Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-03-31

nraaan Cnrlstendsm and gathers up
the stings out of all the death pillows,
and he puts them under his own neck
and head. He gathers on his own tongue
the burning thirsts of many generations.
The sponge is soaked in the sorrows OF
all those who have died in their beds, as
well as soaked in the sorrows Of all those
who perished in icy or fiery martyrdom.
While heaven was pitying, and earth
was mocking, and hell was deriding, he
took the vinegar
To all those to whom life has been an
acerbity-a dose they could not swal-
low, a draft that set their teeth on edge
and a-rasping-I preach the omnipotent
sympathy Of Jesus Christ. The sister OF
Herschel the astronomer used 20 spend
much Of her time polishing the tele-
scopes through which he brought the
distant worlds nigh. and it is my ambi-
tion now this hour to clear the lens Of
your spiritual vision. so that, looking
through the dark night Of your earthly
troubles, you may behold the glorious
constellation Of a Sayiour's mercy and
a Saviours love. Oh. my friends, do
not try to carry all your ills alonel Do
not put your poor shoulder under the
Apennines when the Almighty Christ Is
ready TO lift up all your burdens When
you have a trouble Of any kind, you
rush this way and that way. and you
wonder what this man will say about
it and what that man will say about it,
and you try this prescription and that
prescription and the other prescription
Oh. why do yen not 90 straight TO the
heart Of Christ. knowing that for our
own shining and suffering race he took
the vinegar
Cry For Wnter Answered.
There was a vessel that bad been
tossed on the seas for a great many
weeks and been disabled, and the sup
ply Of water gave out, and the crew
were dying Of thirst. After many days
they saw a sail against the SKY. They
signaled' it. When the vessel came
nearer, the people on the suffering ship
cried TO the captain Of the other vessel
"Send us some water We are dying
for lack of water" And the captain on
the vessel that was hailed responded
dip your buckets where you are You
are in the mouth Of the Amazon, and
there are scores Of miles Of fresh water
all around about you and hundreds OF
feet deepl" And then they dropped
their buckets over the side Of the vessel
and brought up the clear, bright, fresh
water and put out the fire of their
thirst. So hail You today, after a long
and perilous voyage, thirsting as you
are for pardon, and thirsting for com
fort. and thirsting for eternal life. and
ask you what is the use Of your going
in that death struck state while all
around you is the deep. clear. wide
sparkling food Of God 5 sympathetic
mercyg Oh. dip your buckets and drins
and live forever! "Whosoever will LET
him come and take Of tie water Of life
freely.
Yet there are people who refuse thi'
divine sympathy. and they try to hsh'
their own battles. and drink their OWL
vinegar, and carry their own burdens
and their life, instead Of being a tri
umphal march from victory to victory
will be a hobbling on from defeat t
defeat until they make final surrender
70 retributiye disaster. Oh, | wish
could today gather up in my arms al
the woes Of men and women. all thei
beartaches. all their disappointments
all their chagrins, and just take then
right to the feet Of a sympathizin'
Jesusl He took the vinegar Nam
Sahib. after he had lost his last battl
in India. fell back into the jungles O
Iheri-iungles so full Of malaria tha
no mortal can live there He carrie'
with him also a ruby Of great luste
and Of great value He died in thos
iungles His body was never found
and the ruby has never yet been recoy
cred. And fear that today there ar
some who will fall back from this sub
iect into the sickening. killing jungle
Of their sin. carrying a gem Of inhnit
value-a priceless soul to be lost forever
/ On. that that ruby might fash in tn
eternal coronationl But, no. There ar
some. | fear. who turn away from thi
offered mercy and comfort and diyin
sympathy Notwithstanding that Christ
for all who would accept his grace
trudged the long way. and suffered th
lacerating thongs, and received in hi
face the expectations Of the filth
mob. and for the guilty and the dis
couraged, and the discomforied OF tn
race took the vinegar Nay God A
mighty break the infatuatlon ana lea
YOU ont into the strong hope. and IN
good cheer and the glorious sunshin
Of this triumphal gospel