Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1896-04-18
PRODIGAL'S RETURN.
Dp. TALNAGE's SUNDAY THEME
There Is Nothing Like Hunger to Take
the Energy. Out OF Man.
TExe II Will arise and go to M father.
Luke Ky, Is.


Luxe Ky, Is.
There is nothing Ike hunger to take the
energy out q q man. A hungry man. can
toll neither With pen nor hand nor loot.
Were has BEEN MANY an afuy defeated not
80 much for lack Of ANN milton as for lack
Of bread. It was tina: lac, tina. took the fire
out OF this young nan OF the text. Storm
and exposure will wear out any mans life il
time, but hunger makes quick work. The
moss awful cry ever heard on earth is tha
Try for bread. A traveller tells Us that in
Asia Minor there are trees which bear fruit
locking very much like the long bean OF our
time. Il Is called .he earob. Once in awhile
She people. reduced to restitution, would eat
these carobs. but generally tn carobs-the
beans spoken Of here in the text-were
thrown only to the s-Tina. and they crunched
them with great ayiditv. But this young
man cf my text could not even get them
without stealing them. So one day, amid
the swine rouyhs, he begins to soliloqu,ze.
he says: These are no clothes for q rich
mans son to wear. This is 40 kin Of BUSH
ness for q jew. TO be engaged 10. feeding
swine. I'll so home. I'll 20 home. I will
arise AMI 20 to my father.'
l know there are a great many people Who
try TO throw a fascination; q romance. a
halo, about sin: but. Notwithstanding all that
Lord Byron and George Sand have said in
cegard 10 II. 1t is a mean. low, contemplate
business, and putting food and fodder into
the troughs OF a herd OF iniquitie5 that root
and wailow in the soul OF man Is very poor
business for men and women intended to be
sons and daughters ci the Lord Almighty,
an when this young man resolved to 60
home 1t was a very wise thing for him to do,
and the only question is whether we will fol.
low him. Satan promises large wages II we
will serve him.. but he clothes his victims
with gags, AMI he pinehes them with hunger,
md w n thny- + 81 ~ <,,A D. 4 ~ ~kko 10 coA,
after them all the bloodhounds o. hell. Satan
comes to us today. and he promises all lux
nries and emoinments If we will only serve
him.. Liar, down with thee to the pit! "The
wages Of sin is DEATH" Oh, the young man
OF the text was wise when he utteyrd the res
%o!utton, Il will arise and so 10 my fatherl'
IN the time OF Nary, the prosecutor perse-
cutor came to Il Christian woman who had
hidden in her house for the Lords sake one
vi Christ's servants, and the prosecutor said,
"Where is that heretic?!" The Christian wo,
nan said, You open that trunk, and yon
will see the hereto" The prosecutor opened
ma trunk. and On the top OF the linen of the
trunk he saw a glass. He said. "There is nc
hereto here" 'Ah!' she said. ''You look
IN the glass, and you will see the hereto"
AsI take up the mirror OF Gods word toa
day l would that instead OF seeing the prod
lcnl Ofthe text We might sec ourselves-our
want, our Wandering, our sin, our lost con-
'iition, 50 that We might be as wise as this
NounS man was aud say. II will arise and
= to NY father" The resolution Of this
text was formed in a disgust at his present
circumstances. If this young man had been
hy his employer set te culturing flowers, or
training vines over ~ arbOr, or keeping al
account OF the pork market. OF overseeing
other laborers, he would not have thought OF
going home-if he had nal his pocHets full
OF money; if he had been abe to say: II have
$1,000 now Of my own. WHAT'S the use oil
my going back TO my fathers house? Dc
YOU think I'm going back to apologize to the
Oh man: Why, he would put ME on ths
limits. He would not have going on around
the Old pace such conduct rs ! have beer
engaged ia. | won't go home. There is nc
reason why 1shculi go home. I have plenty
VI money. plenty of pleasant surroundings
Why should | go homer" All, 1t was hi.
sauperism, 1t was his beSgary! He had t
20 home. Some man comes and says to me
"Why do you talk about the ruined state o
The human soul? Why don't you speas
uooat the progress Of the nineteenth
century an talk Of something more
exhilarating!" 1t is for this rea
son A man never wants the gospel I'm
II, p" realizes he is in u famine struck State
suppose I should come to you in YOUR home
AMI YOU are in good. sound. robust health
AMI ! should begin to talk about medicines
and about how much better this medicine j
,taE that, and some other medicine thai
sorne other medicine. and talk about thi
physician and that physician. After awhil
you would get tired. and YOU would say
II dont want to hear abou; medicines. VIII,
90 YOU talk TO me Of physicians? / neve
have a DOCTOR But suppose I come int
Your house, and find you severely sick an,
l know the medicines that will cure you. an,
/ know the physician who is skillful enough
70 meet Your case. You say Bring on a
that medicine: bring on that physician.
am territ iy sick, and I want help" If
come to yau. and you feel You are all RICH
IN body, and all right in mind. and all RICH
iii soul. YOU have need of nothing. but sur
pose ! have persuaded You that the lepros
81 sin is upon YOU, the worst Of all sickness
Oh. then yon say. Bring me that balm o
The gospel; bring me that divine medica
nient; bring me Jesus Christ"
but, says some one in the audience
how DO you know that We are in a RUNE
condition by SUP 3 Well. l can prove it i
two ways. and YOU may have your choice.
can prove il either bythe statements of me
orby the statement Of God. Which shall
be: You say, Let us have the statement G
God Well. He saws IN one place. 9Th
heart is d"ceitfui above all things and despel
a:e,y wicke7." he says in another place
What is man that he should be clean. an
he which is born of woman that he Shout
b. rl"hteous?" Hs says in anothe
pace. There is none that doeth good
no, no. one" He says in another place
4 by che man sin entered into the word
and death ov sin. and SO death passed upo
al! men. fer that all had sinned.' Veil.
You say, Il am willing TO acknowledge thai
nut why should l take the particular rescu
that you PROPOSE This is the reason: ''El
cept a man be horn again he cannot see tn
Kingdom OF God. This is the reasoI
There is one name given under heave
among men whereby they may be saved.
Then there are a thousand voices here read
10 Say: Well. / am ready to accept hi
help OF the gospel. / would like to hay
tbs divine cure. How shall I go to work:
IT NE sly that a II. re whi,r. an undefne
longing. amounts to nothing. You mu!
have a s.our. a tremendous resol ution iik
THIS young man Of the text when he said. .
viii arise an goto ny father" Ch." SAL
some man. show do / know my father wan
IRE? How dol know if I go back l woul
he rereivei?' oh" says some man. .'yo
cont know where nave been. You don
know how lar I have WANDERED. Yo
wouldn't talk that way TO me if YOU kue
2 4 the iniquities have committed" Wn,
X tbat hutter among ~ths@ange!s OF Go
What Is thar hcrsenan running with QUE
a'seatrh: 1t y news. 1t is news. Chr.
las :taud ;he lost.
4 Nor apr.iS tJoir ;o>- oanfat,