The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1892-09-08


There is nothing like hunger to take th'
energy out of man. A hungry man can
toll neither with pen nor hand nor foot.
There has been an army defeated not 50
much for lack OF ammunition as for lack OF
bread. 1t was that fact that took the fire
out of this young man of the text. Storm
and exposure will wear out any m ans LIE
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. 1t i;
called the carab. Once in awhile the people
reduced to restitution would eat these ca
rabs, but generally the clrabs. the beans
spoken of here in the text, were thrown only
to the swine and they cruncheI them with
great avidity. But this young man Of my
text could not get even them without steal
ing them. So one day amid the swine
troughs he begins to solioqu.ze. He saws,
"These are no clothes for a rich mans son TO
wear: this is no kind of business tor jew
to be engaged in-fee1iug swine; I'll 20
home; Pll go home; viii arise and 90 to my
father"
| know there are great many people who
try to throw a fascination, a romance a
halo about sin; but notwithstanding all that
Lord Byron and George Sand have sail in
regard to it, it is mean, low. contemplate
business, and putting food and fodder into
the troughs of nerd of iniquities that root
and wallow in the soul OF man is very poor
business TOR men and women inteude to be
sons and daughters of the Lord Almig hty.
And when this young man reso.vei to 90
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 if we will
serve him. but he clothes his victims with
rags and he pinc1es them with hunger, and
when they start out to 90 better he sets
after them all the bloodhOunds o. hell.
Satan comes to us to-day, and h promises
all luxuries, all emoluments ii We will only
serv. him. Liar, down with thee 10 the
pitt 1.-The wages of sin is DEATH" On the
young man of the text was wise when he
uttered the resolution, 81 will arise and 50
to my father"
In the time of Queen Mary Of England a
prosecutor came to u Christian woman who
had hidden in her house. for the Lords sake,
one of Christ's servants; and the prosecutor
said, 'Where is that heraticY The Chris
tian woman said, "You open that trunk and
you will see the hereto" The prosecutor
opened the trunk, and on the top of the
linen of the trunk he saw glass. He said,
'Ihere is no hereto here" "Ahm she said,
you look in the glass and you will see the
hereticn' As l take up the mirror Of Gods
word to-day, l would that instead OF seeing
seives-our want, our wandering our sin,
our lost condition-so that we might be as
wise as this young man was and say 81 will
arise and go TO my father"
The resolution of this text was formed 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-h
ket or oversee NJ other lahorers he would
not have thought of going home. Ii he had
had his pockets full OF money, if he had been
able 10 say: II have a 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 apo.ogize to the old man?
Why, he would put me on the limits; he
would not have gong on around the Old place
such conduct as l have been engaged IN. |
won't 60 home. There is no reason why
should go home. | have plenty OF money;
plenty OF pleasant surrounding. Why should
go home" All! It was his paupersm; it
was his beggary. be had to go home.
Some man comes and ssys to me: ''Why
do you talk about the ruined state of the hui
man soul! Why cont you speak about the
progress OF the Nineteenth century, and talk
OF something more exhlaratin ?" 1t is for
this reason "a man never wants the Gospel
until he realizes he Is IN Il famine struck
state. Suppose | should come to you IN
your home and youare II good robust health,
ana about how mucn better this medicine is
than that, and some other medicine than
some other medicine, and talk about this
physician and that physician. After awhile
you would get tired, and you would says, III
don't want to hear ABOUT medicines. Why
do you talk to me OF physicians? [ never
have a DOCTOR
Suppose / come into your house and find
you severely sick, and l know the medic mas
that Will cure you, and kno p the physician
who is skllIuI enough to meet your case
You say: bring on all that medicine; bring
on that physician. am terribly sicG and
l want help" Ii came to You and you Ieel
YOU are All right III DO y and ali right in
mind and ali right IN SOU you nave need OF
nothing; but supposng l 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 tue Gospel; bring
me that divine medicament; bring me Jesus
Christ"
But says some one in the audience, Show
do you prove that We are IN q rulnsd con-
diton by sin% Well L eau prove It in two
ways, and you may have your choice. l
can prove 1t either by the statements
OF men or by thu state nent OF
God. hich shall it be7 YuHl say, "Lst
us have the statement OF God" Wei, II,
saws in one pace, tine hear5 is decs.ttul
above all things and Desperately wicket
that he should be clean? and he which is
born OF woman. that he should be- ri ghte-
ous| He says III another place, There is
none that doeth good; no, not one" He
says in another place, "As By one man sin
entered into the world, and death by sin:
and SO death passed upon all men, for that
all have sinnsd"
well" you say, II am willing TO
acknowledge that. but why should [ take
the particular rescue that you propnse?"
This Is the reason, EXCEPT a man be born
aSaln he cannot see tue Ringdom Of God"
This Is thereaSon There is ona name given
under heaven among men WHEREBY they
may be saved" Then there are a thousand
voices here ready to say, swell lam ready
to accept this help OF the Gospe.; woulI
IKE TO have this divine cure; how shall | go
TO work. Let ME say that a mere whim.
an un iefined longing amounts to nothing.
on must have a stout, tremendous resolu.
eion IKE this young man of the text when
10 sand, Il will arise and go to my father"
OhF says some man. "how do know my
lauer wants me? How do [ know, if | 20
bacs, would be receved%' "OhW SAYS
some man, you don't know where [ have
seen; you don't know how far have wall
dsred; you wouldn't talk that way to ma II
you knew all the inquiries 1 have commit
teJ." W hat IS that hutter among the angels
OF Godl IL 10 news, it is news! Christ mas