Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-10-03
Grey. E B. Jackson, D. d.

~NNANANA ~ 0AAS = ~ oSCu at any Time
thy commandment" Luke 1929.
want to show you in these Sun
day evening sermons a picture gal
lery Of some men and women with
whom you are familiar and we are To
take a sharp look at the elder brother
tonight. He is placed in startling con-
trast with the prodigal son, and it is
only an .amplification of the incident
of the Pharasee and the Publican. We
have the portrait of a man who never
makes mistake and who never makes
anything else. He was very certain
that he avoided pitfalls that wreck
men in the eye of the world, but in
this escape ne made a greater failure.
He Avoids Mistakes IN Making a
LiviRg.
But in doing that ne does make a
life. He will be certain TO Took after
material success. He remains at home
because there is money to be made.
His father can put him in line of great
prosperity and after a while he would
need to build greater barns, and
could say: "Soul take tine ease"
Never would this poor sordid, miser-
ly soul lose penny like his spend
thrift brother. Again he knee ho,o
to contend for his rights.
No one should ever get one cent
that belonged to him and not a cent
of tribute would be given to his IN
fortunate friends. Indeed, such a man
has no friends because he does not
show himself friendly. Selfishness
was the key to his life and after a
while he would slip out "unwept, ur-
honored and unsung" Again | be-
lieve he felt that honesty is the best
policy.
He had lived there at home and
had made the discovery that for sue
cess he must adopt correct business
principles. A man whose ideals never
reached beyond fattening calves and
pigs for the market must guard his
reputation for square dealing, if he
were to continue to drive sharp bar
gains.
He made a wonderful success but
he lost life. He was a miser. and
the miser does not possess the gold,
but the gold possesses the miser Note
again.
2.-The Elder Brother AUOids His
idkes ~ Conduct.
His father could not bring any re-
proach against his behavior-he was
model son in many respects. He
goes so far as to say: 81 hare rot
trdRSgreSSed at aRg time" | suppose
he had not gotten in with the fast SEE
because ne felt that it would in
capacitate him for business if he
should lead a life of dissipation. He
banked very much on this outward
conduct and made the claim boldly
that he was good enough. Was he no;
square in all his dealings:
But note that his 1gas a scribe life.
His service to the home evidently was
inspired by selfish motives. He may
not have violated the letter of the
commandment but the spirit of obedi-
ence was absent. He expected a re-
turn some day for everything he had
done at home-anything like affection
for the father was q thing unhearc
of. Note that his goodness 3caS mega
tire, Christ does not commend the
elder son-he pictures him as a man
who makes no mistakes, but whose
goodness is absolutely negative. There
are men in every community whose
going out would not be felt as far as
any material loss is concerned. He
had chance to help brother brought !
back by n miracle from poverty and
even death, but he was angry with |
This brother.
Think again of the
3-Elder Brother in Human Relic |
tons.
Remember how he boasts of HIM !
self in contrast with this foolish !
brother. But he has not a spark OF |
sympathy with the brother even |
though ne had avoided his mistakes. |
An insane spirit OF jealousy seems to [
seize him. He cannot stand seeing an
other being placed ahead of him. no
matter what the circumstances that /
made it natural for his father. In
deed ne would not treat the brother
as a human being.
The hiGbe, lOlC of lore seems to hare
been forgotten, Had not that prodigal
the home, and even though
he was peniteut and would remain
with the hired servants yet his own
heart was a cold as a stone. Indeed
there are evidences that he eXag-
gerateS the facts in order 10 weap him
away from his father. He would al
low him return again to a foreign
country. Oh. the sin of 4 bad heart!
Incidentally we note therefore that
the recovery of his brother had no
interest for him. We have here 4 con-
ceit which in him is barrier to moral
progress. The poor Publican, beat
ing upon his breast would be justi-
fled rather than this Self-righteous
PharaSee, who was thin king about /
himself. unmindful of human suffer
ing and sin. Note once more the
4.-Eldcr Brother Touching the Grace
of God.
Why talk of grace to man whose
self righteousness stands forth? He
never makes any mistake in placing
a discount on Righteousness. This
poor brother becomes to him a horrible
example. The free git Of fotker's
lore is diScredited The old man is too