News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-09-10

| when the question is whether Christ or
| the devil shall rule this world, how few
there are to come out and seek the sick,
and the lost, and the suffering, and the
| bereft. and the lame and induce their
| suffrages for the Lord Jesus. Why not
gather a great flock? All America in a
flock; all the world in a flock. This
well of the Gospel is deep enough to put
| out the burning thirst of the fourteen
hundred million of the race.
Do not let the church by spirit of
exclusiveness keep the world out. Let
down all the bars, swing open all the
gates, scatter all the invitations, who
soever 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 Come in furs. Come, pant
| ing under palm leaves. Come one.
Come ALL Come now. As at this well
of Mesopotamia Jacob and Rachel were
| betrothed, SO now, at this we'll of sal
walton, Christ our shepherd will meet
you coming up with your long focks
of cares and anxieties, and he will
stretch out his hand in pledge of his
affection, while all heaven will cry out,
behold the bridegroom cometh; go ye
out to meet him.
IMPLEMENTS MUST BE REMOVED.
You notice that this well of Mesopo-
tamia had stone on it, which must be
removed before the sheep could be
watered; and find on the well of sal
walton today impediments and obstacles
which must be removed in order that
you may obtain the refreshnent and
life of this Gospel. In your case the inn
pediment is pride of heart. You can
not bear to come to so democratic
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 par
lorsipping 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 a special car, with your feet on a
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 drinking 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 well. 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, l am dying
of thirst. Give me the water of eternal
life, whether in trough or goblet; give
me the water of life. / care not in
what it comes to me-" Away with all
your hindrances of pride from the wells
mouth.
Here is another man who Is kept
back from this water of life by the
stone of an obdurate heart, which lies
over the mouth of the well. You have
no more feeling upon this subject than
if God had yet to do you the first kind
ness, or you had to do God the first
wrong. Seated on his lap all these
you, where is your gratitude2 Where
is your morning and evening prayer2
Where are your consecrated lives9 |
say to you, as Daniel said to Belshaz
gar, 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 times a day you have been seated
at Gods table. Spring, summer, au-
tumn and winter he has appropriately
appareled you Your health from him,
your companion from him, your chill
dren from him, your home from him.
All the bright surroundings of your life
from him. o mani what dost thou
with that hard hearth 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 been i'm
portuning your If you could sit down
five minutes under the tree of Say
tours martyrdom, and feel his warm
life trickling on your forehead and
cheek and hands. methinks you would
get some appreciation of what you owe
to crucified 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 done?
Crucified the Eternal Son.
Jacob with good deal of tug and
push took the stone from the wells
mouth, SO that the flocks might be wa
tered. And | would that today my
word, blessed of God, might remove
the hindrances to your getting up to
the Gospel well. Yea, / take it for
granted that the work is done, and now
like oriental shepherds. proceed to