The Chilhowee echo. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1899-19??, 1900-05-12
THE PRODIGAL son.
Dr.. Talmage breaches a Sermon
About the Elder Brother.
lesson of the Parable-Hc Dcnounces
Sclf-RighteOusness and Lack Of
Sympathy for the Fallen
and Unfortunate.
copyright. 1900. by Louis Klopsch.l

pleads for hearty reception to iall
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 I been asked ito
preach sermon about the elder
brother of the parable. I received a
letter from Canada saying: rs the
elder son of the parable so unsyHpa-
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 Tor
which he was an unsuccessful con-
testant. 1 confess that it has been
difficult for me to train the camera
obscura upon the elder son of the par
able. l could not get negative ,for
q 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 thinl l
have him, not side face or a 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 a rake and the
other a churl. l find nothing admira-
BILE in the dissoluteness of the one,
and I find nothing attractive in the
acrid sobricty 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 resoupding. The neighbors hove
heard of the return of the younger
son from his wanderings, and they
have gathered together. The house
is full of congratulations. l suppose
the tables are loaded with luxuries,
not only tie one kind Of meat men
toned, but its concoDitants. "Clap!"
60 the cyn,bals. ''Thrum!" go the
harps, "Click!" 60 the chalices, up
and down so the feet inaide, while
outside is a most sorry spectacle.
The senio1 son stands at the corner
Of the house, frigid phlegmatic. He
has Just come in from the fields in
very substantial apparel. Seeing some
wild exhilarations around the old
nansio.,cshe asks Of a servant sS1aSpeg
rby wsf a goatsltfh or Vine on VIZ
shoulder what all the fuss is about.
One would have thought that, on
hearing that his younger brother had
got back, he would have gone into the
house and rejoiced, and, if he were
not consccntiously opposed to dane
ing. that he would have joined the orr
entail schottish. No, there he stands
His brow lowers; his face darlens;
his lip curls with contempt. He
stamps the ground with indignation;
he secs nothing at all to attract. The
odors of the feast, coming out OF the
air, do not sharpen his appetite
The lively music does not put any
spring into his step. He is in a ter.
rible pout. lie criticises the expense
the injustice and the morals of the
entertainment. The father rushes out
barcheaded and coaxes him to como
in. He will not go in. He scolds the
father. He goes into a pasquinade
against the younger brother, and he
makes the most uncomely scene. He
says: Father, you put a premium
on vagabondism. staid at home and
worked on the farm. You never made
a party for me; you didn't so much
as kill a kid. That wouldn't have cost
half as much as calf; but this scape-
grace went Off in fine clothes, and he
comes back not fit to be seen, and
what time you make over him! He
breaks your heart. and you pay him
for it, That calf, to which we have
been giving extra feed during al
| these weeks, wouldn't be so fat and
y
were going to put it. That vagabcnd
deserves to be cowhiaad instead Of
banqueted. Veal is too good fol
him." That evening. while the young
er son sat telling his father about his
adventures and asking about what
had occurred on the place since his
departure, the senior brother goes tt
had Disguised and slams the dool
after him. That senior brother still
lives. You can see him any Sunday
any day of the week. At meeting
of ministers in Germany some one
asked the question: ''Who is thai
elder SOM" and Krum nacher an
swered: 81 know him; l saw him yes
terday." And when they insisted
upon knowing whom I meant he said
Myself; when I saw the account O.
the conversion of most obnoxious
man 1 was irritated."
First, this senior brother of tn,
tekt stands for the self-congratula
tory, self-satisfed, self-worshipfu
man. With the same breath in which
he vituperates against hin youngel
brother he utters panegyric fol
himself. The self-righteous man o
my text, ike every other sclf-righteou
man, was full of faults. He was al
migrate, for he did not appreciate tn
home blessings which he had all thos,
years. He was disobedient, for whel
the father told him to come in n
staid out. He was liar, for he salt
| that the recreant son had deyouret