St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-02-11

! Pastoral life in olden times inspired
some of the loftiest strains of Hebrew
and Greek poetry. David never wrote
a psalm that breathes a holier, sweeter
or diviner strain than the twenty third
which begins with the triumphant ex-
clamatiOn, "The Lord is my shepherd"
But this idea did not originate, per
haps, in the heart and brain of David.
Long centuries before that sweet psalm
went singing through the heart of Is
rae's poet king, illustrious patriarchs
and prophets had tended their flOcks
on the great plains of Asia. "The God
who fed me a. e., was my shepherd) all
my life long unto this day. Jacob.
$50 the Lord alone did lead him"
| (Moses).
Here we have the same pastoral word
which gives the keynote to the Twenty
third Psalm. He who was the son of
David on His human side, but the son
of Sod on His divine side, says, II am
the good shepherd. L, who came from
the bosom of the Father, who am CO.
equai, co-eternal, cO-essential with the
! Father |, whose garments smell of
myrrh, of alOes and of acacia out of the
ivory palaces am the good shepherd"
This great good shepherd "calleth His
own sheep by name and leadeth them
forth" Precious words "Calleth and
leadeth.n There is consolation deep
aud broad and strong in the thought
that the supervision which the Lord
Jesus Christ exercises over his people
Is not vague, indefinite and indiscriB-
mate, but special and particular. Il
have redeemed thee | have called thee
by thy name thou art mine Has he
not given the highest possible proof Of
His love for His people, in that He
laid down His life for them Their
trials are His trials; THEN SORROWS His
SORROWS: their burdens His burdens
their conflicts His conflicts. His peO-
pie never shed Il tear, nor heave a sigh,
nor feel IA pang, nor fight in stormy
battles, nor suffer under the strife of
malicious tongues, bat He sympathizes
with them. Thank God, they are al
ways within the touch OF the great
Shepherds crook Living or dying,
they are His special care.
What bright manifestations OF His
tender, loving sympathy He gave the
world during his incarnation! Fore
seeing the storm of temptation that
p
and boastful Peter from his moorings,
He says, Il have prayed the Father
that thy faith fail nOt.n He meets a
funeral procession at Nain-a grief
stricken widow is following her only
son to the grave. The scene touches
His heart. His finger touches the bier,
and the Young man comes back to life
again. During His ministry on earth
He never saw tears but he dried them
up; anguish but He relieved it sorrow
but He soothed it. Behold Him as He
mingles His tears with those of Martha
and Mary at the burial cave of Lazarus.
But did He carry the same tender, low
ing, sympathetic heart with him to the
right hand of the Majesty in the heav-
ems? "Lo [ am with you always"
Has He forgotten His people Il go
to prepare place for you. l will come
again and receive you unto Myself
Christian fling wide open the chambers
of your heart, and let these precious
words of the Master flood your spiritual
nature with light and gladness and Joy
ineffable. "He calleth His own sheep
by name and leadeth them out" He
leadeth them into the green pastures
and by the still waters of salvation.
The language is borrowed from pastoral
life in the East, where the shepherd
gives to each sheep a particular name.
The Eastern shepherd does not drive
the sheep, but goes before them, calls
them by their name and they follow.
So tho Lord Jesus does not drive,
cOerce, nor drag His people, but draws
them by tue magic power of His love
He would have them tread no path OF
sorrow He has not trOd. Are theiI
hearts ever and again wrung with an
guish Do you mourn the loss of loved
ones and give to their pale remains the
tribute of a tearY Jesus was a man OF
sorrows and acquainted with grief.
Are they tempted and tried by the
great arch-demon Jesus met and
vanqushed him in the wilderness
Must they grapple with the king of ter
rOrs Jesus entered his dominions
with garments rolled in blood and con-
quered for all His saints. Let us keep
near the Shepherds side, and the wolf,
"whO comes of hellish malice full'' car
never harm us. Here is absolute safe
ty. Kept in the hollow of the Redeem,
er's hand, ''nOr earth nor hell shall
pluck the Christian thence"