Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-09-13

there now three times-tirstior melt, then
for arson, now for murder. he steps upon
the trap door, the rope IS fastened to bis
neck, the plank falls. his body swings
into the air. his soul swings of INTO eter-
nifty. Who is he, and where is he? This
afternoon playing kite on the city COM
mons. Mother, you are this morning
hosting a throne or forging chain; you
are kidding star or dlgRing dungeon.
A good many years ago Christian
mother sat teaching lessons OF religion to
her child; and ne drank in those les
sons. she never knew that Lamphier
would come forth and establish the Full
ton Street Prayer Meeting, and by one
meeting revolutioniZe the devotions OF the
whole earth, and thrill the eternlties with
his Christian influence. Lamphier said
it was his mother who brought him to
Jesus Christ. She never had an idea that
she was leading forth such destlnles. But
Oh, when | see a mother reckless OF her
influence. rafting on toward destruction,
garlanded for the sacrifice with unseemly
mirth and gOdlessness, dancing on down
to perdition, taking her children
in the same direction, preparing them for
a life Of frivolity, death Of shame, and
an eternity OF disaster, cannot help but
say: There they go-there they GO:
Hagar and IshmaelW l tell you, there
are wilder deserts than Beer-sbeba in
many of the fashionable circles OF this
day. Disslpated parents leading dissi-
pated children. Avaricious parents lead
ing avaricious children. Prsyerless par
ents leading prayerless children. They
go through every street, up every dark
alley, into every cellar, along every high
way. Hagar and Ishmael! and while |
pronounce their names, it seems like the
moaning of the death wind: "Hagar and
Ishmael ~
". learn one more lesson from this
oriental scene, and that is, that every
wilderness has well in it. Hagar and
Ishmael gave up to die. Hagar's heart
sank within her as she heard her child
crying: water! Water Water!" "Ah,"
she says, ''my darling. there is no water.
This is desert" And then Gods angel
said from the cloud: what aileth thee,
Hagar?" And she looked up and saw
him pointing to a we'll of water, where she
filled the bottle for the lad. Blessed be
God, that there is in every wilderness a
well, if you only know how TO find it
fountains for all these thirsty souls this
morning. On that last day, on that great
day OF the feast, Jesus stood and cried:
'If any man thirst, let him come
to me and drink All these
other fountains you find are mere mirages
of the desert. Paracelsus, YOU know,
spent his time in trying to find out the
elixir of life-a liquid which if taken
would keep one perpetually young in this
world, and would change the aged back
again to youth. OF course he was disaD-
pointed, he found not the elixir. But
here tell you this morning of the elixir
of everlasting life bursting from the
Rock of Ages" and that drinking that
water you shall never get old, and you
will never be sick, and you will never
die. Gao, every one that thirsteth come
ye to the waters" All, here Is man who
saws: IL have been looking tor that foun-
tain a great while. but can't find it," And
here is some one else, who says: 81 be-
lieve all you say, but | have been trudg-
ing along IN the wilderness and can't find
the fountain" Do you know the reason?
1 will tell you. You never looked
in the right direction. "Oh," you say.
~ have looked everywhere. have looked
north, south, east and west, and haven't
found the fountain" Why, you are not
looking in the right direction at all. Look
up, where Hagar looked. She never would
have found the fountain at all but when
she heard the voice of the angel she
looked up, and she saw the finger point
ing to the supply. And, o soul. II to-day
with one earnest, intense prayer you
would only look up to Christ, He would
point you down to the supply in the will
dern IS. "LoOk unto me all We ends Of
the earth and be We saved; for am God,
and there is mono else" Look! Look,
as Hagar looked!
Yes, there 10 a well for every desert of
bereavement. Looking over the audience
this morning. l notice an unusual num-
Der of signs of mourning and woe. Have
YOU found consolation? 0 man berett, o
woman bereft, have you found consola-
ton? Hearse after hearse We step from
one grave hillOck to another grave hill
lock. We follow corpses, ourselves soon
to be like them. The world is In mourn
ing for its dead. Every heart has become
the sepulchre of some buried joy. But
sing We to God; every wilderness has a
well in it, and come to that well to-day,
and | begin to draw water from that well.
If YOU have lived in the country you have
sometimes taken hold Of the rope of the
old well-sweep, and you know how the
bucket came up, dripping with bright,
cool water. And l lay hold of the rope
of Gods mercy this morning, and | begin
to draw on that Gospel well-sweep, and l
see the buckets coming up.
Thirsty soull Here is one bucket of
Iifel Come and drink Of it. "WhOso-
ever will, let him come and take of the
water of life freely" l pull away again
at the rope. and another bucket comes
up. 1t is this promise: Weeping may
endure for night, but joy cOmeth in tn e
morning." l lay hold of the rope again,
and pull away with all my strength,
and the bucket comes up, bright and
beautiful, and cool. Here is the prom
Use: Come unto Me all We who are
weary and heavy laden, and l will give
you rest"
The old astrologers used to cheat the
people with the idea that they could tell
from the position OF the stars what would
occur III the future, and If a cluster Of
stars stood in one relation, why that
would be prophecy OF evil; il a cluster
OF stars stood in another relation, that
would he n prophecy OF good. What SUI
perstition! But here is a new astrolOgy
IN which put all my faith. BY looking
up to the star of Jacob, the morning star
OF the Redeemer, | can make this
prophecy in regard to those who
put their trust in God: "All
things work together for good TO those who
love God" DO you love him? Have you
seen the nyctanthes? 1t is beautiful
flower, but 1t gives very little fragrance
until after sunset. Then it pours its rich
ness on the air. And this grace of the
gospel that | commend 10 YOU this morn
ing, while it may be very sweet during
the dav Of prosperity, it pouTs forth its
richest aroma after sundOwn. And 1t will
be shutdown with you and mo after awhile.
When you come to 90 out OF this world
Will il be a desert march, or will il be
drinking at fountain?
A Christian Hiudno was dying, and his