The Bossier banner., 1891-11-12
THE Gospel. WE'LL.
Sermon by Rev. T. Dewitt Tai
mage at BlInira, N. Y,
Delivered Before an Audience of Farmers,
HOrsemen, Stockholders and 9th"
ers-Comfort for the Thirsty,
Tired and Troubled.

ca Dy Kew. L. Dewitt / 1aImaSc Oh Ih0
Elmira IN. " Fair grounds He took
for his text:
And they said, we can not, until all the
hocks be gathered together, and till they
roll the stone from the wells mouth then
we water the sheep.-Genesis xxx, 8.
There are some reasons why it is ap-
propriate that | should accept the invi-
tation to preach at this great inter
state fair, and to these throngs of coun-
trymen and citizens horsemen Just
come from their fine charges, the king
of beasts, for I 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 hocks the Lord Himself in
one place called a shepherd and in an
other place called lamb, and all the
good are sheep, and preach to you cat
tlemen come up from the herds, your
occupation honored by the fact that
God Himself thinks it worthy
of immortal record that He owns
''the cattle on a thousand hills" 1t is
appropriate that | come because / was
farmers boy, and never saw city
until l was nearly grown, and having
been born in the country 1 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 1 will give you my hand,
for though have this summer shaken
hands with perhaps forty thousand peo-
pie in twentY-one states of the union
all the way through to Colorado and
north and south, 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, l can
not find more appropriate text than
the one read. 1t is a scene in Meso-
potamia, beautifully pastoral. A well
of water of great value in that region.
The fields around about it white with
three flocks of sheep lying down wait
ing for the watering. l hear their
bleating coming on the bright air, and
the laughter of young men and maid
ems indulging in rustic repartee.
look off, and see other fiocks of sheep
coming. Meanwhile Jacob, a stranger,
on the interesting errand of looking for
wife, comes to the well. A beautiful
shepherdess comes to the same we'll
see her approaching, followed
by her fathers flock of sheep.
1t was memorable meet
ing. Jacob married that shep-
herdess. The Bible account of it is:
'Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his
voice and wept." 1t has alway been a
mystery to me what he found to cry
about! But before that scene occurred
Jacob accosts the shepherds and asks
them why they postpone the shaking of
the thirst of these sheep and why they
did not Immediately proceed to water
them. The shepherds reply to the eff
feet: 1--WE are all good neighbors, and
as a matter of courtesy we wait until
all the sheep of the neighborhood 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 can not, until all the
flocks be gathered together and till
they roll the stone from the wells
mouth; then we water the sheep"
Oh, this is thirsty world Hot for
the head, and blistering to the feet, and
parching for the tongue. The worlds
great want is cool, refreshing, satisfy
ing draught. We wander around and
find the cistern empty. Long and tedi-
ous drought has dried up the world s
fountains, but nearly nineteen cent
uries ago, a Shepherd, with crook in
the shape of Il cross, and feet out to the
bleeding, explored the desert passages
of this world, and one day came across
well one thousand feet deep bubling
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 musical that rang
through the ages: ''Ho, every one that
thirsteth, come We to the waters
Now great flock of sheep to-day
gather around this Gospel well. There
are a great many thirsty souls. won
der why the focks 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 can not, until all the
focks be gathered together and til
they roll the stone from the wells
mouth; then we water the sheep"
If herd of swine come to vel
they angrily jostle each other for the
precedence; if drove of cattle come t.
a well, they nook each other bach
from the water, but when the flock o.
sheep come, though hundred of then
shall be disappointed, they only ex
press it by sad bleating, they come to
gether peacefully. We want a great
multitude to come around the Gospel
well. 1 know there are those who dc
not like crowd-they think a CROWD
Is vulgar. If they are oppressed .fol
2oom in ch3rch it makes them positively
impatient and belligerent Not sc
did these oriental shepherds. They