The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1892-09-02

my business matters all arranged. and
/ viii have time to attend to religion,
and will be good, thorough, conse-
Grated Christian The year 1892 has
come January. February, March, April,
May, June, July-fully half of the year
gone Where is your broken VOW?
'Oh," says some man, "I'll attend t.
that when can get my character fixed
mp, when ! can get over my evil habits;
4 am now given to strong drink or,
says the man, 81 am given to unclean-
ness" or, says the man, II am given to
dishonesty. When l get over my pres
ent habit, then I'll be a thorough
Christian" My brother, you will get
worse and worse until Christ takes you
in hand. mot the righteous, sinners
Jesus came to save"
i will tell you of two prodigals, the
one that got back and the other that
did not get back. In Richmond, Va,
there is a very prosperous and beauti-
full home in many respects. A young
He wandered very far into sin.
They heard of him often, but he
was always on the wrong track.
he would not go home. AT the door
of that beautiful home one night there
was great outcry. The young man
of the house ran down and opened the
door to see what was the matter. II
was midnight The rest of the family
were asleep There were the wife AMI
children of this prodigal young man.
The fact was he had come
home and driven them ont.
He said: "Out of this house,
Away with these children; will dash
their brains out Out into the storm -
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 staying. 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 prodigal
looked at him and said: "Who am /?
Whom do you take me to be?' He said
"You are my brother" ''No, am not
/ am brute. Have you seen anything
of my wife and children? Are
they dead? / drove them out last
night in the storm. / am a brute.
John, do you think there is any
help for me? Do you think will ever
get over this life of dissipation?" He
said: John there is just one thing
that will stop this. The prodfgal 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 prodigal never got home.
But will tell you of prcdigal that did
get home.
In this country two young men
started from their fether's house and
went down to Portsmouth. The father
could not pursue his children; for some
reason he could not leave home, and SC
he wrote letter down to Mr.. Griffin,
saying: ''Mr. Griffin, Iwish You would
go and see my two sons. They have ar.
rived in Portsmouth and they are going
to take ship, and going away from
home. ] wish you would persuade
them back" Mr.. Griffin went and he
tried to persuade them back. He per-
suaded one to go. He went with
very easy persuasion because he was
very homesick already. The other
young man said: II will not go.
/ 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
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 front 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 shipboard. The young
man said to him: '.You don't know
me, do you?'' 'sNo." he said, 81
don't know YOU" ''Why, don't you
remember that young man you tried to
persuade to go home and he wouldn't
go?" o. yes,' said Mr.. Griffin, ''are you
that man?" Yes, I am that man."
said the other. Il would like to have
you pray for me. / have committed
murder and / must die; but don't want
to go out of this world until some one
prays for me. You are my fathers
friend, and / would like to have you
pray for me-"
Mr.. Griffin went from judicial author
ity to judicial authority to get that
young mans pardon He slept not
night nor day. He went from in
fuential person to influential person
until in some way he got that young
mans pardon. 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 disguised
name, had been committing a crima
and was going to be put to death. So
Mr.. Griffin and the father went on ships
deck, and at the very moment Mr.. Crit
fin offered the pardon to the young
man the old father threw his arms
around the sons neck and the SON said:
Father, / have done very wrong, and
/ am very sorry. wish I had never
broken your heart. i am very sorry. =
"Ohr' said -the-father, don't mention
it. 1t don't make any difference now.
It is all over 1 forgive you, my son, Z"
and he kissed him and kissed him and
kissed him.
To-day offer you the pardon of the
pardon, free pardon. / do
not care what your crime has been.
Though you say you have committed a
crime against God, against your own
soul, against the day of judg-