Gilpin observer., 1912-02-08
who have written their names so
high that they can never bei forgotten

Away at the other end OF lno ion;,
line that l see in my vision, SO hun
cry that he would faed with the
swine, so poor that he has been cast
off by the world, l see another prod
igal. His course is almost run. The
eye that was once beautiful in its
dreaminess, is blood-shot and dim.
The cheek that glowed with youth
is haggard and pale. The feet move
slowly and the soul is sick. He is
| in a far country He is away from
God.In his bitterness he remembers
mothers prayers. He comes to
himself and says, / want mother S
God to be my God. He says, 81 will
arise and go back and say, Father,
have sinned against heaven and
in thy sight, and am no more worthy
to be called thy son." This is the
prodigal in the picture. He is no
saint. The older brother said he had
wasted his living with harlots, sure
ly that was a wicked man.
Between these two extremes we
see the youth and the maiden, with
laughter and song heedlessly taking
their way toward that far country.
Beginning to indulge in the sins OF
the world. We see them little
farther on with marks of death upon
them, and by the time they should
be in the full strength of noble
manhood and holy womanhood, they
are very far from that. AS the years
go by, they hurry on until the power
ty of soul becomes pitiable. The
farther they get from, God, the deep
er becomes the gloom that surrounds
them, and the less likely are they
to come to themselves and return,
until if they persist, they finally
leave behind them the last opportun-
ity to return and be saved.
Dear friend here tonight who is
still unsaved, l do not know how far
you have gone in this downward way.
1t may be that you are still the
bright-eyed boy CT girl only dreaming
Of that far country. You may be the
youth or maiden who has only been
needless of the better things of life.
YCu may be the person in middle life
hurrying on toward that country with
accelerating speed or it may be that
your course is almost run. l do not
know.
l am now to place before you some
of the things that God uses to bring
men to themselves, and lead them
to turn back to fathers house.
This parable certainly says that
this mans rags and hunger and ruin
brought him to himself and he said,
II will arise and go to my father
and will say unto him, father l have
sinned." There are many things that
God uses to bring men to them
selves. 1t would seem that for one
to look calmly into the face of the
future and understand that the days
of earth are numbered and in a little
time he must so to meet God and
receive for all eternity according as
he has accepted or rejected Gods
plan for his salvation, ought to be
enough to bring any man to- himself,
and lead him to return from his
wanderings. But this is not enough.
1t does not reach the multitude of
men az all. 1t seems that many must
see the lightnings and hear the
thunders before they will turn. A
mighty hest will only turn when they
have exhausted every hope of pleas
ure or salvation in the world In
spiritual poverty, with nothing to
give and no hope of anything in this
world, they turn to God as this prod
igal turned his face toward father S
house. Oh, men here tonight. Why
is 1t that you have persisted in 60
ing in the way of ruin, while God
has been calling you and your friends
are praying for you, and the blood
stained cross is planted in the way
to turn you back to God? There is
God promises to his own all that is
good. But there is a great danger
of eternal loss if you do not turn
back to God tonight. This old book
says, Thou knowest not what al day
may bring forth" 1t may be that to-
morrow you win stand at the judg-
ment seat of God to hear the depart
from me, If you do not come to
Jesus now.
TO LEASE,