The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-19
ton, and wilderness for discontentod Hagar and

ton, and wilderness for disconnected Hagar and
Ishmael
Second-Again. I find in this Oriental scene
q lesson OF sympathy with woman when she goes
forth trudging in the desert What great
change it was for this Hagar! There was the
tent and all the surroundings of Abraham's
house, beautiful and luxurious, no doubt Now
she is going out to the hot sands of the desert
On, what change it was! How often is it we
see the weak arm of woman coDscripted for this
battle with the rough world Who is she going
down the street in the early light of the morn
ing, pale with exhausting work, not half silent
out with the slumber3 of last night, TRACE
dies of suffering written all over her face,
her lustreiess eyes looking far ahead, as
though for the coming of some other troubled
Her parents called her Mary, or Bertha, or Ag-
mes on the day that they held her up to the font
and the Christian minister sprinkled on the in
tants face the washings of holy baptism. Her
name is changed now. hear it in the shuttle of
the worn out shoes see it In the figure Of the
faded calico. | find it in the lineaments of the
woe-begone countenance. Not Mary, nor Bertha,
nor Agnes, but Hagar in the wilderness May
God have mercy upon woman in her tolls, her
struggles, her hardships her desolation, and may
the great heart OF divine sympathy inclose her
forever!
Third-Agan, I find in this Oriental scene the
fact that every mother leads forth tremendous
destinies. You say: '"That isn't an unusual
scene, mother leading her child by the hand"
Who is it that she is leadngl Ishmae you say
Who is lshmael9 A great nation is to be founded
"a nation so strong that it is to stand for thou
sands of years against all the armies of the
world. Egypt and Assyria thunder against it,
but in vain. Gaulus brings up his army, and
his army is smitten. Alexander decides upon
campaign, brings up his hosts and dies For
long while that nation monopolzeS the learning
of the world. 1t is the nation of the Arabs Who
founded it2 Ishmael, the lad that Hagar led into
the wilderness. She had no idea she was lead
ing forth such destinies Neither does any
mother Oh, mother, mother, that little hand
that wanders over your face may yet be lifted to
hurl thunderbolts of war or drop benedictions.
That little voice may baspheme God in the grog-
shop cry forward" to the Lords hosts as they
60 out for their last victory. A good many years
ago Christian mother sat teaching lessons of
religion to her child, and he drank in those les
sons. She never knew that Lamphier would
come forth and establish the Futon-street
prayer meeting, and by one meeting revolutionize
the devotions of the whole earth, and thrill the
eternities with his Christian influence. Lam
phier said it was his mother who brought him to
Jesus Christ She never had an idea that she
was leading forth such destinies. But OH when
see mother reckless of her influence, rafting
on toward destruction, garlanded for the sacri-
flee with unseemly mirth and godiessness dane
ing on down to perdition, taking her children in
the same direction, preparing them for life of
frivolity, death Of shame, and an eternity OF
disaster, cannot help but say: There they go,
there they go--Hagar and Ishmael!" l tell you
there are wilder deserts than Beer sheba in
many of the fashionable circles of this city
Dissipated parents leading disspated children.
Avaricious parents leading avaricious children.
Prayeress parents leading prayerless children.
They go through every street, up every dark
alley, into every cellar, along every highway.
Hagar and Ishmael! and while pronounce their
names it seems like the moaning of the death
wind: "Hagar and Ishmaelw
FOURTH learn one more lesson from this
Oriental scene, and that is that every wilderness
has we'll in it. Hagar and Ishmael gave UP to
die. Hagars heart sunk within her as she
heard her child crying: Water! Water! Wa
teri "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 point
ing to a we'll of water, where she
filed the hottie for the lad. Blessed be God
that there is in every wilderness a we'll. 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. Paracesus you
know, spent his life 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 disappointed; he found not
the elixir. But here I 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
K,
that thirsteth, come We to the waters" All, here
is a man who says: II have been looking for that
fountain great while, but can't fnd it." And
here is some one else, who says: II believe all
you say, but have been trudging along in the
wilderness and can't find the fountain" Do you
know the reasons will tell you. You never
looked in the right direction. "Ob" you say
II have looked everywhere. l have looked
north, south, east and west, and | haven't
found the fountain" Why, you are not looking
IN n1nhf at oil yhnU
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
pointing to the supply. And, 0 soul, if to day,
only look to Christ He would point you
down to the supply in the wilderness.
Look unto me- all ye ends Of the earth, and
be ye saved for l am God, and there is
none else" Look! Look as Hagar looked!
Yes, there is a well for every desert of be-
reavement Looking over the audience this
morning notice an unusual number of signs of
mourning and woe. Have you found consolation?
0 man bereft, 0 woman bereft have you found
consultations Hearse after hearse. We step
We follow corpses, ourselves soon to be like
them. The world is in mourning for its dead.
Every heart has become the sepulchre of some
buried joy. But sing ye to GodSeyery wilderness
has we'll in it; and come to that we'll to-day,
and begin to draw water from that we'll If you
have lived in the country you have sometimes
taken hold of the rope of the old welsweep,
and you know how the bucket came up dripping
with bright, cool water. And I lay hold of the
rope of Gods mercy this morning, and begin to
draw on that gospel well-sweep, and see the
buckets coming up
Thirsty soul! Here is one bucket of lifel Come
drink of it. ''Whosoever will let him come and
take of the water of life freely" / pull away
again on the rope and another bucket comes up.
1t is this promise: "Weeping may endure for
night but JOY cometh in the morning" 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 promise: Come
unto me all ye who weary and heavy laden,
and will give you rest"
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