The Globe-republican., 1898-03-24

Oriental scene. and that II. that evsry
wilderness has . well In It. Hagar and
lshmael gave up to die. HagAr's heart
sank within her rs she heard her child
crying: Water! water! water!" "Ah!"
she says. my darling. there is no
! water. This Is q desert" And then
Gods angel said from the cloud: What
aileth thee. Hgaar? And she
looked up and saw him pointing to
well of water. where she filed the bot
tie for the lad. Blessed be God that
there is in every wilderness well. II
you only know how to ind it-foun-
tains for all these thirsty souls. On
that last day. on that great day or the
feast. Jesus stood and cried: If any
man thirst. let him come to me ana
drink" All these other fountains you
find are mere mirages Of the desert.
Paracelsus. you know, spent his time
in trying to find out the elixir OF lie
"a liquid. which, if taken. would keep
one perpetually young in this world.
and would change the aged back again
to youth. OF course he was disap.
pointed: he found not the elixir. But
here tell you Of the elixir OF everlast-
ing life bursting from the Rock OF
Ages" and that drinking that water
you shall never get old. and you will
never be sick. and you will never die.
''Ho, every one that thirsteth. come ye
to the waters" All! here is man
who says: Il have been looking for
that fountain a great while. but can't
find it," And here is some one else
who says: Il believe all you say. but
1 have been trudging along in the viii
derness and can't find the fountain.
Do you know the reason? l will tell
you. You never looked in the right
direction. oh" you say. Il have look
ed everywhere l have looked north.
south. east and west. and I haven't
found the fountain" Why. you are not
looking in the right direction at all.
Look up. where Hagar looked. She
never would have found the fountain at
all, but when she heard the voice Of
the angel she looked up. and she saw
the finger pointing to the supply. And.
o soul, if today with one earnest. In
tense prayer you would only look up
to Christ. he would point you down to
the supply in the wilderness. Look
unto me, all ye ends Of the earth. and
be We saved: for 1 am God. and there
is none else," Look! Look, as Hagar
looked!
Yes, there is a we'll for every desert
dience l notice signs of mourning and
woe. Have you found consolation?
Oh, man bereft, oh. woman bereft. have
you found consolation? Hearse after
hearse We step from one grave hill
lock to another grave hillock. We fol-
low corpses. ourselves soon to be like
them. The world is in mourning for
its dead Every heart has become the
sepulchre of some buried joy. But sing
We to God; every wilderness has we'll
in it; and l come to that we'll today.
and l begin to draw water for you
from that well.
II you have lived in the country you
have sometimes taken hold OF the rope
of the old well-sweep. and you know
how the bucket came up. dripping with
bright. cool water. And I lay hold OF
the rope OF Gods mercy and l begin TO
draw on that Gospel well-sweep. and
see the buckets coming up. Thirsty
soul! Here is one bucket Of life! Come
and drink OF it. "Whosoever will, let
him come and take Of the water or
life freely" pull away again at the
rope. and another bucket comes up. II
is this promise: weeping may en-
dure for a night. but joy cometh in the
morning" lay hold Of the rope
again. and I pull away with all my
strength. and the bucket comes up.
bright. and beautiful. and cool. Here
is the promise: Come unto me. all
We who are weary and heavy laden. and
will give you rest"