Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-06-27
SUNDAYS SERMON.
~, OF REV. DIR. TALMAGE'S
cTERLING DISCOURSES.
,iect: "People Who Have Lost
Their Way"

sgoJ The bottle acith 1Gter, and gaze the Tad
IN n-Genesis xxi, 49,
Morning breaks upon Beer-sheba. There
IN early stir in the house of old Abraham
Sh a has been trouble among the domestics.
uaror an assistant in the household, and her
nrs brisk lad of sixteen years, have become
su.andent and insolent, and Sarah, the mis-
4 Iups If the household, puts her foot down
W bsrd. and says that they will have to
We the premises. They are packing up
nor Abraham, knowing that the journey
1o'ore his servant and her son will be
w long and across desolate places
4 he kindness of his heart sets about put
sng M some bread and bottle with water
Ut It is very plain lunch that
4 lbrabam provides, but warrant you there
Tould have been enough OF it had they not
. ~ their way. ''God be with you ~ said old
/ Abraham as he gave the lunch to Hagar, and
,ood many charges as to how she should
s,ss5rct the journey. Ishmael, the boy, l
,gnno.e. bounded away in the morning light.
XXI always like change Poor Ishmael
a n bos no idea of the disasters that are ahead
/ 4 him. Hagar gives one long, lingering look
!, tbe familiar place where she had spent so
~.nv happy DAYS, each scene associated with
he bride and Joy of her heart-young Ish-
The scorching noon comes on. The air is
.;sing and moves across the desert with in
~,Fsrsble suffocation. Ishmael, the boy. be-
n. 10 complain, and lies down. but Hagar
srses MIN up, saying nothing about her own
v@rness or the sweitering heat; for mothers
an endure anything Trudge, trudge, trudge.
frowing the dead level of the desert how
rs,dy and slowly the miles slip. A tama-
Ind that seemed hours ago to stand only just
little ahead. inviting the travellers to come
rnjar its shadow. now is as far off as ever. or
s-mngy So Night drops upon the desert,
,r5 me- travellers are pillowless Ishmael,
rsrr weary. / suppose, instantly falls asleep.
Es.ar as the shadows of the night be-
n m Ian over each other Hagar
I'M her weary boy to her bosom and thinks
ibe feet that it is her fault that they are
tbe desert. A star looks out, and every
hlinc tear it kisses with sparkle. A
rpp Of wind comes over the hot earth
ni lifts the locks from the fevered
r0v Of the boy. Hagar sleeps fitfully,
I'd IA her dreams travels over the weary
IN and half awakes her son by CRYING out
her sleep: "Ishmael Ishmaelm And
gthey 20 on, day after day and night after
ugat Tor they have lost their way No
HtA IN the shifting sands no sign in the
uniHg sky. The sack empty of the
iw. Tie water gone from the bottle
What shah she dor As she puts
a fainting Ishmael under a stunted
An5 Of the arid plain, she sees the
boOdshOt eye and feels the hot hand,
si watches the blood bursting from the
rcked tongue, and there is a shrek in the
sqrt Of Beer-sheba 1--WE shall diel we
ban def Now no mother was ever made
rong enough to hear her son cry in vain for
irnk Heretofore she had cheered her boy
J PROMISING speedy end of the journey,
even smiled upon him when he felt desper-
aey enough. Now there is nothing to do
GpRce him under shrub and let him die.
Se bad thought that she would sit there and
nicd until the spirit of her boy would go
Wsy forever. and then she would breathe
OF Der own life on his silent heart; but as the
b7 began to claw his tongue in agony
thirst and struggle in distortion, and beg
smother to slay him, she cannot endure
spectacle. She puts him under a shrub
ri goes of bow shot, and begins to weep
url all the desert seems sobbing, and her
y strikes clear through the heavens; and an
rge Of God comes out on a cloud and looks
sm upon the appalling grief and cries;
Hsgar, what aileth theeY She looks up
nishs sees the angel pointing TO a well of
Iisr, where she fills the bottle for the lad.
hIk Cod Thank Godl
earn from this Oriental scene, in the first
aoe what sad thing it is when people do
Y 1oF their place, and get too proud for
~ business Hagar was an assistant in
iihousehold but she wanted to rule there.
" rdlcued and ieered until her son, Ish-
pa got the same tricks She dashed out
som happiness and threw Sarah into a
PEI mt; and if she had stayed much longer
hg household she would have upset calm
aaaams equilibrium. Ny friends, one
" q tne trouble in the world to-day comes
% The fact that people do not know their
~ q, inding their place, win not stay in
Wien we come into the world, there is
.as place ready for us. A place for
iaaan place for Sarah. A place for
sf place for Ishmael. A place for
ND place for me. Our first duty is to
cur sphere; our second is to keep it.
may be born in a sphere far
from the one for which God
Ny intends us. Sextus Y was horn on the
polhd, and was swineherd, God called
Y % waive a scepter. Ferguson spent
t -ig days in looking after the sheep; God
~ aim up to look after stars. and be a
1sla Watching the iocks of light on the
ls heaven. Hogarth began by en-
us pewter lots; God raised him TO stand
i ehanted realm of painter. The shoe
80 bench held Bloomfield for little
Vat Tod called him to sit in the chair
gllosopher and Christian scholar. The
s.eF Of London could not keep his son
BUSINESS, for God mad decided that
y Vas "a 70 be one Of the greatest astrono-
England. On the other hand, we
= !. On eil IN sphere a little higher than
y winch God intends us. We may be
castle, and play in a costly con-
y and feed high bred pointers and
sold hsh in artificial ponds, and be
Niio princes: yet God may have
lof carpenters shop. or dentists
" weaver's shuttle, or a black
The great thing is TO find just
- Tor which God intended us, and
upy that sphere and occupy it for
"s's Is man God fashioned to make
~. Ihere is man God fashioned
constitution. The man
.es the plow is Just as hon
NE man who makes the constltu-
s.'laed be makes the pillow as well as
- man makes the constitution. There
~ -n VINO was made TO fashion robe.
I. one intended to be queen and
= y seems to me that in the one case
- -;gle,.ner, God appoints the sphere; and
Just as respectable is His sight as
~, DO not know but that the world
s ago have been saved if some Of
: = y. Oh the ministry were in it and
,t ase who are in it were out of II.
IN ;-iuk That one-half of the world may
- INTO two-quarters-those who
49, loand their sphere. and those
found Il, are not willing TO stay
81. many are struggling for a posi-
-. = higher than that for which God
-. -.