El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-01-03
BAPTIST CHURCH.
"Diqalng Again the Old Wells.

At the First Baptist churc Sunday
morning Rev. w. o. Millican preached
from the text, "And Isaac digged
again the wells of water which they
had digged in the days of Abraham his
father: for the Philistines had stopped
them after tho death of Abraham: and
he called their names after the names
by which his father bad called them. "
Gen. XVI: Is. The thought OF the
sermon is given below:
Years before this, Abraham had
settled in the valley of Gerar; but now
he was dead. Isaac was soJourn1ng in
the vicinity of the city of Gerar. Here
of the Philistine king. who had re-
quested him to move away. 1t was
then that Isaac thought of the old
home in the valley. Thither he went
with his family. his flocks and herds.
Happy the event, when the providence
of God carries us either in sentiment
or fact. back to the old home. Many
visit In mind all of US 60 back today AS
we open the old gate and walk up the
long gravel walk to the weather-worn
porch, an old bent form
with silver hair awaits US leaning
on her staff. She cannot say
word; but drawing US close to her
heart, she let's her tears of love and
joy fall thick and fast upon our face:
and we feel that we are child again.
In the old family room before the great
log fire, we sit again, but the great
arm chair is vacant. In the garden q
white slab has chiseled deep upon it's
smooth surface the word, "fsther."
And as sin the barnyard we hear the
the crsak of the old barn door; and
moss.covered bucket, that hangs
in the we'll thousand
precious memories crowd our mind and
we say, Gather built this old barn,
this is the desk from which father
directed the work of the store and the
farm; father dug this we'll and oft
times slaked his thirst from this old
memory of home and father. Such
must have been the thoughts and feel
inRs of Isaac, as he journeyed to the
old home. But on his arrival he found
that the Philistines had filed up the
old wells. "Ah!' said he, 81 shall dig
again these old wells that my father
dug; from them will water my herds;
here I shall raise my children, this
shall be my home"
Brethren. there is another sense in
which we may visit the old home to
day. Our fathers have dug many wells
of wondrOus worth to US; were we to go
back home this morning we should see
that the devil has nlled many OF them
to the very brim with the debris OF sin
and neglect. The first I M sntion0 is
that of Sabbath observance and chu rch
going. How many of US rememb Der the |
Saturdays rush at home. The pre- |
misses put on clean clothes. Cakes and |
pies and chickens and pigs were placed !
on the sideboard; large piles of
wood were placed for Sunday use, and
all the work possible to do before hand,
was done, so as to have the least pos
sible work on Sunday. Next morning
the heavier amusements were
dispensed with, and every |
heart was bent on preparation for Sun
day school and church service. Long
and loud rang the church bells, well
coming the throng of families that
came arm In arm, from the grown up
son to the small boy. into the old
church house; where the songs of the
congregation and the minister's pray
ers rose heavenward aud brought
Heaven down their souls to greet
While glory crowned the mercy seat"
Thus passed the day away in sweet
aud holy communion with God. Each
family was drawn closer together and
Ill the people were drawn closer to
T