The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1894-11-23

thetic. and listening not to the cry d
his subjects. A man told me he saw,
in one of the eastern lands, king rid.
ing along, and two men were in alter
cation, and one charged the other with
having eaten his rice; and the king
said, Then slay the man, and by
post-mortem examination find whether
he has eaten the rice" And he was
slain. All! the cruelty of a scene like
that Our God is not sultan, not a
despot, but a father-kind, loving, for
| giving, and he makes all heaven ring
again when prodigal comes back Il
have no pleasure" he says, Gin the
death of him that dieth."
| 1t man does not get to Heaven, 1t
is because he will not go there. No
difference the color, no difference the
history, no difference the antecedents,
| no difference the surroundings, no diff
ference the sin. When the white
| horses of Christ's victory are brought
out to celebrate the eternal triumph,
you may ride one of them, and as God is
greater than all, His joy is greater; and
when soul comes back there is in
his heart the surging of an infinite
ocean OF gladness; and to express that
gladness it takes all the rivers of pleas
ure, and all the ages of eternity. 1t is
JOY deeper than all depth, and higher
than all height, and wider than all
width, and vaster than all immensely.
1t overtops, it undergirds, it outweighs
all the united splendor and joy of the
universe. Who can tell what Gods joy
is?
You remember reading the story of
king, who on some great day of festfvi-
ty scattered silver and gold among the
people, who sent valuable presents to
his courtiers; but methinks when a
soul comes back, God is so glad that to
express His joy He filings out new
worlds into place, kindles up new suns,
and rolls among the white-robed an
thems of the redeemed a greater halle
lujah, while with voice that reverber-
ates among the mountains of francl1in-
cense and is echoed back from the
everlasting gates, He cries: '"Fhis, my
son, was dead, and is alive again!"
At the opening of the exposition in
New Orleans l saw Mexican futist,
and he played the solo, and then after
ward the eight or ten bands of music,
accompanied by the great organ, came
in; but the sound of that one flute, as |
compared with all the orchestra, was
greater than all the combined joy Of
the universe, when compared with the
resounding heart of Almighty God.
For ten years father went three
times day to the depot. His son went
off in aggravating circumstances, but
the father said, "He will come back"
The strain was too much, and his mind
parted; and three times a day the
father went. In the early morning he
the train-its arrival the
stepping out of the passengers and
then the departure of the train.
At noon he was there again,
the advance of the train,
the departure. At night,
here again, watching the coming,
the going, for ten years. He
vas sure his SON would come back.
God has been watching and waiting
or some of you, my brothers, ten
'ears. twenty years, thirty years,
orty years, perhaps fifty years-wait-
ng, waiting, watching, watching;
Ind if this morning the prodigal should
'ome home, what scene of gladness
md festivity, and how the great
Fathers heart would rejoice at your
coming home. You will come some of
'ou, will you not? You will you will
/ notice also that when a prodigal
ONES home there is the joy of the
ofreligion. Oh, it is grand
hing to preach this Gospel 1 know
here has been great deal said about
he trials and the hardships of the
ministry. / wish somebody
yould write good, rousing book about
be Joys of the Christian ministry.
ince ! entered the profession, have
cen more OF the goodnes Of God
han will be able to celebrate in all
ternity. / know some boast about
heir equilibrium, and they do not rise
1to enthusiasm, and they do not break
own with emotion; but I confess to
GU plainly that when see man COM
lg to God and giving up his sin, feel
! body, mind and soul transport.
Vhen see man, who is bound hand
nd foot in evl habit, emaneipated,
sjoice over Sc as though it were
~ own emancipation. When, in our
service, such throngs of
Dung and old stood up at the affairs,
nd, in the presence of Heaven and
arth and he'll, attested their allie.
lance to Jesus Christ, ] felt joy
akin to that which the
postle describes when he says:
Whether in the body can not tell,
r out of the body can not tell; God
At the banquet of Lucullus sat Cicero