Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1900-06-15
THE PRODIGAL son.
Dr.. Talmage breaches a Sermon
About the Elder Brother.
Lesson of the PRrable-Hc Dcnounces
Self-Righteousness and Lack of
sympathy for the Fallen
and Unfortunate.
Copyright. 1900, by Louis lllopsch.l


pleads for a hearty reception to all
those who have done wrong and want
to get back, while the unsympathetic
and self-righteous are eXcoriated;
text, Luke 1873, "And he was angry
and would not go in"
Many times have l been asked to
preach n sermon about the elder
brother OF the parable. l received a
letter from Canada saying; "Is the
elder son of the parable so unsympa-
thetic and so cold that he is not
worthy of recognition The fact is
that we ministers pursue the young
er son. You can hear the tapping of
his rags in many a sermonic breeze
and the branching of the pods for
which he was an unsuccessful con-
testant. | confess that it has been
difficult for me to train the camera
obscura upon the elder son of the par
able. | could not get negative for
photograph. There was not enough
light in the gallery, or the chemicals
were too poor, or the sitter moved
in the picture. But now | think ]
have him, not side face or a three
quarters or the mere bust, but u full
length portrait as he appears TO me.
The father in the parable of the prod
igal had nothing to brag of in his two
sons. The one was n rake and the
other churl. find nothing admira-
bic in the dissoluteness of the one,
and find nothing attractive in the
acrid sobriety of the other. The one
goes down over the larboard side, and
the other goes down over the star
board side, but they both go down.
From all the windows of the old
homestead bursts the minstrelsy. The
floor quakes with the feet of the rus
tics, whose dance is always vigorous
and resounding. The ncighbors have
heard of the return of the younger
son from his wanderings, and they
have gathered together. The house
is full of congratulators. ! suppose
the tables are loaded with luXuries,
not only the one kind of meat men
toned, but its concomitants. "Clap!"
go the cymbals, "Thrum!" go the
harps. "Click" go the chalices, up
and down go the feet inside, while
outside is a most sorry spectacle.
The senior son stands at the corner
of the house, Il frigid phlegmatic. lie
has just come in from the fields in
very substantial apparel. Seeing some
wild eXhilarations around the old
mansion, he asks of servant passing
by with n goatskin of wine on his
shoulder what all the fuss is about.
One would have thought that, on
hearing that his younger brother had
got back, he would have gone into the
house and rejoiced, and, if he were
not conscientiously opposed to dane
ing, that he would have joined the ori-
entail schottish. No, there he stands.
His brow lowers; his face darkens;
his lip curls with contempt. He
stamps the ground with indignation;
he sees nothing at all to attract. The
odors of the feast, coming out on the
air, do not sharpen his appetite.
The lively music does not put any
spring into his step. He is in ter
rible pout. He criticises the expense,
the injustice and the morals of the
entertainment. The father rushes ont
bareheaded and coaXes him to come
in. He will not go in. He scolds the
father. He goes into pasquinade
against the younger brother, and he
makes the most uncomcly scene. He
says: Father, You put premium
on yagabondism | staid at home and
worked on the farm. You never made
a party for me; you didn't so much
as kill a kid. That wouldn't have cost
half as much as a calf; but this scapc-
grace went off in fine clothes, and he
comes back not fit to be seen, and
what time you make over him! He
breaks your heart, and you pay him
for it, That calf, TO which we have
been giving extra feed during all
these weeks, wouldn't be so fat and
sleek il / had known to what use YOU
were going to put it. That vagabond
deserves to be cowbided instead of
banqueted. Veal is TOO good for
him" That evening, while the young
er son sat telling his father about his
adventures and asking about what
had occurred on the place since his
departure, the senior brother goes to
bed disgusted and slams the door
after him. That senior brother still
lives. You can see him any Sunday,
any day of the week. At meeting
of ministers in Germany some one
asked the question:: "Who is that
elder son?" and Krummacher an
swcred: II know him; ] saw him yes.
terday." And when they insisted
upon knowing whom meant he said:
"Myself; when ] saw the account of
the conversion of most obnoxious
man ] was irritated."
First, this senior brother Of the
text stands for the sef-congratula-
tory, self-satisfed, self-worshipful
man. With the same breath in which
he yituperates against his younger
brother he utters panegyric for
himself. The self-righteous man of
my text, like every other self-righteous
man, was full of faults. He was an
ingralc, for he did not appreciate the
home blessings which he had all those
years. He was disobedient, for when
the father told him TO come in he
staid out. He was liar, for he said
that the recreant son had devoured
his fathers living. when the father, so
far from being reduced to penury,
had a homestead left, had instruments
of music. had jewels, had mansion,
and instead Of being a pauper. was
pfIaesr This ssalof Asothtgi With 90