Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1901-08-22
GREATREFRESHMENT
DR.. TALMAGE'S SUNEAY SERMON,
A Fountain of Joy That Flows For
ever A Religion That is Always
Cheerful.
Copyright 1901
WA n C-Tp ri


to come and receive it; text, Genesis xxx,
8, 1--WE cannot until all the focks be gath
cred together and till they roll the stone
from the wells mouth; then We water the
sheep"
A scene IN Mesopotamia, beautifully
pastoral. A well of water of great value
IN that region. The fields around about
it white with three focks of sheep lying
down waiting for the watering. / hear
their bleating coming on the bright air
and the laughter of young men and maid
ems indulgng in rustic repartee. / look
off, and I see other focks OF sheep COM
ing. Meanwhile Jacob, stranger, on an
interesting errand of looking for a wife,
comes to the we'll A beautiful shepherd
ess comes TO the same well. | see her ap-
preaching followed by her fathers flock
OF sheep. 1t was a memorable meeting.
Bible account of it is, Jacob kissed Rach-
ell and lifted up his voice and wept" 1t
has always been a mystery to me what he
found to cry about But before that scene
occurred Jacob accosts the shepherds and
asks them why they postpone the shaking
OF the thirst of these sheep and why they
did not Immediately proceed to water
I'VE are ali good neighbors, and as a mat
ter of courtesy we wait until all the sheep
of the neighborhood come up. Besides
that, this stone on the wells mouth is
somewhat heavy, and several of us take
hold of it and push it aside, and then the
buckets and the troughs are filed, and
the sheep are satisfied. We cannot until
all the fiocks are gathered together and
till they roll the stone from the wells
mouth; then I'VE water the sheep"
Oh, this is a thirsty world, Hot for
the head and bhstering for the feet and
parching for the tongue. The world's
great want is cool, refreshing, satisfying
draft. We wander around, and we find
the clstern empty. Long and tedious
drought has dried up the worlds fountain,
but centuries ago shepherd with crook
in the shape of a cross and feet cut to
the bleeding. explored the desert passages
of this world and one day came across a
well thousand feet deep, bubblng and
bright and opalescent, and looked to the
north and the south and the east and the
west and cried out with a voice strong and
musical that rang through the ages. '"Ho,
every one that thirsteth, come ye to the
watersi"
Now, a great flock of sheen TODAY
gather around this gospel well. There
are great many thirsty souls. l wonder
why the focks of all nations do not gath
er-Why SO many stay thirsty-and while
=! am wondering about it my text breaks
forth IN the explanation, saying, Eve can
not until all the f1ocks be gathered to-
gether and till they roll the stone from
the wells mouth; then we water the
sheep"
If a herd of swine come to we'll they
angrlly iostle each other for the prece-
dence;. if drove of cattle come to a well
they hook each other back from the
water, but when a flock of sheep come,
though hundred of them shall be disap,
pointed, they only express it by sad beat
ing, they come together peaceably We
want a great multitude to come around
the gospel well. l know there are those
who DO not like a crowd; they think
crowd is vulgar. If they are oppressed
Tor room IN church, it makes them posi-
lively impatient and bellgerent. We have
lad people permanently leave church be-
cause SO many people come to it. Not SO
dld these Oriental shepherds. They wait
ed until all the focks were gathered. and
the more tiocks that came the better they
liked it. And SO we ought to be anxious
that all the people should come. Go out
into the highways and the hedges and
compel them to come in; go to the rich
ana tell them they are INDECENT without
the gospel Of Jesus; go to the poor and tell
them the atftuence there is in Christ; go
to the blind and tell them of the touch
that gives eternal illumination; 90 to the
lame and tell them Of the Joy that, will
make the lame man leap like a hart.
Gather all the sheep off all the mountains:
none so torn of the dogs, none so sick,
none SO worried, SO dying, as to be omit
ted. Why not gather a great flock? All
TINS city In a flock; all New York in a
Hook; all London IN flock; all the world
in flock.
This well Of the, gospel is deep enough
to put out the burning thirst of the
l,6OO0O0,000 of the race. Do not let the
church by a spirit of exclusiveness keep
the world out Let down all the bars,
SWING open all the gates, scatter all the
invitations, 'WhosOever will let him
come md n Oh
red men of the forest Come, Laplander
out of the snow. Come Patagonian. out
of the south. Come in furs Come pant
ing under palm leaves. Come one Come
all. Come now. AS at this we'll of Meso-
potamia Jacob and Rachel were betrothed,
SO this morning at this we'll of salvation
Christ, our Shepherd, will meet you COM
ing up with your long focks Of cares and
anxletles, and He will stretch out His
hand in pledge of His affection while all.
the heaven will cry out: Behold the
bridegroom cometh! Go We out to meet
Him."
You notice that this we'll of Mesopota-
MIA had a stone on it, which {,ust be re
moved before the sheep could be rvatered,
and | find on the we'll of salvation TO-DAY
lmpediments and obstacles which mast be
removed in order that you may obtain
the refreshmeat and life of this gospel.
In your case the impeachment is pride of
democratic a fountain. You do not want
to come with SO many others. 1t is as
though you were thirsty and you were in
vlted to slake your thirst at the town
pump instead of sitting in a parlor sip
ping out of chased chalice which has
Just been lifted from silver salver. Not
so many publicans and sinners. You
want to get to heaven, but you must be
In special car, with your feet on Turk
lsh ottoman and band of music on board
the train: You do not want to be in com
pany with rustic Jacob and Rachel and to
be drinking out of the fountain where TO-
900 sheep have been drinking before you.
You will have to remove the obstacle of
pride, or never find your way to the we'll
GU Will have to come as we came will
ing to take the water of eternal life in
any way and at any hand and in any kind
OF pitcher, crying out: 20 Lord Jesus, |
am dying of thirst! Give me the water of
eternal life, whether in trough or goblet.
Give me the water of life. | care not in
what 1t comes to me-" Away with ali
your hlndrances 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 kindness or you had to do
all these years. His everlasting arms shell
tering you, where is your gratitude?
Where is your morning and evening pray
er! Where are your consecrated lives?
say to you, as Daniel said to Beishazzar,
The God in whose hand thy breath is
and all tiny way thou hast not g,orifed.'
If you treated anybody as badly as you
have treated God you would have made
500 apologies - yea, your whole fife would
have been an apology. Three times a day
YOU have been seated at Gods table.
Spring, summer, autumn and winter He
has appropriately appare,ed 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.
Oh. man. what dost thou with that hard
heart? Canst thou not feel one thro6 OF
era altitude toward the God that made Won
and the Christ who came to redeem you
and the Hoy Ghost who has all these
years been importuning you?
If l could gather all the griefs of all