Connecticut western news., 1901-08-15

WASHINGTON, Aug. 11.-In this dis course Dr. Talmage represents religion as great refreshment and invites all the world to come and receive It; text, Genesis xxix, 8, We cannot until all the flocks 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 1t white with three fiocks of sheep lying down waiting for the wa tering. hear their bleating coming on the bright air and the laughter of young men and maidens indulging in rustic repartee. I look off, and see oth- CT flocks of sheep coming. Meanwhile Jacob, a stranger, on an interesting CT rand of looking for n wife, comes to the well. A beautiful shepherdess> comes to the same we'll see her approach ing, followed by her fathers flock of sheep. It was a memorable meeting. Jacob married that shepherdess. The Bible account of 1t Is, "Jacob kissed Rachel and lifted up his voice and wept." It has always been mystery 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 slaking- of the thirst of these sheep and why they did not immediately proceed to water them. The shepherds reply to the effect: "We are all good neighbors, and as 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 filled, and the sheep are satisfied. We cannot until all the flocks are gath cred together and till they roll the stone from the wells mouth; then we water the sheep"
 Oh, this Is thirsty world! Hot for the head and blistering for the feet and parching for the tongue. The worlds great want Is cool, refreshing, satis- flying draft. We wander around, and we find the cistern empty. Long and tedious drought has dried up the WUTlu lOuululll, Dul CthluliSo uSo 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, bubbling and bright and opalescent, and looked to the north and the south and the east and the west and cried out with voice strong and musical that rang through the ages, "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the watersw
 Gathering the Flocks.
 Now, great flock of sheep today gather around this gospel well. There are great many thirsty souls. I won der why the flocks of all nations do not gather-why so many stay thirsty-and while I am wondering about it my text breaks forth in the explanation, saying, We cannot until all the fiocks be gathered together and till they roll the stone from the wells mouth; then we water the sheep"
 If herd of swine come to well, they angrily jostle each other for the precedence; if a drove of cattle come to 6 well, they hook each other back from the water, but when a flock of sheep come, though a hundred of them shall be disappointed. they only ex- press 1t by sad bleating, they come to- gether peaceably. We want a great multitude to come around the gospel well. 1 know there are those who do not like a crowd; they think a crowd is vulgar. If they are oppressed for room m i'm patient and belligerent We have had people permanently leave church be- cause so many other people come to it. Not so did these oriental shepherds. They waited until all the aocks were gathered, and the more focks 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 and tell them they are indigent without the gos- pei of Jesus; go to the poor and tell them the affiuence there is In Christ; go to the blind and tell them of the touch that gives eternal illumination; go 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 omitted. Why not gather great flock? All this city in a flock all New York In a flock; all London in flock; ak the world in flock
 Water For the Thirsty.
 This well of the gospel Is deep enough fo 1,6OO, 100000. of the race. Do not let the church by 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." Come, white and black Come, red men of the forest. Come Laplander out of the snow. Come. Pat agonian, out of the south Come in furs. Come painting under palm leaves. Come one. Come all. Come now. As at this well of Mesopotamla Jacob and Rachel were betrothed, so this morn ing at this we'll of salvation Christ, our Shepherd, will meet you coming up with your long docks of cares and anx- ieties, and he will stretch out his hand in pledge of his affection while all heav- en will cry out: Behold the bridegroom eometh! Go ye out to meet bjm."
 You notice that this well of Alesopo- tamia had stone on it, which must he removed kefnre the sheep could be watered, and find on the we'll of sal vation today impediments and obsta- eles which must be removed in order that you may obtain the refreshment and life of this gospel. In your case the impeachment is pride of heart. You cannot bear to come to so democratic a fountain. You do not want to come with so many others. It is as though you were thirsty and you were invited to slake your thirst at the town pump instead of sitting in parlor sipping out of a chased chalice which has just been lifted from a silver salver. Not