Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-08-22


ihem out
he said. "Ont Of This house. Awey
with these children; / Will dash their
brains cat. Out into tue stounF The
mother gathered them up and fed The
next morning tie brother, young man
Who had stald al home. NenE oUt 70 ind
tins prodig4l brother and son, and be
came where he was and saw tie young
man wandering uI 4ad down IA front
II the place where he had been staying,
and the young man VINO lad kept MS
integrity said 10 the older brother:
Here, what does this meant What
Is the matter with you. Why DO yoa
act IL this way" The prodlgal
looked al HIM and said: ~ 40
AN II Whom Go you take me % be''
he sand, You are my brother. mo,
am not. am brute. Have YOU seen
anything Of ny wife and children
Are they deads L drove them out
last night IN the storm. / am a
brute. John, DO you think there Is any
help for me: Do you think / viii
ever get over this life of dissipation
He said, John, there Is just one thing
that viii stop this" The prodigal ran
his finger across his throat and said:
That viii stop il. and III stop il before
night. Oh, my brain; / can stand il no
longer" That prodlgal never got home
But l will tell you OF prodigal that did
get home.
In this country two young men start
ed from their fathers house and went
down to Portsmouth. The father could
not pursue his children; for some rea-
son he could not leave home, and so he
wrote letter down 10 Mr.. Griffin, say
ing: "Mr. Griffin, wish you would 20
and see my two sons. They have ar
rived in Portsmouth and they are going
to take ship and are going away from
home. l 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. l 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 respectable
position on a respectable ship" mo,
you won't" said the prodigal; mo, you
won't. / am going as 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 mes
sage came to him saying there was
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 shipboard. The young man said
to him, "You don't know me, do you?'
"No," be said, Il don't know you"
why, don't you remember that young
man you tried TO persuade to go home,
and he wouldn't goY' "Oh, yes" said
Mr.. Griffin; ''are you that man?' eyes.
| am that man." said the other. 'I
would ike to have you pray for me.
have committed murder and must die;
but l 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 au-
thority to judicial authority TO get that
young mans pardon. He slept not
night nor day. He went from infiuen-
tial person to influential person until in
some way he got that young mans par
don. He came down on the dock and
as he arrived on the dock with the par
don the father came. He had heard
that his son under disguised name had
been committing crime and was 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 young man the old father
threw his arms around the sons neck
and the son said: Father, have done
very wrong and l am very sorry. |
wish had never broken your heart. l
am very sorry" ooh" said the father.
don't mention it. 1t doesn't make any
difference now. 1t is all over. l for
give you, my son." and he kissed him
and kissed him and kissed him.
Today | offer you the pardon of the
Gospel--full pardon, flee pardon. I do
not care what your crime has been.
Though you say you have committed a
crime against God, against your own
soul, against your fellow man, against
your family, against the day of judg-
ment, against the cross of Christ-what-
ever your crime has been. here is par
don, full pardon, and the very moment
you take that pardon your heavenly
Father throws his arms about you and
says: MY son. forgive you. 1t is all
right. You are as much in my favor
now as if you had never sinned." Oh,
there is joy on earth and joy in heavenl
Who Will ta'-o tNo Fothar's embrace?
Proof of Eorft