The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1873-05-28
THE FOUNTAIN AND THE CIsTERN.

THE FOUNTAIN AND THE CISTERN.
God condescended to become the national
ruler of the Jews, pledging them protection
against all their enemies, and advancement
to the highest prosperity.
With this splendid possible future before
it, the nation left this high vantage ground,
and, descending to the level of the surround
ing nations, joined in the universal idolatry;
and at once entered upon career of disas-
ter, which, after twenty five centuries, is
stretched out still.
The record of this critical chapter in their
history is found in these stern and Sorrowful
words: "My people have committed two
evils-they have forsaken Me, the fountain
of living waters, and hewed out for them
selves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can
hold no water"
History repeats itself. MultitudeS in our
day are copying this fatal example.
Note the sharp contrast in the two objects
of choice-God and the world; the fountain
and the cistern.
The fountain is created by God; the cis-
tern, with slow and toilsome effort, hewed
out by man.
Christ has wrought out for US perfect
righteousness. We have only to appropriate
to ourselves His finished work as freely as
the traveller stoops to the wayside fountain.
On the Gyer-sgchingrcSk of, the great fopu-
tain is craven the broad invitation, "WHo-
soEvER WILL, LET HIM TAKE OF THE WATER
OF LIFE FREELY"
Multitudes of thirsty wayfarers pass by
this open fountain, and 90 about-a long
and weary circuit, perhaps, of years-to es-
tablish a righteousness of their own. And
when they have skirted the whole amphithe
atre of the mountains of Legalism, hewing
out, by prayer and penance, one broken
cistern after another, are brought back to
the forsaken fountain, and obtain in a mo-
ment what they have vainly sought for
years-a full salvation.
The supply of the fountain is inexhausti-
ble-that of the cistern limited. When the
pilgrim has dipped up bucket after bucket
from this mountain spring, it is still full to
the rim-the bottom of the cistern is quickly
reached. The joys of religion are unspeak-
able and full of glory-those of the world
can no more satisfy an immortal mind than
summer riyulet can fill the oceans bed.
How different the current belief The
majority of men look upon religion as con-
venient appendage of life, like streamer at
the bottom of the mast, but regard wealth as
the thing which really will push them for
ward in the world, as steam drives the
freighted vessel across the seas.
When Stephen Girard, in his old age,
said he kept at work to keep from thinking,
he made the sad confession that he had, for
twenty years, been hewing out cistern,
which was found at last with fatal leak at
the bottom.
Spring water is of better quality than els.
tern water. The pleasures Of sin, poor at
the best, are for season. Like the rain
water, when it Sfssfsils, they are sweet in
youth, but like that same water, soon become
distasteful.
Society is full of worn-out pleasure-seek-
ers-once the leaders of fashion, now mere
hulks of humanity, YEARLY hewing at the
cstern of gay life, but only to kill time.
The happiness of the Christian, like the
flow of the fountain, lasts. The grey-haired
man stoops over the same fountain which
slaked his thirst when ruddy boy, and finds
its waters as sweet as ever.
But there is one crucial hour in which the
difference between the fountain and the els
tern is sharply de6ned-the hour of death
The millionaire cannot then, with all hiI
gold, buy off single pang, nor bribe th'
silent messenger to pause a single hour IL
his steady approach. The pleasure-seekel
finds his cistern empty-he has had his gooc
things. The infdel, with eager, trembling
hands, swings his bucket, but it rings agains
hollow walls.
eff I had served my God, said the dying
cardinal, "as faithfully as have served ny
king, He would not have fOrsaken me in m.
dying hour 1t is just at this point tina
God never does forsake His people. Man.
Christian, who has passed through life will
dim hope and fear of death, has at tn
close found that hope strangely bright-th
fountain strangely full. And when he ha