Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1901-08-29
REATREFRESHMENT
Or. TALMAGE'S SUNEAY SERMON.
A Fountain of Joy That Flows For-l
ever-A Religion That Is Always,
Cheerful.
Copyright 1901

copyright 1901
WASHINGTON, D. Gin this discourse
DR.. Taimage represents religion as a
great refreshment and invites all the world
to come and receive it; text, Genesis xxx,
., we cannot until all the flocks be gath
cred together and till they roll the stone
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. I hear
Their bleating coming on the bright air
the laughter of young men and maid
ems lndulging in rustic repartee. I look
of, 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 to the same well. l see her ap-
OF sheep. It was a memorable meeting.
Jacob married that shepherdess. The
Bible account of it is, "Jacob kissed Rach-
el and lifted up his voice and wept." It
has always been a mystery to me what he
found to cry about. But before that scene
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
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 focks 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 a 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, bubbling and
bright and opalescent, and looked to the
north and the south and the east and the
west and cried out with a Y voice strong and
musical that rang through the ages, "Ho,
every one that thirsteth, come We to the
waters!"
Now, a great flock of sheep to-day
gather around this gospel we'll. There
are a 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 focks be gathered to-
gether and till they roll the stone from
the wells mouth; then we water the
sheep"
Ii a herd Of swine come to a well they
Angriiy iostle each other for the prece
they hook each other back from tn,
water, but when q flock of sheep come
though a hundred of them shall be disap
pointed, they only express It by sad beat
ing, they come together pealeably. w
want a great multitude to come aroun(
who do not like a crowd; they think
crowd is vulgar. If they are oppressed
for room in church, it makes them posi-
lively impatient and belligerent. We hav
had people permanently leave church be
cause so many people come to it.: Not s.
ed until all the focks were gathered, an
the more focks that came the better the,
liked it. And so we ought to be anxiou
that all the people should come. Go GU
into the highways and the hedges an.
compel them to come in; 60 to the ric.
and tell them they are INDECENT withou
the gospel OF Jesus; go to the poor and te
them the affluence there is in Christ: o
to the blind and tell them of the touc
that gives eternal illumination; go to tn
lame and tell them Of the Joy that wi
make the lame man leap like a hart
Gather all the sheep CT all the mountains
none so torn of the dogs, none so sicl
none SO worried, so dying, as to be omi1
ted. Why not gather a great flock: A
this city in a flock; al New York in
flock; all London in a flock; all the wor,
This well of the gospel is deep enoug
to put out the burning thirst of tt
1000, 600, 900 of the race. Do not let til
church by a spirit Of exclusiveness kee
the world out. Let down all the bar
~-1,.~ 4,4~ II H. - y
invitations, "Whosoever viii let hi
come" Come, white and black. Com
red men of the forest. Come, Laplande
out of the snow. Come, Patagonian, O,
of the south. Come in furs. Come pan
ing under palm leaves. Come one. Con
potamia Jacob and Rachel we're betrothe'
so this morning at this well Of saivatio
Christ, our Shepherd, will meet you cor
ing up with your long focks of cares an
anxieties, and He will stretch out H
hand in pledge of His affection while q
bridegroom cometh! Go We out to me-
Him" +.
You notice that this well of Mesopot
mia had a stone on it, which must be r
moved before the sheep could be watere
and I find on the well Of salvation tod;
removed in order that you may obta
the refreshment and life of this gosps
In your case the impediment is pride
heart. You cannot bear to come to
democratic q fountain. You do not wal
to come with so many others. It is
though you were thirsty and you were /
vited to slake your thirst at the toy
pump instead of sitting in a parlor 81
ping out of a chased chalice which h
just been lifted from a silver salver. y
so many publicans and sinners. Z.
want to get to heaven, but you must
in a special car, with your feet on a Tur
ish ottoman and a band of music on boa
the train. You do not want to be in col
pany with rustic Jacob and Rachel and
be drinking out of the fountain where l
900 sheep have been drinking before yc
You will have to remove the obstacle
pride, or never find your way to the wei
You will have to come as we came, Wi
ing to take the water of eternal life
any way and at any hand and in any XII
of pitcher, crying out: 80 Lord Jesus,
am dying of thirst! Give me the water
eternal life, whether in trough or gobl
Give me the water Of life. l care not
what it comes to me-" Away with
your hindranccs Of pride from the wei
moth!
Here is another man who is kept ba
from this water OF life by the stone of
obdurate heart, which lies over the mot
of the well. You have no more feel
upon this subject than if God had yet
do YOU the first kindness or you had to
God the first wrong. Seated on His