The Bossier banner., 1891-11-12


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
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 not gather
! great flock? All America in a flock;
all the world in a flock. This we'll of the
Gospel is deep enough to put out the
burning thirst of the one billion four
! hundred million of the race. Do not
| let the church by a spirit of exclusive"
ness 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 we'll of Mesopo-
tamia, Jacob and Rachel were be-
trothed, so now, at this well of saliva
ton, 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: BE
hold the bridegroom cometh, go ye out
to meet him"
You notice that this we'll of Mesopo-
tamia had a stone on it, which must be
removed before the sheep could be
watered; and l find on the well of sal
vation to-day impediments and obsta-
cles, which must be removed in order
that you may obtain the refreshmert
and life of this Gospel. In your case
the impediment is pride of heart. You
can not bear to come to SO democratic
fountain; you do not want to come
with so many others. 1t is to you like
when you are dry, coming to a town
pump, as compared to sitting in a par
lor slipping out of chased chalice which
has just been lifted from a silver sal
yer. Not so many publicans and
sinners. You want to get to Heav-
en-, but it must be In a
special car, with your feet on
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 to remove the obstacle
of pride, or never find your way to the
well. You will have to come as we
came, willing to take the water of
eternal life in any way, and at any
hand, and in any kind of pitcher, cry
ing out: 80, Lord Jesus, am dying of
thirst. Give me the water of eternal
life, whether in trough or in goblet;
give me the water of life; care not in
what it comes to me-" Away with all
your hindrances of pride from the wells
mouth.
Here is another man who is kept
back from this water of life by the
stone of an obdurate heart, which lies
over the mouth of the well. You have
no more feeling upon this subject than
if God had yet to do you the first kind
ness, or you had to do God the
first wrong. Seated on His lap
all these years, His everlasting
arms sheltering you, where is your
gratitude Where is your morning
and evening prayer? Where are your
consecrated lives? say to you, as
Daniel said to Belshazzar: 'The God
in whose hand thy breath is, and all
thy way thou hast not glorifed." If
you have treated anybody as badly as
you have treated God you would have
made five hundred apologies yes, your
whole life would have been an apology.
Three times day you have been seat
ed at Gods table. Spring, summer,
autumn and winter He h as appropriate
ly appareled you. Your health from
Him, your companion from Him, your
children from Him, your home from
Him. All the bright surroundings
of your life from Him. o man, what
dost thou with that hard heart? Canst
thou not feel one throb of gratitude to-
ward God who made you, and the Holy
Ghost who has all these years been i'm
portuning you? If you could sit down
five minutes under the treo of Saviour's
, martyrdom, and feel His warm life
) trickling on your forehead and cheek
) and hands, methinks you would get
: some appreciation of what you owe tC
a crucitied Jesus.
Heart of stone, relent relent,
Touched by Jesus cross subdued;
See His body, mangled, rent,
Covered with gore of blood.
Sinful soul, what hast thou done?
Crucified the Eternal Son.
Jacob with good deal of tug anC
, push took the stone from the wells
mouth, so that the f1ocks might be
watered. And would that to-day my
word, blessed of God, might remove
the hindrances to your getting up tc
the Gospel well. Yes, l take it fol-
, granted that the work is done, anC
now, like oriental shepherds, proceed
; to water the sheep
Come, all ye thirsty! You have an un
defined longing in your soul. You trieC
, money making; that did not satisfy you
You tried Office under government; tha
did not satisfy you. You tried picture.
: and sculptures, but works of art did no
satisfy you. You are as much discon
tented with this life as the celebrated