Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1910-10-15
Thu: GREAT
INVITATION
LARGE AUDIENCE HEARD REV. j.
C. oEHLER TALK ON THIS SUB
JEcT AT CONGREGATIONAL
CHURCH LAST NIGHT.

union services at the Congregations
church last night, and after a goot
song service conducted by Mr.. M. R
Shelton, followed by a solo by Mrs
| Willard Karn, gave close attention tt
the speaker of the evening, Rev. ]
| C. Oehler of the Presbyterian church
who delivered an uplifting sermon
on the subject of "The Great invita-
ton" The sermon was one of the
best ever delivered from a Palestine
pulpit, and set the audience to think
ing over the great truths propounded
| Rev. Oehler took as his text Isaiah
SOL: "Ho, every one that thirsteth
come We to the waters, and he that
hath no money; come We, buy and
eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk
without money, and without price.
The following is a synopsis of the
sermon:
The term "thirseth" expresses in
tense longing. One fact Is observed
among the peoples of the earth. and
that is, wherever you go, you find a
certain spirit of restlessness showing
itself in varied forms.
This spirit of unrest is influencing
men to resort to different methods of
satisfying the soul-thirst. They are
drinking at various fountains.
First-There is class of our fell
low-men whose motto is knowledge
is Power" and who are attempting to
satisfy this thirst by lingering long
and drinking deep draughts at the
fountain of learning. But the wisest
of men has become the spokesman
for all the greatest patrons Of letters
for all time, in the familiar words
"of making many books, there is no
end, and much study is a WEAKNESS
of the flesh" The waters Of this
spring do not satisfy In the words
of one greater than Solomon, who
soever drinketh of this water shall
thirst again"
A second important contingent have
a yearning to influence and govern
their fellow-citizens. There is in
them a thirst for power; to become
great in the eyes of their country
men is the desire of their hearts.
Hence we find them trying to slake
their thirst at the fountain of World
ly Ambition" Yet we find from the
testimony of those most successful in
this sphere that these waters fail to
satisfy and render the soul happy.
Alexander the Great sat disconsolate
at shore of the unresting sea, and
wept bitter tears because there were
not other worlds to conquer.
A third large number of mankind
are bent upon entertainment, and
summon all their energies in the pur-
suit of pleasure People of all ages
are found in the chase after this
butterfly of fleeting enjoyment. And
if you would know the truth concern
ing this class, ask some who are
most competent to speak. There is
but one report: These things do not
enrich and satisfy, but rather mock
the deep yearning of the soul. These
worldly pleasures are like apples of
Sodom in the mouths of those who
long for the fruit that will satisfy the
hunger of the immortal soul Then
commended mirth, because a man
hath no better thing under the sun,
than to eat, and to. drink, and to be
merry. This also is vanity and vex-
alton of spirit"
Still another and more important
class are lending their lives to the
making Of money, and, judging from
the tenor of their ways, the largest
thing in the eyes of the people is
that which has been styled the al
mighty Dollar" A countless throng
are camping at this fountain and
drinking of its waters only to find
that no relief from their soul-thirst
comes to comfort and to bless. The
multi-millionaire of his. time must
again bear testimony upon this point:
He that loveth silver shall not be
satisfied with silver; nor he that
loveth abundance with increase The
abundance of the rich will not suffer
him to sleep. This also is vanity"
None of these things satisfy the
soul, because they were never in
tended to minister to this universal
spirit Of unrest At the point where
all else fails, the Spirit brings us the
real solution of the problem, and
points to Fountain of Life" whose
waters do quench the soul-thirst.
Hear the testimony of One whose au-
thority to speak is supreme: Who
soever drinketh of the water that
shall give him, shall never thirst; but
the water that l shall give him shall
be in him well of water springing
up into everlasting life
The united witness of the millions