The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1900-06-14
THE PRODIGAL son.
DR.. Talmage breaches q Sermon
About the Elder Brother.

About the Elder Brother.
Lesson of the Parable-He DenOunces
Self-Righteousness and Lack of
Sympathy for the Fallen
and Unfortunate.
ICopyright, 1900. by Louis Klopsch.l
Washington,
In this discourse DIR. Talmage
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 1853, "And he was angry
and would not go in.''
Many times have T been asked to
preach sermon about the elder
brother of the parable. I received
letter from Canada saying: lis 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. I confess that it has been
difficult for me to train the camera
| obscura upon the elder son of the par
able. I could not get a 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 l think
have him, not side face or three
| quarters or the mere bust, but 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 rake and the
other churl. find nothing admira-
BILE in the dissoluteness of the one,
and I 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 neighbors 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!
l he
harps, "Click!" go the chalices, uI
and down go the feet inside, while
outside is most sorry spectacle.
The senior son stands at the corner
of the house. frigid phlegmatic. He
has just come in from the fields iI
very substantial apparel. Seeing some
wild exhilarations around the ole
mansion, he asks of servant passing
by with goatskin of wine on hi.
shoulder what all the fuss is about
One would have thought that, OF
hearing that his younger brother hat
, got back, he would have gone into thu
house and rejoiced, and, if he wer'
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. HI
stamps the ground with indignation
> he sees nothing at all to attract. Th
. odors of the feast, coming out on tn
air, do not sharpen his appetite
The lively music does not put an.
! spring into his step. He is in a ter
: rible pout He criticises the expense
= the injustice and the morals of tn
entertainment. The father rushes ou
!, bareheaded and coaxes him to com
+ in. He will not go in. He scolds tn
7 father. He goes into pasquinad
o against the younger brother, and h
makes the most uncomely scene. H
n says: Father, you put a premium
!. on vagabondism. l staid at home an
. worked on the farm. You never mad
: party for me; you didn't SO muc
as kill kid. That wouldn't have cos
;. half as much as calf; but this soap,
grace went off in fine clothes, and h
comes back not fit to be seen, an
what time you make over him! d
breaks your heart, and you pay hi
Q for it. That calf, to which we ha,
:. been giving extra feed during a
these weeks, wouldn't be SO fat an
sleek If l had known to what use yC
= were going to put it. That vagabor
deserves to be cowhided instead
banqueted. Veal is too good fl
II him." That evening, while the youn
er SON sat telling his father about h
adventures and asking about VIII
- had occurred on the place since h
. departure, the senior brother goes
bed disgusted and slams the do
after him. That senior brother st
;. lives. You can see him any Sunda
any day of the week. At meeti1
of ministers in Germany some o
asked the question:: "Who is tn
Il. elder son?' and Krummacher a
" swered: 81 know him; saw him "
H. terday.' And when they insist
DO upon knowing whom meant he sal
l