Milford chronicle., 1901-08-16

W.: ~ 49,
WASHINGTON, Aug. lin this dis
course DIR. Talmage represents religion
as a great refreshment and invites all the
world to come and receive it, text, Gen
esis xxx, 8, I'VE cannot until all the
hOclls be gathered 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 hocks of sheep lying
down waiting for the watering I hear
their blcating coming on the bright air
and the laughter of young men and maid
ems induging in rustic repartee. l look
off, and | see other focks Of sheep COM
ing. Meanwhile Jacob, a stranger, on
the interesting errand Of looking for a
wife, comes to the well. A beautiful
shepherdess comes to the same well. L
see her approaching, followed by her ia
Tiers flock of sheep. 1t was a memora-
BILE meeting. Jacob married that shep-
herdess The Bible account of it is, ia
cob kissed Rachel and lifted up his voice
| and wept" 1t has always been a mys-
terry to me what he found to cry about!
| But before that scene occurred Jacob ac-
| costs the shepherds and asks them why
| they postpone the shaking of the thirst of
| these sheep and why they did not imme-
| diately proceed to water them. The shep-
| herds reply to the effect: 1--WE are all
| good neighbOrs, and as a matter of cOur-
tesy we wait until all the sheep of the
neighbOrhoOd come up. Besides that,
this stone on the wells mouth is some
| what heavy, and several of us take hold
Of it and push it aside, and then the
buckets and the troughs are filled and
the sheep are satisfied We cannot until
all the ilocks are gathered together and
till they roll the stone from the wells
mouth; then we water the sheep"
Oh this is a thirsty world! Hot for
the head, and blistering for the feet, and
parching for the tongue. The worlds
great want is a cool, refreshing, satisfy
ing draft. We wander around, and we
find the cistern empty. Long and tedious
drought has dried up the worlds foun-
tain, but centuries ago n Shepherd, with
crook in the shape of a cross and feet cut
to the bleeding, explored the desert pas
sagcs of this world and one day came
ncrOss a we'll thousand feet deep, bub-
bling 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 waters"
Now, a great flock Of sheep today gath
er around this gospel well. There are q
great many thirsty souls. l wonder why
the 1Ocks of all nations do not gather
why so many stay thirsty, and while
am wondering about it my text breaks
forth in the explanation, saying, I'VE
cannot until all the ilocks be gathered to
gcther and till they roll the stone from
the wells mouth; then we water thu
D sheep"
Coming TO the Gospel Well.
If n herd of swine come to a well, the!
: angrily jOstle each other for the proceed
cnce; if a drove of cattle come to a well
they hook each other back from the wa
ter but when a flock Of sheep come
though hundred of them shall be disap
! pointed they only express it by sad bleat
L ing, they come together peaceably. w
want a great multitude to come arOun
the gospel well. know there are thos
who do not like a crowd; they think
i. crowd is vulgar. If they are oppresse
- for room in church, it makes them pos
lively impatient and belligercnt. We hav
y had people permanently leave churc
because so many other people come to j
Not so did these oriental shepherds
They waited until all the focks wei
gathered, and the more focks that cam
the better they liked it. And so W
ought TO be anxious that all the poop
o should come. Go out into the highway
- and the hedges and compel them to con
=, in. Go to the rich and tell them they Al
ii. INDECENT without the gospel of Jesus. G
RS to the poor and tell them the affluen,
OF there is in Christ Go to the blind al
ty tell them of the touch that gives etern
es illumination. Go to the lame and tt
d. them Of the joy that will make the Ian
man leap like a hart. Gather all Il
sheep off all the mountains. None
= torn of the dogs, none so sick, none
worried, none so dying. as to be omitte
I Why not gather a great flock? All tn
city in flock, all New York in a foe
all London in a flock, all the world in
flock.
This well of the gospel is deep enou
. to put out the burning thirst of t
1,G0O,O00,OO0 of the race. Do not let t
of church by a spirit of exclusiveness Ike
the world out Let down all the ba
We swing open all the gates, scatter all t
" invitations. ''Whosoever will, let h
come" Come, white and black. Con
red men of the forest Come. Lapland
out of the snow. Come Patagonian, {
Of the SOUTH Come in furs. Come pa
ing under palm leaves. Come o
Come all. Come now. As at this well
~ Mesopotamia Jacob and Rachel were
- trothed, so this morning at this well
salvation Christ, our Shepherd, will m
ON you coming up with your long docks
cares and NnXieties. and he will sire
out his hand in pledge of his affect
while all heaven will cry out: "Beht
the bridegroom cometh! Go ye out
meet him."
You notice that this we'll of Mesop(
mia had stone on it, which must be
-AU moved before the sheep could be w6tel
ON and find on the well of salvation to
-. impediments and obstacles which n
aus be removed in order that you may obi
Der the refreshment and life of this COS
~ In your case the impeachment is pride
heart. You cannot bear to come tC
democratic fountain; you do not W
to come with so many others. 1t Il
though you were thirsty and you were
vited to Stake your thirst at the t
pump instead of sitting in a pRrlor
. ping out of a chased chalice which
!: !. !. !. !: !. !. !:
~ just been lifted from a silver salver.
~ so many puhlicanS and sinners.
want to get to heaven. but you mus
in n special car. with your feet c
Turkish ottoman and a band Of n
tS On board the train. You do not wal
-. be 10 company with rustic Jacob and
gees chel and to be drinking out of the
, oto. tain where 10000 sheep have been d
ing before you. You will have t
aysS move the obstacle Of pride or never
your way to the well. You will ha'
OsS come as we came, willing to take the
F. G. ter Of eternal life In any way and at
49, hand and in any kind Of pitcher, c.
out: "Oh, Lord Jesus, am dyin
IN thirst! Give me the water of ct
~ life, whether in trough or goblet!
8. me the water of life! 1 care not in
It comes to me-" Away with all
hindrances of pride from the
mouth!
Why some Are Kept Back.
York. Here is another man who is kept
from this water of life by the stone
Ave. Obdurate heart which lies over the L
Of the well. You have no more f.
upon this subject than if God had
do you the first kindness or you had
God the first wrong. Seated on his
-. these years, his everlasting arms 81
SRIl ing you, where is your gratitude?
y K Z is YOUR morning and evening pI