The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1897-03-20
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
An Interesting Discourse on a Well
Worn Subject.
In the Story of the ProdIgars Return the
Preacher Finds Bright Examples
of the Joys and Delights
of Religion.

INllSI vi oSh loi VIE 81
well-worn story of the prodigal's re
turn is used as the basis of the dis
course, the text being
Bring hither the fatted calf and kill it.
Luke Xv. ~
In all ages of the world it has beer
customary to celebrate joyful event
BY festivity. The signing of treaties
the proclamation of peace, the inau
guration of presidents, the coronation
of kings, the Christmas, the marriage
However much on other days of tho
year our table may have stinted sup
ply, on Thanksgiving day there must
be something bounteous. And all the
comfortable homes of Christcndom
have at some time celebrated joyful
events by banquet and festivity.
Something has happened on the old
homestead greater than anything that
has ever happened before. A favorite
son whom the world supposed would
become a vagabond and outlaw forever
has got tired of sightseeing and has
returned to his fathers house. The
world said he never would come back.
The old man always said his son would
come back. lie had been look .ug for
him day after day and year after
year. He knew he would come back.
Now, having returned TO his fathers
house the father proclaims celebration.
There is in the paddock calf that has
been kept up and fed to utmost ca
pacity, So as to be ready for some occa-
sion of joy that might come along. All!
there never would be "A grander day on
the old homestead than this day. Let
the butchers do their work, and the
housekeepers bring in to the table the
smoking 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 an extra supply is sent out to
the table of the servants. The father
prcsides 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 stands pouting at the
back door and says: This is a great
ado about nothing; this bad boy should
nave been chastised instead of greeted;
veal is too good for him. But the IA
thcr says: Nothing is too good, moth
ing is good enough There sits the |
young man, glad at the hearty recep-
ton, 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 is found? BY such bold inn
agcr does the Bible set forth the mer-
ry-u.aking when a soul comes home to |
God.
first of all, there is the new converts
JOY. 1t is no tame thing to become u
Christian. The most tremendous mo-
ment in a mans life is when he surren-
ders 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 our
church professed Christ one night was
. young man who next morning rang
my door bell and said: Sir, can not
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, herhaps, a man run
ming for his temporal liberty and the
officers Of the law after him, and you
saw him escape, or you afterward hear
the judge had pardoned him, and how
great was the glee of that rescued man;
but 1t is a 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 pardon
and bless and rescue and save.
You remember John Bunyan Is his
great story tells how the pilgrim put
his fingers to his ears, and ran, crying:
Life, life, eternal life~ A poor car I
driver some time ago, after years hav-
ing had to struggle to support his fam ,
lily, suddenly was informed that large
joy amounting to bewilderment; but +,
that is small thing compared with the
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 temples are mine, its songs /
are mine, its God is minew Oh, 1t is no
tame thing to become q Christian. II ,
is merry-making. 1t is the killing Of
the fatted calf. 1t Is a jubilee. You
know the Bible never compares 1t to q
funeral, but always compares It to ,
delightful. 1t is more apt
to be compared to banquet than
q anything else. 1t Is compared in
the Bible to water, bright,
flashing water, to the morning, roseate,
mountain transfgured ,
morning. wish could to-day take
all the Bible expressions about pardon,
and peace, and life, and twist them into
one garland and put it on the brow Of
the humblest child Of God in this as
semblage, and cry: wear It, wear 1t
now, wear IL forever; son Of God,
of the Lord God Almighty"
Oh, the joy Of the new convert. Oh,
the gladness Of the Christian service.
You have seen sometimes man in re-
ligious assembly get up and give his
experience. Well, Paul gave his expe-
rience. He arose In the presence of
the churches, the church on earth and
Aha church In Heaven and he said. |