Prodigal sons

Ho. 69.

PRODIGAL SONS,

BY KEV. DANIEL A. Vfc'-NICK, SR., Rorhjj Rirr/', X. C.

Surely there are many^prodigal sons in the arm}". They
are the loved ones of praying christian parents, wives and
sisters. They have been trained up and educated for God.
Having created them and preserved them, given his Son to
redeem them and his Spirit to quicken and sanctify them ;
lie is emphatically their Father, and justly claims their
confidence and affection — their obedience and devotmn.as
his children. But they have ignored God as their Father,
have departed from Hiin, and fehosetf to have their own
way. Ail this have they dune -by neglecting his word,
following their own devices, profaning his name, desecra-
ting the Sabbath day. restraining prayer, rejecting his
Son as a Saviour, resisting the iloiy -Spirit, standing ai< >of
■from his el:";;u-u. and joining themselves, in fbeiT pvefer-
effees and a isolations. wittt.Ms enemies, The prodigality
here charged, is not the wasting <4' the goods of ionr
tavtirly i e • ■ ' perverting aiwJ wasting — f fie time,
totenta and c ur unities wfcfech your heuVeinly i'uiher has
given you. Young men, however brave you may be as-
soldiers, are you not prodigals in the sense of the piarable.

2 Z -:'.'■.

f see Luke, 15 chapter,0) and in the sight of &od your
Make*?

These prodigal soldiers too are rapidly approaching a
state of want, when come to themselves, they will deeply
feel that they have no spiritual nourishment, that their
souls are perishing with hunger, and that they are now
pa-ting the husks oT sin, and of this wicked woild. Al-
ready are they assured that God is angry with them, their
own hearts also condemning them. They are afraid to
die, and yet they may fall in the next battle, or by disease,
aj any moment. Soldiers that are impenitent and unbe-
lieving ; is not the case of the prodigal son emphatically
your case ? Should disease or a mortal wound 'suddenly
place you upon the bed of death j have you any scriptural
hope of eternal life ? Have you not, on the contrary, a
foreboding and dread of eternal death ?

Then, imitate the example of the scriptural prodigal in*
the following particulars, viz ;

1. Remember your heavenly Father, and that in his % — ,
house there is enough and to spare. In his house are JJ3 *%
many mansions, and He is plenteous in mercy. He hath jZ. 53
u no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the
wicked turn from his way and .-live." He has sent his
only begotten- Son to prepare the way and call them back
to Him; and the Holy Spirit to draw, quicken and sanc-
tify them. In Jesus Christ, under the influences of the
Spirit, there is wisdom, strength, righteousness, sanctifi-
cation and complete redemption. He has food for the
hungry, clothing for the naked, cleansing for the polluted,
and li.o fjjjr dead souls. And He has made the way plain
.'uul-eosy to ail penitent believer?.

2. As dia the prodigal, form the purpose and be fully
persuaded and determined to return to .your heavenly
Father. Say, in your heart and by your course of conduct,

%

I will arise and- go to my father, confess to him my sins,
and beg for his mercy. " Father, I have sinned against
heaven, and before thee ,and am no more worthy to be
called thy son : make nffe as one of thy hired servants."
If you remain where, and as you are, your soul will be
assuredly and eternally lost. If you continue unwilling
and undetermined to return to God, there is no hope or
possibility of your salvation. God has placed life and
death before you iii the gospel. You must choose between
them. No one else can choose or determine in your stead.
Then, form the purpose. "1 will rise and go to my
Father. " Had not the prodigal resolved, he would not
have returned.

3. But be sure to act as well as resolve, and act prompt-
ly. To delay action is a choice of continuance in sin, and
of death. It is evidence that your great adversary, the
Devil, has gained his point over you. Then, arise at
once, have your wicked associates, and the husks of sinful
pleasures and indulgences. Cease your neglect of the
Bible, and of prayer, your profanity and desecration of the
holy Sabbath. Call often and earnestly upon God in
prayer, confess^your sins and unworthiness to Him. Ask
him importunately for his mercy and grace. Take no de-
nial, but persevere in prayer, as a helpless, starving beg-
gar. Without a de^p sense of your need, a willingness to
give up all your sifts, a desire to be made holy a3 God is
holy, and a controlling spirit of earnest prayer to God,
you have no right to expect that your heavenly Father
will ever receive you. Forget not, however, that it is not'
your resolves, or prayers, or tears, or reformation that can
save: BuMhat it i.v Hu; i'Yee and sovereign mercy and
grace of G-od alone that can save ; but that He requires
repentance, faith and obedience as indispensible terms of
salvation.

4. Be encouraged, nevertheless, to resolve, arise and
go to your heaven ly Father, confess and repent of your
sins before Him, ami ask him for -his mercy and grace,
even the salvation of your sotils ; by the results in the
case of the prodigal son. How promptly and cheerfully
did the father receive and reinstate his returning son ! He
did not even wait for his son t ) get through his confession
and requests. But the Father paid. to his servants, bring-
forth the best, robe and put it on him; and put a ring-
on his hand and shoes on his feet ; And bring hither the
fatted calf, and kill it: and let us eat and be merry; For
this my son was dead ilive again ; lie was lost and

is found. And they began to be merry.'' See Luke 15,
11—23.

Soldiers, are you pj ligal ions of our great and good
Father in heaven ': ': rise and retiitti to him. Make

confession and oii'er prayer to Him. AsmredtyyMG will
meet and embrace you ; put the robe of Christ's right-
eousness upon you ; and give you a title to a place in his
house and at his table; and there shall be joy in the
presence of God. as well as in your heart. How can you
stay away from such a ffather.

1 Come, trembling sinner, in \v!;oe breast

A thousand tl i evolve :

Come, with your guilt and fear oppre^s'cl,
And make ft i: ;•' reaoWf:

2 r- I'll go to testis thoi gh m\ sin

fiat}] like a ' m - rose]
T kao% fcl*&» irk ft] enter h

Whatever ..... • (Sfe. >

(i i:.i can but perish il'I\go, ♦

*1 am resolved to try ;
For if I stay away, I k now
1 must forever die."