The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-05-10

i
| ls on the commons and not the ono that
has been luxuriating in the paddock ,
| Ihat Is the reason why moro prodigals do
not come home to their fathers house. II
Is the rank inndelity in the church OF Col
on this subject.
There is not house on the streets OF
henven that has not In 1t prodignl that
returned and staid home. There could be
unrolled before, you u scroll of 100 900
names-the names OF prodigals who camo
back forever reformed. Who was John
Bunyan2 A returned prodigal Who was
Richard Baxter? A returned prodlgal.
Who was George Whlteneld, the thunderer?
returned prodlgal.
And could go out In all the aisles OF
this church to-day and find on either side
those who, once far 0stray for many years,
have been faithful. aud their eternal saliva.
tion Is as sure as though they had been ten
years In heaven. And yet some OF you
have NOT enough faith In their returnl
You do not know how to shake hands
with .prodtgal; you do not know how to
pray for him; you do not know how to
greet him. He wants to sail into tho warm
gulf stream OF Christian sympathy You
are tho Iceberg against which he strikes
and shlvers. You say he has been a prod
lgal. ! know 1t, but you are the sour, un.
responsive, censorious, saturnine, cranky
elder brother, and IL you nre going to
heaven one would think some people
would be tempted to 90 to perdltlon to got
away from you.
Plenty Of room for elegant sinners, for
sinners In velvet or sutin and lace, for sin.
ners nigh salarled for kid gloved and pat
snt leather9d sinners, for sinners llxel up
ny hairdre3ser, pomatumcd and lavendered
aud cologned aud friz1led and crimpel AMI
banged" sinner5--plonty OF rooml
Such wo meet elegantly at the door OF
our churches. and we invite thom into tho
haaU -. a - L.. .a..ff 40
weusher them into the house Of God and
put soft ottomans under thelr feet and put
nglld edged prayer book in thelr hands
AMI pass the contribution box before them
with an air OF apology. while they, the
generous souls, take out tho equislte porte.
monnaio aud open 1t and with diamonded
lnger push down beyond the SO gold.
pieces aud delicately pick out as an ex.
preston of gratitude thelr Offering to tho
Lord-ot one cent? For such sinners plenty
OF room, plenty of rooml
Again remark that the senior brother OF
my text stands for the spirit OF envy aud
jealousy. The senior brother thought TINT
all the honor they did to the returned
brother was wrong to him. He said, 'I
have staid ut home, and / ought to have
had the ring, and ought to have had the
banquet. and l ought to have had the gar.
lands"
Alas, for this spirit OF envy and jealousy
Abel, Esau and Jacob. Saul and David.
Haman and Mordecai, Orthello and Iugo,
Orlando and Angeliea, Callguln and Tor
quatus, Caesar and Pompey, Columbus and
the Spanish courtiers, Cambyses and the
brother h9 slew because he was u better
marksman, Dionyslus and Philoxenius
whom he slew because no was better
singer. Jealousy among painters Clos
terman and Geoifrey Kneler Hudson aud
Reynolds. Francia, anxious to seq Il picture
OF Raphael, Raphael sends him n picture.
Francia, seeing 1t, falls in n 1T OF jealousy
from which ho dies.
Jealousy among authors. How seldom
contemporaries speak of each other. Xeno-
phon and Plato living ut the same time
but from their writings you never would
suppose they heard Of each other.
Religious jealousles. The Mohammednns
praying for rain during n drought; no rain
coming. Then the Christians begin to prny
Tor rain, and the rain comes. Then the
Mohammedans met together to account for
this, and they resolved that God was so
well pleased with their prayers no kept the
drought on so as to keep them praying but
that the Christians began to pray and the
Lord was so disgusted with their prayers
that He sent rain right away so He would
not hear any more OF their supplicatlons.
Oh, this accursed spirit of envy and jeal.
ousyl Let US stamp 1t out from all our
hearts.
A wrestler was so envious OF Theogenes.
the prince of wresters, that he could not
be consoled in any way, and after Theog-
enes died and n statue was lifted to him In
public place his envious antagonist went
out every night and wrested with the
statue until one night he threw It, aud it
fell on him and crushed him to death. So
jealousy is not only absurd, but It is
killing to the body, and 1t is killing to the
soul.
HnV n11 I, In,
speaking well of II merchant in the same
line OF business. How seldom Il Is you hear
physician speaking well OF physician on
the same block.
Oh, my friends the world is large enough
for all OF us! Let us rejoice at the success
OF others. The next best thing to owning
garden ourselves Is to look over the fence
and admire the flowers.
The next best thing to riding in fine
equipage Is to stand on the streets and ad-
mire the pranclng span. Tho next best
thing to having banquet given to our
selves Is having banquet given to our
prodigal brother that has come home to
his fathers house.
All, the face OF this poutlng elder son Is
put before us in order that we might
better see the radiant and forgivng face
OF the Father. Contrasts are mighty. The
artist In sketching the field of Waterloo
years after the battle put dove In tho
mouth of the cannon. Raphael in one OF
his cartoons beside the faco of wretch
put the face OF happy and innocent child.
And so the sour face Of this irascible
and disgusted elder brother Is brought
out In order that in tho contrast we
might better understand the forgiying
and radiant face OF God. That IL tho
meaning of it-that God Is ready to tako
back anybody that Is sorry to take him
clear back, to take him back forever aud
forever and forever, to take him back with
n loving hug, to put kiss on his parched
lip, a ring on his bloated hand, an easy
shOo on his chafed foot II garland on his
bleeding temples aud heaven in his soul.
oh, fall fiat on that mercy Come, my
brother and let us get down into tho dust,
resolved never to ri3e until the Fathers
forglvlng hand shall lit US.
Oh, what God we hayel Bring your
doXologles. Come, earth and heaven, and
join in the worship. Cry aloud. Lift the
palm branches. Do you not feel tho
Fathers arm around your neck? Do you
not feel the warm breath OF your Father
against your cheek2 Surrender, younger
sonl Surrender, elder son! Surrender,
all Go In to-day and sit down at the ban
quet. Take slice Of the fatted calf, and
afterward, when you are seated, with one
hand In the hand OF tho returned brother
and the other hand in the hand of the re-
jolcing father, lot your heart beat time to
the clapping of the cymbal and the mellow
voice OF the flute. 1t is meet that we should
make merry and be glad, for this, thy
brother, was dead and Is alive again. He
was lost and is found.
Eccentric Colonel Ege.
CoIonpl Eco NvnS a famous chornctpr