Tuesday July 16, 2024
Luke 15:17
“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants
have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!’ ”
Some years ago there was a crossing-sweeper in Dublin at the corner with his broom; in all probability his highest thoughts were to keep the crossing clean and look for pennies. One day a lawyer put his hand upon his shoulder and said to him, ‘My good fellow, do you know that you are heir to a fortune of ten thousand pounds a year?’ ‘Do you mean it?’ said he. ‘I do,’ he replied. ‘I have just received the information; I am sure you are the man.’ He walked away and he forgot his broom. Are you astonished? Why, who would not have forgotten a broom when suddenly made possessor of ten thousand pounds a year? So I pray that some poor sinners, who have been thinking of the pleasures of the world, when they hear that there is hope and that there is heaven to be had, will forget the deceitful pleasures of sin and follow after higher and better things. The prodigal, when he said, ‘I will arise and go to my father,’ became in a measure reformed from that very moment. How? Why, he left the swine-trough; more, he left the wine cup and he left the harlots. He did not go with the harlot on his arm and the wine cup in his hand, saying, ‘I will take these with me and go to my father.’ It could not be. These were all left and, though he had no goodness to bring, yet he did not try to keep his sins and come to Christ. Some of you, I fear, will make mischief even out of the gospel and will dare to take the cross and use it as a gallows for your souls. If God is so merciful, you will go therefore and sin the more; and because grace is freely given, therefore you will ‘continue in sin, that grace may abound’. If you do this, I would solemnly remind you that I have no grace to preach to such as you. Your ‘damnation is just.”
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD 
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