The Alaska citizen., 1916-09-25
Sermon to the People
 G. G. BRUCE
BY THE REV. G. c. BRUCE.

doubting Thomas lost his doubts and fears Wonderful, the power of His miracles, The modern chem ist hides a little carbon in a huge mass of steel. and by electricity and sudden pressure turns it into small diamond. then tells us how the great earth turns coal dust into diamonds. The faith that pointed Booth. and Jerry Macauley and Sam Hadley on until they had redeemed the poor wretChes Of the street and slum, was based on the transforming power Jesus wrought on the Scarlet Men of His day.
 No sweeter story is told than the one told by Jesus of the prodigal who returned from wasting his sub stance with riotous living This has ever given the reformers of the land new courage and hope. As Je sus talked to the throngs a man appeared on the edge of the multi tude, ragged to see and wrecked in DOuS anu soul Al once It NdS recognized and his name was pass ed around. He had wronged his father and departed from home, but was now returning. with physical forces spent and wrecked in health. Popular sympathy was not favoring the boy, but held to the rights of the father wronged and embarrassed The people would have cast him out Just then Jesus parties the blow with story that has baffled all literary writers. Nothing is lack the wayward boy; we understand his restlessness and desire to man age affairs for himself; we appre- ciate his curiosity for the forbidden things the world offers. Many a youth has revolted against his par ents his friends. and gone into a far country" to return later in poverty, rags, ruined health, and sad disgrace, or has not returned at all. Jesus tells the story of the boys return and the fathers com passion and mercy and kindness in words that touch the human heart. In the moment everything was for given and forgotten. It would be ignoble to speak of the past in the love and character of the future. We can better understand the passage where We read: AS far as the east is from the west. so far has He removed our transgressions from us" Never did youth fall so far, and never was bruised soul lifted so | high. Now no lover of His follow CTS has a right to doubt the recov- cry of any human soul that will return. Every ruined life may have hope for full restoration in the Fathers love.
 What a revelation of Christ's teaching about the Scarlet Man con- corning the infinite pity and con- passion of God. The story of the ascent of man" is eloquent of the power of God to lift dead things unto life and forever plant the star of hope. It is as the sailor long driven by the tempests of the seas, in the lifting of the mists finds him. self safely in the harbor, having passed the capes and narrows some distance back. Home and loved | half pnn1 tn i him as now All the hardships of | the voyage are lost in the bright l future, the happy children and the l love of appreciating wife. History takes us back to the days when men | lived in caves and knew not the | highest things well. Now man has fire and tools, cottages and pal aces, libraries and liberty and re- | ligion Every day brings us new evidence that we must make room 1 for loving God to live with us. l Only infinite love could bridge the abyss between the days of the cave and the days of the new happiness. No one will question that the inf
 mite God knew that man was worth while. Though he would wander from the old home, yet he must not be permitted to stay away; for lack of pity or compassion or love l he must have no excuse to abide in the far country" Jesus cher
 ished the idea that the human soul was like mine of diamonds that must be discovered. What beauti
 ful things Jesus said about mans soul When the great inventor
 Langley, perfected his delicate in strument in which he measured the heat of the stars, he is said to have
 put his hands upon it and stroked it's parts, fondling it and whispered to himself When l was a boy l said Twinkle. twinkle, little star, how l wonder what you are;' but now, being man, little star, l say:
 Twinkle. twinkle, little star, l know exactly what you are, as again he fondled the instrument. With all manner of words and expressions Jesus fondles the thoughts of the
 human soul and its divine value.
 What shall it profit man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" What will man give
 in exchange for his soul?" What