The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1885-09-10

abiding keeping watch over their hocks by night
To every child of the present age is
familiar the story of the appearance of
the angel of the Lord before the Shep-
herds, as they kept watch over their
flocks by night, bringing to them the glad
tidings of the birth of the Savior. And
while they heard the good news, the an
gel choir sang praises to the Lord of Hosts.
Ordinarily the advent of a fresh young
life into the world is hailed with delight by
some heart or hearts, but now the Shep-
herds heard the news of the advent of
none other than the blessed Messiah, the
great leader, and teacher, and Savior of
men. The human mind can scarcely con-
ceive the magnitude of the joy with
which the coming of the infant was
freighted. But this coming, grand and
glorious as it must be considered-not-
withstanding it's humble surroundings
was destined to be followed by its full
share of sorrow and suffering-in fact
the life was to be torn from the body
with the greatest intensity of human
agony. Could the wise men who jour
neyed to view the infant Savior, have
seen Calvary from the standpoint of Beth
lehem, their joy would have been modified
somewhat at first view of the unpromis-
ing picture.
We do not in these days witness the
birth of such as the child of Bethlehem
but little innocent lives are being thrust
upon this great, busy, cruel world, daily,
and their advent, in majority OF cases
at least, is hailed with certain measure
of joy. With the little, chubby, dimpled
face and sunny head, come visions of
bright and prosperous future. In the
eye of vision appears long train of sue
cesSful combats with the adversities of
the world, continuous array of victor
les over sin. But the circumstances have
changed. They do not exist as they ex-
listed on that glad night in Judea. Shep
herds watch their flocks still. The eye of
selfish interest is still kept trained upon
the little flock Of some household; but
the angel of the Lord does not always ap-
pear with hozannas and shouts of praise;
the angels of darkness also appear, with
an influence which wrings tears from the
angelic hosts above. These angels of
darkness come not with words of exulta-
ton, announcing the advent of a new
soul, they appear as destroying angels, ly-
ing in wait for souls, with the dark plan
of dragging them away from the Shep-
herd, and all the near and dear ties of
earth. Thus the wolves are always by to
annoy the watching Shepherd.
We have before us the picture of
Shepherd watching by his little flock: All
the safeguards that love and care can
suggest, have been thrown about that flock
Those lives have been carefully trained
in paths of righteousness; the simple,
trusting hearts have been pointed to
Heaven, and the Lamb of God, which
taketh away the sin of the world. Those
tender sheep are permitted to roam in
pastures green. presumably under the eye
of the Shepherd himself. But along the
edges of the pasture-land, lurk the dan
gerous Influences that will break through
every safeguard and drag the tender life
on a downward path.
What Shepherd can so carefully guard
his flock that the great serpent of Intem-
perance will not drag its horrible length
through the enclosure? In the case we
have before US, the serpent is attacked by
the Shepherd as soon as it enters the sa-
cred circle of the fold. In ordinary sur
roundings. the first thought of neighbor
would be to assist a neighbor in distress.
But we see this keeper of the flock assail
the monster amid the jeers of his neigh
bors. Before his agonized senses the
monster seizes and drags away the fairest
of the flock. In fit of frenzy, he drives
the monster into public place, where
his neighbors are compelled to take charge
of it. What shall they do with it? No,
that is not the question. What do they
with it? Why, let it go, of course. They
have been taught to believe the monster
pretty thing-an ornament to Society.
In this unfortunate moment poor, weak
consumptive individual comes along, and
recognizing the danger of the situation,
utters, with considerable show of self
assurance: "Why, will tell you what to
do with that dangerous thing-Prohibit
it'll Kill it at once! Oh, if L only had
hold of the thing once!''
The agonized Shepherd leaps with joy
at those words. The monster is hemmed
in, and turned over to the little man, who
boldly throttles it. But one feeble grasp
is not sufficient. Not a friend or neigh
Dor lends a helping hand. and the strug-
gle is short and sharp. The diminutive
man finds that without help he is utterly
ToOWorlocC RI do onuthincr Tho nt
of his neighbors is not up to the point of
attacking great monster, with no earth
ly show of success. They must thor
oughly train the mind up to the concep-
tion of concerted action which shall
crush the monster to death. To make
the attack in small force is defeat; to
get up concerted and successful effort
work, devoid of anger and abuse, fraught
with patience and good will
Thus the shepherds watch their flocks,
by night and by day. That the tireless
enemy is enabled to steal into the fold
and destroy the brightest creatures there
in, is the result of that thoughtlessness
so characteristic of the human race in
circumstances where the individual does
not see the immediate danger to his own
flock, by the fact that he does not study
the situation in its worst features. This
danger is too great TO be trifled with; it
is too horrible in it's effects to be made
more so by making contemplate the eff
forts to suppress it which should be con-
sidered grand and noble. 1t is danger
which arouses the nobler impulses of the
human heart, which appeals to the man.
hood and womanhood for earnest. untir-
ing effort to destroy it; it is a danger
which cannot be destroyed by the bonn
bastic declaration of the scattering con-
vention, or the wild harangue of the
lonely orator; the sentiment which is to
| drive AWAY the dark angel from the pOint