The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-09-07
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
tTHE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S SUN
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "The ProdiSal SoE."

| There is nothing like hunger to take the
energy cut of a man. A hungry man can
toll neither with pen nor hand nor foot.
There mas been an army defeated not so
much for lack of ammunition as for lack OF
bread. 1t was that fact that took the fire
fout OF this young man OF the text. Storm
and exposure will wear out any m ans lie
in time. hut 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. 1t is
icalled the carab. Once in awhile the people
reduced to destitution would eat these ca
rabs, but generally the carabs, the beans
spoken Of here in the text. were thrown only
to the swine and they cruuched them with
great ayidity. But this young man Of my
text could not get even them without steal
ling them. So one day amid the swine
Froughs be begins to soliloquze. He says,
f'These are no clothes for rich mans son to
wear; this is no kind Of business for Jew
to be engaged in-feeding swine; I'll go
home: I'll 60 home; l will arise and go to my
father"
I klow there are great many people who
try to throw a fascination, romance,
halo about sin; but Notwithstanding all that
Lord Byron and George Sand have said in
regard to it, it is mean, low, contemplate
business. and putting food and fodder into
the troughs of u herd of iniquites that root
and w'allow in tho soul Of man is very poor
business TOR men and women intended to be
sons and daughters Of the Lord Almighty.
And when this young man resolved to go
home it was very wise thing for him to do,
and the only question is whether We will fol-
low him.
! Satan promises large wages II we will
serve Elm, but he clothes his victims with
rags and he pincaes them with hunger, and
when tcey start out to do better he sets
after them all the bloodhounds az hell.
Satan comes to US to-day, and h, promises
all luxuries, all emoluments il we will only
serve him. Liar, down with thee to the
pit! 1.-The wages of sin is DEATH" Oh, the
young man of the text was wise when he
uttered the resolution, VI will arise and go
to my father"
In the time of Queen Mary of England
prosecutor came to Christian woman who
had hidden in her house, for the Lords sake,
one of Christ's servants, and the prosecutor
said, .'Where is that heretic?' The Chris
tian woman said, You open that trunk ana
you viii see the hereto" The prosecutor
opened the trunk, and on the top of the
linen of the trunk he saw glass. He said,
ssThere IS no heretic here" "Ahm she said,
'.you look in the glass and you will see the
heretc.' As take up the mirror Of Gods
word to-day, would that instead OF seeing
the prodigal Of the text we might see our
selves-our want, our wandering, our SIN,
our lost condition-so that we might be as
wise es this young man was and say, II WILL
arise and 60 to my father"
The resolution of this text was fol 1ed in
disgust at his present circumstances. If this
young man had been by his employer set to
culturing flowers, or training vines over an
arbor, OF keeping account OF the pork mar
ket. or oversee ng other laborers he would
not have thought OF going home. II he had
had his pockets full or money, it he had been
sble 10 say: II have thousand dollars now
Of my own, what's the use OF my going back
to my fathers house? Do you think l am
going back to apologize to the old MANI
Why, he would put me on the limits; he
would nothave going on around the old place
such conduct as have been engaged in.
won't 20 home. There is no reason why l
should 70 home. I have plenty of money;
plenty OF pleasant surroundings. Why should
fgo homes? Ah!it was his pauperism; it
was his ueggary. he had to 60 home.
Some man comes and says to me: "Why
do you talk about the ruined state Of the hu
man soul? Why don't you speak shout the
progress Of the Nineteenth century, and talk
of something more exhilaraung ?" 1t IS for
this reason "a man never wants the Gospsl
until he realizes he is in famine struck
state. Suppose l should come to you IN
your home and you are in good robust health,
and / should begin to talk about medicines,
and about how much better this medicine is
than that, and some other medicine than
some other medicine, and talk about this
physician and that ph hysician. After awhile
you would get tired, and you would says, u
don't want to hear about medicines. Why
do you talk to me OF physicians? never
have doctor"
Sn,,oea 4 coma into vonr house and find
you severely sick, and l know the medlclna;
that will cure you, and I kno the physician
who is skilful enough to meet your case
You say: Bring on all that medicine; bring
on that physician. am terribly sick and
want help" II came to you and you fee
you are all right in body and all right II
mind and all right in soul you have need ol
nothing, but supposng l have persuaded
you that the leprosy OF sin is upon you, the
worst of all sickness, oh, then you say
s.Bring me that balm of the Gospel; bring
me that divine medicament; bring me Jesus
Christ"
But says some one In the audience, "Hov
do you prove that we are in a ruined con-
dition by sinY' Well can prove it in two
ways and you may have your choice:
or men or by the statement o.
God. Which shall it be? You all say. lie
us have the statement of God" Well, 81
SAYS in one place, 1.-THE heart is decsitful
above all things and DESPERATELY wicked.
He says in another place, "What is maj
that he should be clean? and he which i
born Of woman, taat he should be righte
ous% He says in another place, There i:
none. that doeth good: no, not one" h
says in another place, las by one man sir
entered into the world, and denth by sin
and so death passed upon all men, for tina
all have sinned"
'Wel," you say, II am willing II
acknowledge that, but why should TAX
the particular rescue that you proposeE
This is the reason, ''Excsot n an be borr
again he cannot see the kingdorn OF God
This is the reason, There is one name givel
may be saved" Then there are thousand
voices here ready to say, "Well, am read,
to accept this help OF the Gospel; I would
like to have this divine cure; how shall g
to work." Let ME say that mere whim
an un1ehned longing amounts to nothing
You must have stout, tremendous resolu
ton like this young man OF the text whel
he said. 81 will arise and go to my father
''Oh~ says some man. '.how do know N,
father wants me? How do know, if I g
back, I would be received9' 'On" say
some man, ''you don't know where l hav
been; you don't know how far have wan
dered; you wouldn't talk that way to me il
you knew all the inlqulties I have commit
ted" What is that hutter among the angel
Of God3 1t is news it is newsI Christ ha
found the lost.
Nor angels car their Joy contain,
But kin d ed with new fire.
Tho sinner lost Is found they sing,
And strike the sounding Tyre.
remark still further that this resolution
Of the text was founded in feeling Of
homesicknsss. do not know how long thi: