this house. Away with
these children. [ will dash their brains out
Out into the storms!' The mother gathered
them up and fed. The next morning the
brother, a young man who had staid at
home, went out to find this prodigal brother
and son, and he came where he was and saw
the young man wandering up and down in
front of the place where he had been stay
ing, and the young man who had kept his IN
tegrity said to the older brother: Here
what does this mean? What IS the matter
with you? Why do you act in this way?' The
prodlgal looked at him and said: "Who am
|? Whom do you take he to bew
he said: You are my brother" mo, [
am not. L am brute. Have you seen any
thing Of my wife and children? Are they
dead? drove them out last night in the
storm. am q brute, John, do you think
there is any help for me? Do you think I
will ever get over this life of disspation?o
He said, John, there is just one thing that
Will stop this" The prodigal ran his finger
across his throat and said: THAT will stop
1t, and Pll stop it before night Oh, nv
brain; can stand it no longerr' That prod.
1gal never got home. But will tell you of
prodlgal that did get home.
In this country two young men startad
from their father s hOuSa and went down r.,
Portsmouth. The father could not pursue
his children; for some reason he could not
leave home, and so he wrote letter down
to Mr. Griffin saying: ''Mr. Griffin I wish
you would go and see my two sons They
nave arrived in Portsmouth, and they are
gong to take ship and going away from
home. [ wish you would persua lie them
back" Mr.. Griffin, went and he tried
one to go. He went with very easy
persuasion, because he was very homesic1<
already. The other young man said: 81
will not go. | have had enough of home.
I'll never go home" ''WelI," said Mr..
Griffin, then if you won't go home I'll get
you a respectable position on a respectable
ship" mo, you WON'T" said the prodigal:
no you won't. [ am going as a common
sailor; that will plague my father most, and
what will do most to tantalize and worry
him will please me best"
Years passed on and Mr.. Griffin was
seated in his study one day when a message
came to him saying there was a young man
In irons on ship at the dock-a young man
condemned to death-who wished to see this
clergyman. Mr.. Griffin went down to the
dock and went on shin board. The young
man said to him, You don't know me, do
you?" No" he said, II don't know YOU. -
"Why, don't you remember that young man
wouldn't gos" ''Oh, yes, said Mr.. Grimm Grit
"are you that man" eyes, am that man, ="
said the other. 81 would like to have YOU
pray for me. I have committed murder and
l must die, but I don't want to go out of this
are my fathers friend and I would like to
have you pray for NO."
Mr.. Griffin went from judicial authority
| to judicial authority to get that young
mans pardon. He slept not night nor day.
he went from influential persons to influ
| entail persons until in some way he got that
| young mans pardon. He came down on
| the dock. and he arrived on the doc.-
| with the pardon the father came. He had
| heard that his son under a disguised name
had been committing crime and was going
| to be put to death. So Mr.. Griffin and the
| father went on ships deck, and at the very
| moment Mr.. Griffin offered the pardon to
the yonng man the old father threw his
| arms around the sons neck and the son said
''Father, have done very wrong and I am
| very sorry. / wish had never broken your
heart. am very sorry" ''Oh,@ said the
father, don't mention it. 1t don't make any
| OlHeronC9 now. IL Is al over l. forgive you,
my son." and he kissed him and he kissed
| him and he kissed him.
To-day offer you the pardon of the Cos
| pel-fulI pardon, free pardon. I do not
care what your crime has been. Though
| you say you have committed 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 mo-
ment you take that pardon your heavenly