|
THE PRODIGAL....
From Spurgeon's "Men Chosen--Fallen Angels Rejected"
The prodigal set out one morning, and he had a long, long
journey to go; he had a high hill to climb, called the hill of his
own sins and follies. He had scarcely got to the top of it, and
was getting near the tower, called the tower of true
repentance, when his father, who was sitting on the top
of the house, saw him; and when he saw him, he ran out
immediately, and before his son had got to the door, he had
fallen on his neck and kissed him.
He took his son into his house, and a feast was prepared,
and they sat down to it; but after the son had sat down, the
father turned his eye to him, and he was not eating, but the
tears were rolling down his cheeks. "My son," said the
father, "why don't you eat? Why do you weep, my son? The
feast is all prepared for you." Bursting into tears, the son said,
"Father, do you forgive me all?"
"Yes," says the father, "I do. Eat my son. Do not weep."
The prodigal went on. The father turned his eye to the other
guests, and by-and-bye, looking on his son, he saw that he
was weeping again, and not eating. Said the father, "Son,
why don't you eat? The feast is all for you. Why do you
weep, my son?" "Father," said he, with the tears rolling down
his cheeks again, "will you let me stay here?" "Oh, yes, my
son," said the father, "eat; do not weep; you shall stay here;
you are my beloved son."
Well, the prodigal went on,and the father looked at the other
guests; but by-and-bye he turned his eyes again, and there
was his son weeping once more. "My dear son," he asks,
"why do you weep?"
"Oh, father," said he, "will you 'keep' me here? for if you do
not, I know I shall run away. Father, will you 'make' me
remain here?" "yes, my son," said he, "that I will."
"My grace shall like a fetter bind Your wandering heart to me."
The son wiped his eyes, went on with his meal, and never wept again.
|