Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-02-02
TALMAGE
SERMON
BY Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAGE. DID,.
Pastor Of Jefferson Park PTesey-
terrain Church, Chicago

ang light upon the character ana con-
duct OF the elder brother OF the famous
parable. The text is Luke XIV. q. And i.
be was angry"
Who was the prodigal's elder broth
err 81 know who he U.s." answers some |
one. 81 see him almost every day or |
my life. He is the honest. upright son |
who STAYS at home and gets no credit |
FOR being good: he is the respectable
plodder OF the family who does most
Of the hard work In the office, in the
store and OIL the farm and then has the
extreme pleasure OF seeing all the
young girls run after his dissolute
younger brother merely because that
brother Is driving fast horses and SOW
ing his wild oats The elder brother
IN tho son who Is always sober and yet
receives he not one extra dollar from
his parents as n reward, while the
drunken son OF the family Is continual
" receiving extra money to get his
clothes out OF pawn. so that he may
have another start In life. The elder
A the good boy upon whom the moth
ler depends to help give his sisters new
dresses for the winter parties, yet he
never has a party given for him. He
never had fatted calf killed that he
might entertain his friends, though for
years be has cared for the cattle by
day and has seen that they were prop
'erly MIXED ut night He Is the good
boy who never had Il fine ring put on
his finger The folks laughed at his
horny fingers, which were knotted from
handling the pillow and welding the
hoe and the ak. His feet were never
measured for dancing slippers because
his sandals were always soiled and
dirt begrimed lie was always work
ing In the fields. The drunkards, the
profigates. the midnight Carousers, the
libertines and the associates OF lewd
companious are the ones who, when
they reform. have the smiles and the
dancing parties given to them. not the
elder brothers who have never done
any wrong"
Some years ago a young college
classmate said to me: 1T never pays
TO be good When | am good and stay
at home then father and mother mere
ly take my goodness as a matter OF
course. hut II only 90 off on lor
carousal then nothing is too good to'
me when | come back home. There's
lots of fun in being a repentant prod
iCal. There is no fun in always bein:
a goody goody boy. who never gets TIT
fatted calf killed for his benefit" m!
sympathies have always been with thu
elder brother in the parable" one
wrote John r. Paxton. the great New
York preacher. and the popular sym
pathv Of the world from time imme
mortal has been with the elder brothe
or my text aud not with the repentan
herder Of the swine. who returned i
rags and as a beggar to his father
house
Two Kinds of Faults.
But neither of the brothers is POI
trayed as an example. Both weT
bad. though in different ways. We ca
ily see the faults Of the younger brotl
er; they were open and scandalous; bl
the faults Of the elder brother, bein
decorously covered up by dutiful col
duct. are not so easily recognized.
estimating character on Gods lines v
have TO ask not only what a man h;
done, but what he is. Meanness al
unbrothPrliness and cruelty in the hea
deface a mans character as indelib
Rs open lnlquity. They make men,
Christ said like "whited sepulchel
which Indeed appear beautiful Outwar
but are within full Of dead mems bon
and OF all uucleanness" Therefore
place my chief emphasis upon the 81
Tul life of the elder brother. to she
that the so called respectable sins
SELF righteousness are Of all sins
most to be- dreaded and that it is I
duty Of the preacher to warn his be-
srs against them.
The elder brother Is the modern Phi
tsee. who thanks God that he is not
other men. lie complacently loC
upon the drunRard and the social O
cast and the pauper and says to
friends: Just look at me. ! never
any more advantages than those 2
pie have had | was OF high stru
tmpetuouS nature. yet ] never wo
let MY evil desires get the better
yne. ! have never been drunk. | hi
never run up bill was unable
pay. | never was "A frequenter of
clubs. nor IA cOuvivial associate of u
might carou~ers Indeed. TO be fr;
with you. ! have just about as Z
icplniOn OF uy moral attachments
Prince bismarck had of his skill
craftsmanship. When some one as
the Iron Chancellor who he thou
was the briiniest statesman in
fEurope., Bismarck replied: Mod
fori,lds my stating VITO is the brain
because then might have TO men
imy own name. But | am perfe
viking To state that benjamin
traeH IL without doubt the SCI
inblest statesman in all Europe O
saints" remarks the pharisaical {
brotber may he my equal in II
httaInments but ! ann sure there
A-....a.i- L.. IL IL. .,.A..lA N M I'm