Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-09-07

we water the sheep"
II herd of swine come TO a well
they aDgrily iostle each other for the
precedenee: n n drove Of cattle come
b well. they hook each other back
from the water. but when the flock Of
sheep come. though hundred Of them
sliall be disappointed. they only eH-
press It by sad bleating. they come to
geflIer peacefully We want a great
multitude to come around the Gospel
we'll know there are those who do
not like "a crowd-they think a crowd
Is vulgar II they are oppressed for
room IN church il makes them posi-
lively impatient and belligerent. Not
20 did these oriental shepherds. They
waited until all the focks we're gath
cred. and the more hocks that came
the better they liked It.
And 80 we ought 10 be anxious that
all the people should come. Go out
into the highways and the hedges and
compel them 10 come in. Go 10 the
rich and tell them they are INDECENT
! without the Gospel Of Jesus. Go to
the poor and tell them the afiluence
there Is in Chirst Go to the blind and
tell them OF the touch that gives eter
nal illumination. Go to the lame and
tell them OF the Joy that viii 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 80 worried. none so dying AS to
be omitted
When the fall elections come the
whole land is secured for voters, and If
| a 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
suffrages for the Lord Jesus. Why nor
gather great fockl All America in a
flock all the world in IA flock. This
we'll 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 a spirit Of
excusiveness 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, Laplandor, 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 Mt this well
Of Mesopotamia Jacob and Rachel were
betrOthed, so now, at this well Of sal
walton, 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 will cry out,
"Behold the bridegroom cometh; go ye
out to meet him.
IIPEDIMENTs MUST BE REMOVED.
You notice that this well Of Mesopo-
tamia had stone on II, 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 refreshlnent and
life OF this Gospel In your case the i'm
pedlment is pride OF heart. You can
not bear 10 come to 80 democratic a
fountain; you do not want to come
with so many Others. II Is to you like,
when you are dry, coming to n town
pump, as compared TO sitting In n par
lor slipping out of "A chased chalice which
has Just been lifted from silver salver.
Not so many publicans and sinners.
You want to get to heaven, but il must
be Ia special car, with your feet on a
Turkish ottoman and a 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 10 remove
the obstacle of pride or never find your
way 10 the well. You will have Ia
come as wo 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 eternal
life, whether In trough or goblet give
me the water OF life. | care not In
what Il comes TO me" Away with all
your hlndranecs OF pride from the wells
mouth.
Here Is another man who is kept
back from this water OF life by the
stone Of an obdurato heart which lies
over the mouth of the well, You have
no more feeling upon this subject than
II God had yet TO do you the first kind
ness, or You had 90 do God the first
wrong Seated on his lap all these
years, his everlasting arms shelterlng
you, where Is your gtatitudel Where
Is your morning and evening prayerl
Where are your conseerated llvesf
say 10 you. as Daniel said 10 Bolshaz-
zar, The God IN whose hand thy
breath Is, and all thy way, thon hast
not glorihod.' -
n you treated anybody as badly as
you have treated God you would have
made i've 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
! apparcled you. Your health from him,
your companion from him, your ehil
! dren from him, your home from hlm.
] A A - a. a IL. ~