News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-09-10
TALMAGE AT THE FAIR.
A CALL TO THE WELL OF ETER-
NAL SALVATION.

NAL ORGNA iON.
Sermon Preached by the Brooklyn Divine
at Elmira, N. Y, Where an Interstate
Fair Is in Progress An Interesting
and Appropriate Discourse.
ELMRA, Sept. 6.-The Rev. Dr. Tai
mage preached here today to the i'm
mense multitude who had come to at
tend the New York and Pennsylvania
exposition, which is being held here
Sept. 1 to Sept. 9. 1t is a combined
exposition of cattle, sheep, horses and
valuable stock of all kinds from the
two states. The sermon was preached
on the fair grounds to great audience
of farmers, horsemen. drovers and
stockraisers from near and far, as well
as citizens from the adjacent cities.
Secretary Stanley, OF the Young Mems
Christian Association of Elmira, pre-
sided DR.. Talnage's text was Genesis
xxx, 8, "And they said, we cannot,
until all the fiocks be gathered together,
and till they roll the stone from the
wells mouth; then we water the
sheen"
SPEAKING TO THE SHEPHERDS.
There are some reasons why it is ap-
propriate that l should accept the in
vitation to preach at this great inter
state fair, and to these throngs of
countrymen and citizens-horsemen
just come from their fine chargers, 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 flocks-the Lord
himself in one place called Shepherd,
and in another place called Lamb,
and all the good are Sheppard preach
to you cattlemen come up from the
herds, your occupation honored by the
fact that God himself thinks it worthy
of immortal record that he owns 1.-The
cattle on a thousand hills. F"
1t is appropriate that ! come, be
cause was a farmers boy and never
saw a city until | was nearly grown,
and having been born in the country
/ never got over it, and would not
dwell in cities 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 therel How |
you make me think of my father You
elderly woman out there, with cap and |
spectaclesl How yoIF make me think
of my motherl
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 a |
more appropriate text than the one I |
read 1t is a scene in Mesopotamia, |
beautifully pastoral. A well of water,
OF great value in that region. The fields |
around about it white with three fiocks
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 off, and l see
other flocks of sheep coming. Mean
hi n CIR hn into
esting errand of looking for a wife,
comes to the we'll A beautiful shep |
herdess comes to the same well. ! SEE
her approaching, followed by her faith
er's flock of sheep. 1t was a mem
orable meeting. Jacob married that
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, ia
cob accosts the shepherds and asks
them why they postpone the shaking of
the thirst of these sheep, and why they
did not Immediately proceed to water
them. The shepherds reply TO the effect:
1--WE are all good neighbOrs, and as a
matter 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 flocks be gath |
cred together, and till they roll the
stone from the wells mouth; then we
water the sheep"
THE WORLDS GREAT WANT.
Oh, this is a 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 draft We wander around !
and find'the cistern empty. Long and |
tedious drought has dried up the worlds
fountains, but nearly nineteen centuries
ago a Shepherd, with crook in the |
shape of a cross, and feet cut to the |
bleeding, explored the desert passages
of this world and one day came across
a well thousand feet deep, bubbling
and bright and opaleseent, and looked
to the north, and the south, and the |
east, and the west, and cried out with |
voice strong and musical that rang
through the ages: ''Ho, every one that
thirsteth, come ye to the watersl"
: Now, a great flock of sheep today
gather around this Gospel WELL There
are great many thirsty souls. l won
der why the flocks of all nations do not |
gather-why so many stay thirsty, and
while l am wondering about it, my |
text breaks forth in the explanation,
saying: 1--WE cannot, until all the fiocks
be gathered together, and till they roll
the stone from the wells mouth; then
we water the sheep"
If herd of swine come to a well |
they angrily jostle each other for the
precedence; if a drove of cattle come
from the water; but when the flock of |
sheep come, though a hundred of them |
Ehall be disappointed, they only ex
press it by sad bleating, they come to-
gether peacefully. We want a great !
multitude 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 posi- |
lively impatient and belligerent. Not |
so did these oriental shepherds. They
waited until all the fiocks were gath
cred, and the more focks that came |
the better thew liked If