Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1900-05-11

Don't make too big a party for that re-
turned prodignl or strike the timbrel too
loud, and IL you kill a calf kill the one that
Is on the commons aud not the one that
has been luxuriating 10 the paddock"
That Is the reason why more prodlgais do
not come home to their fathers house. It
isthe rank infideity In the church OF God
On this subject.
There Is not house on the streets OF
heaven that has not In 1t prodlgal that
returned and staid home. There could be
unroled before you a scroll OF 100000
names-the names OF prodigals who came
back forever reformed. Who was John
Bunyan? A returned prodlgal. Who was
Richard Baxter? A returned prodlgal
Who was George Whiteaeld, the thunderer?
returned prodigal.
Aud could 60 out IN all the aisles OF
this church to-day and find on either side
those who, once far astray for many years,
have been faithful, aud their eternal saliva
ton is as sure as though they had been ten
years In heaven. Aud yet some OF you
have not enough faith In their return!
You do not know how to shake hands
with a prodigal; you do not know how to
pray for him; you do not know how to
greet him. He wants to sail into the warm
guilt stream OF Oarlstian sympathy. You
are the iceberg against which he strikes
and shivers. You say he has been prod
igal. know It, but you are tho sour, I'm.
responsive, censorious, saturntne, cranky
elder brother, aud II you are going to
heaven one would think some people
would be tempted to 90 to psrdition to get
away from you.
Plenty OF room for elegant sinners, for
sinners In velvet or satin and lace, for sin.
ners high salarled, for kid gloved aud pat
emit leathered sinners, for sinners fixed up
by hafrdre sser, pomatumed aud lavendered
aud coogned aud frlzzled and crimpei and
"banged" slnners-pleDty OF rooml
Such we meet elegantly at the door OF
our churches, and we invite them into the
best seats with Chesterfeldian gailantriesi
weusher them into the house OF God and
mt soft ottomans under their feet and put
a glld edged prayer book In their hands
an pass the contribution box before them
with az air OF apology, while they, the
generous souls, take out the equlsite porte.
monnaie and open 1t and with diamonded
fager push down beyond the $40 gold
pieces and delicately pick out as a1 ex-
preston OF gratitude their Offering to the
Lord-ot one cent? For such sinners plenty
OF room, plenty OF rooml !,
Again [ remark that the senior brother OF
nv text stands for the spirit OF envy and
all the honor they did to the returned
brother was wrong to him. He said, II
have staId ut home, and 1 ought to have
had the ring. and ought to have had the
| banquet, and ought to have had the gar.
lands"
Alas. for this spirit OF envy and jealousy
| coming down through the agesl Cain and
| Abel Esau aud Jacob. Saul and David,
| Haman aud Mordecai, Orthello and Iago,
| Orlando and Angelica, Caligula and Tor.
| quatus, Caesar and Pompey, Columbus and
| the Spanish courtiers, Cambyses and the
| brother be slew because he was better
| marksmap. DionysIus and Philoxenius,
whom he slew because he was better
| singer. Jealousy among painters-Clos-
rerman and Godfrey Kneller, Hudson and
| REYNOLDS, Francia, anxious to see picture
| OF Raphael, Raphael sends him picture.
| Francia, seeing 1t, falls 10 O 1T OF Jealousy
| from which he dies.
| Jealousy among authors. How seldom
| contemporaries speak OF each other. Keno
| phon aud Plato living at the same time,
| but from their writings you never would
| suppose they heard OF each other.
| Religious iealousies. The Mohammedans
| PRAYING for rain during drought; no rain
coming. Then the Christians begin to pray
| for rain, and tho rain comes. Then the
! Mohammedans met together to account foi
| this. and they resolved that God was SO
| we'll pleased with thei: prayers he kept the
| drought on so as to keep them praying, but
| tina. the Christians began to pray aud the
Lord was so Disguised with their prayers
that He sent rain right away so He would
NOT hear any more OF .heir supplicattons.
| Oh. this accursed spirit of envy and jeal
| ousyl Let us stamp 1t out from all oui
hearts.
wrestler was so envlous of Theogenes,
the prince OF wresters, that ne could not
be consoled In any way, and after Thsog'
enes died and stasue was II tied to him In
q public place bis Covious antagonist wen'
out every night and wrestled with the
statue until one night he threw 1t, and |,
fell on him and crushed him to death. Sc
jealousy Is not only absurd, but 1t Il
killing to the body, and 1t Is killing to thu
soul.
How seldom It is you find one merchant
| speaking we'll OF a merchant In the same
line of business. How seldom 1t Is you hear
a physician speaking we'll O; physician on
the same block. :,
Oh, my friends, the world Is large enough
for all OF usl Let US rejoice at the success
of others. The next best thing to owning
| garden ourselves Is to look over the renee
and admire the flowers.
The next best thing to riding In INT
eauipage Is to stand on the streets and ad
miro the prancing span. The next bes
thing to having banquet given to our
selves is having banquet given to ou
prodigal brother that has come home K
| his fathers house.
All. the face Of this pouting elder son Is
put before us In order that we might
better see the radiant and forgivtng face
of the Father. Contrasts are mighty. The
l kha AL nf
years after the battle put dove In the
mouth of the cannon. Raphael In one Of
his cartoons beside the face Of wretch
put tho face OF happy and innocent child
And 30 the sour face OF this irascib!e
and disguised elder brother Is brought
out In order that IN the contrast we
might better understand the forgivine
and radiant face OF God. That Is the
meaning of it--that God is ready to take
back anybody that Is sorry, to take hin
clear back, to take him back forever ano
forever and forever, to take him back With
loving hug, to put kiss on his parched
lip, ring on bis bloated hand, an easy
shoe on his chafed foot, a garland on bis
bleeding temples and heaven In his soul.
Oh, fall fiat on that mercy Come, my
brother, and let us get down into the dust
resolved never to rise until the Fathers
forgtving hand shall lift us.
oh. what God we have! Bring you
doxologies. Come, earth and heaven, ant
join In the worship. Cry aloud. Lift tn
palm branches. Do you not feel tn
Fathers arm around your neck2 Do yol
not feel the warm breath OF your Fathc
against your cheek9 Surrender, younger
SOM Surrender, elder son! Surrender
all! Go In to-day and sit down at the ban
auet. Take slice OF the fRtted cali, ant
afterward, when you are seated, with ON
hand In the hand of the returned brothe
and the other hand In the hand OF the re
joicing father, let your heart beat time Z
the clapping OF the cymbal and the mellow
voice OF the flute. 1t Is meet that we shoul
make merry and be glad, for this, tn
brother. was dead and Is alive again. II
was lost and 10 found.