The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1891-09-09
THE GOSPEL WELL.
pr Talmage breaches q Sermon to
Farmers and Stock -Raisers.
Ne Dsscribss the Place In Mssopotamis
Where Jacob and Rachel Met-The
Great Want OF the World Cool,
Refreshing, Satisfying
Draught. fg

REV, Ut. IalmhRe preacnen SUNDAY
20 the multitude in attendance at the
New York and Pennsylvania exposition
being held at Elmira, N. Y. The SER
mon was preached on the fair grounds
to a great audience Of farmers, horse
men, drovers, and stock-raisers from
near and far, as well as citizens from
the adjacent cities. His text was GEN.
esis xxx. s: Sand they said, we can
not until all the foclrs be gathered to-
gether, and till they roll the stone from
the wells mouth; then we water the
sheep" The sermon follows:
There are some reasons why Il is ap-
propriate that should accept the invi-
tation 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 1t on the brow of the
horse, which is in every way nobler,
and speak to these shepherds just come
from their flocks, 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 immor-
tai record that He owns "the cattle on
athousand hills tits appropriate that I
come because was farmers boy, and
never saw city life until was nearly
grown, and having been born in the
country never got over IL, and would
not dwell in cities q day II my work
was not appointed there My love to
you now, and whenI get through will
give you my hand, for though have
this summer shaken hands with per-
haps forty thousand people 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 therel How
you make me think OF my father!
You elderly woman out there
with cap and spectaclesl 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, can not find q
more appropriate text than the one
read It is scene in Mesopotamia,
beautifully pastoral. A we'll Of water
of great value in that region. The
fields round about II white with three
floclss Of sheep lying down waiting for
the watering. hear their bleating
coming on the bright air, and the laugh
ter Of young men and maidens indulg-
ing In rustic repartee I look off and
see other focks Of sheep coming. Mean
while, Jacob, stranger, on the inter
esting errand Of looking for a wife,
comes to the well beautiful shep-
herdess comes to the same well. / see
her approaching, followed by her ia
TIERS flock Of sheep II was a memoir
able meeting Jacob married that shep-
herdess. The Bible account of II Is;
"Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his
voice and wept" It has always been a
mystery to me what he found TO cry
aboutI 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 effect;
I'VE 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 II and push Il aside,
and then.the buckets and troughs are
filed, and the sheep are satisfied. We
can not, until all the focks be gathered
together, and till they roll the stone
from the wells mouth; then we water
the sheep"
o, this Is thirsty worldl Hot for the
head, and blistering for 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 worlds
fountains, but nearly nineteen cen
turies ago a Shepherd, with crook In
the shape Of cross, and feet cut TO the
bleeding, explored the desert passages
Of this world, and one day came across
well thousand feet deep, bubblinl
and bright, and opalescent and looked
to the north, and the south, and tn,
east, and the west, and cried out with |
voice strong and musical that ranl
through the ages: "Ho, every one tha
thirsteth, come 70 10 the watersl'
Now great flock Of sheep to-da,
gather around the Gospel we'll. Their
are great many thirsty souls. won
der why the fiocks Of all nations do no
gather-why SO many stay thirsty; an'
while am wondering about II, my tex
breaks forth in the explanation, saying
I'VE cannot. until all the hocks h'
gathered together, and till they roll tn
stone from the wells mouth; then VI
water the sheep"
II herd Of swine come 10 well the.
angrily jostle each other for the prece
dence; II drove of cattle como 10
we'll they hook each other back from
the water, but when the flock Of sheel
come, though hundred OF them shal
be disappointed, they only express II b.
sad bleating, thoy come together peace
fully. We want great multitude y
come around the gospel well. / know
there are those who do not like crow
they think q crowd Ia vulgar. II the.
are oppressed for room in church
makes them positively impatient AM
belligcrent Not SO did these Orienta
shcpherds. They waited until all tn