Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1900-05-12

meetings to death with long harangucS,
does not talk great dea! about himself,
but much about Christ and heaven, gets
kindlier and more gentle and more useful
until one day his soul spreads awning
and he flies away to eternal rest. and ey-
erybody mourns his departure. The 9th
er higher life man goes a-ounS with q
Bible coHsricuouSly uuder his arm, goes
from church to church, Sort OF general
evangelist, is n nuisance to his own pas
tor when he is at home and nuisance 10
other pastors when he is away from
home. runs up to some man who is count
ing out roll Of bank bills or running up
a difficult line Of figures and asks aim
how his soul is, makes religion dose of
ipecacu0nha. Standing in religious
meeting making an address. he has
patronizng way, as though ordinry
Christians were clear away down below
him. SO he had to talk at the top of his
voice in order TO make Them hear, but
at the same time encouraging them 10
hope on that by climbing many years
they may after awhile come up within
sight OF the place whore he now stands
| tell YOU plainly that a roaring. roister-
ing, bouncing sinners NOT So rcpulsive TO
me aS that higher life malformation. The
former may repent; the latter never
gets over his pharisaism. The younger
brother OF the parable came back. but
the senior brother stands outside entirely
oblivious OF his own delinquenci and
deficits, pronouncing his own euloCium.
Oh, how much easier it is 10 blame others
than to blame ourselves. Adam blamed
Eve. Eve blamed the serpent. the senior
brother blamed the younger brother, aud
none of them blamed themselves.
Again, the senior brother Of my text
stands for all those who are faithlcss
about the reformation of the dssipatcd
and the disSoute. In the very tones OF
his voice you can hear the fact that he
has no faith that the reformation Of the
younger son is genuine. His entire man
ner seems to say; That boy has come
back Cor more money. lie got third Of
the property; now he has come back for
another third. He will never he CON
tented to stay on the farm. He will fall
away. would go in too and rejoice
with the others il thought this thing
were genuine; hut ii is a sham. That boy
is confirmed nchriate aud dehpuchec."
Alas, my friends, for the incredibly in
the church OF Christ in regard to the
reclamation Of the rccreant! You say II
man has been strong drinker. | say,
Yes, but h. has reformed oh" you
say, with lugubrious face, Il hope you
are not mistaken; hope yOu are not mis-
taken" You say: Don't rejoice too
much over his conversion, for soon he
/ will he uuconvcrted | fear Don't make
too big party for that returned prod
| igal or strike the timhrel too loud; and. ii
| you kill calf, kill the one that is on the
| commons and not the one that has been
| luxuriating in the paddock" That is the
| reason why more prodigals do not come
] home TO their fathers house 1t is the
rank inhdelity in the church Of God OF
this subject. There is not house on Tia,
streets OF heaven that has not in II 1
prodigal that returned and staid home
Greeting the ProdigaI.
! You do not know how to shake hand,
with prodgal You do not know how
| to pray for him. You do not know how
/ 10 greet him. He wants TO sail into the
warm gulf stream OF Christian sympathy
! You are the iceberg against which h,
! strikes and shivcrs. You say he has been
| IA pr0dical. | know il. but you are the
| sour uuresp0nsiye, censOrious, saturnine
| cranky elder brother, and If you ARE go
! ing to heaven one would think some PEG
pie would be tempted to go to perdition
to get away from you. The hunters say
! that If deer be- shot the other deer shove
| him ont Of their company, and the gen
cral rule is-away with a man that has
| been wounded with sin. Now, / say, the
more bones a man has broken the more
need he has of a hospital and the more
a man has been bruised and cut with sin
| the more need he has to be- carried into
human and divine sympathy. But for
such men there is not much room in this
word--thc men who want 10 come back
after wandering Plenty Of room for ele-
CANT sinners, for sinners in velvet and
satin and lace. Tor sinners high Saaricd,
for kid gluved aud patent leuthcrcd sin
ncrs, for sinners fixed up by hair dresser.
pomatumrd and lavcndercd and Cuiuguel
aud frizzIcd and crimpcd aud banged"
sinner, plenty Of room Such we meet
elegantly at the door Of our churches, and
we invite them into the best seat, with
Chcstcrtieldan gallantricS, we usher them
into tue house Of God aud put soft otto
mans under their feet aud put n gilt
! edged prayer book IN their hands and pass
the contribution box before them with an
air Of apology. while they. tho generous
souls, take ont the exquisite portmounaie
and open it, and with diamoudcd finger
push down beyond the so gold pieces
and dciicatcly pick OUT as an expression
OF gratitude their Offering to the Lord Of
cent. For such sinners plenty Of ROOM
plenty Of room. But for the man who
has been drinking until his coat is thread
bare, and his face is erysipeIascd, and his
wife's wedding dress is in the pawnbrok
cr's shop. and his children, instead Of be
ing in school. are out begging broken
bread at the basement doors Of the city
the man, body. mind and soil on fire with
the flames that have leaped from the
scathing. scorching blasting, blstering
consuming cup which the druukard takes
trembling and agonized and offrigbted
and presses 10 his pHrrhed lip. and his
cracked tongue and his sbriekng yet inn
mortal spirit--uO room.
Oh. il this younger son Of the parable
had not gone 50 far off, il he had not
dropped 50 low in wassail, the protest
would not have been 50 severe, But, go