The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-08-13

esis xxx, s, I'VE cannot until all the
focks be gathered together and till they
roll the stone from the wells mouth; them
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 locks Of sheep lying
down waiting for the watering. 1 hear
their bleating coming On the bright air
and the laughter Of young men and maid
ems indulging in rustic repartee. 1 look
off, and / see other focks Of sheep COM
ing. Meanwhile Jacob, a stranger, onI
the interesting errand of looking for al
wife. comes to the we'll. A beautiful
shepherdess comes to the same well. IL
see her approaching, followed by her IA
theirs flock of sheep. 1t was q 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, n 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 filed and
the sheep are satisfied. We cannot until
all the flocks are gathered together and
till they roll the stone from the wells
mouth; then we water the sheep"
Oh, this is q thirsty world Hot for
the head, and blistcring for the feet. and
parching for the tongue. The worlds
great want is Il cool, refreshing. satisfy
ing draft. We wander around. and we
find the cistern empty. Long and tedi-:s
drought has dried up the worlds form
tain, but centuries ago n Shepherd. with
crook in the shape OF q cross and feet CIT
to the bleeding. explored the desert p@S
sages of this world and one day came
across a Well n Thousand feet deep. bU5-
bling and bright and opGlescent. and
looked to the north. and the south, and
the east, and the west, and cried out
with Il voice strong and musical, that
rang through the ages, "Ho. every one
that tEirsteth, GENE We to the waters"
Now, Il great flock OF sheep today gath
er around this gospel well. There are q
great many thirsty souls. 1 wonder why
the focks 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, owe
cannot until al the focks be gathered to.
gether and till they roll the stone from
the wells mouth; then we water the
sheep"
Coming to the Gospel Well.
If q herd Of swine come 20 a well, they
angrily jostle each other for the proceed.
ence; 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 a hundred Of them shall be disap.
pointed, they only express it by sad bleat'
ing, they come together peaceably. We
want a great multitude to come around
the gospel we'll. 1 know there are those
who do not like a crowd; they think q
crowd is vulgar. If they are oppressed
for room in church, it makes them posi-.
lively impatient and belligerent. We have
had people permanently leave church
because so many other people come to it
Not so did these oriental shepherds
They waited until all the focks were
gathered, Inc the more focks that came
the better they liked it. And so W
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 and tell them they are
INDECENT without the gospel of Jesus. Gc
to he poor and tell them the a~f1uenct
there is in Christ. Go to the blind anG
tell them of the touch that gives eterna
Illumination. Go to the lame and tel
them OF the joy that will make the lam,
man leap like a hart. Gather all thu
sheep off all the mountains. None 81
torn OF the dogs. none so sick, none 81
worried, none so dying. as to be omitted
Why not gather n great flock? All thi'
city in a flock, all New York in a flock
all London in a flock, all the world in
flock.
This well of the gospel is deep enough
to put out the burning thirst of tn,
1,6OO,OOO,OOO Of the race. Do not let tn
church by q spirit Of exclusiyeness kee]
the world out. Let down all the bars
swing open all the gates, scatter all tn
invitations. "Whosoever will, let hin
come" Come, white and black. Come
red men of the forest. Come. Laplander
out of the snow. Come, Patagonian. GU
Of the south. Come in furs. Come pant
ing under palm leaves. Come che
ZONE ALL IONe now. AS al IRIS We'll o
Mesopotamia Jacob and Rachel were be
trothed, so this morning at this well o
salvation Christ. our Shepherd, will NEE
you coming up with your long iocks @
cares and anXietiys. and he will stretc
out his hand il pledge of his affection
while all heaven will cry out: Behold
the bridegroom cometh! Go ye out
meet him"
You notice that this we'll of Mesopots
mis- had a stone on it, which must be re
moved before the sheep could be watereC
and / find or the we'll Of salvation toda
impediments and obstacles which mus
be removed in order that you may obtai
the refreshment and life of this gospe
In your case the i~mpediment is pride Q
heart. You cannot bear to come to s
democratic a fountain; you do not war
to come with so many others. 1t is a
though you were thirsty and you were ii
vited to Stake your thirst at the tow
pump instead of sitting in a Parlor sir
ping out of q chased chalice which ha
just been lifted from a silver salver. Nc
SO many publicans and sinners. 70
Tant to get TO heaven, but you must b
e q special car, with your feet on