The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-01-15

mighty mean son. Don't you? That Is my
opinion. "Blessed are they that arc perse-
cuted.r And that is the kind of re-
ligion that this world believes in. The
whole country talked about the nobility or
this young man. am afraid that IL we had
him now we would make him a deacon or
elder in the church. lie Is all right. All
right In the sight OF the world. Ho Is never
prosecuted. But now. you just take and read
that mans life, and what do you find? You
find that he was sour. o. how many sour
ones you meet nowl They growl and grumble
all the time. Sour He was u touchy young
man. Have you any touchy people among
your acquaintancesi That is just what this
young man was-touchy. He was very angry.
Why? Because his brother had come back.
Did you ever know what caused the thrill OF
joy I'm heaven and the thumps in that old
mans breast believe that is the only
chapter in the whole Bible that tells what
causes JOY in heaven. That elder brother was
self righteous lie was selfish. and supremely
so. There Is not a thing in that mans
character that Is lovely after all
But how grandly that father shines
out. "Son Che didn't call him any bad
namesl Sonl thou art ever with me.
All that Ihave is thine" o. it makes me feel
rich when read that. That is liberty. You
know in France when anarchy was over
thrown, they selected for their motto "Frater-
nity, Equality, Liberty" That was what
they wanted, and that is just what this father
wanted with those two boys. He wanted
them 10 be with him. That Is what Gcd
wants every sinner i'm Providence TO do.
remember once was very busy getting up,
a sermon, and my little boy came into my
room. said would get rid of him just as
quickly as possible. And i said to him. MY
son, what do you wantf' He threw his arms
around my neck, and kissed me and said. Il
don't want anything. just love you."
couldn't send him away, and got down all
his toys for him and let him stay in the room
with me; and every once in n while i look
over my book and see him just as
happy as he could be. That is just what the
Lord wants, he wants the elder brother to
come in and just have liberty and fraternity
''Son, all have is thine" And that is just
what the younger brother did not want when
he went away. But he came back and
wanted il, ard when he wanted IL,
the elder brother didn't want it. Now,
one went down through the sin
of his lcentiousness. aud the other
went down through the sin of pride and self
conceit, and one is just as black and vile as
the other. There is no difference. tell you
what it is a good thing 30 take q mirror and
get good look at ourselves once in while
and see what we are, for IL Is a sort OF family
disease.
But am not going to dwell any longer upon
that elder brother, for must confess II is not
say that have had that man brought up TO
10 me very often in the most ridiculous ways.
Some say that certain people don't need to be
converted. "That knia of preaching that Mr..
Moody Is doing here in this town is all out of
place. If he would go down among the slums of
New York, Philadelphia or Boston and prach
IL TO those lost souls IL would be all right. But
we don't need It. We are cultured and refined
and we do not need any such preaching"
They think they are all right. I'VE are pill
ing up righteousness Of our own. i want To
say that that elder brother needed TO be con-
verted just as much as the younger. You put
man that has been living in wickedness and
sin on the crystal pavement, and IT would be
hell to him. Put man under the
very shadow OF the tree of life
with the spirit of the elder brother, and IL
would be hell TO him. can imagine the first
man he sees he greets with the question,
who we're you when you were on earth "
"The thief on the cross" II never associated
with thieves or murderers when L was upon
earth, and shall not up here" And to the
first woman he meets he gays, who
were you when on earthg" And
with beautiful smile her
face. VI was Mary Magdalene. That woman
that had seven devils in her." never asso-
ciated with such people on earth, and won't
up here" He couldn't associate with the
blood-bought up in heaven. He couldn't
sing the song of Moses and the Lamb
with such people. he must have a little
heaven of his own. He climbed up some other
way. The Lord said, "They are thieves and
robbers" / think once in n while it would be
good to preach TO the elder brothers, and /
think there are great many OF them in
the churches. They think because they
live moral life they are all right They can
be proud and as vile and black as hell itself,
not fit for the kingdom OF God.
Now did you ever notice that four times
Christ uses this word except" Except
your Righteousness exceed the righteousness
of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall In no
wise enter the kingdom of God" That was
said to the elder brother school of men when
Christ was on earth. Then again he said TO
the same class of people: Except ye repent
ye shall all likewise perish" Another
time he said TO that same class
Except ye become converted, and become as
little children ye cannot see the Kingdom OF
God" Don't you trust in your moral life,
that Is not going to save you. God will strip
you of every rag of your own righteousness. You
must have the righteousness of another. II
was 10 Nicodemus, not to the poor woman al
the well. that Christ said, Except We become
converted and become as little children ye
cannot sec the kindom of God" Now il IL
clearly taught that there must be new spirit
and new life, before we car
see the kingdom of God, You can see great
many things but there is ono thing you can.
not see, you cannot see the kingdom OF God
You cannot buy or educate yourself into the
kingdom. There IS only one way and that 3:
TO be born into il. You may go across this
continent TO the Pacific coast and see there
trees that have been growing for ages, but
that truth that grows in the midst OF the
paradise of God your uncircumcised eye shall
never rest upon unless you are born
again. You may see the Prince of Wales
and the Crown Prince of Russia, but i
tell you the Prince of Peace
who Is going Co sit in glory, you shall never
see as your prince unless you are born again.
You may see the rivers OF earth but there is
one river that flows through tho paradise OF
God that your uncircumcised eye shall not
see until you are born again. You may look
that sainted mother in the face today, but
bear I'm mind that the time Is coming when
YOU are going TO be separated. You may look
at your little innocent child, but remom-
Der that a separation Is going To come.
II that child dies in early childhood. the
master will take IL to himself. and you will
not be permitted 20 sit in the kingdom with