Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-01-23

tremity.
Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage, D. D.,
preached near Cana, last Sunday, on ga
Marriage Feast" taking for his text
John ii, 10: Thou hast kept the good
wine until now" He said:
Standing not far off from the demol-
ished town of what was once called Cana
of Galilee, bethink myself of our Lords
first manhood miracle, which has been
the establishment 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 congratula-
ton. 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 score Of artistic garlands
fresh from the dollhouse. When a
daughter goes off from home with moth
ing but 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 shell
tered her for eighteen years, that in a
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 banqueters are gone,
and she has a good cry all alone.
Well, we are to-day at the wedding in
Cana of Galilee. Jesus and his mother
have been invited. 1t is evident that
there are more people there than were
expected. Either some people have
come who were not invited, or more in
vitations have been sent out than 1t was
supposed would be accepted. or course
there is not enough supply of wine. You
know that there is nothing more embar-
RAISING to a housekeeper than scant
supply. Jesus sees the embarrassment,
and he comes up Immediately to relieve
it. He sees standing six water-pots.
He orders the servants TO fill them with
waite, then waves his hand over the
water, and Immediately 1t is wine-real
wine. Taste of it and see for your
selves; no logwood in it, no strychnine
In it, but first-rate wine. / will not now
be diverted to the question SO often dis
cussed 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 winei and
one hundred and thirty gallons 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 hadl
Thou hast kept the good wine until
now" Beautiful miraclel A prize was
offered to the person who should write
the best essay about the miracle in
Cana. Long manuscripts were present.
ed in the competition, but poet won
the prize by just this one line descrip-
tive of the miracle:
The unconscious water saw its God, and
blushed
We learn from this miracle, in the
first place, that Christ has sympathy
with housekeepers You might have
thought that Jesus would have said: II
can not be bothered with this household
deficiency Of wine 1t is not for me,
Lord of Heaven, of earth, to become ca
terer 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 res
cue. Does there ever come scant sup
ply in your household? Have you to
make very close calculation? Is it
hard work for you to carry on things de-
Gently and respectfully? If so, don't sit
down and cry. Don't go out and fret;
but go 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 unconsecrated
by the voice of prayer. If you have a
microscope put under it one drop of wa
ter. and sec the insects floating about;
and when you see that God makes them,
and cares for them, come to the conclu-
sion tina. ne 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 sometimes
get discouraged. and feel that God is go
ing to let you starve?7 The lad looked
up in the woman's face and said: do
you think God will let me starve when
/ trust Him, and then do the best
camp Enough theology for older peo-
pie! Trust in God and do the best you
can. Amidst all the worriments Of
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. l commend
YOU to the Lord Jesus Christ as the best
adviser and the most efficient aid-the
Lord Jesus who performed his first mir
acle to relieve a housekeeper.
l learn also from this miracle that
Christ does things in abundance. /
think a small supply Of wine would