The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1902-05-18

your own portion by the sweat of your
own brow "
Parents, your very kindnesses and self
sacrifices may be the cause of your
younger children's destruction. You have
no right to give your younger son plen-
ty of money and liberty to do wrong. 1t
is your business to know how your chill
dren spend their m oney. 1t is your duty
to know where your younger son passes
his nights.
A HomeIy Illustration.
The far country is the place where the
younger son spent his all. We can read
lily picture this young man when he first
left home. He had plenty of money. The
tavern keepers bowed and smiled at his
approach. They regretted when his party
left. The gay young folks of the region
to which he went felt proud to be seen
in public by his side. His bachelor apart
ments were furnished in the most ex-
pensive style. The banks would honor
any drafts he made upon them He was
a hale fellow well met. He was as much
intoxicated with fattery as with wine.
The gold which he held in his opened
hand was just as yellow and hard as
If he was living off his interest instead
of the principal. His health was robust
and strong He had not yet undermined
his physical constitution by excuses.
nerve trembles. The mortgage is placed
upon the furniture. He sells some of his
diamonds. There are but two horses now
in his stable instead of ten. After awhile
ne begins to run up bills. Not being able
to pay his bills as of yore the creditors
become anxious and demand payment
and full pawn ent at once. What happens?
Why, the story of the prodigal son then
tells us that there was famine in that
Lon A-a rtx rfr fe Nran
his sinful friends Immediately leave him.
The bright winged humming birds have
little use for the rosebush when the
flowers are gone. This younger son be-
gan to be in want. He became helpless
and friendless. To earn food enough to
sustain life he tended a herd of swine.
This social condition was the worst to
which a Jew could ever sink. He was
fiat upon his back in the lowest pit OF de-
spair.
An aristocratic lady living in Londan
had a very dissipated son. A friend said:
why not take your son to hear Row
land Hill preach? The mother answered
II WILL" Next Sunday night she sat in
Mr. Hills audience to listen to the great
est preacher of his day. Rowland Hill
arose, gave out text and began a SER
mon upon the prodigal son in this way:
1.-The other day / saw a farmer coaxing
some swine to a slaughter house. The
farmer had a bag of corn in his hand
Every few steps the man would drop a
few grains. The swine would run after
him and greedily devour them. Poor
fools, said l. those swine do not know
the farmer is leading them into a slapgh-
ter house, where thy are to be killed"
After the benediction this aristocratic
lady turned to her son and said: WAS
not that illustration about the swine
awful? Think of minister's using such
a figure In the Christian pulpit" Moth
err" answered the young man. 1T do not
know whether Mr.. Hill had right to use
that illustration or not in church. do
know what Mr.. Hill meant. He meant
that I was the prodgal son being led
by Satan into the far country of sin,
where l would be destroyed as swine
are killed by the butchers knife in a
slaughter house."
Under the Shadow Of the Cross.
The far country is never so far away
but that the penitent prodigal can find
his way back from 1t to the heavenly
homestead. When the younger son be-
came so poor that he had no decent
clothes for his back, so friendless that
not one of his old companions would
speak to him, when he would feign have
filled his belly with the husks that swine