The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-02-05
a SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
"THE PEoDIcAL'S FATHER"
An Uplifting Talk on This Famous Bibli-
cal Story by the Bev. DIR. j. Wilbur
Chapman-How 1t Reveals One Part
Of Gods Nature.

OF Gods Nature.
NEW YORK CITY.-The following sermon
entitled "The Prodigal's Father, 10 one OF
n series prepared for the press by the dis
tinguished evangelist. the Rev. DR.. j. Viii
bur Chapman. 1t was preached from the
text: But when he was Yet a great way
off his father saw him and had
compassion and ran and kissed
him and said to his servants,
Bring forth the best robe and put it on
him. and put ring on his hand and shoes
cali aud kill IT. Lake XIV: 20-23
OF making many sermons on the prodiGa!
son there seems 10 have been no end.
Yet I was IN the ministry fifteen years be.
fore preached from any part OF the para
bic There may be many reasons why, as
d rnie, we turn away from 1t. II may be
that the picture is too realistic.
g / was stonding in the prison chapel at
JoSet, Illinois, when request was made
that / should conduct service for the con-
victs. Just as WAS leaving the building
the officer said to me, BY the way, II you
should come DO not preach upon any part
OF the prodigal. We have had twenty-four
ministers here by actual count, and every
on of them cave us thc prodigal son. and
these poor fellows have had about as mucn
prodigal as they can stand"
L. may also be that We have turned away
from IL because it is such familiar ground
that IL has lost its charm for us. ] was
sweeping through the magnificent Rocky
Mountain scenery some time ago. and when
we had plunged into the Royal Gorge, and
later swung into the Grand Canon it
seemed TO me that scenery more sublime
could not be found in all the world, and il
i had never been impressed before with
the existence of God / should have cried
opt unto Him in the midst of those mount
ain peaks. | noticed that every one IN the
car, with one single exception, was gazing
in rapt admiration. This one woman was
intently reading a book. and to my GER
tain knowledge she did not lift her eyes
once from the printed page while we were
IN that wonderful scenery. When we had
swung out into the great table land | over
heard her say to a friend. This is the thir.
teenth time l have crossed the mountains.
The first time could not keep the tears
from rolling down my checks. so impressed
was 1, but now," she said Il know it so
well that frequently go through the whole
range with scarcely a glance cast out Of
the window" 1t is thus, alas. that we
read Gods word, and that which fills
heaven with wonder, and furnishes the an
gels theme for never-ending praise. we
read with indifference or fail to read at all.
have had until recently the best OF this
story Of the prodigal.
thought 1t was to give lis a vision ot the
younger son, and as such it would be
message to backsliders. and while this is
one part of the Interpretation it is not by
any means the best part. Then it occurred
to me the story might have been given us
that we should take warning from the sell
fishness of the elder brother, but l con-
ceived such dislike for this character
that l never cared to consider him even for
become TO me one OF the sweetest portions
OF all the New Testament because believe
the parable was written that we might fas-
ten our eyes upon the father OF the parable
and IN that father get glimpse OF God.
=. Did 1t ever occur to You that in the pic
fures Of the fathers of the Bible you were
always gwen / vision OF one part OF the
nature of God? Jacob crying out, ME Ye
have bereft or my children: Joseph is not,
Simeon is not, and now You will take Ben
Jamln from me" is an illustration of God
lost. David cxclaiming ooh. Absalom. nv
son. nv SOM would God / had died for
thee, is lust hint as to the way God
feels over His lost ones for whom His Son
has really died. And yet better than any
picture OF father as the revelation of
God is the life of the Son of God from
whose lips we have heard these words. "Hc
that hath seen Me hath seen the Father"
But putting all these things together, and
IN the light of them reading the story of
SHE prodigal, our hearts burn within us as
ge see God.
.HBUT WHEN HE WAS YET A GREAT
- WAY OFF"
These words must have a wonderful
meaning, for the measurement is from
Gon's standpoint. 1t would be an awful
thing to be a great way off according to
mans conception, bat when it is the com
WSStion or One who is infinite We are
.startled. and yet our amazement gives way
Instantly to alteration. for VIC are told that
even If We are so great a distance from
Him We are not to be discouraged. in
.Acls ii: 50. we read that the promise is
unto "all that are afar off, - and in Ephe-
SLAMS ii: l3, II, we are told that ''Ie who
sometimes were far OF are made nigh by
the blood of Christ" and that Jesus Christ
came and preached peace to YOU which
were ciar oil, as eel as TO them tha:
were nigh; 1t never is apy question with
God as 70 how deeply ore has sinred. 1t is
. remarkable thug tEat throughout the
whole Bible He has ever chosen the most
conspicuous sins AID the most tlagrant Sin
ners that He might present to us His viii
Gngness to forgive.
God requires but three things Il We
would know Him in this way.
First. there must be willing mind. In
Isaiah j: 10, we read, IF We be willing and
obedient. We shall eat the good OF the
land" In another place we read, "If there
be first willing mind, it is accepted for
what man hath and not for what he
hath not" In still another place we arc
told, III any man will do His will he shall
know of the doctrine" God Himself, inf
mite though he may be, will not save US
against our wills.
Second, there must be desire to know
the truth that We may do it, Mere knowl-
edge Of the truth may be our condemna-
tion, and it is the saddest thing in the
world that so many people know and vet
arc unwilling to do 1t will be an awful
judgment which must finally fall upon the
rank and file of men because all their lives
they lived under the shadow of the church
and heard the preaching of the word, all
OF which condemns them.
The third requirement is an honest con-
fession of ones intentions God never
gives to one more light than be uses. but