Milford chronicle., 1906-02-23
Calr1aqe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmage, d.


the preacher takes for his theme in thi
sermon, the text chosen being Luke Ky
16, @With the husks that the swine dit
eat"
What an epitome Of pathos is con
densed within these eight small words
Never was gaunt and hideOus visageC
want more dramatically depicted thar
ia this tragic climax Of the prodiga
sons misery He was in almost eX
actly the same pitiable condition as
the only son Of one Of New York's mil
liouaires and most honored citizens
was a few years ago. His father for
years and years had been the cOmpan-
ion and the associate of the greatest
leaders Of thought, both trans and cis-
atlantic. In wealth and honor he re-
tired to his palatial metropolitan home
to pass his life amid refined associa-
tions Not only was he great himself,
but he had three great brothers, all Of
whom had made noted successes in
other lines of work than his own. Pure
was the blood of that genealogical
amid all his fame and wealth and bril-
liant family connections there was one
startling weakness. The father could
not see the faults Of his wayward son.
His love for his only boy blinded his
common sense. In his old age he let
his only son control his money. This
son not only mOrtgaged his fathers
property, but upon his fathers name
borrowed right and left Then by
pr0digacy and dissipation and reckless |
wildcat speculations he squandered his
fathers all. A few months before the
father's death came the financial crash.
He awoke as from a horrible dream. |
he was practically Il bankrupt Then |
came the death and the funeral Then |
this only son sunk lower and lower in
to the quagInire Of dcbauchery; lower |
and lower until he used to tramp the |
streets Of New York city with the sign
board Of a cheap restaurant strapped
to bis back He sank lower and lower
IN the social scale until one day he
was found digging for food in the ref
use barrel before the very palace in
which he and his father once lived.
All. could any condition in life be sad
def than that? And yet this son was
10 no lower condition, Socially or NOR
llly than was the young Hebrew Of
ny text, caring for q herd Of swine
md fighting with these four legged
beasts for their meals Of dried, unpala-
table husks.
But as we see this social Outcast OF
NY text chewing the husks which had
1een thrown to the swine this thought
ZONES to me: How similar is the CON
lition Of some of us in a mental and ,
piritnal sense who have not yet sur
endered our hearts to Jesus Christi" :
Sin has come into our lives and taken =
.way the sweet hopes which our IA
hers and mothers had in the pardoning :
owe and protecting care of their Sav .
our In place of these sustaining =
opes sin has come and given to US a :
OF Of husks-dred, pnnutritious and
husks Then sin has said, =
Now try to masticate and digest the :,
sachings Of the doctrines Of atheism, !,
gnOsticism, skepticism, and all will be =
Tell." All, some of US have been trying c
D live upon these spiritual husks too :
ing. Like the poor prodigal, we have =
cen sinking lower and lower in the
uagmire Of despair. Therefore l am Z
Ding to try to analyze for you some .
the substances and ingredients of =
le false hopes which sin is offering =
nd at the same time by the help of the .
Loly Spirit to break unto you the !
read Of life. of which if one eats he I
lall never be a-hungered again. - .
The Husks Of Atheism. =,
Sin would blind our eyes to the spir- =,
ual blessings OF the gospel by trying =
circumscribe US with the hateful doc 81
inc OF human humiliation. It comes a,
US as a scoffer of life beyond the ..
ave. It says to us: "Man is an ami =,
al We grant that he is a higher form =,
animal, but still an animal. He has ~
eat and sleep and drink He has to ~
ow and develop and decline He has
be born. and he has to die. There
re as man never existed before he u
IS born he is not going to exist after ~
Is dead When he is dead he is ex- "
tiy the same as a turkey, which, with re
ad chopped off, is cooked for the m
dinner. He is dead, and Ii
1t is all there is of him. Now, as a m
IA has only a short time to live at W
,st and rs there is no life beyond the "
ave. therefore it is the duty Of every fiji
IN to have just as good a time as it bi
possible to have. Come, friends, let q
.eat. drink and be merry, for tomor- al
y we die" And everywhere we see OF
"a and women worshiping at the al al
Of Bacchus and bowling in the tenn h,
Of icentious Baal and kissing the cs
Iden shrine Of evil Midas because tc
" dc not think there is to be a here h,
.er and therefore they can do with b,
Dunity as they viii. ii
But our whole natures revolt against a,
, teaching. "Eat. drink and be merry, bl
tomorrow we die" For two rea- a,
IS we feel this repulsion. We know Il
q there IS a judgment on this side Of v,
grave for sin If there is not on the a
ier side. We know by bitter, awful IN
bitter. personal experience. that a is
rldly life. lived for mere pleasure k