The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1896-04-10

|
and he which is born of woman that he
should be riphteousr" He says in anoth
er place, "There is none that doeth good
no, not one. He says in another
place, AS by one man sin entered into
the world, and death by sin, and sc
death passed upon all men, for that all
had sinned " well" you say, 81 am
willing to acknowledge that, but why
should take the particular rescue that
you propose?" This is the reason "Ex
cept man be born again he cannot see
the kingdom of God. - This is the rea
son: "There is one name given under
heaven among men whereby they may
be saved. Then there are thousand
voices here ready to say: "Well, am
ready TO accept this help of the gospel.
| would like to have this divine cure
How shall | go to work. Let me say
that mere whim, al underlined longing,
amounts to nothing. You must have Il
stout, tremendous resolution like this
young man of the text when he said, II
will arise and go to my father. " "Oh, ;"
says some man, chow do | know Inv
father wants me? How do ] know if l 60
back would be received? "Oh, " saws
some man, ''you don't know where
have been. You don't know how far |
have wandered. You wouldn't talk that
way to me if you knew all the iniquities
| have committed F" What is that fiutter
among the angels of God? What is that
horseman running with quick dispatch?
1t is news! 1t is newsl Christ has found
the lost
Nor angels their joy contain,
But kindle with new fire.
The sinner lost is found, tiny sing,
And strike the sounding Tyre.
When Napoleon talked of going into
Italy, they said: You can't get there
If you knew what the lips were. You
wouldn' t talk about it or think about it,
You can't get your ammunition wagons
over the Alps " Then Napoleon rose in
his stirrups, and, waving his hand to
ward the mountains, he said, There
shall be no Alps p That wonderful pass
was laid ont which has been the won
derment Of all the years since--the won
derment Of all engineers. And you tell
me there are such mountains of sin be
tween your soul and God there is no
mercy. Then I see Christ waving his
hand toward the mountains. / hear him
say, II will come over the mountains of |
thy sin aud the hills of thine iniquity "
There shall be no Pyrenees; there shall |
be no Alps,
Repentant.
Again, l notice that this resolution of |
the young man of my text was founded !
in sorrow at his misbehavior. 1t was not
mere physical plight. 1t was grief that
he had so maltreated his father. 1t is ii
sad thing after father has done every
thing for child to have that child uu
grateful.
How sharper than a serpents tooth it is
To have a thankless child.
That is Shakespeare. "a foolish son
IS the heaviness of his mother" That is
The Bible. Well, my friends, have not
some Of us been cruel prodigals? Have
we not maltreated our Father? And sucl
4 Father Three times day has he FED
hee. He has poured sunlight into tbs
lay, and at night kindled up all the
treet lamps Of heaven. With what vari-
tiles of apparel he hath clothed thee fof
he seasons Whose eye watches thee
whose hand defends thee: Whose heart
with thee? Who gave you
our children? Who is guarding your
owed ones departed? Such a Father! Sc
owing, so kind. If he had been a stran
er, if he had forsaken us, if he had
agellated us, if he had pounded us and
nrned us out of doors on the commons,
would not have been so wonderful
ur treatment of him-but he is Fa
her, so loving, so kind, and yet how
lany of us for our wanderings have
ever apologized! If we say anything
hat hurts our friends feelings, if we do
nything that hurts the feelings of those
q whom we are interested, how quick ly
'e apologize! We can scarcely wait un-
il we get pen and paper to write let
Or of apology. How easy it is for any
ne who is intelligent, right hearted.
} write an apology or make an apollo
u We apologize for wrongs done to our {
elbows, but some Of us perhaps have
tea thousand times ten thou.
md wrongs against God and never !
pologized
Iremark still further that this resolu-
on of the text was founded in feel y
* of Inconsistencies. | do not know how 1
ing this young man, how many months.
Ow many years, he had been away from I
is fathers house, but there is some c
ling about the reading of my text that
akes me think he was homesick. Some y
you know what that feeling is. Far Q
way from 5ome sometimes, surround a
by everything bright and pleasant I
enty of friends-you have said, 81
ould give the world to be home TO o
ght. " Well, this young man was s.
1mesick for his fathers house. | have
} doubt when he thought of his fathers a
1use he said, Now perhaps father
ay not be living. We read nothing b
this story-this parable-founded Oh r.
'eryday life: we read nothing about q
e mother. 1t says nothing about going
lme to her. think she was dead. | s.
ink she had died of broken heart at II
IS wanderings, or perhaps he had gone ia
to dissipation from the fact that he o
uld not remember loving and SYM CT
Iihetic mother. A man never gets over q
wing lost his mother. Nothing said o.
,out her, but he is homesick for his ia c.