Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-02-07
sTHEPRODIGAL'S FATHER
Sunday Sermon By Rev. DR.. j. Wilbur
Chapman.
An Uplifting Talk on This Famous Biblical
Story-iiow II Reveals One part
OF Gods Nature.

New YORK City --TThe following sermon
entitled The prodigafs Father" Is one OF
series prepared for the press by the dis.
tlnguished evangelist. the Rev. DIR. J. VII.
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 il on
him. and put ring on his hand and shoei
on his feet. and bring hither the fatted
cali and kill it," Luke XIV: 20-2S
OF making many sermons on the prodigal
son there seems to have been no end.
Yet | was in the ministry fifteen years be.
fore preached from any part OF the para
bic. There may be many reasons why. as
rule, we turn away from it. 1t may be
that the picture is too realistic.
l was standing in the prison chapel al
Joliet, Illinois, when 4 request was made
that / should conduct service for the con.
= victs. just as | was leaving the building
the~afticer said to me, by the way. ii you
should-2ome do not preach upon any part
OF the pradigal. 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 muca
prodigai as they can stand"
i: may also be that we have turned away
from il becaIse it is such familiar ground
that it has lost its charm ior u.s. | was
Mountain scenery some time ago. and when
we had plunged into the ROYAL Gorge and
later swung into the Grand Canon il
seemed TO me that scenery more sublime
could not be found in all the world and IL
| had never been impressed before with
the existence OF God ! should have cried
out unto Him in the midst of those mount.
ain peaks. / noticed that every one in the
car, with one single exception, was gain.
in rant admiration. This one woman was
intently reading a book, and TO my Ger.
tain knowledge she did not lift her ewes
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 friend. This is the thir
tenth time L have crossed the mountains
The first time | could not keep the tear,
frosl rolling down my cheeks. so impressed
was l. but now" she said Il know II 81
well that | frequently go through the whole
range with scarcely glance cast out o!
the window 1t is thus. a.as. that we
read Gods word, and that which fills
heaven with wonder and furnishes the an.
gels theme for neverending praise. VIC
read with Indifference or fail to read at all
And yet my own confession is ,iat never
have had until recently the best of this
story OF the Drodiga!.
thought It was to give rs 7 vision OF tbs
younger son. and rs such it would I've
message to backsliders, and while this i.
one part OF tine Interpretation it is not by
any means the best part. Then it occurred
10 me the story might have been given us
that we should take warning from the Sc.
fishness OF the elder brother but l con-
ceived such a dislike Tor this character
that | never cared to consider him even 10,
moment. But ii has in these later davs
become TO me one of the sweetes. portions
OF all tho New Testament because believe
the parable was written that we might fas
ten our eyes unon the father of the parable
and m that father get a glimpse of God.
Did II ever occur to You that in the pic
lures OF the fathers of the Bible YOU were
always given 4 vision of one part of the
nature of God. Jacob CRYING out Me We
have bercft 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 til,
lost. David exc.aiming. oh. Absalom. my
son. my son, would God | had died 10,
thee is inst a hint rs to the wav God
feels over His lost ones for whom His Son
has really died. And vet better than anv
picture OF father as the revelation o,
God is the lie of the son of God from
whose lips we have heard these words. "Hi
that hath seen Ne hath seen the Father
But .puttin: all these things together. and
in the light of them reading tho story OF
the prodiga', OF: hearts burn within US az
we see God.