The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1900-05-11
DIR. TALMAGES SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE 81 rHE NOTED
DIVINE.
Subject; Lio Up the Fslien-A Plea For
Welcome for the Prodigsi-kindness
Would Reclaim Many Unfortunstes
Who Have Dropped by the Way.
looFynSht lsal

all those who have done wrong aud waut
20 re, back. while the uusympathetlc aud
selt-righteous are exeoriatei; text, Luke
xy.. -, Aud he was angry ant would no.
20 in"
MANY times nave bean asked 20 preach
a sermon about the elder brother OF ths
parable. | received "A letter from Canada
saying. Is the elder sOn % the parable 40
gnsym pathetic aud so cold that he Il not
worthy OF recognitions The fact Is that
We ministers pursue the younger sou. You
can hear the happiugs OF his rags IN many
a sermontc breeHs and the branching OF
the pods for which he was an unsuccess-
ful contestant. | confess tlat II has been
difficult for me 20 train the camera OBJ.
scura upon the elder son Of the parable. |
could not get a negative foe a photograph.
There was not enough light In the gallery,
or the chemicals were poor. or the sister
moved In the picture. But now | think
have him; not a side face or a three-Quar-
ters or the mere bust, but fun length
portrait as he appears 20 me-. The father
In the parable OF the prodigal had nothing
10 brag Of In his two sons. The one was "A
rake and the other churl. Ind nothing
admirable In the dissoluteness OF the one.
and | nnd nothing attractive IN the acrid
sobrlety OF the other. The one goes down
over the larboard side. and the other goes
down over the starboard side, but they
both go down.
FROM all the windows OF the old home
stead bursts the minstrelsy. The noor
quakes with the feet OF the rustics, whose
dance Is always vigorous and resouuding.
The nelghbors have heard OF the return OF
the younger son from his wanderiugs. and
they have gathered together. The house
Is full OF congratulators. | suppose the
tables are loaded with luxuries; not only
the one klnd OF meat mentioned, but its
concomitants. CLAP 90 the cymbas,
"Thrum!" 60 the harps. "CltckV go ths
chalices. up and down go the feet inside,
while outside Il a most sorry spectacle.
The senior sou stands at the corner OF the
house, frigld phlegmatic. He had just
come in from the Helds IN very substantial
apparel Seeing some wild eNhilarations
around the Old mansion. he asks OF a SER
want passing by with goatskin OF wine on
his shoulder what all the fuss IL about.
One would have thought that. on hearing
that his younger brother had got back, he
would have gone into the house and re-
jolced aud, IL he were not cOnsclentlogsly
opposed 10 dancing, that he would have
iolned In the oriental schottish. No. There
he stands. His brow lowers; his face dark
ems; his lip curls with contempt; he stamps
the ground with Indignation; he sees moth
ing at all 20 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 IL a terrible pout;
he critci~,s the expense, the Injustice aud
the morals OF the entertainment. Tue father
rushes out bareheAded aud coaxes him 10
come In. He will not go in; he scolls the
father; he goes into pasquinade against
the younger brother. aud he make the
most uncomey scene; he says, Father, you
put premium on vayabondism. | statd
at home and worked on the farm. You
never made party for me; you didn't so
much as Kill "a Kid. That wouldn't have
cost half as much as n calf. Bat this scape-
on "A N al "a haa "a "a IN - ,f,a "A
back not ht 10 be seen, and wha. time
you make over himl He breaks your heart.
and you pay him for Il. That calf. 20 which
we have been giving extra feed during all
these weeks, wouldn't be 40 fat aud sleek
II had known TO what use YOU we're going
10 put itl That vhgnbond deserves TO be
cowbtded instead OF bauquetei. Veal is
too good for himl" That evening, while
the younger son sat telling his father about
his adventures aud asking about what had
occurred on the place since his departure,
the senior brother goes 20 bed dts2usted
aud slams the door after him. That senior
brother still lives. You can see him any
/ day OF the week. At "A meeting OF minis
ters In Germany some one asked the ques-
! tiOn, "Who Is that elder sOny' aud krum-
machef pnswered II know him; / saw him
| Yesterday" And when they insisted upon
! knowing whom he meant he said: Myself.
