The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-11-19

| Large stones embank the wall on all
sides. Our dragoman took pebbles and
dropped them in, and from the time
they left his hand TO the instant they
clicked on the bottom you could hear 1t
was deep, though not as deep as once,
for every day travellers are applying the
same test, and though in the time OF
Maundrell, the traveller, the we'll was
hundred and sixty-hve feet deep, now 1t
is only seventy-hve. So great is the Gu
riosity OF the world to know about this
we'll that during the dry season a Cap
tain Anderson descended into it.
had to put his hands over his head in
order to get through, and then he
tainted away, and lay ct the bottom Of
the well as though dead, until, hours
after recovery, he came to the surface
1t is not like other wells digged down
to aiountain that fills it, but reservoir
to catch the falling rains, and to that
Christ refers when speaking to the Sa-
maritan woman about q spiritual supply,
He said that He would, II asked, have
given her 'living water;" that is, water
from a flowing spring in distinc tion from
the water Of that we'll, which was rain
water. But why did Jacob make res
ervoir there when when there is plenty
OF water all around, and abundance OF
springs and fountains, and seemingly no
need of that reservoir? Why did Jacob
go to the vast expense Of boring and
digging we'll perhaps two hudred feet
deep as first com pleted, when, by going
a little way off he could have water
from other fountains at little or no ex-
pense? All, Jacob was wise. He wanted
his own we'll. Quarre Is and wars might
arise with other tribes and the supply
Of water might be cut off, SO the shovels
and pick-axes and boring instrum ents
were ordered and the we'll OF nearly four
thousand years ago was sunk thro ugh
the solid rock.
When Jacob thus wisely insisted on
having lis own we'll he taught us not to
be unnecessarily dependent on others.
independence OF business character.
Independence OF moral character. In
dependence Of religious character. Have
your own we Of grace, your own well
! OF courage, our own we'll Of divine sup
ply. II you are an invalid you have a
right to be dependent on others But II
God has given you good health, common
sense, and two eyes, and two ears, and
two hands, and two feet, he equipped
you for independence OF all the universe
except Himself. II He had meant you
to be dependent on others you would
have been built with cord around your
waist to tie fast to somebody else. No;
you are built with common sense to
fashion your own opinions, with eyes to
find your own way, with ears to select
your own music, with hands to fight
your own battles. There is only one
being in the universe whose advice you
need and that is God. Have your own
we'll and the Lord will fill 1t. Dig it IL
need be through two hundred feet OF
solid rock. Dig it with your pen, or dig
1t with your yardstick, or dig it with
your shovel, OF dig it with your Bible.
In my small way never accomplished
any thing for God or the church, or the
world. or my family, or myself except in
contradiction TO human advice and in
obedience to divine counsel. God knows
every thing and what is the use OF GO
ing for advice to human beings who
know so little that no one but the all
seeing God can realize how little It is
] suppose that when Jacob began to dig
this we'll on which we are sitting this
noontide, people gathered round said:
What a useless expense you are going
to, when rolling from yonder Mount
Gerizim and down from yonder Mount
Ebal, and out yonder in the valley is
plenty Of water!' 90" replied Jacob,
that is all true but suppose my neigh
bors should get angered against me and
cut of my supply Of mountain beverage
what would / do, and what would
my family do, and what would my
focks and herds do? Forward, ye brig
ade Of pick-axes and crowbars, and 90
down into the depths OF these rocks and
make me Independent Of all except Him
who fills the bottles OF tho cloudsl I
must have my own wellF'
Young man, drop cigars, and ciga-
rettes, and wine cups, and the Sunday
excursions and build your own house
and have your own wardrobe and be
your own capitalist! "Why have only
five hundred dollars income yearT'
says some one. Then spend four hun
dred Of 1t in living and ten per cent Of
1t or fifty dollars in benevolence and the
other fifty in beginning to dig your own
we'll Or, II you have thousand dollars
a year, spend eight hundred dollars OF
1t in living-ten per cent, or one hun
dred dollars in benevolence and the re-
naming one hundred in beginning TO
dig your own we'll The largest bird
that ever few through the air was
hatched out OF one egg and the greatest
estate was brooded out Of one dollar.
Isuppose whom Jacob began to dig
this we'll on whose curb we are now
seated this December noon, II was dry
season then as now and some one comes
up and says: "Now, Jacob. suppose you
get the we'll fifty feet deep or
two hundred feet deep, and there
should be no water to fill II, would you
not feel silly?" People passing along
the road and looking down from Mount
Gerizim or Mount Ebal near by would
laugh and say; ''This is Jacobs we'll, q
great hole In the rock, illustrating the
mans folly" Jacob replied, There
never has been we'll in Palestine or
any other country, that once thoroughly
dug was not sooner or later filled from
the clouds, and this will be no excep-
ton" For months after Jacob had com.
pleted the well people went by and out |