Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1903-02-07
to his elder son as to the younger.

10 Ills eluer son as 10 tue younger.
The Fathers Forgiveness.
The other day a person asked me
what | considered the most beautiful
sentence in the parable This was my
answer: 1T is not to be found In the
good fathers dealings with the youn-
ger, but with the elder, son. When the
servant came in and told the good IA
ther that his elder boy was acting un-
flially and unbrotherly, the father did
not lose his patience. He did not send
a peremptory command to his elder
son to come to him at once, as he had
a right to do, but as servant, he left
the banquet hall. He went out into
the darkness Of the night and placed
his arm gently about his sinful elder
sons neck, as he answered in plead
ing, yearning voice, Son, thou art ever
with me, and all that l have is thine
That is as much as to say: My boy,
my dear boy, am not trying to do you
any injustice. / shall not take away
any of your inheritance. All that have
is yours. What | 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, gentlest, most loving and yet most
pleading rebuke ever spoken by the
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
ends. There is no doubt the younger
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 that cynical,
self satisfied and complaining elder
brother? Did he ask forgiveness OF
his father? Did he go into the BAN
Quet 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 | have my
doubts about the salvation Of that eld-
er 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 90 to n dying girl. This wayward
child at the time was living in disso-
lutte house. When the missionary en-
tered the room, he found a sinful Sis
ter holding in her arms the head OF
the dying girl. and she was saying:
Jennie, it is all right. Put 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 fee that it was neces-
sary for Jesus Christ to die for them
and their sins. Ny elder brother In
sin, are you going to stay out Of your
Fathers house? Are you going to re-
fuse to put your faith in Christ and
come into the marriage banquet of the
Lamb?
Mr.. Moody tells Tie story Of Il sol
dier dying in one of the dcld hospitals
Of the civil war The soldier sent for
his chaplain to come to help him in the
hour of death. Mr. Moody said, Il
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 or
all. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in
the wilderness. even so must the Son
of Man be lifted up. that whosoever be-
lieveth on lin should not perish but
have everlasting life" The dying man
at that point cried: stop! Is that
there? Oh. did not know that was IN
the Bible. Please read those few words
again" Then TIE dying man Just pill
lowed his lead upon that promise and
went TO sleep in the arms of Ch:ist to
wake amid the hOSannas Of heaven.
Elder brothers and elder sisters, will
you look to that cross today which |
lift up? Will you hear the gospel invi-
tation which is given to you to come in.
to your Fathers house? Will you here
and now sit down by Christ and by the
side of your repentant prodigal broth
er?
copyright 1903 by Louis Klopsch.1