Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1891-09-10
Droves at the Well.

York and Pennsylvania Exposition. His
text was Genesis xxx, 8, "And they
said, we cannot, until all the fiocks be
gathered together, and till they roll the
stone from the wells mouth; then we
water the sheep"
There are some reasons why it Is ap-
propriate that should accept the invi-
ia ton to preach at this great interstate
fair, and to these throngs of country
men and citizens-horsemen just come
from their fine chargers, the king OF
beasts, for take the crown from the
lion and put it on the brow of the horse,
which is in every way nobler-and speak
to these shepherds just come from their
doCks-the Lord himself in one place
called Shepherd and in another place
called a Lamb, and all the good are
sheppard preach to you cattlemen
come up from the herds, your occupa-
ton honored by the fact that God him
self thinks it worthy of immortal re-
cord that he owns ''the cattle on a
thousand hills"
It is appropriate that come, because
/ was farmers boy, and never saw a
city until | was nearly grown, and, hav-
ing been born in the country, | never
got over it, and would not dwell in cities
a day if my work was not appointed
there. My love to you now, and when
/ get through | will give you my hand,
Tor though | have this summer shaken
hands with perhaps 10000 people in
GWenty-one States Of the Union, all the
way through to Colorado and North and
South, l will not conclude my summer
vacation till / have shaken hands with
you. You old farmer out there! How
you make me think of my father! You
elderly woman out there with cap and
Spectacles! How you make me think Of
my mOther
And now, while the air of these fair
grounds is filed with the bleating of
sheep, and the neighing of horses, and
the lowing of cattle, [ cannot find a
more appropriate text than the one |
read 1t is q scene in Mesopotamia,
beautifully pastoral. A well of water
of great value in that region. The
fields around about it white with these
HOcks of sheep lying down waiting for
she watering. l hear their bleating
coming on the bright air, and the laugh
Ter of young men and maidenS indulging
III rustic repartee. | look off, and | see
other fOCks Of sheep coming. Mean
while, Jacob, a stranger on the inter-
cSting crrand of looking for a wife,
comes to the we'll. A beautiful shep-
herdess comes to the same well. l see
her approaching, followed by her
fathers flock of sheep. 1t was mem
orablc meeting. Jacob married this
shephcrdcss. The Bible account of it is,
Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his
voice and wept."
1t has always been mystery with me
what he found to cry about! But before
that scene occurred Jacob accOsts the
shepherds and asks them why they post
ponc the shaking of the thirst Of these
sheep, and why they cid not Immediately
proceed to water them. The shepherds
reply to the effect: eve are all good
neighbors, and as a matter of courtesy
we wait until all the sheep of the neigh
bOrhOOd 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 filled and the sheep
are satisfied. We cannot, until all the
fiocks are gathered together, and till
they roll the stone from the wells mouth;
thon we water the sheep"
az Oh, this is a thirsty world! Hot for
the head, and bistering for the feet, and
DarChing for the tongue. The worlds
great want is cool, refreshing, satisfy
ing draft. We wander around and find
6ho CiStern empty. Long and tedious
drought has dried up the worlds foun-
1aiuS, but nearly nineteen centuries ago
Shepherd. with crook in the shape of a
cross, and feet cut to the bleeding, eX-
plOred the desert passages of this world,
and one day came across a we'll a thouS-
and 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
vwusical that rang through the ages: ''Ho,
every one that thirsteth, come ye to the
WaterS!"
Now, a great flock of sheep to-day
gather around this Gospel we'll. There
are great many thirsty souls. l Won
der why the tlocks of all nations do not
gather--why so many stay thirsty; and
while l am wondering about it, my text
breaks forth in the explanation, saying:
''We cannot, until all these tiocks be
gathered together, and till they roll the
stone from the wells mouth; then we
water the sheep"
If herd of swine come to a we'll they
angrily jostle each other for the prece-
.dence; if drove of cattle come to well,
they hook each other back from the
water, DuC Wnen INC HOCh VI SHeep COlHcs
though a hundred of them shall be dis
appointed, they only express it by sad
,bleating-theY come together peacefully.
WE want a great multitude to come
around the Gospel well. l know there
are those who do not like crowd-they
think a crowd is vulgar. II they are OPP
pressed for room in church it makes
chem positively impatient and belligerent.
Not so did these oriental shepherds.
They waited until all the flocks were
gathered, and the more flocks 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 the
GoSDel of Jesus Go to the Door and