Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-09-17

swing open all the gates, scabter all Jhe IN
vitations, ''Whosoever will, let him come"
Come, white and black Come, red men
of the forest. Come, Laplander, out Of the
snow. Come, Patagonian, out of the heat.
Comein furs Come, painting under palm
leaves. Come one. Come all Come now.
AS at this well of Mesopotamia Jacob and
Rachel were betrothed, so now, at this well
of salvation Christ our Shepherd will meet
you coming up with your long flocks of
cares and anxieties, and be will stretch out
his hand in pledge of his affection, while
all heaven will cry out, Behold the bride
groom cometh; go ye out to meet him."
THE WELL OF SALVATION.
You notice that this well of Mesopota-
mia had a stone on it, which must be re
moved before the sheep could be watered;
and find on the well of salvation today
impediments and obstacles, which must be
removed in order that you may obtain the
refreshment and life of this Gospel. In
your case the impediment is pride Of heart.
You cannot bear to come to so democratic
a fountain; you do not want to come with
so many others. 1t is to you like when
you are dry, coming to a town pump, as
compared to sitting in a parlor slipping
out of a chased chalice which has just
been lifted from a silver salver. Not so
many publicans and sinners You want
to get to heaven, but it must be in special
car, with your feet on Turkish ottoman
and band of music on board the train.
You do not want to be in company with
rustic Jacob and Rachel and to be drink
ing out of the fountain where ten thousand
sheep have been drinking before you. You
will have to remove the obstacle of pride,
or never find your way to the we'll. You
will have to come as we came, willing to
take the water of eternal life in any way
and at any hand, and in any kind of
pitcher, crying out: 20 Lord Jesus, | am
dying of thirst Give me the water of eter-
nal life, whether in trough or goblet. Give
me the water of life; care not in what it
comes to me-" Away with all your him
drances of pl lie from the wells mouth.
Here is another man who is kept back
from the water of life by the stone of an
obdurate heart, which lies over the mouth
of the we'll You have no more feeling
upon this subject than if God had yet to
do you the first kindness, or you had to do
God the first wrong. Seated on his lap all
these years, his everlasting arms shelter.
ing you, where is your gratitude? Where
is your morning and evening prayer?
Where are your consecrated lives? / say
to you, as Daniel said to Belshazzar, 'The
God in whose hand thy breath is, and all
thy way thou hast not glorified."
If you treated anybody as badly as you
| have treated God, you would have made
! five hundred apologies-yea, your whole
life would have been an apology. Three
| JO, tal MI Go51
table. Spring, summer, autumn and
winter he has appropriately appareled
you. Your health from him, your COM
panion from him, your children from him,
your home from him. All the bright sur.
roundings of your life from him. Oh, man
what dost thou with that hard heart;
Canst thou not feel one throb of gratitude
toward the God who made you, and the
Christ who came to redeem you, and the
Holy Ghost who has all these years beer
importuning you? If you could sit down
five minutes Under the tree of Saviour's
martyrdom, and feel his warm life trick
ling on your forehead and cheek and hands
methinks you would get some appreciation
of what you owe to crucifed Jesus
Heart of stone, relent, relent,
Touched by Jesus cross subdued;
See his body, mangled, rent,
Covered with gore of blood.
Sinful soul, what hast thou done2
Crucified the Eternal Son.
TAKE THE STONE FROM THE WELL.
Jacob, with good deal of tug and push
took the stone from the wells mouth, 81
that the fiocks might be watered. And
would that today my word, blessed o
God, might remove the hindrances to you
getting up to the Gospel well. Yea, TAX
it for granted that the work is done, ant
now, like oriental shepherds, l proceed t.
water the sheep.
Come, all We thirstyl You have an unde
fined longing in your soul You trie'
money making; that did not satisfy you
You tried office under governments; tina
did not satisfy you. You tried picture
and sculptures, but works of art did nc
satisfy you You are as much discomfort
ed with this life as the celebrated Frenc
author who felt that he could not an
longer endure the misfortunes of tn
world, and who said: cat o'clock thi
afternoon 1 shall put an end to my ow
existence. Meanwhile, must toll on u
to that time for the sustenance of my fan
ily" And he wrote on his book until tn
clock struck 4, when he folded up his maj
uscript and, by his own hand, conclude
his earthly life.
There are men here who are perfectl
discontented. Unhappy in the past, III
happy today, to be unhappy forever, unles
you come to this Gospel well. This sati
fies the soul with high, deep, all-absorl
ing and eternal satisfaction. 1t comes an
it offers the most unfortunate man {
, much of this world as is best for him, an
throws all heaven into the bargain. TT
| wealth of Croesus and of all of the Roth
childs is only poor, miserable shillir
compared with the eternal fortunes tn;
Christ offers you today. In the far ca
, there was king who used once year
get on scales, while on the other side
the scales were placed gold and silver ar
! gems; indeed, enough were placed there
balance the king; then, at the close of tt
weighing, all those treasures were throw
, among the populace. But Christ todf
steps on one side the scales, and on I'll
| other side are all the treasures Of the ur
/ verse, and he says: Gall are yours
height, all depth, all length, all breadt
{ all eternity; all are yours" We don't a
preciate the promises of the Gospel.
When an aged clergyman was dying
) man very eminent in the church-a your
t theological student stood. by his side, al
the aged man looked up and said to hiI
| "Can't you give me some comfort in n
D dying hourP" "No," said the young ma
4 II can't talk to you on this subject; "
know all about it, and have known it
{ long" "Well," said the dying man, ''ju
| hn