The Penn's Grove record., 1892-08-26

Many q man, after hlvinz been on for
DONG while, has gone home aud knocked at
the door and a stranger has coma. Il Il tbs
old home5tead. but a stran ger comes to tns
door. He finds out father is gene mother
|, ss Eons ,s and orr and sisters ~ soass
self. Perhaps father may be dead Still
he starts to ind out. He is no nesicx. Ara
there any here to-day bomesick for God,
homesick for he avenp
/ will tell you OF two prodi2als. the one
that got back and the other that did not get
back. In Richmond hsre is q vary prosper
Gus and beautiful home in many respects
A young man wandered of from that no ms.
He wandered very far into sin. They heard
Of him often, but he was always on the
wrong track. He would not 90 home. AT
the door OF that beautiful home one night
there was a great outcry. b young man
Of the house ran down and opened the door
to see what was the matter. IL was mid
night. The rest OF the family were asleep.
There were the wife and children OF this
proaigal young man. The fact wac he bad
come home and driven them out.
He said: 'Out of this house. Away with
these children. 1 will dash their brains u
Out into the stormsf' The mother gsthered
them up and fed. The next morning the
brother, q young man who had staid AZ
home, went out to find this prodlgal brother
duu cOut huu ~ Chiuo Wh5Io Ao WAo AAA A8V
the young man wandering up and down in
front of the place where he a been stay
ing, and the young man who q kept his IN
tegrity said to the older brother; "Here.
what does this means WHAT is the matter
with your Why do you act in this wayf The
prodigal looked at him n said: "Who am
II Whom do you take me to beY'
He said: "You are my brother mo, !
am not. / am a brute. Have you seen any
Thin r IF ~ xvifa apI nhtlAraop Ira t6ay
dead1 drove them out last night Ia the
storm. am a brute, John. do you think
there Is any help for me? Do you think I
will ever get over this life Of disdpationY
he said, John, there is just one thing that
will stop this" The prodigal ran his fneer
across bis throat and said: That win stop
1t, and I'll stop it before night. Oh. my
brain; l can stand it no longerr' That prod.
igal never got home. But l will tell you OF
a prodigal that did get home.
In this country two young mon startet
from their fathers house and went down to
Portsmouth. The father could not pursue
his children; for some reason he could not
leave home, and so he wrote q letter down
to Mr.. Griffin, saying: Mr.. Grimm, | 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
ONE. l wish you would persua lie 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 homesick
already. h other young man said: II
will not go. | have had enough OF home.
Ill never go home" "Well,n said Mr..
Griffin. 'then Il you won't 20 home I'll get
you q respectable position on a respectable
ship" mo, you WON'T" said the prodigal:
mo. you won't. am going as a common
sailor; that will plague my father most, and
what will do most to tantalige and worry
him will please me best"
Years passed on and Mr.. Griffin was
seated in his study one day when q message
came to him saying there was a young man
In irons on a 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 boarl. The young
man said to him, you don't know me, do
your mo" he said, II don't know you."
"Why, don't you remember that young man
you tried to persuade to go home and be
''are you that MANI eyes, I am that man.
said the other. 81 would like to have you
pray for me. l have committed murder and
I must die, but / don't van to 20 put Of this
world until some one prays for me. You
are my fathers friend and ! would like TO
have you pray for me-"
Mr.. Grifin went from judicial authority
W Juuiclhi dutiOiitJ kcp suat IVuuB
mans pardon. He slept not night nor day.
He went from influential per sons to infu-
entail persons until in some way he got that
young mans parton. He came down on
the dock, and as he arrived on the dock
with the pardon the father came. He had
heard that his son under q disguised name
had been committing crime and q 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:
FEATHER, l have done very wrong and I am
very sorry. l wish I had never broken your
heart. l am very sorryn "Oh,n said the
father, s'don't mention II. It don't make any
difference now. 1t is all over. l forgivs you,
my son. and he kissed him and he kissed
him and he kissed him.
To-day 1 offer you the pardon OF the Cos
peis-full pardon, free pardon. | do not
care what your crime has been. Though
you say you have committed q crime against
dod, against your w 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
Father throws his arms about you and says:
my son, l forgive you. IL Is all right.
You are as much in My favor now as II You
had never sinnei." Oh, there Is joy on
earth and Joy in heaveni Who will taks
the Fathers embrace?