The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1903-07-16

be true. He judged that this must be the
/ truth because it was about the worst thing
| his brother could do.
| In this world of ours we are compelled
to make assumptions, to choose between
views either Of which may be correct.
So far as the great mass of things is con-
/ cerned, there is no way of getting absolute
proof beforehand. We must assume and
see. Now, concerning men and things,
good assumptions and bad assumptions are
| possible; but as matter OF general attl~
| tude of mind and heart toward things only
one way is safe. That Is, to put the very
best possible construction on the lives OF
men and the working OF things. This. In
word, is Christian faith. Christian
faith does not start by proving things.
1t assumes the best. If man is actually
bad it looks hopefully toward the better
manhood which is, in almost, every. case,
a possibility. Jesus called Judas friend"
and accepted his kiss even on the night
of his betrayal Christian faith looks out
upon the working of the entire universe
and assumes that they are righteous. In
that trust is found peace.
Suppose one were to assume IN dealing
with men that all men are liars. 1t cam
not be proved beforehand that all men are
not liars or even that any one man IS
absolutely truthful; but how hopelessly
lost in his dealings with men would be
the one who should start with the assump-
ton that all men are liars! The safe
path IN the long run is the assumption
that there is good in AL men and that the
good can be reached and made better.
In particular cases this may fail. but it is
in general the only Christian view. He
who, like the elder brother, holds to the
idea that the returning prodigal Is hope
lessly and irretrievably, lost, is himself
safety.
Lastly, the lostncss OF the stay-at-home
appears from his thought of reward.
''Thou never gavest me kid" The elder
brother seems to have been serving with
the thought of material pay. He was
doing the work for what he could get out
of it. His thought of reward moves along
a low plane. Jesus condemned Pharisaism
because of its low view of reward. The
taskmaster was to pay at the close of the
day. Similarly some of us seem at times
to think of heaven as place of material
and rather earthly prizes. And again, the
elder brother was lost in placing emphasis
upon an extraordinary forgiveness and
welcome as of more than the favor of the
fathers continued and ever present affec-
ton. 1t IS sometimes suggested that one
of the important lessons of this parable
is its rebuke of the Christian who com
plains because the contrition of the return
ing penitent sometimes is rewarded by
more of ecstatic blessing than is his own
long continued service of Cod However
this may be as a matter of strict exegesis, it
is perfectly clear that the thought which
rates the exceptional manifestation of in
terest as of more value than the continued
favor of the fathers presence, wanders far
astray. Son, thou are ever with me, and
all that is mine is thine" This is the great
reward, the favor of companionship and
partnership with the Father-a spiritual
benefit and blessing beside which all ma
terial things fall into nothingess The prin-
cipal reward is spiritual. We are not to
the blessed God! Any thought of reward
lower than this is lost. There is q sense
in which the stav-at-home was as prodigal
as his brother. With his niggardly thought
of lower reward, he recklessly overlooked
and wasted the companionship and love
which were poured out around him There
were two prodigals in the family It would
be rather a difficult task to decide which
was the worse