Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-12-26

The Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage, D. D.,
preached at Cana, in the far East, Sun
day, Dec. %, on "A Marriage Feast, "
taking for his text John IL, 10: Thou
hast keptthe good wine until now." He
said:
Standing not far of from the demoI-
ished town of what was once called Cana
of Galilee. 1 bethink myself of our
Lords first manhood miracle, which has
been the astonishment of the ages, My
visit last week to that place makes vivid
in my mind that beautiful occurrence in
Christ's ministry. My text brings us to
wedding in that village. 1t is we'd
ding in common life, two plain people
having pledged each other, hand and
heart, and their friends having come in
for congratulation. The Joy is not the
less because there is no pretension. In
each other they find all the future they
want. The daisy in the cup on the
table may mean as much as a score of
artistic garlands fresh from the hot
house. When daughter goes off from
home with nothing but plain fathers
blessing and plain mothers love, she
is missed as much as though she were a
princess. 1t seems hard, after the pa
rents have sheltered her for eighteen
years, that in q few short months her
affections should have been carried off
by another; but mother remembers how
it was in her own case when she was
young, and so she braces up until the
wedding has passed, and the banquet
ers are gone, and she has good cry all
alone.
Well, we are to- day at the wedding in
Cana of Galilee. Jesus and his mother
have been invited. It is evident that
there are more people there than were
expected: Either some people have
come who were not invited, or more in
yitations have been sent 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 housekeeper than q
scant supply. Jesus sees the embar-
rassment, and he comes up Immediately
to relieve it. He sees standing six water
pots. He orders the servants to fill them
with water, and Immediately it is wine
real wine. Taste of it, and see for
yourselves; no logwood in it, no strych-
nine in it, but first rate wine. will
not now be diverted to the question so
often discussed in my own country,
whether it is right to drink wine. am
describing the scene as it was. When
God makes wine He makes the very best
wine; and one hundred and thirty gal
Ions of it standing around in these
water pots-wine so good that the ruler
of the feast tastes it and says: why,
this is really better than anything we
have had! Thou. hast kept the good
wine until now" Beautiful miracle!
A prize was offered to the person who
should write the best essay about the
miracle in Cana. Long manuscripts
were presented in the competition, but
poet won the prize by Just this one
line descriptive Of the miracle:
The unconscious water saw its God, and
blushed.
We learn from this miracle, in the
the first place, that Christ has sympathy
with ihousekeepers. You might have
thought that Jesus would have said: Il
cannot be bothered with this household
deficiency of wine. 1t is not for me,
Lord of Heaven, of earth, to become
caterer to this feast. have vaster
things than this to attend to-" Not SO said
Jesus. The wine gave out, and Jesus,
by miraculous power, came to the
rescue. Does there ever come q scant
supply in your household? Have you
~ mHh6 Ii V6Ey ClOb0 Cu4CuldLlUuI 1b ~
hard work for you to carry on things
decently and respectable If so, don't
sit down and cry. Don't go out and
fret; but 60 to Him who stood in the
house in Cana of Galilee. Pray IN the
parlor! Pray in the kitchen! Let there
: be no room in all your house uncon-
secrated by the voice of prayer. II you
have microscope, put under it one
drop Of water, and see the insects float
ing about; and when you see that God
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
snow from the steps of house. The
lady of the household said: "Yes; you
seem very poor" He says: Il am very
poor" She says: Don't you some
times get discouraged, and feel that
God is going to let you starve?" The
lad looked up in the woman's face and
said: do you think God will let me
starve when trust Him, and do the best
cant" Enough theology for older
people! Trust in God and do the best
you can. Amidst all the worriments of
housekeeping, go to Him; He will help
you control your temper, and supervise
your domestics, and entertain your
guests, and manage your home econo-
mics. There are hundreds of women
weak, and nervous, and exhausted with
the cares of housekeeping. commend
you to the Lord Jesus Christ as the best
adviser and the most efficient aid--the
Lord Jesus who performed His first
miracle to relieve o housekeeper.
I learn also from this miracle that
Christ does things in abundance.
think small supply of wine would
have made up for the deficiency.
think certainly they must have hat
enough for half of the guests. Ont
gallon of wine will do; certainly five
gallons will be enough; certainly ten
But Jesus goes on, and He gives then
thirty gallons, and forty gallons, anC
fifty gallons, and seventy gallons, anG
one hundred gallons, and one hundred
and thirty gallons of the very best wine
1t is just like Him, doing everything
Does Christ, our Creator, 60 forth tt
make leaves? He makes them by thu
whole forest full; notched like the fern
or silvered like the aspen, or broad lik,
the palm; thickets in the tropics, Ore.
gon forests. Does He go forth to make
f1owers2 He makes plenty of them
they fame from the hedge, they hang
from the top of the grape vine in bios
SONS, they roll in the blue wave of tn,
yiolets, they toss their white surf into
the spirea--enough for every childi
hand flower, enough to make for ever,
brow chaplet, enough with beauty tt
cover up the ghastliness of all thu