The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-02-06
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
THE PHoplcAl'S FATHER"
An rpiininE Talk on This Famous Bibii-
cal story by the rev. Dr. j. wilbur
Chspmsn--How Ii Reveals one Part

An Uplifting Talk on This Famous Bibli-
cal story by the Bev. Dr. j. wilbur
Chapman-How Ii Reveals one Part
OF God's Nature.
NEW YORK City The following sermon
entitled The Prodieals Father, Is one OF
a series prepared for the press by the dis
tinguished evangelist, the Rev. DIR j. VIII
bur Chapman. Ii was preached from the
text; But when he was .ye. a great way
S H lS,HeT and saT T.n n and Hs ssssd nsd
him and said 20 his servants,
Bring forth the best robe and put II on
him, and put a ring on his hand and shoes
on HIS feet. and bring hither the iatted
calf and kill IT," Luxe xv; 1923.
OF making many sermons on the prodigal
son there seems 20 have been no end.
Yet / was IN the ministry fifteen years he.
fore 1 preached from any part OF the para
BILE. There may be many reasons why, as
a rule, we turn away from II. Ii may be
that the picture Is too realistic.
i was standing IN the prison chapel at
Joliet, Illinois, when a request was made
that should conduct a service for the con.
victs. just as | was leaving the building
the officer said 70 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
one of them gave us the prodIgal son, and
these poor fellows have had about as much
prodigal as they can stand"
IL may also be that we have turned away
from II becalse II 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 II
seemed 20 me that scenery more sublime
could not be found IN all the world, and II
i had never been impressed before with
the existence of God l should have cried
out unto Him IN the midst of those mount.
ain peaks. l noticed that every one IN the
car, with one single exception. was gazing
in rapt admiration. This one woman was
intently reading \ book, and TO my Ger.
tain knowledge she did not lift hcc 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 10 friend, This is the thir.
teenth time | have crossed the mountains
The first time could not keep the tears
from rolling down my checks. SO impressed
was |, but now" she said, Il know II so
well that ] frequently go through the whole
range with scarcely a glance cast out of
the window IL is thus, alas that we
read Gods word. and that which fills
heaven with wonder, and furnishes the an.
gels a theme for ncver-endlng praise. we
"a J.
And yet my own confession is that | never
have had until Tecently the best of this
story of the prodigal.
thought II was 10 give us a vision Of the
younger son. and rs such IL would he n
message to backsliders, and while this is
one part OF the Interpretation II is not by
any means the best part. Then II occurred
10 me the story might have been gwen us
that we should take warning from the sel.
fshness of the elder brother, but | con.
ceived such a dislike for this character
that ! never cared 10 consider him even for
a moment But II has in these later DAYS
become 10 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 a glimpse OF God.
Did It ever occur 10 you that in the pic,
tures 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 of my children: Joseph is not
Simeon is not. and now You will take Ben
jamin from me" Is an illustration of God
crying out in His great tenderness over the
lost David exclaiming "Oh, Absalom. my
son, my son! would God ! had died FOR
thee is Just n hint az 10 the wav God
feels over His lost ones for whom His Son
has really died. And yet better than any
picture of a father az the revelation oI
God Is the life of the Son Of God from
whose lips we have heard these words. III,
that hath seen Me hath seen the Father >
But putting all these things together, ant
in the light OF them reading the story o
the prodlgal, our hearts burn within US al
we see God.