Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-09-11
REV. DIR. TALMAGH.
The Eminent Brooklyn Divine'S Sun
day Sermon.
Subject: "The Drovers at The WcIi.'
tB,livcrcd.nt E!mira, y. Y.

TEXT "And they said. We cannot, rntn
all the docks be gathered together and til
they roll the stone iron, The trelps mouth,
then ne u0ter The sheep. "-Genesis XXX, 5.
There are some reasons why it is appro-
pirate that should accept the invitation to
preach at this great interstate fair, and to
these throngs of countrymen and citizens
horsemen INST come from their fine charg
ers, the king of beasts tfor take the crown
from the lion and put it on the brow Of the
horse, which is in every way nobler); and
speak 10 these shepherds just come from
their fiocks 1.-THE Lord Himself In one place
called Shepherd aud in another place
called Lamb, and all the good are sheep;
and preach to you cattle-men come up from
The herds, your occupation honored by the
fact, that God Himself thinks it worthy OF
immortal record that He owns 1.-THE cattleol
thousand hills" 1t is appropriate
that / como because / was far
mer's boy and never saw n city until
/ was nearly grown, and having been
born in the country / never got over II,
and would not dwell in cities day IL my
work was not appointed there My love
10 you now, and when | get through ]
will give You my hand, for though | have
this summer shaken hands with perhaps
forty thousand people in twenty. one
States Of the Union all the way through
20 Colorado and North and South will not
conclude my summer vacation till | have
shaken hands with you You old farmer
out there How You make me think OF my
father! You elderly woman out there
with cap aud spectaciesl How you mako
me think Of my motherl And now
while the mir OK these fairgrounds
is filled with the beating Of sheep, and the
neighing of horses and the lowing of cattle,
AL 70 tawf
than the one 1 read. II is scene
ih Mesopotamia, beautifully pastoral. A
well of water of great value in that
region. The fields around about it white
with three 6ocks Of sheep lying down
waiting for the watering | hear their
beating coming on tho bright air, and
the laughter of young men and maidens
INDUCING in rustic repartee. | look of,
and / see other hocks OF sheep coming.
Meanwhile, Jacob, a stranger, on the in
teresting errand of looking for n wife,
comes to the well A beautiful shepherd
ess comes 10 the same well. | see her ap-
preaching, followed by her fathers flock Of
sheep 1t was a memorable meeting. Jacob
married that shcpherdeSs. The Bible account
of it is: Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up
his voice and went" 1t has always been a
mystery to me what he found to cry
about, Pat before that scene occur
red, Jacob accosts the shepherds and
asks them why they postpone the shaking
of the thirst Of these sheep and why they
did not Immediately proceed to water
them. The shepherds reply to the effect:
I'VE are ell good neighbors, end as a mat
ter of courtesy we wait until all the sheep
Of the neighborhoo1 come up. Besides
that, this stone on the wells mouth is
somewhat heavy and several of us take hold
Of it and push it aside, and then the buckets
and the troughs are filled, and the sheep are
satisfied. We cannot, until ali the fiocks be
gathered together, and till they roll the stone
from the wells mouth; then we water the
sheep"
Oh, this is thirsty world Hot for the
head, and blisterng for the feet, and
parching for the tongue. The worlds
great want is n cool, refreshing satisfying
draught. We wander around and find
the cistern empty. Long and tedious
drought has dried up the worlds fount-
aims, but nearly nineteen centuries ago
q Shepherd, with crook in the shape
of a cross, and feet cut to tho Bleeding ex-
plored the desert passages of this world, and
one day came across well a thousand feet
deep, bubbling AM bright, and opalescent
and looked 70 the north, and the south, and
the east and the west, and cried out with a
voice strong and musical that rang through
the ages: "Ho, every one that thirstetn,
come ye to the waters
Now a great flock of sheep to-day gathered
around this Gospel we'll There are great
many thirsty souls | wonder Why the
focks Of all nations do not gather why 50
many stay thirsty; and while am wonder
ing about it, my text breaks forth in the ex-
PLANTATION. saving: 1--WE cannot, until all tbs
fiocks be gathered together, and till they
-cll the stone from the wells mouth; then
we water the sheep"
If herd of swine come 10 a well they
nngrily jostle each other for the precedence;
IL a drove Of cattle COME 10 a well, they hook
each other back from the water; but when
the flock Of sheep come, though O hundred
of them shall be disappointed, they only
express it by sad bleating, they come to-
gether peacefully. We want great mul-
titudc tocome around the Gospel well. !
know there are those who do not like crowd
they think a crowd is vulgar. IL they are
oppresss for room in church it makes them
positively impatient and belligerent. Not 50
did these Oriental shepherds They waited
until all the focIs were together AMI tie
more focks that came, the better they liked
IT, And so We ought to be anxious
TINT all the people should come.
Go cut into the highways and the
hedges end compel them to come
in. TO to the rich and tell them they are
INDECENT without the Gospel OF Jesus. TO
TO the poor and tell them the atii1ance there
is in Christ. Go TO the bin AMI tell them
OF the touch that gives eternal i'lu nnation.
Go TO the lame and tell them Of ths JOY that
will make the lame man leap IKE
hart. Gather all the sheep of OF all the
mountains. None so torn OF the dogs, none
so sick, none 50 worried, none so dying, as 70
be omitted When the fall elections come
the whole land is secured for voters, and II
man is too weak or sic, to walk TO the
polls. q carriage is sent for hlA; but
wher the question is whether Christ or
the devil shall rule this world, how few
there are TO come out and seek the SICK, ana
the lost and the suffering, and the berett,
and the lame. and induce their suffrages for
the Lord Jesus. Why not gather great
flock? All America in a flOck; all toe
world in n flock This we'll of the
Gospel is deep enough to put out tue burn
ing thirst OF the fourteen nundrei million
of the race. Do not let tins church by
spirit Of excusiveness keep the world out.
Let down all the bars, swing open an the
gates. scatter all the invitations: "Whoso-
ever will. let him come" Come, white AMI
bIac.- Come. red men Of the forest Come,
Laplander. out of the snow. Come, Pata-
CONAN. out of the heat Come III turs.
Come painting under palm leaves Come
one. Come all. Come now. As at TINS
we'll OF Mesopotamia, Jacob and Rs,
chel were betrothed, so now, at this well OF
salvation Christ our Shepherd will meet you
coming up with your long fiocks OF cares and
anxieties. and He will stretch out HIS hand
in pledge of His affection, while all heaven
viii cry out: "Bshold the bridegroom
cometh, 90 We out to meet Him..
You notice that this vel OF Mesopotamla
nad a stone on it, which must be removed
before the sheep could be watered; and
find on the well Of salvation to-day impedi-
Inents and obstacles, which must be re-
moved in order that you may obtain the re-
freshment and life Of this Gospel. In your
case the impediment is pride of heart. You
cannot bear to come TO so democratic fouu-
tain; you do not want TO come with so
many others. IL is to you like when you
are dry, coming to town pump, rs COM
pared to sitting in a parlor slipping out of
chased chalice which has Just been littsd
from a silver salver. Not 50 many publ
cans and sinners. You want TO get tn
heaven, but it must be in special car, with
your feet on Turkish ottoman and a band
OF music on board the train. You do not
want to DO in company with rustic Jacob