Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1894-11-15
TABERNACLE PULPIT.
DR.. TALMAGE'S RETURN FOR A
SERMON TEXT.
Tho Text Being Chosen from Luke
I5, xiii: Bring Hither the Fatted
Calf and Kill IA Touching Dis
course on the vicissitudes of Life.

bROOhINN, IN. NOV. Ils--ItCN. I'is
Talmage, having concluded his round
the-world tour, has selected as the sub
ject for to-days discourse through the
press: Home Again"
In all ages of the world it has been
customary to celebrate joyful events
by festivity the signing of treaties,
the proclamation of peace, the Christ
mas, the marriage. However much
on other days of the year our table
may have stinted supply, on Thanks
giving day there must be something
bounteous. And all the comfortable
homes of Christendom have at some
time celebrated joyful events by ban
quet and festivity.
Something has happened in the old
homestead greater than anything that
has ever happened before. A favorite
son, whom the world supposed would
become vagabond and outlaw for
ever, has got tired of sightseeing and
has returned to his fathers house.
The world said he never would come
back. The old man always said his
son would come. He had been looking
for him day after day and year after
year. He knew he would come back.
Now, having returned to his fathers
house, the father proclaims cele-
bration. There is calf in the pad
dock that has been kept up and fed
to utmost capacity. SO as to be ready
for some occasion of Joy that might
come along. All! there never will be
a grander day on the old homestead
than this day. Let the butchers do
their work, and let the housekeepers
bring into the table the smoking meat.
The musicians will take their places,
and the gay groups will move up and
down the floor. All the friends and
neighbors are gathered in, and extra
supply is sent out to the table of the
servants. The father presides at the
table and says grace, and thanks God
that his long absent boy is home again.
Oh! how they missed him: how glad
they are to have him back. One brother
indeed stands pouting at the back
door, and says: "This is a great ado
about nothing; this bad boy should
have been chastened instead of greeted;
veal is too good for him!' But the
father says, Nothing is too good;
nothing is good enough" There sits
the young man, glad at the hearty re-
ception, but a shadow of sorrow fit
ting across his brow at the remem-
brance of the trouble he had seen. All
ready now. Let the covers lift. Music.
He was dead and he is alive again! He
was lost and he is found! BY such
bold imagery does the Bible set forth
the merrymalling when soul comes
home to God.
First of all, there is the new con-
vert's JOY. 1t is no tame thing to be-
come Christian. The most tremen-
dous moment in a mans life is when
he surrendcrS himself to God. The
grandest time ON the fathers home
stead is when the boy comes back.
Among the great throng who, in the
parlors of my church, professed Christ
one night was young man, who next
morning rang my doorbell and said:
Sir, | can not contain myself with the
Joy feel; | came here this morning
to express it. | have found more Joy
in five minutes in serving God than in
all the years of my prodigality, and
came to say SO.
You have seen, perhaps, a man run
ming for his physical liberty, and the
officers of the law after him; and you
saw him escape or afterward you
heard the judge had pardoned him,
and how great was the glee of that
rescued man; but it is very tame
thing that compared with the running
for ones everlasting life-the terrors
of the law after him, and Christ com
ing in to pardon and bless and rescue
and save. You remember John Bun
yam, in his great story, tells how the
Pilgrim put his fingers to his ears ano
ran, crying, Life, life. eternal life.'
A poor car driver, after having had t.
struggle to support his family fol-
wears, suddenly was informed that {
large inheritance was his, and there
was JOY amounting to bewilderment
but that is small thing compared
with the experience of one when HI
lids pun III hio hdlStS tiiC bitiS bCCSi "
the joys, the raptures the splendors o
heaven, and he can truly say, ''It
mansions are mine, its temples az,
mine, its songs are mine, its God i
mine!' ..
Oh, it is no tame thing to become
Christian. 1t is a merrymalling. 1t i
the killing of the fatted calf. 1t i
Jubilee You know the Bible neve
compares it to funeral, but Away
compares it to something bright. 1t i
more apt to be compared to a banque
than anything else. 1t is compared il
the Bible to the water-bright, flash
ing water; to the morning -roseate
freworked, mountain transfgure
morning. l wish 1 could to-day TAX
Ill the Bible expressions about pardo
and peace, and life and comfort, an
hope and heaven, and twist them int
one garland, and put it on the brow c
the humblest child of God in all thi
land and cry: Wear it, wear it now
wear it forever, son of God, daughte
of the Lord God Almighty. Oh, tn
Joy of the now convert! Oh. the glat
ness of the Christian service!
You have seen sometimes a man in
religious assembly get up and give h