The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1900-06-09
TALMAGE SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE DY The ABLF 81.
vjNe
subject: Lift Up tho FaIlen-A Plea For
Welcome For the Observation-Disclosures
Would Reclaim Many Unfortunate.
Who Have Dropped by ths Way.

: subject: Lift Cp tho FaIlen-A Plea FO
Welcome For the Prodical-Kindnes
4 Would Reclaim Many Unfortunate
l Who Have Dropped by tks Way.
g tCopyrisht l.uol
WASHINGTON, d. C.-Inthis discourse Dr.
IalmnSe pleads for hearty reception t.
all those who have done wrong and wan
! TO get back, while the unsympathe.ic ant
!, self-righteou5 are excoriated; text, LUX,
XIV, 2S, "And he was ahsry and would no
so I'M
Many times hcve been asked to preacl
sermon about the elder brother OF the
parable. l received a letter from Canada
saying, us the elder son OF the parable 80
unsympathetic and so cold that he Il noi
worthy OF tecognition2' The fact Is that
we ministers pursue the younger son. You
can hear the fapplngs of his rags In trary
sermonic breezs and the branching ol
the pods Tor which he was III unsuccess-
lul contestant. l confess that 1t has been
difficult for me to train tho camera OBJ
scura upon the elder son Of the parable.
conld not get Il negative for a photograph,
There was not enough light In the gallery,
or the chemicals were poor, OF the sitter
moved In the picture. But now / think
have him; not side face or thrce-auar.
ters Or the mere bust, but full length
portrait rs he appears to me. The father
In the parable OF the prodigal had nothing
| to braR of In his two sons The one was n
rake and the other churl. l find nothing
admirable In the dssoluteuess Of the one.
and find nothing attractive In the acfid
sobriety OF the other. The one goes down
| over the larboard side, and the other goes
| down over the starboard side, but they
| both 80 down.
| From all the windows OF the old home
stead bursts the minstrelsy. The floor
| quakes with tho feet Of the rustics, whose
| dance is always vigorous and rssoundng.
| Ihe neighborS have heard of the return Of
| the younger son from his wauderings, and
| they have gathered together. The house
| Is full Of congratuiato1s. l suppose the
tables are loaded with luxnries: not only
| the one kind OF meat mentioned, but its
concomitants. "Clap!'' go the cymbals.
"Thrum!" go the harps. "Clickl" 20 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, frigd phlegmatic. He had Just
come in from the fields In very substantial
apparel. Seeing some wild exhilarations
around the old mansion, he asks OF q SER
want passing by with a goatskin Of wine on
bis shoulder what oil 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 re.
joiced and, III he were not conscientiously
opposed to dancing, that he would have
Joined In the oriental schottlsh. No. There
he stands. His brow lowers; his face dark.
ems; his lip curls with contompt: he stnmps
the ground with Indignation; he sees moth
Ing ut 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 a terrible pout:
ne critictses the expense, the injustice and
the morals OF the entertainment, The father
rushes out bareheadcd 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 make the
most uncomely scene; he ays,"Father, YOU
at home and worked on the farm. You
never made party for me; you didn't 50 |
much as kill kid. That wouldn't have |
cost half as much as a calf But this scape- |
grace went of In fine clothes, and he comes |
back not ut to be seen, and wha. a 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 ali
these weeks, wouldn't be so fat and sleek
II had known to what use you were going
to put 1t! That vagabond deserves TO be
coWhided instead OF banqueted. Veal Is
too good for him!' That evening, while
the younger son sat telling his father about
bis adventures and asking about what had
occurred on the place since his departure.
the senior brother goes to bed disgusted
md slams the door after him. That Senior
brother still lives. You can see him any
day OF the week. At q meeting OF minis.
ters in Germany some one asked the cues.
ion. "Who Is that elder SOM" and Krum.
nacher answered: II know him; saw him
vesterday." And when they insisted upon
knowing whom he meant he said: 'Myself,
When saw the account OF the conversion
Df most obnoxious man, was irritated."
First. this senior brother OF the text
stands for the self lfcongratulatory, self sat.
SIZED, self worshipful man. With the same
breath In which he vituperates against his
younger brother he utters a panegyric for
himself. The self righteous man OF my
ext, like every other self righteous man.
vas full OF faults. He was an migrate. for
le did not appreciate the homo blessings
which he had al! those years. He was dis
bedlent, for when the father told him t. |
ONE In he staid out. He was liar, for
% said that the recreant son had devoured
is fathers living when the father, so far
rom peing reduced to peDury, had home
tead left, and instruments OF music, had
swels, had mansion and instead Of being
auper was prince. This senior brother.
nth so many faults Of his own, was :
lerciless in his criticism OF the younger !
rother. The only perfect people that !
ave ever known were utterly obnoxious.
was never SO badly cheated in my Life as
q PCAA0Nt ludH. Ae SOt So lar u p IN LIS | =
evotfons that he was clear up above all
le rules Of common honesty. These men ,
lat go about prowing among prayer
eetings and in places OF business, telling
oW good thoy are-look out for them: =
eep your hand on your pocketbook! i !,
ave noticed that just In proportion as
an gets good he gets humble. The deep !.
1sslssippi does not make as much noise ),
J the brawling mountain rivulet There y
IS been many a store that had more goods .
the show window than inside on the q
eves.
This self-righteous man OF the text stood | .
the corner OF the house hugSing himself !;
admiration. We hear great deal In I
lr day about the higher life. Now, there
Q two kinds Of higher-life men. The one 81
admirable, and the other is repulslve.
le one kind Of higher-life man Is very 81
nfent in his criticism of others, does not Ii
re prayer meetings to death vita long a
rangues, does not talk n great deal Il
out himself, but much about Christ and
aven, gets kindlier and more gentle and X
ore useful until one day his soul spreads o.
wing, and ho flies away to eternal rest, 4
d everybody mourns his departure. The III
her hiS her-life man goes around with
bic conspicuousiy under his arm, goes ef
m church to church, Il sort OF general m
anSelist, is Il nuisance to his own pastor tt
ZEN he is at home and 4 nuisance to other sc
stor5 when he IS away from home, runs | pl
to some man who is counting out roll hi
bank bills or runh:n. up II difficult line |
figures and asks him how his soul is. pJ
keS religion Il dose of ipecacuanha. | be