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in m an to stay his downward tendency. I t is always “ earthly, sensual, deyilish.” He goes for a good time. He used th e goods given him as though they had cost th e fath e r nothing to bestow. When th e hum an will takes th e b it it Is a short dash to;>destruction. (Prov. 21:17) “H e t h a t lo v e th p le a s u re s h a ll h e a p o o r m a n ; h e th a t lo v e th w in e a n d o il s h a ll n o t h e ric h .” . How tru e is the Scripture,— There is a way which seemeth rig h t unto a man, b u t th e end thereo i are th e ways of d eath ” (Prov. 1 4 :12 ). There is much sowing of wild oats, bu t those sown by th e backslider yield th e most wretched harvest. (Rom. 8:13.) The lesson h ere is obvious. Learn it. All is waste which is not used for God’s glory; and what a waste th ere is in the m isuse of th e faculties and powers and means bestowed upon us! The road to anarchy is in the use of an unsurren dered will. (Judges 21:25) “In th o se d a y s th e r e w a s n o k in g In I s r a e l; e v e ry m a n d id th a t w h ic h w a s r ig h t in h is ow n ey es.” (3) SERVING SWINE, vs. 14-16. “And he sent him into th e fields to feed swine.” It is th e old story. “He began to be in w ant.” He had known no w ant in his fath e r’s house. Now he knows it and feels th e keenness of its bite. When he had money he had many so-called “ friends’’,: Now he has neither. How soon the glow and glamour of a reckless life wears off. The devil paints some glowing pictures of th e “ far coun try ” , b u t it is a grim and gloomy pic tu re when you arrive. The fa r country is a barren land where no w ater is; a w ilderness where th e re is no bread. There is no home th ere; no real loving friend. If we choose, we can live away from God, bu t we can have no real joy or peace. “As I live, saith th e Lord, th ere is no peace to the wicked.” “He joined himself to a citizen.” (He him self was not a citizen,— th e back slider has his citizenship in heaven.)
(1 ) SELFISH SEEKING, vs. 11, 12. “Give me th e portion, of goods.” P ain t a pictu re of a happy home, pre sided over by a loving fath er. Peace and plenty abound. The fath e r’s sole though t is the care and com fort of his children. Custom made it possible for th is son to demand th e portion while th e fath e r yet lived and to use it as he pleased. Selfishness is the root sin of th e hu man h e a rt and w ilfulness is th e fruit. To be independent of God and of all re stra in t is th e n atu ra l desire of th e flesh. We w ant our own way and o ar own things. Every sinning backslider finds th e beginning of his downward course here. F irs t he becomes separated in though t. “God is no t in all his though ts” (Psa. 1 0 :4 ). Then he be comes separated in his outw ard life. He neglects prayer and th e Word of God, then, the church of God and the work of God (M ark 7:21) « F o r fro m w ith in , o u t o f th e h e a r t of m en , p ro ceed e v il th o u g h ts , a d u lte rie s , fo rn ic a tio n s , m u rd e rs , th e f ts , c o v e to u s n e s s, w ic k e d n e ss, la sc iv io u sn e ss, a n ev il ey e, b la sp h em y , p rid e , fo o lish n e ss.” The career of Absalom is the Old Testam ent illu stration of th is tru th . I t is a sad day for a Christian when he begins to distinguish between th a t which he calls “ his own” and th a t which belongs to God. This is a Satanic snare. God gives to His own children th e power of choice. He does not force us to loyalty of lives or service. (2 ) SOWING WILD OATS, . v. 13. “W asted his substance in riotous living.” . “Not many days.” It is a sho rt cut from thought to deed. When we tire of th e re stra in t of God’s love and life, we move quickly to th e “ far country” . The son had asked for his portion of goods, bu t not for his fath e r’s blessing, and so w ent w ithou t it. He* soon shows th e tendency of th e old natu re. All of its tendencies and sins soon crop out. There is no power
PROPERTY. (Outside Back Coyer)
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