West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-09-20
SOUL THIRST.
Dr. rAnMAGE's SUNDAY SERMON
The Longing and Yearning of Our
Immortal Nature for the Living
Good.


q God. Psalm, xiii. /.
David, who must sometime have seen a
deer hunt, points US here TO hunted stag
making for the water. Tho fascinating
animal called in my text the hart is the
same animal that in sacred and profane
literature Is called the stag. the roebuck the
nind, the gazelle, the reindeer In Central
Syria in Bible times there were whole pasture
nelds OF them, as Solomon suggests when he
says; u charge you by the kinds of the
neil Their antlers jutted from the long
grass as they lay down. No hunter
who. has been long in John Brown, :
track" viii wonder that In the Bible they
were classed among clean animals for the
dews' the showers the lakes washed them as
Slean as the sky. When Jacob, the patriarch,
brought homo roebuck. Isaiah com
pares the sprightliness OF the restored
cripple OF mtllennial time 10 the long
e am quick jump of the stag, saying:
mon expressed his disgust at a hunter
who having shot n deer is too lazy
TO cook it, saying: "The slothf1l
man roasteth not that which he took in
hunting" But one day David, while far
from the home from which he had been
driven, and sitting near the door OF a lonely
cave where he had lodged, and ON the banks
OF pond or river, hears pack OF hounds in
sw ~ pursuit. Because OF the previous silence
OF the forest the clangor startles him. and he
says 70 himself: 81 wonder what tbos, dogs
are after" Then there is n crncklin.,
In the brushwood, aud tho loud breath,
ing OF some rushing wonder OF the WOODS,
and the antlers OF a deer rend the leaves
OF the thicket, and by an instinct
which all hunters recognize, plunges into n
pond or lake or river TO cool It's thirst. and
at the same time by it's car acity for swifter
s sru 1;GngeL swimming, to get away from the
Ana, that is myself Saul after me, Abb
seionn after me-, enemies without number
after me, am chased, their bloody mtIzzles
AZ my heels, barking at my good name,
parking after my body, barking after my
soul Oh, the hounds, the hounds. But
look there says David, "that reindeer
mas splashed into the water. It puts It's hot
Ips and nostriis into the cool wave that
washes the lathered Hanks and 10 swins away
from the fiery CANNES. and it is free at last
On, that might find I'm the deep wide lake
OF Gods mercy and consolation escape from
my pursuersl oh, for the waters Of life and
,escuel AS the hart panteth after the water
God" A"0o'
Ihave just come from the Adirondacks and
tho breath of the balsam and spruce and
pine Is SUN ON me. The Adirondacl1s are
now populous with hunters, and the deer ara
being slain by the score. Talking a few days
ago with hunter, thought / would like to
zee whether my text was accurate in It's al.
fusion, and as heard the dogs baying little
way on and supposed they were ON tho track
OF reindeer, said to the hunter in rough
corduroy; do the deer always
make Tor the water when they are
pursuedH He said: 20, yes, Mister. Won
see they are a hot and thirsty animal md
they know where the water is and when they
near danger in the distance they lift their
antlers and snuff the breeze and start for the
racquet, or Loon or Saranac: and we get
INTO INTO our cedar shell boat or stand by the
runway with rifle loaded ready to blaze
away" My friends, that is one reason why
1 IKE the Bible so much--its illusions
are so true to nature. It's partridges
r reel 6 Geal PnrtrdSSes its ostriches
REINDEER: do not wonder that this ant,ered
glory OF tho text makes the hunters eve
sparkle and his cheek glow and his resDiI;a
tion quicken. To say nothing of it's useful.
neSs, aithough It Is the most useful of all
game its flesh delicious, it's skin turned into
human apparel, its sinews fashioned into bow
strings, Its antlers putting handles ON cut
lery, and the shavings of its horns, used as n
IesSoraIlve taken from tho name Of the hart
and called hartshorn. But putting aside its
usefulness, this enchanting creature seems
mate Inae out OF gracefnlness and elasticity
Rat an eye, with liquid brightness as If
gathered up from hundred lakes of sunset
Inv nu9rIls a coronal branching into every
possible curve and after it seems done. adj
Vancing into other projections of exquisite
ness, tree of polished bone uplifted IN r11.ide
or swung down for awful combat 1t Is yeloci,
~ EMBODIED. IImidity impersonated The en-
ana pathetic in death. The splendid animal
= complete rhythm of muscle and bone. and
color and attitude, and locomotion. whether
couched IN the grass among the shadows, or
q nvlhg Doit shot through the forest or
turning at bay to attack the hounds, or rear-
ing Tor It's last fall under the buckshot of the
uapper. lt is splendid appearance that
the painters pencil fails to sketch and only
= Ioc nunter dream on pillow OF hem
able to picture. When twenty miles from
any settlement IL comes down at eventide TO
the lakes edge 10 drink among the lily pods.
ana, with It's sharp-edged hoof, skaters the
crystal of Long Lake It is very pictl,resa,,e
But only when, after miles OF pnrsnit ,9itb
heaVing sides and lolling tongue. and eyes
swimming in death the stag leans from fbo
cl1 into Upper Saranac, can you realize
how much David had suffered from, III
troubles and how much he wanted God when
he expressed himself in the words OF the text
AS the hart panteth after the water brooks.
80 2anteth my soul after Thee, O Cod
wen, now, let all those who have coming
s,ter them the lean hounds OF poverty, or the
olack hounds Of persecution or the spofted
mounds OF vicissitude, or the pale hounds of
deatn, or who are in any wise pursued nv To
the vide, deep, glorious lake OF divine soiace
ana Az, rescue. The most Of the men and women
whom happen to know. at different times n
not now, have had trouble after them. sbarn
mu11led troubles, swift troubles ali.
doVouring troubles. Many OF yon have
maze the mistake Of trying 10 FIGHT
them. Somebody meanly attacked Won.
and you attacked them; they deprecated
you, you deprecated them: or they over
reached you in n bargain, and you tried in
wall street parlance, to get n corner on them:
OF yOu have had a bereavement aud instead
q being submissive, you are fighting that
bereavement; you charge on the doctors who
iailed 70 effect euro; or you charge on care.
lessness Of the railroad company tbroIgb
Which the accident occurred. or you are n
chronic invalid, and YOU fret and
worry aud scoid and wonder vhy
you cannot DO we'll like Others
and you angrily charge on the neuralgia or
tho iaryngitis or the aguo or the sick head
ache. The fact Is you are n deer at bay. In
stead Of running t. the waters OF divine con
ISOLATION, and shaking your thirst and cooling
your body and soul IN the good cheer OF the
gospel, and swimming away into mighty
ueep8 Of Gods love, you are fighting n whole
kennel Of harriorS A rev DAYS ago
saw In tho Adirondack n dog iv
Ing across tho road, and he seemed IN
aOio % get up, and / said TO soms
hunters near by: "What is the matter with
that doZP They answered: "a deer hurt
him" And j raw that be had a great swollen
paw and q battered head, showing whore the
autlcrs struck him. And tho probability Is
that some OF you might give q mighty clip 70
your pursuers, you might damage their bust.
ness, on might worry them into ill health,
you might hurt them as much as they have
hurt you, but, after oil, 10 is not worth
while. You only have hurt hound
into which the mountains Of Gods oternel
strength look down and moor their shadows
As for your physical disorders. Tho wort
ftrycnniua you can fnkn H. fraffuIurer and tho