The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-07-21
9elfscElla
Rev. 7. DEWITT TALMAGE.
PURE WATER FROM THE GREAT
WELL OF BETHLEHEM,
tQusnchlpg the Thirst Of the Worn and Weary
Traveller Lingering in Its Shade to Rest
and Refresh Himself.
THE WELL.

ruinons in harvest time. When the crops
are all ready for the sickle, to have them
trodden down by cavalry horses, and
heavy supply trains outlying the fields,
is enough to make any mans heart sick.
When war broke out between France
and Germany l rode across their golden
harvest fielCs and SOW the tents pitched
and the trenches dug in the very midst
of the ripe 6e ds-the long scythe of bat
tie sharpening to NOW down harvests of
Winrows of the dead. l. was at this sea-
son of the harvest the army of the Phil
istines came down upon Bethlehem.
Hsrk to the c,amor of their voices, the
neighirg of their chargers, the blare OF
their trumpets, ant the ella h of their
shields. Let David and his men fall
back! The Lords hosts sometimes loses
the day. But David knew where to hide.
He had been brought up in that country.
Boys are inquisitive, and they know all
about the region where they are born
and brought up. If you should 60 back
to the old homestead you could, with
your eyes shut, find your way to the or
Chard, or meadows, or hill back of the
house, with which you were familiar
thirty or forty years ago. So David knew
the cave Of Aduliam. Perhaps in his
boyhood he had played "hide.and-seek"
with his comrades all about the old cave;
and, although others might not have
known it, David did. Travellers say
there is only one way getting into that
cave, and that by narrow path; but Da'
vid was stout and steady-headed and
steady-nerved; and 80, with his three
brave staff officers, he goes along that
path, finds his way into the cave, tits
down, looks around at the roof and the
dark passages of the mountains, feels
very weary with the forced march, and
water be must have or die. doubt not
there may have been drops trickling
down the side of the cavern, or there
may have been some water in the goat
skin slung to his girdle; but that was not
what he wanted. He wanted a deep,
full, cold drjnk-suCh only as man gets
out of an old well with moss covered
bucket. David remembered that very
near that cave of Adallum there was
such a well as that-a well he used to 90
to in boyhood-the well of Bethlehem;
and he almost imagines he can hear the
liquid plashing of that well, and his par
Ched to que moves through his lips as
he says; 'Oh, that some one would give
me drink of the well Of Bethlehem,
which is by the gate"
1t was no sooner said than done. The
three brave staff officers bound to their
feet and start. Brave soldiers will even
take hint from their commander, Be.
tween them and the well lay the hosts
of the Philistines, and what could three
men 40 with an army? But where there
is a will there is a way; and with their
swords ashing this way and that, they
make their path to the well: While the
Philistines are amazed at the seeming
foolhardiness of these three men, and
cannot make up their minds exactly as
to what it means, the three men have
come to the we ], They dropped the
bucket; they brought up the water; they
pour it in the pail and started for the
cave. stop them" cried the PhilistineF.
"Clip them with your swords; stab them
with your spears; stop these three men,"
Too late. They have got around the hill |
and the hot rocks are splashed with the |
overhowing OF the water as it ls carried |
up the eliffs. The three men 90 along |
the dangerous paths, and with cheeks
flushed with the excitement, and all out
of breath in tue haste, fling their swords,
red with crimson, to the side of the cave,
and cry out to David: There, captain of
the host, is what you wanted, "a drink
of the water of the we'll of Bethlehem,
which is by the gate" A text is of no
use to me unless l can find Christ in it;
and unless l can bring a Gospel out of
these words, shall wish | had never
seen them. l have heard it said carrier
pigeons have sometimes letters tied un
der their wings. and that they fly humid
reds oil miles-a hundred miles in an
hour-carrying a message. So have
thought would like to have it with the
Gospel. o, heavenly dove, bling under
thy wing to my soul some message of
light and love and peacel 1t is not an
unusual thing to see people gather about
a well in summer tin g. The husband.
man puts down his cradle at the well.
The builder puts down his trowel. The
traveller puts down his pack. Then one
draws water for all the rest, himself ta-
king the very last The cup is passing
around, and the fires of thirst are put
out, and the traveller starts on his jour-
ney. and the workman takes up his bur
den. Thus we come around the Gospel
well. We pnt down our pack OF burdens
and our implements of toll; one man
must draw the water for those who have
gather ed around the well. | will try to
dIaw the wate and if after l have pour
ed out from this living fountain, / just
ghbbO VI ~ DOlli lO OAlO Will DNkluuRO
me drink from the water of the well
of Bethlehem, which is by the gate"
This Gospel will be like the one spo.
ken of in my text-a we'll of Bethlehem.
David had known hundreds of wells of
water, but he wanted to drink from this
particular one; and he thought nothing
could slake his thirst like that; and un-
lees our souls can get access to the foun-
tain opened for sin and uncleanness, we
must die. That fountain is the well of
1t was dug in the night; it |
was dug by the light of lantern-the
star that hung down over the msDger
1t was dug, not at the r. te Of Cesar's
in the park Of Jerusalem
bargain.maker. 1t was dug in a barn.
The camels lifted their weary heads to
listen as the work went on; the shep-
herds, unable to sleep because the heav-
ems were filed with bands of music, came
down to see the opening of the well. The
angels Of Cod at the fret gush of the
living water, dipped their chaliCes of Joy
into it and drank to me health of earth