West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-06-27
OUR RIGHT SPHERE.
PEOPLE wHoLosE THEIR WAY.
ID. Talmage Draws a Lesson from
the Story of Haga-.

=. morning breaks upon Beer-Sheba. There
Us 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, brisk lad of sixteen years, have become
tmpudent and insolent and Sarah, the mis-
tress or 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 kindness of bis heart sets about put
ting up some bread and bottle with water
IN II. IL Is very plain lunch that
Abraham provides but warrant you there
would have been enough of 10 had they not
Host their way. God be with you I" said old
Abraham as he gave the lunch TO Hagar. and
q good many charges as 20 how she should
conduct the journey. Ishmael, the boy
suppose, bounded away in the morning light
Boys always like change. Poor Ishmaell
he has no idea of the disasters 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 Ish-
mael
The scorching noon comes on The air Is
sitting and r1cY-a across the desert with in
eunerabie srtIcceticn Ishmael, the boy, be-
gins TO compisin and lies down, but Hagar
rouses him up, -aying nothing about her own
WEAKNESS or ID welteTing heat; sOr mothers
can endure any thing. Trudge, trudge trudge
wearily and slowly the miles slip. tama-
rind that seemed hours ago to stand only Just
q little ahead. inviting the travellers to come
under its shadow. now is as far Off rs ever, or
seemingly so. Night drops upon the desert
and the travellers are pillowless IshmaeL
very weary, suppose, instantly falls asleep
dsgar, as the shadows of the night be-
gin 70 lap over each other Hagar
hugs her weary boy 10 her bosom and thinks
OF the fact that it is her fault that they are
a -. l.
railing tear 1t kisses with 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 tho weary
day, and half awalxes her son by crying, ont
IN her sleep: "Ishmael Ishnaelp And
10 they go ON, day after day and night after
night, Tor they have lost their way. No
path In the shifting sands, no sign in the
burning sky. The sack empty of the
What shall she do? As She puts
her fainting Ishmael under stunted
shrub OF the arid plain, she sees the
bloodshot eye, and feels the hot hand
and watches the blood bursting from the
cracked tongue, and there is a shrek in the
desert OF Beer-sheba: 1--WE shall die we
shall diew Now, no mother was ever made
strong enough to hear her son cry in vain for
= drink. Heretofore she had cheered her boy
oy promising speedy end of the Journey
ntely enough. Now there is nothing TO do
but place him under a shrub and let him die
She had thought that she would sit there and
watch until the spirit of her boy would 20
away forever and then she would breathe
cut her own life on his silent heart: but rs the
boy began to claw his tongue in agony
OF thirst and struggle in distortion, and beg
mis- mother TO slay him, she cannot endure
the spectacle. She puts him under a shrub
ana goes OF bow shot, and begins to weep
until al the desert seems sobbng and her
cry strikes clear through the heavens; and an
angel OF God comes ont on a cloud and looks
down upon the appalling grief and cries:
"Hagar, what aileth thee" She looks up
and she sees the angel pointing to we'll of
water, where she fills the bottle for the Ind
Thank Cod Thank Godl
learn from this Oriental scene, in the first
place, what sad thing il is when people do
not know their place, and get too proud for
their business. HagGr was an assistant in
that household, but she wanted to rule there
She ridiculed and jeered until her son. Ish
mAei, got the same tricks She dashed out
her own happiness and threw Sarah into a
great # IT; and If she had stayed much longer
tn that household she would have upset calm
Abraham's equilibrium Nv friends one
half Of the trouble in the world to-dav comes
rom the fact that people do not know their
place. or, finding their place will not stay in
" When we come into the world there is
always place ready for us. A place for
n
Hagar. place for 'Ishmael A place for
you and place for me. Our first duty is to
md our sphere; our second is TO Keen IL
We may be born in a sphere far
on from the one for which God
finally intends us. Seytus Y was horn or, tbo
low ground, and was a suTineherd God called
MIN up to waive a scepter Ferguson sDent
his early days in looking after the sheep: God
called him up to look after stars. and be a
Fnspherd watching the fOcks OF light on the
nj hHu IL.
CRAVING pewter pots; God raised him to stand
M the eochanted realm of painter. The shoe
makers bench held Bloomfield for n Et+Ia
while; but God called him to sit in the chair
on . Phhosopher and Christian scholar. The
soap boiler Of London could not keen his .sCy,
IN that business for God had decided that
nawley w9s 70 be one Of the greatest astrop,-
mers OF England. On the other hand no
may be born IN a sphere a little higher thar
inst Tor which God intends us. We NAV be
ss..... =. a cas5ie ana play IN costly con-
servatory, and feed high bred pointers ond
angle for gold fish in artificial ponds. and Ia
familiar with princes; vet God NAV b-vo
ntoed us Tor carpenters shop. or denfist's
Iorcsps, or a weaver's shuttle, or a black
smith 5 forge. The great thine, il 70 f,,J -.
the sphere for which God INTENDED ne g ar,S
tnen % occupy that sphere and occupy N Tor
ever here IS man God fashioned 10 r,aLo
pioW There is man God fashiopeS
MAKE constitution. The man
-, -Dpez' tAS dow fs lust as hon
cradle as tne man who MAKES the constitu-
.toh. ProYided De- makes the piow rs well A.
M ne Othef men makes tle constitution There
- woman v1O ee -1e 20 fashion n robe
aild yondeI is one intended to be q queen and
neaI ~ ~ SEEM 20 me thGt in the one CAGE
~ ~ 20 me other Cod appoints the sphere: end
80 hosdis Is Just SIS respectable Is His SIGHT as
nc scepter. do not know but that the world
would long ago have been saved III come III
tne men out OF the ministry were I'm III and
gone OF those who are in IL were out az h
Ieasiiiy mink That one-half Of the world NAV
- uiFiaed INTO o-guartcrs-trrss who
1--we not found their sphere. aud those
~. - naElng found BE-. are not willing ~ stav
stste. ho~ many are struggling FOR q posi-
gVn httie higher Than that f0f which cod
tntenaeo them. Tho Doudswgman vraufs r.
- ml.tfsas ha4ar keeps cr0wding sarah
ne stoall Wneel n o watch which boaufiftfi-
y vent reading its golden pathway wants
- De tne balance wheel. and the sparrow
49, cnagTin drops into tho brook because
~ e1nnoii IKE the eagle. cat n circle under
% gun. IN the Lords army we an want 70
- hilSedler generals The qloop saws.
sioIe mast more Tonnage moro canvas
IN tnat were topsail schooner. or "a fnll
.tkbeu Dig. or Cunard steamer And sg
sns Horld is Filled with cries Of discontenf
pseuse We are not willing ~ stay in tho
H. Wnefe lfod put us and intended us % t.s
~ ltlenns - not too proud 90 do anything
20, 80 teiis you - do. For the lack Of q righf
elsgosluon m thig respect the world is strevn
Dt1n wandering hagars and lshmaois. Cod
~ gwen eocn one of u- % work % d.
p On cary scuttis - c0al up that dark AZ
N.aH .aH