THE PRODIGAL SON

Mr. Moody’s Elquent Talk on the Well known Parable.

Practical Application of the Story

He Urges His Hearers That Now is the Time.

Large Attendance of Men

One thing which strikes the observer the Moody and Sankey services is the large proportion of men in the audience. The proportion is much larger than is usually found in church congregations. This was notably the case at last night’s meeting. The preliminary service of prayer and song was varied by the appearance of Mr. John R. Sweeney, who has written many of the songs in the Moody and Sankey hymnal. He also sang a solo, “Escape to the Mountains,” the words of which are now printed for the first time:

“Awake, O ye careless, arise and away, The voice of the Spirit is pleading today; A storm is approaching, destruction is nigh; Escape to the mountain—for why will ye die?

Chorus:

“Escape to the mountain; escape to the mountain, A storm is approaching; destruction is nigh; Escape to the mountain; escape to the mountain; Be warned of your danger, O haste, ere ye die.

“The angel of mercy is calling again, Stay not in the valley or rest on the plain; Press onward, straight onward, and look not behind, But speed to your refuge as fleet as the wind.

“The trump of the Gospel is sounding once more, Your day of probation ere long may be o’er; God’s heralds entreat you with urgent command, Then why undecided, oh, why will you stand,

“A dear loving Savior still knocks at your heart, Now open its portals, nor let Him depart; Give head to His message, repent and believe— The pardon He offers with gladness receive!”

A Member of the Choir Remembered.

At the commencement of the service Mr. Moody invoked the audience to silent prayer and asked the prayers of the congregation in behalf of a bereaved family, a member of the choir having died suddenly and left a husband and two sons, who had also been members of the choir. “Thank God! she died with a glorious hope.” fervently said Mr. Moody, in referring to the deceased’s Christian life. After a few moments of silent prayer, Mr. Percy Foster, leader of the choir, pronounced a touching prayer for the bereaved family.

Mr. Moody then read a few verses in the fifteenth chapter of Luke, the parable of the Prodigal Son, the old story of the young man who wasted his substance in riotous living until he came to that point where he was fain to eat husks which the swine ate; then he returned in penitence to his father’s house and was received with open arms by his forgiving father.

At the conclusion of the reading, Mr. Sweeney sang the touching solo, “Where Is My Wandering Boy Tonight?” Mr. Sankey played the accompaniment and joined in the chorus. Then the choir and congregation sang the hymn “Christ Receiveth Sinful Men.”

The Prodigal Son.

“We have for our subject tonight the Prodigal Son.” said Mr. Moody, “perhaps the best known character in the Bible. We are probably better acquainted with him than his brother. The trouble with the young man is that he started out with a false idea of life. and I am inclined I think that about ninety-nine in every one hundred young men of this day do the same thing, and that is that they are not willing to take the advice of those who have gone ahead. Plenty of money and nothing to do ruins millions. It is a commandment, I believe, that man must eat his bread by the sweat of his brow. I would not give much for any one but self-made man. The rich man’s son who amounts to anything these days is a rarity. The rich man’s son has not a fair show in the world. One of the greatest mistakes which parents make is that their children should do nothing but spend the money which they made.

The Modern Type.

“I shall picture that prodigal as a modern prodigal, shall bring him down to this century. That young man was just as much a prodigal the day he left home, and more so, then he was when he returned without money. I’ve no doubt that young man moved with the bon ton society; he attended the theater, wore the best clothes, drove a four-in-hand team, smoked the best cigars, and drank at only the best bars. He probably went down to Memphis, where there was a gay set, and went a fast pace. It probably took about five years to run through his little fortune. Now we find him no longer at the best hotel; he is down in a back street, hanging around the pawn broker shop. About that time there came mighty famine in that land. I tell you there will always be a famine in the devil’s land, and it never failed. Now you see him shambling along in his rags avoided by his former companions, shunned and despised. No man gave to him. The devil never gives. The world will help ruin you, but It will never help you up.

Would Not Beg Nor Steal.

“But I want to say a word for the prodigal. Thank God he would not beg and would and steal. I tell you that a young man of twenty-five who begs is almost beyond lifting up. He went out and was fain to eat swine food. But nobody would even give him swine food. Now, just stop and see what that young man lost. In the first place he lost all of his money, all of his so-called friends; he lost his reputation; he lost his good name. I want to know if prodigals are not doing that right along?

“But there was one thing which he never lost. He never lost his father’s love. The father’s love was unchangeable. It was that which brought him. He knew that his father still loved him.

“One morning he got to thinking. Oh, I could just get you people tonight to thinking ‘Where am I, where am I going?’ It was thinking that brought that boy back. He sat down and thought of his youth and his father—how good his father was to him. Then he took a look out into the future, and there was nothing but darkness and gloom. Oh, sinner, take a look ahead down the road to the grave. It isn’t far off.

Resolving to Go Home.

“Then came the struggle with that young man. It was with his pride that he struggled. And when that prodigal said ‘I will arise and go to my father’ I believe the shout echoed around the throne of God.

“Now, take a look into the old home. I would like to have dropped into that home just a week before. We will see that old man at family prayers, praying for his son. Ask the eider brother where the absent boy is, and he will tell you he is down in Egypt, a ne’er do well, who has spent his substance in riotous living. Then go into the house and see the old man. He does not harbor any ill-feeling against the boy. He wants him to come home. People, your Father wants you to come home. God wants you. I say that God wants every sinner here. No matter how black or unworthy you are. He will forgive you if you ask Him.

“Now we can imagine the old man going up to the house top and making the evening prayer. Then he looked over the highway, and he sees an object off on the horizon. He looks closer, and sees his boy.

“He didn’t call his servant; he rushed down stairs, ran faster than he ever ran before. I see him running along, his white hairs streaming in the wind. Picture the meeting.

“There are lots of drunkards In Washington who are afraid they will go back again, afraid they will go back again to the husks. Man, if you ever get up to your Father’s house and get your legs under the mahogany table and taste of that spread you will never go back to the devil’s service. It don’t pay.

Now is the Time.

“Now is your time to say that you will arise and go to your Father. Who will say, ‘I will arise and go to my Father,’ Speak out and say ‘I will,’” Then from over the hall came the responses “I will,” and for ten minutes Mr. Moody elicited the responses.

After singing several more hymns the conversational after-meeting began. The Christian workers scattered through the hall, searching for converts and talking to those who were seeking for help. Each person had a package of blanks and pencil, with which they took the names of those who might care to talk to some minister or Christian worker about their spiritual condition.

The Afternoon Service.

At the afternoon meeting yesterday Mr. Moody made “Heaven” the subject of his remarks. He preached an eloquent sermon upon the thought of heaven being a reality, a place and not a speculation or uncertainty. Of course, said he, many will quote the scriptural phrase: “Eye hath not seen. and ear hath not heard neither hath it entered into the heart of man the things that the Lord bath prepared for those that love Him.” But, as usual, they stop at the wrong place, for in the very next verse does it not say, “But God hath revealed them to us by His spirit, for the spirit searcheth out the deep things, yea, the deep things of God?” Does not that look as though we had some warrant for believing that even in this life we can comprehend some of the glories that are awaiting for us beyond?