The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-11-16
"HOME AGAIN"
DR.. Talmage on the Celebration Of
the Prodigals Return.
Gladness of Christian Service-The Tame
Joys OF the World Compared with
the Raptures of the
Gospel.

Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage has COM
pleted his tour of the World and the
subject of the latest sermon selected
by him for the public was Home
| Again" the text chosen being: Bring
hither the fatted calf and kill it,
| Luke W.. %.
! 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 Thanksgiving
day there must be something bounte-
Gus. And all the comforta BILE homes of
Christendom have at some time cele-
brated joyful events by banquet and
iestivity.
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 forever,
has got tired of sightseeing and has re-
turned 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. hav-
ing returned to his fathers house. the
father proclaims celebration. There is
calf in the paddock that has been
kept up and fed to utmost capacity. so
rs TO be ready for some occasion of JOY
that might come along. All, there
never was a grander day on the old
homestead than this day Let the
butchers do their work. and the house
keepers bring in to the table the smok-
ing 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." The father says: Moth
ing is too good; nothing is good
enough" There sits the young man.
glad at the hearty reception. but
shadow of sorrow fitting across his
brow at the remembrance 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
found. BY such bold imagery does the
Bible set forth the merry-making when
a soul comes home to God
First of all. there is the new con-
vsrt's joy. 1t is no tame thing to become
a Christian. The most tremulous mo-
ment in a mans life is when he sur
renders himself to God. The grandest
time on the fathers homestead 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 door bell and said: Sir. cannot
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. man rum
ming Tor 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, COM
pared with the running for ones ever
lasting life-the terrors of the law
after him, and Christ coming in to par
don and bless and rescue and save
You remember John Bunyan, in his
great story, tells how the Pilgrim put
his fingers in his ears and ran, crying:
Life, life, eternal life A poor car
driver, after having had to struggle to
support his family for years. suddenly
was informed that a large inheritance
was his, and there was joy amounting
to bewilderment: but that is small
thing compared with the experience of
one when he has put in his hands the
title deed to the joys. the raptures, the
splendors of Heaven, and he can truly
say: Its mansions are mine, its TN
pies are mine, its songs are mine, its
God is mine.'
Oh, it is no tame thing to become a
Christian. 1t is merry-making. 1t
is the killing of the fatted calf. 1t is
Jubilee. You know the Bible never |
compares it to funeral. but always |
compares it to something bright. 1t is
more apt to be compared to a banquet |
L.. Ia, oil &c
the Bible to the water-bright, fash |
ing water; to the morning-roseate. |
Fl re- W orked, mountain TRANSPORTED |
morning. | wish | could to-day take |
all the Bible expressions about pardon |
and peace, and life and comfort, and |
hope and Heaven, and twist them into |
one garland, and put it on the brow of |
the humblest child of God in all this |
land, and cry: Wear it, wear it now, |
wear it forever, son of God. daughter |
Of the Lord God Almighty. Oh, the |
Joy of the new convert. Oh. the glad |
ness of the Christian service.
You have seen sometimes man in a |
religious assembly get up and give his
experience. Well. Paul gave his ex-
perience. He rose in the presence of |
two churches-the church on earth and |
the church in Heaven-and he said:
Now, this is my experience: Sorrow
full. yet always rejoicing; poor, yet
making many rich; having nothing,
yet possessing all things" If all the
people who read this sermon knew the
Joys of the Christian religion, they |
would all pass over into the Kingdom
Of God the next moment.
When Daniel Sandman was dying
Of cholera, his attendant said: Have
YOU much pain?" ''Oh." he replied,
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