Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-09-07
GATHER YOUR FLocKs.


But gather all the promises today in a
group, and | ask the shepherds to drive
their 1ocks of lambs and sheep up to the
sparkling supply. Behold, happy is the
man whom God correcteth." Though he
cause grief, yet will he have compassion"
"Many are the Affections of the righteous,
but the Lord delivereth him out of them
ALL" weeping may endure for a night,
but Joy cometh in the morning." am de-
termined today that no one shall go
away uncontrolled. Yonder is II timid
and shrinking soul who seems to hide
away from the consultations am utterng,
as a child with sore hand hides away
from the physician lest he touch the wound
too roughly, and the mother has to go and
compel the little patient to come out and
see the physician.
So | come to your timid and shrinking
soul today, and compel you to come out in
the presence of the Divine Physician He
will not hurt you. He has been healing
wounds for many years, and he will give
you gentle and omnipotent medicament.
But people, when they have trouble, go
anywhere rather than to God. DE Quincy
took opium to get rid of his troubles.
Charles Lamb took to punch. Theodore
Hook took to something stronger. Edwin
Forrest took to theatrical dissipation. And
men have run all around the earth, hoping
In the quick transit to get away from their
misfortunes. 1t has been a dead failure.
There is only one well that can Stake the
thirst of an afflicted spirit, and that is the
deep and inexhaustible well of the Gospel
TIE THOUGHT OF HEAVEN.
But some one says, in the audience,
Notwithstanding all you have said this
morning, find no alienation for my
troubles" Well, am not through yet
have left the most potent consideration for
the last. am going to soothe you with
the thought OF heaven. However talka-
tive we may be, there will come time when
the stoutest and most emphatic interroga-
ton will evoke from us no answer. As
soon as we have closed our lips for the
final silence no power on earth can break
that taoiturnty, but where, oh, Christian,
will be your spiritP In a scene of infinite
gladness. The spring morning of heaven
waving it's blossoms in the bright air, Vic
tors fresh from battle showing their scars.
The rain of earthly sorrow struck through
with the rainbow of eternal joy. In one
group, God and angels and the redeemed
Paul and Silas, Latimer and Ridley,
Isaiah and jeremiah, Payson and John
Milton, Gabriel and Michael the arch
angel. Long line of choristers reaching
across the hills. Seas of joy dashing to the
white beach. Conquerors marching from
gate to gate. You among them.
Oh, what great flock of sheep God will
gather around the celestial well. Nostone
on the wells mouth while the shepherd
waters the sheep. There Jacob will recog,
nize Rachel the shepherdess And stand
ing on one side of the well of eternal rap
ture your children, and standing on the
other side of the well of eternal rapture
your Christian ancestry, you will be
bounded on all sides by Joy so keen and
grand that no other world has ever been
permitted to experience it.
Out of that one deep we'll of heaven the
Shepherd will dip reunion for the bereayed,
wealth for the poor health for the sick,
rest for the weary, And then all the flock
of the Lords sheep will lie down in the
green pastures, and world without emu we
will praise the Lord that on this first
autumnal Sabbath of 1891 we were per-
mitted to study among the bleating tiocks
and lowing herds of this fair ground the
story of Jacob and Rachel the shepherdess,
at the well in Mesopotamia Oh, plunge
your buckets into this great Gospel well
and let them come up dripping with that
water of which If man drink he never
again shall thirst.