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

be in company with rustic Jacob and Ra-
chel and to be drinking out OF the foun-
tain where 10000 sheep have been drink
ing before you. You win have to re-
move the obstacle Of pride or never md
your way to the well. You viii have TO
come as we came, willing to take the wa
ter of eternal life in any way and At any
hand and in any kind Of pitcher, crying
out: "Oh, Lord Jesus, I I'M dying Of
thirst Give me the water Of eternal
life, whether in trough or goblet! Give
me the water Of life! / care not in what
1t comes to me-" Away with all your
hindrances Of pride from the wells
mouth!
Why Some Are Kept Back.
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
npon this subject than il God had yet to
do you the FIRST kindness or you had to do
God the first wrong. Seated on his lap all
these years, his everlasting arms shelter
ing you, where is your gratitude? Where
il your morning and evening prayer!
Where are you consecrated lives! 1
say to you, as Daniel said to Belshazzar,
"The God in whose hand thy breath is,
and all thy way, thou hast not ~glorihed."
If you treated anybody as badly as you
have treated God, you would have made
500 apologies; yea, your whole life would
have been an apology. Three times a
day you have been seated at Gods table.
Spring, summer autumn and winter he
has appropriately appareled you. Your
health from him, your companion from
him, your children from him, your home
from him, all the bright surroundings Of
your life from him. Oh, man, What ost
thou with that hard heart? Canst thou
not feel one throb of gratitude toward the
God that made you, and the Christ who
came to redeem you, n the Holy Ghost
who has all these years been importuning
you? If you could sit down FIVE minutes
under the tree Of a S%ayiour's martyrdom
and feel his lifeblood trucking ON your
forehead and cheek and hands, methinks
you would get some appreciation Of what
you owe to a crucified Jesus.
Heart of stone, relent, relent,
Touched by Jesus cross, subdued;
See his body, mangled, rent,
Covered with a gore of blood.
Sinful soul, what hast thou donef
Crucifed the Eternal Son!
Jacob, with q good deal Of tug and
push, took the stone from the wells
mouth so that the fiochs might be water
ed. And l would that this day my word,
blessed of God, might remove the him
ORANGES to your getting up to the gospel
well. Yea, l take it for granted that the
work is done, and now, like oriental shep-
herds, l proceed to water the sheep.
Come, all &c thirsty. You ave m unde
fined longing in your soul. You tried
money making; that did not satisfy you.
You tried office under government; that
did not satisfy you. You tried pictures
and sculptures, but works Of art did not
satisfy you. You are as much discon-
tented with this life as the celebrated
French author who felt that he could not
any longer endure the misfortunes of the
world and who said: AT 4 o'clock this
afternoon I shall put an end to my W
existence. Meanwhile / must toll on up
to that time for the s~ustenance Of my
family" And he wrote on his book until
the clock struck 4, when he folded up
his manuscript and, by his W hand,
concluded his earthly life.
Christ's Eternal Fountain.
There are men who arc perfectly dis
contented. Unhappy in the past, IN
happy today, to be unhappy forever un-
less you come to this gospel well. This
STATISTICS lie bOul WILL q utSu, uSSp, dll
absorbing and eternal satisfaction. 1t
comes, and it offel 1.-THE most unfortunate
man so much Of this world as is best fol
him and throws all heaven into the bar.
gain. The wealth Of CrRsus and of all
the Rothschilds is only a poor, miserable
shilling compared with the eternal for.
tunes that Christ offers you today. In
the far east there was q king who used
once q year to get on the scales, while
on the other side the scales were plac
ed gold and silver and ~gems-indeed,
enough were placed there to balance the
king. Then. at the close of the weigh.
ing, all those treasures were thrown
among the populace. But Christ today
steps ON one side the scales, and on the
other side are all the treasures of the
universe, and he says Gail are yours; al
height, all depth, all length, all breadth
all eternity-all are yours" We do not
appreciate the promises of the gospel.
When an aged clergyman was dying
a man very eminent in the church,
young theological student stood by hi
side, and the aged man looked up ant
said to him, Cant you give me som,
comfort in my dying hour?" NO." sait
the young man: 81 can't talk to you OF
this subject. You know all about it an
nave KNOWN IL so long. ell, san
the dying man, "just recite to me som
promises" The young man thought
moment, and he came to this promise
"The blood of Jesus Christ cleansetl
from all sin," and the old man clappe,
his hands and in his dying moment said
That's just the promise I have beel
waiting for-'The blood Of Jesus Chris
cleanseth from all SIM" Oh, tn
warmth. the grandeur, the magnifcence
of the promised
! Come also to this gospel well, all y
troubled. / do not suppose you have es
!, capped. Compare your view of this life q
Is years of age with what your view
J of it at 40 or 60 or 20. What q grea
n contrast of opinion! Were you RICH
then or are you right now? Two cup
placed in your hands, the one a swee
ii cup, the other a sour cup. A cup Of 10
and a cup of grief. Which has been tn
nearest to being full, and out Of whic
RI have you the more frequently p%artaken
What q different place the cemetery
from what it used to mel Once it vas t
you a grand city improvement, and 20