The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-11-28
ton from the water Of tina. we'll which

/
Independence of moral character. In.
dependence Of religious character.
Have your own we'll of grace, your OWL
we'll OF courage, your own well of divine
supply. II you are an invalid you have
a right to be dependent on others. But
IL God has given you good health, com.
mon sense, and two eyes, and two ears,
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 well and the Lord will fill it Dig
1t If need be through two hundred feet
OF solid rock. Dig 1t with your pen, or
dig it with your yardstick, or dig 1t with
your shovel, or dig it with your Bible
In my small way 1 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 going for advice to human beings
who know so little that no one but the
all-seeing God can realize how little
1T is / suppose that when Jacob
began to dig his we'll on which we are
sitting this noontide, people gathered
around and said: ''What useless ex-
pense you are going to- when rolling
down from yonder Mount Gerizim and
down from yonder Mount Ebal and out
yonder in the valley is plenty o; water. !"
Co." replied Jacob, "that is all true,
but suppose my neighbors should get
angered against me and cut off my sup
ply of mountain beverage what would l
do, and what would my family do and
what would my flocks and herds do?
Forward, We brigade of pickaxes and
crowbars and GO down into the depths
of these rocks and make me independ-
emit of all except Him who fills the bot
ties of the clouds! / must have my own
wellr'
Young man, drop cigars and cigar
cites, 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
$500 income a yearp' says some one.
Then spend S4O0 of it in living and ten
per cent of it or $50 in benevolence and
the other $50 in beginning to dig your
own we'll Or, If you have 81, 900 a year,
spend $500 of it in living-ten per cent,
or 500 in benevolence and the remain
ing 500 in beginning to dig your own
we'll
l suppose when Jacob began to dig
this we'll on whose curb we are now
seated this December noon, it was a dry
season then as now and some one comes
up and says: snow. Jacob, suppose
you get the we'll fifty feet deep or two
hundred feet deep and there should be
no water to fill it. 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: THAT is Jacobs we'll, great
hole in the rock, illustrating the mans
folly" Jacob replied, "There never
has been a 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 exception"
For months after Jacob had completed
the we'll people went by and out Of re-
spect for the deluded old man put their
hand over their mouth to hide smoker
and the we'll remained as dry as the
bottom of a kettle that had been hang
ing over the fire for three hours But
one day the sun was drawing water and
the wind got round to the east and it be-
gan to drizzle and then great drops
splashed all over the we'll curb and the
heavens opened their reservoir and the
rainy seasons poured its flood for six
weeks and their came maidens to the
we'll with empty pals and carried them
mouths into the troughs and were salts
fled and the water was in the we'll three
feet deep and fifty feet deep, and
two hundred feet deep and ali the
Bedouins Of the neighborhood and
all the passers-by realized that
Jacob was wise in having his own
we'll My hearer, it is your part
to dig your own we'll and 1t is Gods |
part to fill it You do your part and He
will do His part
Much is said about good luck" but |
people who are industrious and self-de- |
nying almost always have good luck. |
You can afford to be laughed at because |
Of your application and economy, for |
when you get your we'll dug and filled it
will be your turn to laugh.
But look up from this famous we'll and |
see two mountains and the plain be-
tween them on which was gathered the |
largest religious audience that ever as
,embled on earth. about 500 900 people. |
Mount Gerizim, about 500 feet high, on |
,ne side, and on the other Mount Ebal,
The former called the Mount of Bless
ng and the latter called the Mount of |
Cursing At Joshua's command six /
,ribes stood on Mount Gerizim and read
,he blessings for keeping the law, and
,ix tribes stood on Mount Ebal reading
,he curses for breaking the law, while
he 500 900 people on the plain cried
amen with an emphasis that must have
made the earth tremble. Il do not
believe that" says some one, for those
mountain tops are two miles apart and
low could voice be heard from top to
opp" My answer is that while the tops
ire two miles apart, the bases of the
are only half mile apart
Ind the tribes stood on the sides of the
and the air is so clear and
;he acoustic qualities Of this great
amphitheater so perfect that
Toices can be distinctly heard from
to mountain as has been |