Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-12-23
CHRIST AT THE FEAST.
tbs LESSONS DRAWN PROM HIS FIRST
MIRACLE.
Or. Talmags breaches Near Cana, Of Galilse, and
Takes "lhs Feast for a Sublec!-Ohrist
Comes IN Need, Bringing Plenty
and Joy TO ALL

MS text JOnu H., lu. 4uou udot htpt
the good wine until now" He said:
Standing not far of frOm the demolished
town Of what was once called Cana of Cali
lee, l bethink myself of our Lords first
manhood miracle, which has been the as
tonishmeat OF the ages My visit last
week to that place makes vivid in my
mind that beautiful occurrence in Ohrist's
ministry. Ny text brings us to q we'd
ding in that village. II is a wedding in
common life, two plain people having
pledged each other, hand and heart,
and their friends having come in for
eongratulstiOD. The JOY is not the
less bscause there is no pretensiOu. In
each other they ind all the future they
wsnt. The daisy in the cup on the table
may mean as much as a score OF artistic
gaIlands fresh from the hOthOuse. When
a daughter goes of from home with moth
ing but a plain fathers blessing and a
plain mothers love, she is missed as much
as though she were princess. 1t seems
hard, after the parents have sheltered her
for eighteen years, that in few short
months her affections should have been
carried OF by another; bat mother remem-
bers how it was IN her own case when she
was young, aud so che braces mp until the
wedding has passed, and the banqueters
are gone, and she has good cry all alone.
JEsUs AT THE FEAST.
Well, we are to-day st the wedding in
Cana OF Galilee. Jesus and his mother
have been invited. Il ia evident that
there sre more psople there than were eX-
pected Either some people have come
who were not invited, or more invitations
have been ssnt out than it was supposed
would be accepted. OF course there is
not enough supply Of wine. You know
that there is nothing more embarrassing
TO a hOusekeeper than scant supply.
Jesus sees the embarrassment, and he
comes up Immediately TO relieve 1t. He
/ sees standing six water pots. He orders
the servents to fill them with water,
then waves his hand over the water,
and Immediately IL is wine-real N.ue.
Taste of It and see for yourselves
no logwood in it. no strychnine in IL, but
/ first rate wine. l will not now be diverted
10 the question so Of,en discussed in my
! own country, whether il IS right TO drink
wine. / am describiag the scene as IT wss.
/ When God makes wine he make5 the very
/ best wine; snd one hundred and thirty
I gallons of 1t standing around in these water
pots-wine so good that the ruler ot the
feast tastes il and SAYS: why, this is
really better than anything we have had
Thou hast kept the good wine until no~. "
Beautiful miIsclel A prizs vas offered 70
the person who should write the best essay
about the miracle in Cana. Long manu-
scripts were presented in the competition,
but q poet won the prize by Just this one
kGne descriptive OF the miracle:
I The unconscious water saw its God and blushed
LESSONS OF THE MIRACLE.
Ne learn from this miracle, IL the first
place, that Christ hss sympathy with
housekeepars. You might have thought
that Jesus would have said; II cannot he
bothered with this household deficiency
Of wine. IL is not for me, Lord Of heaven.
ol earth, 10 become caterer Of this feast.
have vaster thi-Qs thsn this to attend to-
Not so said Jesus. The wine gave out,
and Jesus, by miraculous power, came 10
the rescue. DOes there ever come a scant
supply in you household? Have you to
make very close calculation? Is it hard
for you to carry on things decently and
respeciablyy II 80, don't sit down and
cry. Don't 90 out aud fret; hut 20 to him
who stood in the house in Cana of Galilee.
Pray in the parloI Pray in the kitchen
Let there be no room in all your house un-
consscrated by the voice of player. II you
have a microscope, put under it one drop
of water, ard see the insects floating
about; end when you see that Goo makes
them, and cares for them, and feeds them,
come TO the conclusion that he will take
care of you and feed you, oh, ye Of little
faith
A boy asked if he might sweep the snOE
from the steps OF a house Ths lady OF
the household said yes; you seem very
Door" He says: 81 am very poor
/ Sue SAYS: Don't sou sometimes get dis
eouraged, and feel that God is going to lei
you slarvt?" The lad looked up in the
womans face and said: do you thiuk
God will let me starve when trust him,
and then DO the beat l camp" Enough
theology for older people, Trust in God
and do the hest you cam Amidst all the
worriments of housekeeping, 20 TO him; be
will help you control your temper and su-
pervise your domestics, aud entertain your
guests and manage your hone economies.
There ore hundreds Of women weak, and
nervous and exhausted with the cares Ci
housekeeping. I commend You to the
Lord Jesus Christ ss the best adviser and
the most efficient aid-tha Lord Jesus who
performed his first miracle to relieve a
housekeeper.
CHRIsT's ABUNDANT GOODNESS.
I learn also from this miracle that Christ
does things in abundance. l think a
smsll supply Of wine would have made mp
Tor the deficiency. / think certainly they
must have had enough for half of the
guests. One gallon of wine will do; ctr-
tainly five gallons will be enough; GER
tainly ten. But Jesus goes on, and he
gives them thirty gallons, and forty gal
I Ions, and fifty gallons, and seventy gal
/ Ions. and Que hundred gallons, ard one
hundred and thirty gallons Of the very
best wine.
1t iast like him, dcinV erything on
the largest and most generous SCALE
/ Doss Christ, our creator. 90 forth t. make
lsaves2 He makes them by the whole
forest full; no'ched like the fern, CT sill
vered like the aspen, or broad like the
palm; thickels in The tropics, Oregon
fores,s. DOss he 90 forth 10 make tio%ers?
He makes plenty Cf them; they flame
frcm the hedge, they hang from the top
Of the grapevine in blossoms they roll IN
the bue wave of the violets, they toes
their white surf into the spiiel-erOugh
for every cbild's hand q flower, enough
TO make for every brow cbaplet, enough
with beauty to cover up the ghsstliness OF
all the graves Does he 90 forth to create
vster2 de pOurs is out, not by the cup
fuI. bat by river fall, 4 lske full, On
ocean full, pouring it out until all the
earth has enough with'Wbich TO wash.
Does Jesus, our Lord, provide redemp-
.ior? 1t is not little salvation for this
one. a little for that, and little for the
other. but enough for all-"WhOsOever
will. let him come" Each man an ocean
full for himself Promises for the young,
PROMISES for the old, promises for the low
iv. promises for he blind, for the hat, for
the outcsst, for the abandoned. Pardon
for ell. comfort for all, mercy for all,
heaven for all; net merely cup;ul Of Cos
Del supply, but one hundred and thirty
gallons. Ay, the tears Of gOdly repent
ance are ell gathered up into Gods bottle,
and some day, standing before the throne,
we will lift our cup Of delight and ask
that il be filed with the wine Of heaven;
and Jesus, from that bottle Of tears, will
begin TO pour in the cup, and We will CRY: