Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-10-09


mirages Of the desert Paracelsus you
elixir Of life-aliquid which, Il taken, would
keep one perpetually young In this world,
and would change the age back again to
youth. OF course he was disappointed: be
found not the elixir. But here l 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. "Ho, every one that thirsteth,
come We to the waters!" All here is a man
who says: 81 have been looking for that
fountain great while, but can't find it
And here is some one else who says: ~ be-
ieve all you say, but l have been trudging
fountain" Do you know the reasonl
in the right direction. ''Oh,n Won
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 the right direction al
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, if to-day
with one earnest, intense prayer you would
only look up to Christ, He would not point
you down to the supply in the wilderness
LOOK unto me all We ends of the earth and
be ye saved; for am God aud there is none
else" Lookl look, as Hagar lookedi
Yes, there is well for every desert of be-
reavement Looking over the audience this
morning l notice an unusual number of
signs of mourning and woe. Have you found
consolationl man bereft. o woman bereft
have you found consolation? Hearse after
hearse. We step from one grave hillock to
another grave hillock. We follow corpses,
ourselves soon to be like them. The world
is in mourning for its dead Every heart has
bscome the sepulchre of some buried joy. But
sing We to God, every wilderness has 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 some
times taken hold of the rope of the old we'll
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 see the buckets coming up.
Thirsty SOUL Here is one bucket of lifei
come and drink of it: "Whosoever will let
him come and take of the water of life free
ly:" pull away again at the rope and an
weeping many endure for a 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 We who are weary and
uodNJ lttucI anu Will give you resi-
The old astrologers used to cheat the peo-
pie with the idea that they could tell from
the position OF the stars what would occur
in the future aud if a cluster of stars stool
in one relation, why, that would be prophecy
of evil, if cluster of stars stood in another
relation that would be a prophecy of good.
What superstition! But here is now as
trology in which l put all my faith. By Look
ing 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 Nyctan-
give very little fragrance until after sunset.
Then it pours into richness on the air. And
this grace of the Gospel that commend to
you this morning, while it may be very
sweet during the day of prosperity, it pours
forth its richest aroma after shutdown, and
it will be shutdown with you and me after
awhile. When you come to go out of this
world, will it be desert march or will it be
drinking at fountain2
A Christian Hindoo was dying and his
heather comrades came around him and tried
to comfort him by reading some of the pages
of their theology; but he waved his hand as
much as to say: 81 don't want to hear it"
Then they called in heather priest and he
said: "If you will only recite the Nunltr0 it
will deliver you from hell" He waved his
hand as much as to say: 81 don't want to
hear that" Then they said: "Call on jugger-
naut." He shook his head as much as to say:
81 can't do that" Then they thought
perhaps he was too weary to speak and they
said: Now, if you can't say 'Juggernaut,i
think of himp He shook his head again az
much as to say: "No, no, no." Then they
bent down to his pillow and they said: ''In
what will you trustg' ellis face lighted up
with the very glories Of the celestial sphere
as he cried ont, ral1vinp all his dvino aner.
giles: "Jesus." oh, come this morning to
the fountaini / will tell you the whole story
in two or three sentences. Pardon for all
sin. Comfort for all trouble. Light for
all darkness. And every wilderness has
a well in it.