Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-09-11
TOLD AT THE EXPOSITION
DIR TALMAGE TALKS TO THE
AGRICULTURISTS
An Immense Multitude Thrilled ty
HIS Words I'm "A Sermon from tho
Text OF Genesis, 30; 8; "Roii the
stone from the WeIIs,s Mousl.o

d
attend the New York and Pennsylvania
Exposition, which is being held here
Sept. l, To Sept. Q. 1t is II combined
exposition OF cattle, sheep, horses and
valuable stock o. all kinds from
the two States. The sermon
was preached on the fair grounds to a
great audience of farmers, horsemen,
droyers, and clS-raisers from near
and far as well as citizens from the
adjacent. cities. Secretary Stanley of
the Young Mems Christian Association
of Elmira presided. Or. i almage's
text was Genesis pos: And they
said, we cannot, until all the tlocks he
gathered together, and till they roll
the stone from the wells mouth; then
We water the sheep"
There are some reasons why IL is APP
propriate that i should accept the invi-
tation to preach at this great Inter
state Fair, and to these throngs of
countrymen and citizens, horscmen
! just come from their chargers tho
! king of beasts for / take the
crown from the lion, and put 1t
on the brow of the horse which
Is in every way nobler, and speak to
these shepherds just come from their
fiocks, the Lord himself in one place
called n Shepherd, and ia another
called a Lamb, and all the good are
sheep, and preach to you Gait e-men
come up from the herds, your oc-
cupation honored by the fact that God
himself thinks it worthy of
immortal record that he owns
1.-The cattle on thousand hills" IL is
appropriate that | come because / was
a farmers boy, and never saw city
until was nearly grown and having
/ been born in the country | never got
over it, and would not dwell in cities n
day if my work was not appointed
! there. My love to you now
and when / get through / will
give you my hand, for though l have
this summer shaken hands with per-
haps 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 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 fail
grounds is filed with the bleating of
sheep, and the neighing of horses, and
! the lowing of cattle, | cannot find a
more appropriate text than the one !
read. II is scene in Mesopotamia,
beautifully pastoral. a well OF water
of great value in that region.
Oh 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, refresh
! ing, satisfying draught.
Now a great flock of sheep to-day
gather around this Gospel we'll. There
are great many thirsty souls.
wonder why the flocks of all nations
do not gather-why so many stay
thirsty; and while l am wonder
ing about it, my text breaks
forth in the explanation, saying: I'VE
cannot, until all the flocks be gathered
together, and till they roll the stone
from the wells mouth; then we water
the sheep
If { herd Of swine come to 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 Il flock OF
sheep come, though a hundred OF
them shall be disappointed, they
only express it by sad bleating,
they come together peacefully.
We want a great multitude to come
around the Gospel well. | know there
are those who do not like a crowd
they think crowd is vulgar. IL 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 hocks were gathered, and the
more floclSs 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
III. TO TO the rich and tell them they
arc INDECENT without the Gospel OF
Jesus. Go to the poor an tell them
the affiuence of 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 50 sick, none so worried,
none SO dying, as to be omitted. Whe n
the Fall elections come the whole
land is secured for votes, 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 ia
come out and seek the sick, and the
lost, and the suffering, and the oercft,
and the lame, and induce their suf
frages for the Lord Jesus. Why not
gather great flock? All America IN
flock; all the world in 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 spirit
of exclusiveness keep the world out.
Let down all the bars, swing open all
the gates, scatter all the invitations:
"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. Come in
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
focks of cares and anxieties and he