The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1877-10-10

Al humble lady in Melr0se, Scotland, wa
led to see the beauty Of the character Of
Christ in the parable Of the Good Shepherd.
She possessed genius, and sometimes express
ed her best thoughts and feelings in verse.
The vision Of Christ leaving tho glories Of
heaven aud becoming seeker OF men who
had gone astray, like an Eastern shepherd
seeking wandering sheep IN poriloua times.
touched her heart with poetic fervor, and she
wrote the hymn beginning
There were ninety aud nine that safely lay
In the shelter Of the fold.s
One Of the stanzas most wildly and ten
DERBY expressed the clear view Of divine SYM
pathy aud compassion
But none Of the ransomed ever knew
How deep were the waters creased,
Or how dark the night Lord passed through
Ere he found his sheep that was lost.
But in the desert he heard the cry
Sick and helpless and ready to die
The poem was published In local paper,
and the lady soon afterwards died, and went
to the Good Shepherd, whose love for the
wandering and perishing had gained tho af-
fections and service of her life. She was
buried in the churchyard in the beautiful
Melrose.
The efforts of sincere life always meet
the needs of Others and are often given, I'M
der providence, special mission in the world.
The simplicity and fervor Of the little poem
gained forit an unexpected recognition.
The American evangelist, Mr.. Sanlxey, was
one day returning from Edinburgh to Glas-
gov, to hold a farewell meeting there. Glas-
gov had been the scene of the most signal
triumphs in the work of Messrs Moody and
Sankey, and this farewell gathering promised
to be one of thanksgiving and tears, of won-
derful interest, power and feeling,
Mr.. Sankey, ON this occasion, desired to
introduce new hymn which should represent
Christ as compassionate and all-sufacient
Savior. " Before getting on the train" he
says, !" | went to the news stand and bought
two or three papers--some secular, some re-
ligious-and in one of them found these
verses
"There were nluety and nine that safely lay
In the shelter of the fold, etc.
said to my brother Moody, /" That's just
the hymn have been wanting. think the
Lord has really sent it to us r. Next day this
little tune or chant that it is set to, came to
me. We went into the noon meeting, and
dear DR.. Benar, who has written SO many
beautiful hymns - I was a wandering sheep,
and did not love the fold,' and I heard the
voice of Jesus say, come unto me and rest -
he was there, and the thought came to me,
We must sing now this new hymn that the
Lord has sent u.s.
The tune had scarcely formed itself IN my
head yet, but / just cut the words from the
paper, put it in front of mo on the organ and
began to sing them, hardly knowing where
the tune was coming from. But the Lord
said, sing it, and as VIC were singing 1t Hi
Spirit came upon us, and what blessed
meeting we had.'
The meeting was a very crowded one, and
tender feelings were awakened in all hearts,
bringing wildly to all minds as it did, the
fact that the world is full of farewells. The
imagery of the hymn, the shepherd, tue
sheepfold, the dark night on the hills, the
anxious search and the joyful return, was in
harmony with Scottish associations and
touched the best feelings of tho converts and
inquiiers. Christ stood revealed in tho song,
and it seemed as though the listeners won't up
some living Tabor and again saw Him trans
figured
Away in tho gallery there sat lady who
was at first startled, and then deeply affected
by the hymn. She was unable to speak with
the sweet singer in the confusion that follow
ed the close Of the meeting, but she soon after
wrote to him from Meltose and said Il
thank you for having sung, the other day, my
deceased sisters words. She wrote them five
years ago. She is in heaven now.'
The hymn has had tender mission.
Thousands seeking the helps Of power out
side of their own sinful nature, have seen in
it the vision that the prophet saw And I
looked, and there was none to help and |
wondered that there was none to uphold I;
therefore my own arm brought salvation unto
me. - Yogth's Companion.
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