The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1892-08-26

feel you are all right in body, and all
right in mind, and all right in soul, you
have need of nothing; but suppose |
have persuaded you that the 'eprosy of
sin is upon you, the worst of all sick
ness. Oh, then you say, Bring Inc that
balm of the Gospel, bring me that divine
medicament, bring me Jesus Christ"
But says some one in the audience,
SLOW do you prove that we are in a
ruined condition by SIM" Well, can
prove it in two ways, and you may have
your choice. I can prove it either by
the statements of men or by the state
ment of God. Which shall it be? You
all say, "Let us have the statement Of
God" Well, he says in one place, "The
heart is deceitful above all things and
desperately wicked" He says in another
place, "What is man that he should be
clean, and he which is born of woman,
that he should be righteous" He says
in another place, "There is none that
doeth good; no, not one" He says in
another place, Gas by one man sin en-
tered into the world, and death by sin;
and so death passed upon all men. for
that all have sinned."
THE ALL POWERFUL NAME.
"Well," you say, 81 am willing to ac-
knowledge that, but why should take
the particular rescue that you propose?'
This is the reason, Except man be
born again he cannot see the kingdom
of God" This is the reason, "There
is one name given under heaven among
men whereby they may be saved"
Then there are a thousand voices here
ready to say, "Well, l am ready to ac-
cept this help of the Gospel; would
like to have this divine cure; how shall
I 90 to work." Let me say that mere
within, an underlined longing amounts to
nothing You must have a stout, tre-
mendous resolution like this young man
of the text, when he said, 81 will arise
and go to my father"
"Oh," says some man, chow do know
my father wants me? How do know, if
go back, I would be received" "Oh,"
says some man, ''you don't know where
I have been; you don't know how far ]
have wandered; you wouldn't talk that
way to me if you knew all the iniquities
I have committed" What is that futter
among the angels of God? It is news;
it is news! Christ has found the lost.
Nor angels can their joy contain,
But kindled with new fire.
The sinner lost is found, they sing,
And strike the sounding Tyre.
When Napoleon talked of going into
Italy they said, "You can't get there; if
you knew what the Alps We're you
wouldn't talk about it or think of it; you
can't get you ammunition wagons over
the Alps" Then Napoleon rose in his
stirrups, and waving his hand toward
the mountains he said, There shall be
no Alps" That wonderful pass was laid
out which has been the wonderment of
all the years since-the wonderment of
all engineers. And you tell me there
are such mountains of sin between your
soul and God there is no mercy. Then
I see Christ waving his hand toward the
and I hear him say, 81 will
come over the mountains of thy sin and
the hills of thine iniquity." There shall
be no Pyrenees; there shall be no Alps.
Again, l notice that this resolution of
the young man of the text was founded
in sorrow at his misbehavior. 1t was
not mere physical plight. 1t was grief
that he had so maltreated his father. 1t
is sad thing after a father has done
everything for child to have that child
be ungrateful.
How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is
To have thankless child.
That is Shakespeare. ga foolish son
S the heaviness of his mother" That
S the Bible. Well, my friends, have
lot some of US been cruel prodigals?
Have we not maltreated our Father?
And such a Father! So loving, so kind.
# he had been a stranger, if he had for
jaken us, if he had fiagellated us, if he
lad pounded Us and turned US out of
loors on the commons, it would not
lave been so wonderful-our treatment
If him; but he is Father so loving, SO
lind, and yet how many of us for our
have never apologized! We
Ipologize for wrongs done to our fell
ows, but some of us perhaps have COM
nitted ten thousand times ten thousand
wrongs against God and never apollo
,ized.
THE DISGUISED PRoDIGAL.
| remark still further that this reso-
ution of the text was founded in feel
ng of homesickness. | do not know
low long this young man, how many
months, how many years, he had been
way from his fathers house, but there
5 something about the reading of my |
ext that makes me think he was home
ick. Some of you know what that feel
ng is. Far away from home sometimes,
urrounded by everything bright and |
,leasant, plenty of friends, you have
aid, II would give the world to be
Iome tonight" Well, this young man
vas homesick for his fathers house. l |
ave no doubt when he thought of his
ather's house he said, Now perhaps |
ather may not be living"
We read nothing in this story-this |
arabic founded on everyday life-we
cad nothing about the mother. 1t says |
Iothing about going home to her. l |
hink she was dead. l think she had |
led of broken heart at his wander |
ngs. or perhaps he had gone into dissi- |