Milford chronicle., 1889-06-21
THEIR WAY is LOST.
SERMON PREACHED BY REV. T. DE
WITT TALMAeE, SUNDAY, JUNE 10.

The Story Of Hagar and Ishmael in the
Desert-Our Duty Is to Look for Our
Own Sphere in Life and Then to Keep
in 1t.
BROOKLYN, June l6.-Tho Rev. T. De Witt
Talmage, D. D., preached at the Tabernacle
today. A vast congregation filled the spa
ciOus building to overlooking. After max
ing an exposition Of Scripture, the pastor
gave out the hymn beginning;
Glory to God on high.
Let heaven and earth reply,
which the great body Of worshipers sang
with majestic effect The subject of DR.,
Talmage's discourse was; People Who Have
Lost Their Way" he took for his text; "And
God opened her eyes, and she saw well Of
water and she went, and filed the bottle
with water, and gave the lad drink Gen.
xxi, 49, The eloquent preacher said;
! Morning breaks upon Beer-sheba- There IS
an early stir in the house Of old Abraham.
There has been trouble among the dOmestics.
Hagar, an assistant in the household, and her
son, a brisk lad of sixteen years, have become
impudent and insolent, and Sarah, the mis-
tress Of the household, puts her foot down
very hard, and says that they will have to
leave the premises They are packing up
now. Abraham, knowing that the journey
before his servant and her son viii be very
long and across desolate places, in the kind
ness Of his heart sets about putting up some
bread and bottle with water in it. It IS a
very plain lunch that Abraham provides,
but | warrant you there would have been
enough of it had they not lost their way.
"God be with you'll" said old Abraham as he
gave the lunch to Hagar, and good many
charges as to how she should conduct the
Journey Ishmael, the boy, suppose bounded
away in the morning light. Boys always like
q change. Poor Ishmaell He has no idea Of
theidisasters that are ahead Of him. Hagar
gives one long, lingering look on the familiar
place where she had spent so many happy
days, each scene associated with the pride
and joy Of her heart young Ishmael
THE DEVOTION OF THE MOTHER
The scorching noon comes on. The air is
sitting, and moves across the desert with in
siderable suffocation Ishmael, the boy, be-
gins to complain, and lies down, but Hagar
rouses him up, saying nothing about her own
WEAKNESS or the sweltering heat; for mothers
can endure anything. Trudge-trudge-
trudge Crossing the dead level of the desert,
how YEARLY and slowly the miles slip. A
tamarind that seemed hours ago to stand only
Just a little ahead, inviting the travellers to
come under its shadow, now is as far off as
ever, or seemingly So Night drops upon the
desert, and the travellers are pillowless. Ish-
mael, very weary, l suppose, instantly falls
asleep Hagar-as tho shadows Of the night
begin to lap over each othoT-Hagar hugs her
weary boy to her bosom, and thinks Of the
fact that it is her fault that they are in tho
desert A star looks out, and every falling
tear It kisses with a sparkle. A wing Of
wind comes over the hot earth, and lifts the
locks from the fevered brow of the boy.
Hagar sleeps fitfully, and in her dreams
travels over the weary day, and half
awakes her son by crying out in her sleep;
sIshmael Ishmaell" And 50 they 80 on,
day after day and night after night, for they
have lost their way. No path in the shifting
sands; no sign in the burning sky. The sack
empty Of the -four; the water gone from the
bottle What shall she dot As she puts her
fainting Ishmael under a stunted shrub Of tho
arid plain, she sees the bloodshot eye, and
feels the hot hand, and watches the blood
bursting from tho cracked tongue, and there
Is shrek In the desert OF Beer-sheba; I'VE
ahan diel We shall diel" Now, no mother
was ever made strong enough to hear her SON
eEY Ia vain for q drink. Heretofore $40 had