The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-08-16
DIR. TALMAGES SERMON
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE sY The NOTED
DIVINE.
Subject; Religion = Great Refrsshment -
Water For the Thirsty - God foun-
tain Of JOY That IL Unsppreeiated -
An Everlasting Well of GiAdness.
copyright iNLI

iNOttrisnt
WAsHISGToN, ID. C.-In this discourse
DR.. Talmage represents religion as a
yreat refreshment and invites all the world
70 come and receive IL; text, Genesis xxx,
), "We cannot until all the hocks 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
IL white with three focks OF sheep lying
down waiting for the watering. l hear
their bleatIng coming on the bright arr
and the laughter of young men and maid
ems indulging in rustic repartee. | look
off, and / see other focks OF sheep com
ing. Meanwhile Jacob, a stranger, on an
interesting errand of looking for a wife,
comes TO the well. A beautiful shepherd
ess comes 70 the same well. / see her -ap-
preaching followed by her fathers flock
Of sheep. 1t was a memorable meeting
Jacob married that shepherdess. The
Bible account OF it is, Jacob kissed Raeh-
el and lifted up his voice and wept." 1t
has always been a mystery To me what he
found 20 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
them. The shepherds. reply TO the effect:
I'VE are all 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 hr1vy, and several of us take
hold OF II an push IL aside, and then the
buckets and che troughs are filled, and
the sheep are satisfied. We cannot until
all the foeks 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, satisfying
draft. We wander around, and we find
the cistern 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 a 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 voice strong and
musical that rang through the ages, "Ho,
every one that thirsteth, come ye to the
waters!"
Now, great flock of sheep to-day
gather around this gospel we'll There
are great many thirsty souls | wonder
why the focEs 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, I'VE can
not until all the hocks be gathered to-
gether and till they roll the stone from
the wells mouth; then we water the
sheep"
If herd Of swine come to well they
angrlly lostle each other for the prece-
dence; if drove of cattle come to well
they hook each other back from the
water, but when a flock of sheep come,
though hundred of them shall be dsap-
pointed, they only express it by sad beat.
ing, they come together peaceably We
want, great multitude to come around
the gospel well. / know there are those
who do not like a crowd, they think a
crowd is vulgar. If they are oppressed
Tor room IN church, 1t makes them posi-
lively impatient and belligerent We have
had people permanently leave church be.
cause so many people come to it. Not so
did these Oriental shepherds. They wait
ed until all the flocks were gathered. and
the more focks that came the better they
liked it, And so we ought to be anxious
that al 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; 90 to the poor and tell
them the affluence there is in Christ; 20
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 omit
ted. Why not gather great flock? All
this city IN a flock; all New York in a
flock; 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
1000 0OO, 900 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" Come, white and black Come,
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 well of Meso-
potamia Jacob and Rachel were betrothed
so this morning at this well of salvation
Christ, our Shepherd will meet you com
ing up with your long fioclIs of cares and
anxieties, and He will stretch out His
hand in pledge OF His affection while all
the heaven will cry out: Behold the
bridegroom cometh Go ye out to meet
Him"
You notice that this we'll of Mesopota.
mia had a stone on it, which must be re-
moved before the sheep could be watered
and find on the well of salvation to-day
impediments and obstacles which must be
removed in order that you may obtain
the refreshment and life of tina gospel
In your case the impcdiment is pride of
heart. You cannot bear to come TO so
democratic a fountain. You do not want
to come with so many others. Ii is as
though YOU were thirsty and you were in.
vited TO slake your thirst at the town
pump instead OF sitting in a par.or sip
ping out of a chased chalice which has
Just been lifted from a 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 a Turk
ish 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-.
600 sheep have been drinking before YOU
You Will have TO remove the obstacle of
pride or never find your way TO the well.
You viii 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 lfe, whether in trough or goblet
Give me the water of life. | care not in
what It comes to me-" Away with all
your hindrances 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 II God had vet TO
do you the first kindness or you had 20 do
God the first wrong. Seated on HIS lap
all these years, His everlasting arms she.-
tering YOU. where u your gratitude,
Where Is your morning and evening pray
er! Where are your consecrated lives
| say 10 YOU, as Daniel said 20 Belshazzar.
The God IN whose hand thy breath IL
aud all thy way thou hast not giOrihed"