Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1897-03-11

gers ana then the departure OF the 5raIn.
At noon he was there again watching the
advance of the train, watching the de-
parture AT night he was there again
watching the coming, watching the going,
for ten years. He was sure his son would
come back. God has been watching and
waiting for some of you, my brothers, 10
ye,.ss 90 years, 30 years, 40 years, perhaps
90 years, waiting, waiting, watching,
watching, and If now She prodigal should
come home what q scene of gladness and
festivity, and how the great Fathers heart
would rejoice a6 your coming homel You
will come, some Of you, will you not?. You
will, you will.
notice also that when prodigal comes
home there is the JOY of the ministers of
religion Oh, it is grand thing to preach
this gospel know there has been great
deal said about the trials and the hard
ships of the Christian ministry. 1 wish
somebody would writo q good, rousing
book about the joys of the Christian min
tstry. Since entered the profession 1 have
seen more of the goodness of God than 1
will be able to celebrate in all eternity. I
know some boast about their equilibrium,
and they do not rise into enthusiasm, and
they do not break down with emotion, but
1 confess to you plainly that when l see a
man coming to God and giving up his sin
1 feel in body, mind and soul transport.
When see a man bound hand and foot in
evil habit emancipated, rejoice over it as
though it were my own emancipation.
Iox, ~ Sovino SauJa
When in ono communion service such
throngs of young and old stood up and in
the presence of heaven and earth and hell
attested their allegiance to Jesus Christ, I
felt joy something akin to that which
the apostle describes when he says:
whether in tho body cannot tell, or
out of the body cannot tell; God know
eth" Oh, have not ministers a right to
rejoice when prodigal comes home? They
blew the trumpet, and ought they not be
glad of the gathering of the hostP They
pointed to the full supply, and ought they
not to rejoice when thirsty souls plunge
as the hart for the water brooks? They
came forth, saying, CAN things are now
ready" Ought they not to rejoice when
the prodigal sits down at the banquet
minister's of religion as class live longer
than any other. 1t is the statistics of all
| those who calculste upon human longevi
| ty that ministers of religion as a class live
longer than any other, Why is it9 There
| is moro draft upon the nervous system
| than in any other profession, and theil
toll is most exhausting. have seen min
listers kept on miserable stipends by parsi
monious congregations who wondered al
the dullness of the sermon when the meI
of God were perplexed almost to death by
questions of livelihood and had not enough
nutritious food to keep any fire in theil
temperament. No fuel, no fire. have some
times seen the inside Of the life of many O
the American clergymen, never accepting
their hospitality because they cannot affort
it, but have seen them struggle on witt
salaries of fire on 5000 year-the averag
less than that-their struggle well depict
ed by the western missionary, who says il
a letter: "Thank you for the last remit
tance. Until it came we had not any inca
in our house for one year, and all last win
ter, although it was a severe winter, on
children wore their summer Clothes" Ant
these men of God find in different part
of the land struggling against anneyanc
and exasperations innumerable, some O
them week after week entertaining agent
who have maps or lightning rods to sci
and submitting themselves to all styles 9
annoyance and yet without complaint an
cheerful of soul.
How do you account for the fact tha
these life insurance men tell us that mir
listers as d class live longer than any other
1t is because of the joy of their work, th
joy of the harvest field, the joy of greetin
prodigals home to their Fathers houst
Oh, we are in sympathy with all innocer
hiIarities. Wecan enjoy q hearty song, an
we can be merry with the merriest, BIT
those of us who have ,toiled in the serviC
are ready to testify that all these joys al
tame compared with the satisfaction {
seeing men enter the kingdom of Coz
The great eras of every ministry arc tt
: outpourings of the Holy Ghost, and
thank God 1 have seen 16 of them. Than
God, thank Godl
Short Prayers.
I notice also when the prodigal conn
! back all earnest Christians rejoice. If yo
| stood on Montauk point, and there was
! hurricane at sea, and it was blowing t
, ward the shore, and vessel crashed I'M
+ the rocks, and you saw people get asho
in tho lifeboats, and the very last man g
! on the rocks in safety, you could not COZ
troll your joy. And it is q glad time whe
the church of God sees men who are tosst
! on the ocean of their sins plant their fe
> on the rock Christ Jesus. Oh, when prod
g gals come home, just hear the Christian
! sing! just hear the Christians pray! 1t
. not a stereotyped supplication we ha'
a heard over and over again for 20 year
/ but putting of the case in the hands
God with an importunate pleading.
: long prayers. Men never pray at gre
length unless they have nothing to s,
and their hearts are hard and cold. A
:. the prayers in the Bible that were answe
g cd were short prayers. "Gcd be mercif
. to me, sinner" Lord, that may 1
! ceive my sight, 'sLord, save me, or PC
! ish." The longest prayer, Solomon's pra
: er at the dedication of the temple, le
than eight minutes in length, according
= the ordinary rate of enunciation. Al
: just hear them pray now that the proc
. gals are coming home. just see the
\ shake hands, No putting forth of the fo
! tips Of the fingers in o formal way, but
! hearty grasp, where the muscles of t
! heart seem to clinch the fingers of o
:, hand around the other hand. And then S
:, those Christian faces, how illuminat
> they arcl And see that old man get
and with the same voice that he sang
: years ago in the old country meetil
house, say, "Now, Lord, lettest thou t
i servant depart in peace, for mine ey