Semi-weekly independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-11

saved. Then there are 4 thousand voices
here ready to say: We'll. l am ready to
accept this help of the gospel. | would
like to have this divine cure. How shall
L 90 to work. Let me say that Il mere
whim, an underlined longing, amounts to
nothing. Nou must have Il stout, ire
mendous resolution like this young man
of the text when he said. Il will arise and
go to my father" oh" says some man.
'how do know my father wants me:
How do | know if / 60 back l would be
received" oh" says some man, you
don't know where have been: you don't
know how far l have wandered: You
wouldn't talk that way to me if you knew
all the iniquities l have committed"
What is that flutter among the angels Of
God: What is that horScman running
with quick dispatch: 1t is news, it is
news! Christ has found the lost.
Nor angels can their JOY contain,
But kindle with new fire.
The sinner lost Is found. they sing,
And strike the sounding Tyre.
Gods Infinite Mercy.
When Napoleon talked of going into
Italy. they said: You can't get there. If
you knew what the Alps were. YOU would
nor talk about it or think about il. You
can't get Your ammunition wagons over
the Alps. Then Napoleon rose in his
stiirups. and. waving his hand toward the
mountains. he said There shall be no
Alps That wonderful pass was laid
Out which hats been the W3adermcnt of all
the years since-the wonderment of all
engineers. And You tell ne there are such
mountains Of sin between your soul and
God there * no mercy. Then | see Christ
waving his hand toward the mountains. !
hear him say. Il viii come over the noun
tains Of thy sin and the hills Of thine in
iquily." There shall be no Pyrcnees;
there shall be no Alps
Again. | notice that this resolution of
the young man Of my text was founded in
SORROW II his misbchavior 1t was not
mere physical plight. ii was grief that he
had - maltreated his father. 1t is sad
thing after 4 father has done everything
for 4 child to have that child unsrateful.
How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is
To have thankless child.
That is Shakespeare -, foolish son is
the hcayincSs II his mother That is the
Bible. Well. my friends. have not some
OF Us been cruel prodigalS? Have we not
maltreated our Father? And such Il
Father, Three times a day has he fed
thee. He has poured sunlight into thy
day and ut night kindlcd up all the street
lamps of heaven. With what varieties
of apparel he hath clothed thee for the
seasons. Whose eye watches thee: Whose
hand defends thee: Whose heart SYM
patllizes with thee? Who gave YOU your
children: Who is guarding your loved
ones departed: Such q Father, So low
ing. so kind If he had been a stranger;
if he had forsakcn us; if he had hagel-
lated us; if kc'had pounded us and turned
us ont of doors on the commons. it would
not have been so wonderful-our treat
ment of him: but he is a Father, so low
ing. SO kind. and yet how many of us for
our wanderings have never apologizedi
If we say anything that hurts our friends
feelings. if we do anything that hurts the
feelings of those in whom we are interest
ed. how quickly we apologize, We can
| scarcely wait until We get pen and paper
| to write a letter of apology. How easy il
| is for any one who is intelligent. right
hearted. To write an apology or make an
apology. We apologize for wrongs done
to our fellows. but some of us perhaps
! have committed ten thousand times ten
| thousand wrongs against God and never
apologized.
An Irreparab1c Loss.
| Remarks still further that this resolu-
ton of the text was founded in a feeling
! of inconsistencies. l do not know how long
this young man. how many months. how
many years. he had been away from his
fathers house. but there is something
about the reading of my text that makes
me think he was homesick. Some of you
know what that feeling is. Far away
from home sometimes, surrounded by ev-
crything bright and pleasant-plenty of
| friends-you have said, Il would give the
| world TO be home tonight" Well, this
young man was homesick for his fathers
house. l have no doubt when he thought
of his fathers house he said. "Now, per-
| haps father may not be living" We read
nothing III this story, this parable, found
ed on everyday life-we read nothing
| about the mother. 1t says nothing about
going home to her. / think she was dead.
l think she had died of n broken heart at
his wanderngs, or perhaps he had gone
into dissipation from the fact that he
could not remember loving and sympa-
| thetic mother. y man never gets over
having lost his mother. Nothing said
about her, but he is homesick for his
| fathers house. He thought he would just
like TO 90 and walk around the old place.
| He thought he would just like to go and
see II things were as they used to he.
Many man after having been off q long
while has gone home and knocked at the
door. and stranger has come. 1t is the
old homestead, but a stranger comes to
the door. He finds out father is gone and
mother is gone and brothers and sisters all
gone. l think this young man of the
text said to himself. perhaps father may
be dead" Still he starts to find out. He
is homesick Are there any here to-day
homesick for God, homesick for heaven?
To Be Almost Saved Is to BE Lost.
There is man who said. long ago, IF
| could live to the year 1896 by that time
/ will have my business matters all ar
ranged and l will have time to attend to
religion, and | will be a good, thorough
consecrated Christian" The year 1890
has come. January, February, March