The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1901-08-15
A GREAT REFRESHMENT.
Or. TaImage Says God Is Fountain Of
Joy That is Uuappreciated.
hn Everlasting Well OF Gladuess .. water
for the Thirsty


WASHINGTON, ID. C.-In this discourse
DR.. Talmage represents religion as a
great refreshment and invites all the world
io come and receive it; text, Genesis xxx
4 1--WE cannot until all the iloclis 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
II white with three hocks of sheep lying
down waiting for the watering. ! hear
their bleating coming on the bright air
and the laughter of young men and maid
ems ipdulging in rustic repartee. | look
Of. and | see other hocks of sheep com
inc. Meanwhile Jacob, a stranger, on an
interesting crrand of looking for wife,
comes 90 the well. A beautiful shepherd
ess comes to the same well. | see her APP
preaching followed by her fathers flock
Of sheep. 1t was a memorable meeting.
Jacob married that shepherdess. The
Bible account of il is, Jacob kissed Rach-
el and lifted up his voice and wept." II
has always been a mystery to me what he
found to 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:
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 filed, and
all the fiocks 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 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 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, Tho,
every one that thirsteth, come We to the
watersp'
Now, a great flock of sheep to-day
gather around this gospel well. There
are great many thirsty souls. / wonder
why the tocks 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, 1--WE 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"
If a herd of swine come to a well they
angrily iostle each other for the prece-
dence;. if drove of cattle come to a well
they hook each other back from the
water, but when a flock of sheep come
though. hundred of them shall be disap.
pointed, they only express it by sad bleat.
ing, they come together peaceably. We
want great multitude to come around
the gospel well. | know there are those
who do not like crowd they think
crowd is vulgar If they are oppressed
Tor room in church, it makes them posi-
tvely 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 focks 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 INDECENT without
thhe gospel OF jesus; goto the poor and tell
to the blind and tell them of the touch
that gives eternal illumination; 60 to the
lame and tell them of the JOY that will
make the lame man leap like a hart
1ather all the sheep off all the mountains;
none so torn OF the dogs, none so sick,
none none SO So, worried, SO dying. as to be omit
this city in a flock; all New York in
mock 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
i,ooo,4oo,Ooo 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, Patagonian, out
OF the south Come in furs. Come pant
ing under palm leaves. Come one. Come
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 focks 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 we out to meet
Him"
You notice that this well of Mesopota-
mia had stone on it, which must be re-
moved before the sheep could be watered,
and J. find on the well OF salvation to-day
fmpediments and obstacles which must be
removed in order that you may obtain
the refreshment and life of this gospel
In your case the impediment is pride OF
heart. You cannot bear to come to so
democratic fountain. You do not want
to come with so many others. 1t is as
though you were thirsty and you were in.
vited to slake your thirst at the town
pump instead OF sitting in a parlor sip
ping out of a chased chalce 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 Turk
lsh 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
De drinking out of the fountain where TO-
eco sheep have been drinking before you.
You viii 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 70 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 thirstl Give me the water of
eternal life, whether in trough or goblet.
oiye me the water of life. | care not in
what IT comes to me-" Away with all
your hindrances of pride from the wells
Here is another man who is kent back
from this water OF life by the stone of an
opourate heart, which lies over the mouth
Oh the well. You have no more feeling
upon TINS subject than il God had vet 10
20 20 you the first kindness or you had to do
Iod She first wrong. Seated on His Ian