/ When saw the account OF the conversion
I VI u ulbHh bbupAiDu1 ilhut NhN
First. this senior brother OF the text
stands for the self cOngratulatory. self sat.
| isned, self worshiptul man. With the same
! breath In which he vituperates against his
! younger brother he utters panegyrlc for
/ himself. The self righteous man OF my
! text like every other self righteous man,
was full OF faults. He was hu migrate, for
I he did not appreciate the home blessings
/ which he had all those years. He was dis.
obedient, for when the father told him { j
/ come in ne staid ont. He was "A liar, for
/ he said that the recrsant son had deyoured
his fathers living when the father, 80 far
/ from being reduced to penury, had "A home.
stead left, and instruments % music had
/ jewels had "A MANSION and instead of being a
/ pauper was prince. This senior brother
with 20 many fuults ot hls own, was
nerciless in his criticism Of the younger
/ brother. The only perfect people that
. have ever known we're utterly obnoxious
f / was never so badly cheated In my life as
4 by a perfect man. He got 80 far up In his
deyotions that he was clear up above all
/ the rules OF common honesty. These men
that 90 aScG. pro Wing among prayer
. meetings and Ia places OF business, telling
how good they are-iyOk out for them
keep your hand on your pocketboOk!
1 have noticed that just ia proportion as n
/ man gets good be gets humble. The deep
Mississippi does not make ~ much noise
( a. the brawing mountain rivulst. There
. bas been many a store that had more goods
/ In the show window t-al inside on the
I shelves.
This seltrighteous MAJ % the text stood
/ az the corner OF tn" house bugging himself
/ Ia admiration. We hear great deal In
/ our day about the highsr life. Now. there
are two kinds OF higher.liie men. The one
J IL adm irable, and tue other g. repulsiye.
/ The one kind % higher.ilfe man Is very
/ lenicnt In his criticism % Othsra DOES not
bore prayer meeting. 90 death with long
harangues, does not tax great deal
/ about himself, but much about Chrjss AMI
heaven, gets kiDdlier aud more gentle and
/ more useful until one day hi. soul spreads
7 a-ving. AMI he files away - eternal rest
/ and everybody mOurus bis departure. The
/ other higber.life man goes around With 4
I Bible cOnspicuOusly uafer iis arm. goes
/ from church TO church, q sort D: general
/ evangelist. ts q nuisance 30 uis own pastor
/ When be II at home aud = nuisance - other
/ pastors when he is away from home, runs
} Up 20 some man who II cOuuting out n roll
] % bank bills Or running mp difficult line
I % figures and asks him now bis soul h.
| makes religion a dose o. iDscacuanha;
standing 10 a religious meeting making an
address, be has $ fatrODizing way, as
3 though ordinary Christians were clear
/ away down below him. 20 he had 90 talk a.,
the top % his voice 10 order 90 make them
| hear, but at ths same time encOuraging Z
them 90 hope on that b climbing many
] years they may AFTER while come 10 with.
I Ia sight % the place where hs nov stands.
I tell you plainly that roaring, roistsr-
/ ing, bouncing sinner u cot 20 rspul-ive %
] ms AZ that higher lie mAliormatiOn. TIE
/ former may repent; tie latter never gets
I over his pharisalsm. The younger brother
! % ;he parable came back. bg; the senior
/ brother stand. Outside entirely oDliviOus
/ % his own 1elinqusaciss aud ishcit-. pro-
u u. a f.sa
/ much easier 70 u % blame others than q
l blame ourselves. Adam blamed Eve. Eve
/ blamed tie serpent. TIE senior brother
l LLrfn.i The yrlnRer LrJtl.r. aal zone oI