The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1908-08-27
Going to the Father.


20 to the Father-John, 1910.
Five times, including once paren-
thetically, did Jesus declare in His
last discourse to His disciples in the
upper chamber before His BETRAYAL
that He was going to His Father. The
circumstances of the delivery of these
words of farewell were peculiar The
disciples, inadequate as was their an
ticipation of what was toward, were
yet filled with forebodings of disaster.
Being human and not realizing all
that was involved there must have
been in their minds leaven of hope.
These things that they vaguely dread
ed could not occur. Something would
happen; some power would inter-
vene; they should yet see the Mes
siah triumphant on a throne rather
than cross. Yet their hearts were
doubtless heavy with premonitions
of despair as they listened.
There was no vagueness about
Jesus grasp of the situation. There
was nothing to relieve His expecta-
tions. He knew that He would have
to drain the cup to the dregs. 1t
was even then at His lips. Yet He
did not allow this knowledge to over
whelm Him. He agonized in the gar
den and on the cross, but He never
absolutely and entirely gave way.
like to believe that one of the
thoughts which sustained Him in that
hour was that, no matter how ter
rible the way, how long the Via
Dolorosa, how awful the gateway of
the cross at the end He was going to
the Father. 1t seems to add the
divinest and sweetest touch to His
=, 10 IL s.,Ir \.
was in His mind when He repeated
again and again that simple state
ment. His work was almost over,
although its most terrible hours were
to come, although it's greatest de-
mand was to be met; yet there was
light at the end, for He was going
to the Father. He could not refrain
as man from telling the disciples
that over and over.
How the mind of Joseph, lord of
Lower and Upper Egypt, the vice.
regent of the world, went back to
that old man, his father, in Palestine!
How the mind of that young spend
thrift whose name is a synonym for
prodigality and filial disrespect
turned from his place with the swine
to his father standing on the hill
and looking down the long road
waiting for his boys return! How
the mind of man turns to his earthly
father! We hear great deal about
mothers; fathers have a place in our
affections, have they not?
Jesus went to His Father; the pro-
digal went also to his father. So
we may go to our Father which art
in Heaven. There is this difference
between our going and Christ's going.
He went alone save that the Father
was with Him. When we go now the
Father is with us in His love and
Jesus is with us in His brotherhood
We cannot go alone. And there is
no experience which we can go
through in our progress toward the
Father which is not exceeded in Bit
terness by that through which our
Saviour passed. Because of Him
anybody and everybody can go to
the Father, except the wilful, persis-
tent. determined sinner. You can go
to the Father with the guilt of mur-
der on your soul, but you cannot go
to the Father with the spirit of anger
In your heart. You can go to him
red-handed If you go to Him repen-
tant, and though you go to Him red
handed, II you go to Him repentant,
through Christ you can go to Him re-
generated and redeemed. You will
have to pay the penalty for your ac-
tions here. but II you are spiritually
changed the payment here is all that
will be exacted. So that every hui
man being who so desires can look
forward in his hour of trial as we'll
as in his day of triumph to a well
come from the Father. Though
your Gins be as scarlet, they shall
be as white as snow; though they be
red like crimson, they shall be as
wool. Cyrus Townsend Brady, in
the New York Sunday Herald.