Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-02-05

ger, Out WIFI tie clupr, son. W0on the
servant came in and told the good ia
Their that his elder boy was acting un-
1lially and unbrotherly, the father did
not lose his patience. He did not scnd
a percinptory command to his elder
son to come to him at once, as he had
a right TO do, but, as a servant, he left
the banquet hall. He went M into
the darkness of the night and placed
his arm gently about his sinful elder
sons neck, as he answered in q plead
ing, ycarning voice, Son, thou art ever
with me, and all that / have Is thine
That is as much as to say: My boy,
my dear boy, ! am not trying to do you
any injustice. l shall not take away
any Of your inheritance. All that l have
is yours. What l long for is for the
love and the purity of my children. I
want my two boys to be always by my
side. Come, my child; come back to
your fathers love. Come back into the
old homestead which l have prepared
for you" Oh. that answer to me Is
beautiful. That answer is the sweet.
est, gcntlest, most loving and yet most
DltiUlIIG ItDUhc c\tI SIDhcl ny Tic
lips of any of the characters of the
Bible. That is a Christ love pleading
for you and for me to come into the
Fathers house and nestle as a lamb
in his bosom.
But, after all. the most impressive
part of the elder brothers history is
the abrupt way In which the parable
a,,J, fII,a,z la, So .I.,1t tI,
son was forgiven. No doubt the repent
ant prodigal was able to enjoy the rest
and the home pleasures of the fathers
house. But how about hat cynical,
self satisfied and complaining elder
brother! Did he ask forgiveness of
his father? Did he go into the ban
quot where the feast was being cele-
brated? ! do not know. | cannot tell.
The parable ends with the earnest plea
Of the father. We must take the rest
as we will. Personally l have my
doubts nhout the salvation of that cid
or brother. 1t is sometimes far easier
for the sinner down in the slums to
come to Christ than for the rich son
living in a luxurious palace. A Lon
don missionary was one night called up
to 20 to n dying girl. This Maynard
child at the time was living in n disso-
lutte house. When the missionary en-
tered the room. be found Il sinful sis
ter holding in her arms the head Of
the dying girl. and she was saying:
Jennie, it is all right. Tut your love
and trust in Jesus. He died for just
such sinful girls as we are. Jennie, put
your faith in Jesus Christ Yes, we
can all feel that Christ died for the
prodigal son, but it is awfully hard
for some of the sinful elder brothers
and sisters to feel that it was neces-
sarv for Jesus Christ to die for them
and their sins. My elder brother in
sin, are you going to stay out of your
Fathers house? Arc you going to re-
fuse to put your faith in Christ and
come into the marriage banquet of the
Lamb?
Mr.. Moody tells the story Of a sol
der dying in one Of the field hospitals
of the civil war. The soldier sent fol-
his chaplain to come to help him in the
hour of death. Mr.. Moody said, 81
wish | could help you die in peace, but
Christ alone can help you do that
Then Mr.. Moody read to him from his
Bible passage after passage until he
came to one of the sweetest verses OF
all, AS Moses lifted up the serpent il
the Wilderness. even so must the Sol
of Man be lifted up, that whosoevcr be
lieveth on him should not perish, but
have everlasting life" The dying mar
at that point cried; stop, Is tina
there? Oh, ! did not know that was II
the Bible. Please read those few word,
again" Then the dying man just pill
lowed his head upon that promise ant
went to sleep in the arms of Christ t
wake amid the hosannas of heaven
Elder brothers and elder sisters, viii
you look TO that cross today which
lift up? viii you hear the gospel invi
tation which is given to you to come in
to your Fathers house: VIII You here
ard now sit down by Christ and by tn,
si,fe Of your |rcpentant prodigal broth
er?
copyright, 1903. by Louis Klopsch.l
STUBBORN FIRE At ROUND HOUSE
Ere hrok" ont in the old round hous
of the Rutland Railroad company nca
! River II rect lpilup i'm Rutlppl ar "a