Democratic messenger., 1894-11-17
S1.OO 4 YEAR

i notice also when the prOdlgal comes
! back all earnest Christians rejoice. II
you stood on a prOmOntory, and there
was "a hurricane at sea, and il was blow
ing toward the shore, and u vessel crash
ed into the rocks, and you saw people
get ashore in tic lifeboats. and the very
last man got on the rocks in safety. you
could not control your joy. And it is u
glad time when the church of God sees
men who are tossed on the ocean of their
sins plant their feet on the rock Christ
Jesus
The K.nectual Prayer.
When prodigals come home, Just hear
those Christians sing. Ii is not dull
tune you hear at sGch times. just hear
those Christians pray, Ii is not a stereO-
! typed supplicatiOn we have heard over
and over for 20 years, but putting of
the case in the hands of God with an i'm
Fortunate pleading Men never pray at
great length unless they have nothing
to say. and their hearts are hard and
cold. All the prayers in the Bible that
were answered we're short prayers:
God be merciful to me. sinner.
Lord. that | may receive my sight.
Lord, save me or perish" The Ion
gest prayer. SOlomon's prayer at the
dedication of the temple, less than eight
minutes in length. according to the or
dinary rata of enunciation. And jus:
hear them pray now that the prodigals
are coming home. Just see them shake
hands. No putting forth of the four
tips of the fingers in formal way, but
a hearty grasp, where the muscles OF
the heart seem To clinch the fingers of
one hand around the other hand. And
then see those Christian faces, how IL
lumined they are. And see that cid
man get up and with the same voice
that he sang 80 years ago III the old
country meeting house say, Now,
Lord. lettest thou thy servant depart
in peace. for mine eyes have seen thy
salvation. There was n man of Keith
who was hurled into prison in time OF
persecution, and one day he got off his
shackles, and he came and stood by the
prison door, and when the jailer was
opening the door with one stroke he
struck down the man who had incar-
| cerated him.
Passing along the streets of London.
he wondered where his family was.
He did not dare 10 ask lest he excite
suspicion, but passing along a little
way from the prison he saw Keith
tankard, n cup that belonged to the FAM
| lily from generation to generation. He
saw it in n window. His family, hop
ing that some day he would get clear,
came and lived rs near as they could to
the prison house, and they set that
Keith tankard in the window. hoping
he would see il, and he came along and
saw it. and knocked at the door. and
went in, and the long absent family
were all together again. Oh, if you
would start for the kingdom of God to-
day, l think some of You would find
nearly all your friends and nearly all
your families around the holy tankard
of the holy communion-fathers, moth
ers brothers, sisters. around that sa-
cred tankard which commentaries the
love of Jesus Christ our Lord! Oh, il
will be q great communion day when
your whole family sits around the sa-
cred tankard. One on earth, one in
heaven.
Joy of the Redeemed.
Once moro / remark that when the
prodigal gets hack the inhabitants OF
heaven keep festival j am very certain
of it. IL you have never seen a tele
graphic chart. you have no idea how
many cities are connected together and
how many lands. Nearly all the neigh
borhoods of the earth seem reticulated.
and news flies from city to city and from
continent to continent But more rap
idly 60 the tidings from earth to heav-
en-. and when prodigal returns it is
announced before the throne of God.
And if these souls today should enter
the kingdom there would be some one
in the heavenly kingdom TO say. That's
my father" That's my mother, .
That's my son. " That's my daugh-
ter, . That's my friend, :" That's the
one used to pray for, - That's the one
for whom wept so many tears. =" and
one soul would say, Hosanna!" and
another soul would say, "Halleluiahr
Pleased with the news the saints below
In songs their tongues employ.
Beyond the skies the tidngs go.
And heaven il filled with joy.
Nor angels can their Joy contain.
But kindle with new fire.
The sinner lost Is found. they sing.
And strike the sounding Tyre.
At the banquet of Lucullus sat Cice-
TO, the orator At the Macedonian fes-
tival sat Philip, the conqueror. At the
Grecian banquet sat Socrates. the phi
losopher, but at our Fathers table sit
all the returned prodigals. more than
conquerors. The table is so wide its
leaves reach across seas and across
lands. Its guests are the redeemed of
earth and the glorified of heaven. The
ring of God S forgiveness ON every hand.
the robe of Saviour's righteousness
adroop from every shoulder. The wine
that glows in the cups is from the bowls
of 10000 sacraments Let all the re-
deemed of earth and all the glorified Of
heaven arise, and with cleaning chalice
drink to the return of thousand prod
igals- Sing. sing. sing. Worthy is the
lamb that was slain To receive blessing
and riches and honor and glory and
power. world without endr'