Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1898-03-25

Ishmael, the lad that Hagar led into the
wilderness. She had no idea she was
leading forth such destinies Neither
does any mother. You pass along the
street and see and pass boys and girls
who will yet make the earth quake
with their influence.
Who is that boy at Sutton pool, Plym-
outh, England, barefoOted, wading
down into the slush and slime until his
bare foot comes upon piece Of glass,
and he lifts it bleeding and pain struck?
That wound in the foot decides that he
be sedentary in his life; decides that he
be a student. That wound by the glass
in the foot decides that be shall be John
Kitto who shall provide the best reli-
gious encyclopedia the world has ever
had provided and, with his other writ
ings as well, throwing a light upon the
word of God such as has come from no
other man in this century. Oh, mother,
mother, that little hand that wanders
over your face may yet be lifted to hurl
thunderbolts of war or drop benedic-
tionsl That little voice may blaspheme
God in the grogshop or cry For
wardl" 10 the Lords hosts as they 90
out for their last victory. My mind this
morning leaps 80 years ahead, and l
see a merchant prince Of New York.
One stroke of his pen brings a ship out
of Canton. Another stroke Of his pen
brings ship into Madras. He is mighty
in all the money markets Of the world
Who is he: He sits on Sabbaths beside
you in church. My mind leaps 30 years
forward from this time, and | find my
self in a relief association. A great mul-
titude of Christian women have met to-
gether for a generous purpose. There Is
one woman in that crowd who seems 10
have the confidence Of all the others,
and they all look up to her for her
counsel and for her prayers. Who Is
she? This afternoon you will find her III
the Sabbath school, while the teacher
tells her Of that Christ who clothed the
naked and fed the hungry and healed
the sick. My mind leaps forward 30
years from now, and | find myself III
an African jungle, and there is a mis-
sionary Of the cross addressing the ma
tives and their dusky countenances are
irradiated with the glad tidings OF
great Joy and salvation. Who Is ne.
Did you not hear his voice today IN tie
opening song of your church seryicef
My mind leaps forward 30 years from
now, and | find myself looking through
the wickets Of prison. l see face
Scared with every crime His chin on
his open palm, his elbow on his knee a
picture of despair. As | open the wicket
he starts, and | hear his chain clank.
The iailkeeper tells me that be has
been in there now three times-hrst for
theft. then for arson, now for murder.
He steps upon the trapdoor, the rope Is
fastened to his neck, the plank falls'
his BODY swings into the air, his soul
swings off into eternity. Who Is he and
where is he: This afternoon playing
kite on the city common. Mother, you
are now hosting throne or forging
chain, you are kindling a star or Dig
ging a dungeon!
A Christian mother a good many
years ago sat teaching lessons Of religion
TO her child, and he drank in those les
sons She never knew that Lamphier
vould come forth and establish the Full
ton street prayer meeting, and by one
meeting reyolutionize the deyotions OF
the whole earth and thrill the eternities
with his Christian influence. Lamph'-S
said it was his mother who brought
him 10 Jesus Christ She never bad an
idea that she was leading forth such
destinies But. oh, when l see mother
reckless of her influence, rattling on
toward destruction, garlanded for the
sacrifice with unseemly mirth and god
lessness dancing on down to perdition'
taking her children in the same direc-
ton, preparing them for life OF friyoh-
~. a death of shame and an eternity OF
disaster. l cannot help but say; There
they 90! There they go; Hagar and lsh-
maelr tell you there are wilder des-
erts than Beersheba i'll many OF the
fashionable circles Of this day. Oissi-
uated parents leading dissipated chill
dren. Avaricious parents leading ayarl-
cious children. Prayerless parents lead
ing praverless children. They 60 through
every street, up every dark alley, into
every cellar, along every highway. Ha-
gar and Ishmael And while | pronounce
their names it seems like the moaning
of the desert wind, "Hagar and lsh-
mael!"
A Well In Every Wilderness
l learn one more lesson from this
oriental scene, and that is that every
wilderness has a well in it. Hagar and
Ishmael gave up to die. Hagsr's heart
sank within her as she heard her child
CRYING; Water Water Water!
"Ah." she rays, my darling, there Is
no water. s.nis is desert " And then
God 5 angel said from the cloud, What
aileth thee, Hagar:" And she looked
up and saw him pointing to well ol
water, where she filled the bottle ioi
} the lad. Blessed be God, that there Il
in every wilderness a well, If you only
know how to find it-fountains for al
lSsse thirsty souls. On that last day. OIL
that great day Of the feast, Jesus stoo
and cried, IF any man thirst, let hii
come to me and drink" All these othe
fountains you find are mers misages q
,, the desert. Paracelsus. you know, speu
his time in trying to find out the elixl
of life-a liquid which if taken wonl
, keep one perpetually young in tn
. world and would change the aged bac
again to youth. OF course he was di
, appointed. He found not the elixi
; But here l tell you of the elixir of eve
lasting life bursting from the Rock
Q Ages" and that drinking that watt
Q you shall never get old, and you WI
n never be sick, and you will never di
= "Ho, every one that thi.steth, come
r to the waters" An, here is man WI
: says, II have been looking for th
n fountain a great while, but can't nj
J, it," And here is some one else WI
t says, II believe all you say, but ha'
i been trudging along in the wilderne
and can't find the fountain. " DO "