The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1891-09-11
SERMON TO FARMERS.
DE-. TaInage Addresses the Agri-
c5llturists.
The Multitude Invited to Drink At the
Gospel WeII-AH Glasses Welcomed
Glorious Onerine o. Christ
HeiIng Worldly Sorrows.

at Eimira, n. Y, Rev. 7. Dewitt Tai
mage took his text from Genesis XXX.
8: And they said, we cannot until all
the hoeks be gathered together, and till
they roll the stone from the wells
mouth; then we water the sheep"
After aIluding TO his early training on
the farm and the appropriateness of his
addressing an assembly of farmers and
stock raisers, DR.. Talmage said:
And now while the air OF these fair
grounds is filled with the bleating OF
sheep, and the neighing of horses, and
the lowing of cattle, cannot find
more appropriate text than the one 1
read 1t is a scene in MesoPotamia.
beautifully pastoral A we'll of water Of
great value in that region The fields
around about it white with three hOel1s
of sheep lying down waiting for the
watering. 1 look off, and I see other
fioclks of sheep coming. Mean
while Jacob stranger, on
the interesting errand of looking
ing for Il wife, comes TO the well. A
beautiful shepherdess comes TO the
same we'll 1 see her approaching, fol-
lowed Dy 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 a mystery to me what
he found to cry about! But before that
scene occurred, Jacob accosts the
shepherds and asks them why they
postpone the shaking of the thirst of
these sheep, and why they did not i'm
mediately proceed to water them The
shepherds reply to the effect: 1--WE are
All good neigh bOrs, and as a matter of
courtesy we wait until all the sheep Of
the neighborhood come mp. 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
filed, and the sheep are satisfied We
cannot, until all the fiOclzs be gathered
together, and till they roll the stone
from the wells mouth, then we water
the sheep"
o, this is thirsty world Hot for
the head, and blistering for the feet
and Parching for the tongue. The
worlds great want is a cool, refreshing,
satisfying draught We wander around
and find the eistsrn empty. Long and
tedious drought hay dried up the worlds
fountains, but near.y nine teen centuries
ago, Shepherd, with crook in the
shape of "a cross, and feet cut to bleed
ing, explored the desert passages Of
this world, and one day came across a
well n Thousand feet deep, bubblinR
and bright, and OpaIescent, and looked
and the west, and cried out with a voice
strong aud musical that rang through
the ages: "Ho, cvere one that thiFsteth,
come ye to the waters!"
Now a great flock OF sheep to-day
gather around this gospel we'll There
are a great many thirsty souls. I won
der why the hoclSs of all nations do not
gather-why so many stay thirsty-and
while 1 am wondering about it my text
hi q
1--WE cannot, until all the Aoclzs be
gathered together, and till they roll the
stone from the wells mouth; then we
water the sheep"
If q herd of swine come to a we'll
they angrily jOstle each other for the
precedence; if drove of cattle come
to a well, they hook each other back
from the water, but when the flock of
sheep come, though a hundred OF them
shall be disappointed, they only ex-
press it by sad bleating, they come
together peacefully. We want a great
multitude to come around the gospel
we'll I know there are those who do
not like a crowd-they think a crowd
Is vulgar, II they are oppressed for
room in church it makes them posi-
lively impatient and belligerenE Not
so did these oriental shepherds. They
waited until all the HoelEs were gath
cred, and the more hoclSs that came,
the better they liked it And SO we
ought to be 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
Go to the poor and tell them the af1iu-
encc there is in Christ Go to the blind
and tell them of the touch that gives
eternal illumination Go to the lame
and tell them of the joy that Will make
the lame man leap like hart Gather
all the sheep off of all the mountains
None so torn OF the dogs, none SO sick,
none so worried, none so dying, as to
be omitted. When the fall elections
come the whole land is secured for
voters. and If 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
ont and seek the sick, and the lost, and
the suffering, and the bereft, and the
lame, and induce their SURFACES for the
Lord Jesus. Why not gather a great
fioclz2 All America in a flock; ali the
world in flock. This well of the Cos
pel.is deep enough to put out the burn-
ing thirst Of the fourteen hundred mil
lions of the race. Do not let the church,
by a spirit of exclusiveness, keep the
swing open all the gates, scatter all the
invitaeionss SThosoever will, let him
come
You notice that this well of AIesopo-
tamia had n stone on it. which must be
removed before the sheep could be
watered; and find on the well of sal
Xntion to-day innedinenEa and Oh
stacles, which must be removed in or
der that you may obtain the refresh
ment and life of this gospel
In your case the impeachment is pride
Of heart You cannot bear to come to
SO democratic a fountain; you do not
want to come with SO many others It
Is to you like when yos are dry, com
ing to n town pumps as compared 20
sitting in parlor slipping out of
chased chalics 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 n 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 10. 600 sheen have beau