The Yale expositor., 1894-11-16

| scene OF gladnesS ana 1eSJlVlIy, anu
how the great Fathers heart would
rejoice at your coming home. You will
come, some of you, will you not? You
will! you will!
We are in sympathy with all inno-
cent hilaritics. We can enjoy hearty
song and we can be merry with tho
merriest; but those of us who have
toiled in the service are ready to testify
that all these joys are tame in COM
parison with the satisfaction of seeing
men enter the kingdom of God. The
great eras of every minister are the
outpourings of the Holy Ghost, and
thank God have seen twenty of them.
Thank God, thank God!
/ notice also when the prodigA
comes back all Christians rejoice. II
you stood on promontory AMI there
was hurricane at sea, and 1T was
blowing toward the shore, and YES
sci crashed into the rocks and yea saw
scople get ashore in the life boats and
the very last man got on the rocks in
safety, you could not control your joy.
And 1t is a glad time when the church
of God sees men who are tossed on the
ocean of their sins plant their feet ON
the rock of Christ Jesus.
When prodigals come home just hear
those Christians sing. 1t is not dull
tune You hear at such times just
hear those Christians pray. 1t is not
n stereotyped supplication we have
heard over and over again for twenty
years, but putting of the case in the
hands of God with an importunate
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 were short prayers: "God
be merciful TO me a sinner" Lord,
that l may receive my sight" Lord,
save me or l perish" The Longest
prayer, Solomon's prayer at the dedi-
cation OF the temple, less than eight
minutes in length, according to the
ordinary rate of enunciation. And
just hear them pray now that the
prodigals are coming home. just
see them shake hands. No putting
forth of the four tips of the ting-
ers in a formal way, but 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 illumined
they are. And see that old man get
: up and with the same voice that he
! sang fifty years ago in the old country
meeting house, say, Now, Lord, lettest
, thou thy servant depart in peace, for
| mine eyes have seen thy salvation"
l There was man of Keith who was
I hurled into prison in time of persecu-
: ton, and one day he got off his shack
e les 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 incarcerated
a him. Passing along the streets OF
b, London he wondered where his
e family was. He did not dare
] TO ask lest he excite suspicion,
S but, passing along a little way from
. the prison, he saw n Keith tank
t ard, a cup that belonged to the family
y from generation TO generation-he saw
), it in a window. His family, hoping
l. that some day he would get clear, came
# and lived as near as they could to the
x prison and they set that Keith tankard
v in the window, hoping he would see 1t
d and he came along and saw 1t, ant
r knocked at the door, and went in, anC
e the long absent family were all to
d gether again. Oh, if you would star
d for the kingdom of God to-day, thinl
d some of you would find nearly all you
II friends and nearly all your famil.
IN around the holy tankard of the hol.
lie communion-fathers, mothers, brothers
;. sisters around that sacred tankal'
k which commentaries the love of Jesu
Sc Christ our Lord Oh, it will be a grea
lr communion day when your whol
10 family sits around the sacred tankard
a One on earth, one in heaven
lie Once more remark, that when tn
Of prodigal gets back the inhabitants O
IN heaven keep festival. am very Gel
II tain of it. If you have never seen
&c telegraphic chart, you have no ide
IN how many cities are connected togethe
lie and how many lands. Nearly all tn
r, neigh borhoods of the earth seem ret
III Iulated, and news flies from city I
!" city, and from continent to continen
C. But more rapidly go the tidings frol
ne earth to heaven, and when a prodigt
e! returns it is announced before til
of throne of God. And if these sou
IS to-day should enter the kingdom thel
lg would be some one in the heavenl
It's kingdom to say: That's my father
n That's my mother, That's my son
to That's my daughter" That's m
Nv friend, That's the one used to pra
Nv for" That's the one for whom wei
ed so many tears" and one soul wouI
er say, "Hosanna!" and another woul
at say, "uallclujah!"
of Pleased with the news the saints belw
I'm In songs their tongues employ;
is. Beyond the skies the tidings go,
~ And heaven is filled with joy.
in Nor angels can their joy contain,
st, But kindle with new fire;
err The sinner lost is found, sing
lie And strike the sounding Tyre
me At the banquet of Lucullus sat Cicc
nc the orator. At the Macedonian fes
vas val sat Philip the conqueror. AT t
= C,a .;au honuuet sat Socrates the pl