The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-03-10

son taking for his particular text, Luke,
1913: "And there wasted his substance
with riotious living"
In beginning his sermon DR.. Pierce
referred at length to the vast amount
of waste there is in every department
of life, waste of food, waste of time,
waste in business and in countless 9TH
er matters.
But" said he, "the most terrible Of
all is a wasted life, a life that is lost
utterly for good. This prodigal son
whom the parable speaks of wasting his
substance, wasted his opportunities and
wasted his fortune. Did you ever stop
to consider what he might have done
with his money and his intellect had
he not foolishly left his fathers house?
"Prodigality always makes prodigals.
What amazes me as l look out upon life
is that men after the object lessons Of
the evil results of badness, wckedness
and drunkenness which are constantly
before them should go right into the
evil ways of sins with u remarkable
facility and ease.
SYMPATHIZE WITH HIM.
I'VE sympathize with the prodiSal
and pity him but we should sometimes
study the things that made him what
he is We should study the causes as
we'll as pity the effect. Why did the
boy go away from his fathers house?
How was it in the home before he went
away? There are a number of things
that are productive of prodigals and
and one Of them is prOdigal homes.
What about the social environment
of the home? Would it not be wise to
look over the family record before de-
ciding upon what caused the prodigals
downfall? We need to learn, the lesson
that the physician teaches that we are
responsible in many instances for the
characters which our children inherit.
Perhaps the prodigal son was
never taught the lesson which every
boy should be taught--the lesson of true
and loving respect for parental author
ity.
Perhaps he saw about him the re-
suits of too loose ideas regarding the
marriage relaton--a thing that may be
seen in too many of our modern day
homes. We are having too much d.
vorce Every week I am forced to
turn away couples who seek to become
united in marriage by me because
marry divorced people unless they can
bring me certificates from court show
ing me that they We're divorced for
Scrptural reasons. | have married
but two divorced people in all my
caeer as a minister and these two had
been married before and courted again
like a pair of young lovers after they
had been separated by the law. II
preachers would more boldly proclaim
the sacredness of the marriage relation
there would be less divorce applications
and more happy marriages.
MAKE PRODIGAL SONS.
"Prodigal friends generally make
prndigal sons. God gives us friends to
strengthen our lives and to conduce to
our happiness and joy, but there are
friends who are not God-given and
who insidously seek to lead us down
the way that leads to destruction. Be
ware of these and shun them as you
would the beasts of the forest.
"Prodigal business often makes
prodigal sons. In business customs of
the present day, the young man sees
much that is not honest. He sees that
competition is so keen oftentimes that
his employers surrender honor to pol
icy He find that shoddy is put into
clothing, that food is adulterated and
that false measurements and other
trckery are used to swell the pockets
of the merchant. The young man
studies these conditions and it Is not
strange that he drifts out on the broad
sea of life without the rudder of hon.
esty to guide him on the safe course.
"Prodigal society makes prodigal
sons, Society should uplift encour-
age and ennoble men, but too often
it debases and ruins them. Fashion
has stepped in with it's glitter and at
traction and mems thoughts are led
away from what is noble and good TO
what is worldly Fashion is constant
ly sweeping men from the firm an
chorage that holds them fast to bet
ter manhood into the turbulent waters
of worldly glitter and selfish ambition.
That society which does not
foster edycation and stimulate TO
noble ambitions is a prodigal society,
PRoDIGAL CHURCHES.
Sometimes l have thought that
there is prodigal church and that it
Is doing its share in the production of
prodigal sons. Sometimes the church
forgets the perishing ones about her
and holds herself within certain mar
row boundaries. Sometimes Christian
people can do nothing that their
fathers did not do and are afraid of
stepping over the lines laid down in
years gone by. Such people make of
their church a prodigal church, in
stead of making it the bride of the
loving God.
'"rhe prodigal may put part of the
blame on the home. part on his friends.
part on his business, part ON society,
part on the church, but the blame is