The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-09-23
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINES SUN
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "The Droves at the Well"
Delivered at Elmira, N. Y.

TEXT: "And they said, We cannot until
all the focks be gathered together. and till
they roll the stone from the tUelPs mouth,
then ,ce water the sheep."-Genesis XXX, 8.
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 just come from their fine charg-
ers, the king of beasts for take the crown
from the lion and put it on the brow OF the
horse which is in every way nobler); and
speak to these shepherds Just come from
their focks (the Lord Himself in one place
called Shepherd and 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
immortal record that He owns ''the cattle on
a thousand hills" 1t is appropriate
that I come because I was q far
mer's boy, and never saw q city until
I was nearly grown. and having been
born in the country l never got over it,
and would not dwell in cities day il my
work was not appointed there. My love
to you now. and when I get through l
will give you my hand, for though I have
this summer shaken hands with perhaps
forty thousand people in twenty.one
States Of the Union all the way through
to Colorado and North and South will not
conclude my summer vacation till q! 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 and spectacles' How you make
me think Of my mother! And now
while the air Of these fairgrounds
is filed with the bleating of sheep, and the
neighing of horses, and the lowing of cattle,
G.x1 ya%n
than the one I read. It is q scene
in Mesopotamia, beautifully pastoral. A
we'll of water of great value in that
region. The fields around about it white
with three focks Of sheep lying down
waiting for the watering. hear their
bleating coming on the bright air, and
the laughter Of young men and maidens
indulging in rustic repartee. look on,
and / see other focks Of sheep coming.
Meanwhile, Jacob, a stranger, on the IN
teresting errand of looking. for wne,
ess comes to the same well. I see her ap-
preaching, followed by her fathers flock Of
sheep. It was memorable meeting. Jacob
married that shepherdess. The Bible account
of it is: Jacob kissed Rachel. and lifted up
his voice and wept." 1t has always been
mystery to me what he found to cry
about! But before that scene occur
red, Jacob accosts the shepherds and
asks them why they postpone the sakinS
Of the thirst Of these sheep, and why they
did not Immediately proceed to water
them. The shepherds reply to the effect:
'We ars all good neighbors, and as mat
ter Of courtesy we wait until all the sheep
of the neighborhood 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 all the hocks be
gathered together, and till they roll the stons
from the wells mouth; then we water the
sheep"
on, this is thirsty world! Hot for the
head, and blistering for the feet. and
parching for the tongue. The worlds
great want is cool. refreshing, satisfying
draught. We wander al ound 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 the bleeiing e1-
plored the desert passages OF this world, and
one day came across a we'll a thousand feet
deep, bubbling and bright and opalescent,
and looked to the north, and the south, and
the east and the west, and cried out with a
voice strong and musical that rang tarough
the ages: ''Ho, every one that thirstetn,
come ye to the waters"'
Now great flock Of sheep to-day gathered
around this Gospel well. There are great
many thirsty souls. I wonder why the
focks of all nations do rot gather so
many stay thirsty; and while l am wonder
ing about it, my text breaks forth in the e1-
planation saying, I'VE cannot, until all IL the
hocks be gathered together, and till they
roll the stone from the welrs mouth; tnen
we water the sheep"
II herd Of swine come to well they
angrly iostle each other for the precedence;
II a drove OF cattle come to well, they hook
each other back from the water; but when
the flock of sheep come, though hundred
Of them snail be disappointed, they only
exufess it by sad bleating, they come To-
gether peacefully. We want great mu!:
titude to come around the Gospel well. !
know there are those who do not Like crowd
they think a crowd is vulgar. If they are
Oppressed for room in church it makes them
positively impatient and belligerent Not SO
did these Oriental shepherds They waited
until all the focks were toeether, and the
mors hocks that came, the better they liked
it. And so we ought to oe ANXIOUS
that all the people should come.
Go out into the highways and the
hedges and compel them to come
in. Go to the rich and tell them they are
INDECENT without the Gospel OF Jesus. TO
to the DOOR and tell them the aff1uence there
is in Christ. Go to thu blind and tell them
of the touch that gives eternal illumination.
Go to the lame and tell them OF the JOY tnat
will make the lame man leap like
hart. Gather all the sheep of Of all the
mountains. None so torn OF the dogs, none
SO sick, none so worried none 50 dying, as to
be omitted. When the fall elections come
the whole land is secured for voters, and II
man is too weak or sick to walk to the
polls. a carriage is sent for him; but
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 sufrages for
the Lord Jesus. Why not gather a great
world in a flock. This well of the
Gospel is deep enough to put out the burn
ing thirst of the fourteen hundred million
of the race. Do not let the church by
spirit of excusiveness keep the world or.
Let down all the bars. swing open all the
gates, scatter all the invitations: "Whoso-
ever will let him come" Come, white and
black. Come, red men Of the forest. Come,
Laplander, out of the snow. Come, Pata-
CONAN, out of the heat. Come in turs.
Come painting under palm leaves. Come
one. Come all. Come now. AS at TINS
we'll of Mesopotamia, Jacob and Ra.
chel were betrothed, so now, at this'well OF
salvation 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, all heaven
win cry out: behold tne orloesroo"
cometh, go ye out to meet Him"
You notice that this VOL of Mesopotamia
had stone on 1t, which must be removed
before the sheep could be watered; and I
find on the we'll Of salvation to-day inpedi-
ments and obstacles, which must be re-
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