Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-03-10

J. l.
lowing sermon presents glowing pas
Coral scene TO the minds eye. The
text Is:
The Lord Is my shepherd Psalms kill, L
What with post and rail fences, and
eur pride in Southdown, Astrakhan
and Flemish varieties of sheep, there
III no use now OF the old-time shepherd.
Such an one had abundance Of oppor'
tunity Of becoming poet, being out OF
doors IL hours the day and oft-times
waking up In the night on the hills.
III the stars or the torrents, or the sun,
or the flowers had anything TO say, he
vyas very apt to hear IL. The Ettricls
shepherd of Scotland, who afterwards
cook his seat In the brilliant circle OF
Wilson and Lockhart, got his wonder
full poetic inspiration In the ten years
In which he was watching the floclss OF
Mr. Laidlnw. There Is often sweet
poetry in the rugged prose OF the
Scotch shepherd. One OF these Scotch
shepherds lost his only son, and he
knelt down In prayer, and was over
heard TO say: sob, Lord, 1t has seemed
good In Thy province to take from me
the staff OF my right hand Mt the time
when to us sand blind mortals seemed
~ be most In need OF II; and how |
shall climb up the hill OF sorrow and
auld age without 1t, Thou mayst ken,
but dinna."
David, the shepherd boy, Is watch
eng his fathers sheep. They are past
Uring on the very hills whore after
ward Lamb was born OF which you
haye heard much: 1.-The Lamb Of God,
which takcth away the sin OF the
world" David, the shepherd boy, was
beautiful, brave, musical and poetic !
Shink he often forgot the sheep In his
Gevcries. There In the solitude he
struck the harp string that is thrilling
through all ages, David, tho boy, WIS
gathering the material for David tho
poet and David the man. Like other
boys, David was fond OF using his
knife among the saplings, and he had
noticed the oxuding Of the juice Of the
free; and when he became u man he
said: 1.-The trees Of tho Lord are full
OF sap David, the boy, like other
boys, had been fond of hunting the
birds nests, and he had driven the old
atork OIL the nest to find how many
eggs were under her; and when he
been me man he said: "As for the
utork, the fir trees are her house"
I'm his boyhood he had heard the
terrific thunder storm that frightened
che red deer into premature sickness;
and when he became IL man he said:
S'The voice Of the Lord maketh the
minds to calve." David, tho boy, had
aain upon his back looking up Mt the
stars and examining the sky, and to
mis- boyish imagination the sky seemed
nike piece OF divine embroidery, the
divine fingers working In the threads
of light and the beads OF stars; and he
became IL man and wrote: "When
consider Thy heavens, the work OF Thy
fingers" When he became IN old man.
thinking OF tho goodness of God, he
seemed to hear tho bleating Of his
fathers sheep across many years, and
t. think of the time when he tended
them ON the Bethlehem hills, and he
0rics out In the text: 1.-The Lord Is my
shepherd"
az God will help me, will talk to
you of the shepherds plnid, the shcp.
herds crook, tho shepherds dogs, the
shepherds pasture grounds, and the
shepherds noeks.
Aud first: Tho shepherds plaid; II
would be prcposterouS for II mnn going
out to rough and besoiling work to put
on splendid apparel, The pottc" does
mot work In velvet; the serving maid
does not put on satin while toiling ut
her duties; the shep hcrd docs not wear
u splendid robe III which to go out
amidst the storms, AMI the rocks, and
the nettles; he pats ON rough apparel
appropriate to his expose work The
lord our shepherd, coming out To hunt
Ghe lost sheep, puts on no regal apparel,
but the plain garment ot our humanity.
There was nothing prctSntious about
it | know the old pliuterS represent
Al halo around the babe Jesus; but no
mot suppose thut there was amy more
halo about that child than about the
head of any other babe that was born
shat Christmas eve in ludea, Becoming
n man, lie wore n seamless garment
The scissors and neclle have done
nothing to make II graceful, take
1t to have been n sael, with throe holes
I'm it; one for the neck aud two for the
arms, Although the gamblers quar-
relied over it, that is no evidence OF Its
value ! have seeu two rag picliers
quarrel over tho rcfiSe of IN ash bar
rel No, in the wardrobe of Heavier
He left the sandals of light, the cir
dies OF bonuty, the robes OF power, an,
put on the besoiled and battered rai
ment Of our humanity. Sometimes II,
did not even wear the seamless robe
What is that hanging about the wais
of Christ? Is it u badge OF authority
is ii royal coat Of arms? No, IL is
towel, The disciples feet arc filthy
from the walk on tho long way, an,
are not tit TO bc put upon the sofas OF
which they are 10 reeline at the meal
and SO Jesus washes their feet an,
gathers them up III the towel t
dry them, The work Of suvin
this world was rough work, rug
ged work, hard work, and Jesus pu
on the raiment, the plain raiment, G