The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1898-03-22


dependent Of all the world. Oh. my
soul. eat. drink and be merry Bust
ness disaster comes 20 him. What IL
God going TO do with him. Has Cod
any grndge against himf oh. no. God
Is throwing over him the shepherds
crook and pulling h.m back into better
pastures. Here is a man who has al
ways been well. He has never had
any sympathy for invalids: he calls
them coughing. wheezlng nuisances.
After . while sickness comes 20 him.
He does not understand what God IL
going TO do with him. He says. rs the
Lord angry with met" oh, no. With
the shepherds crook he has been pull
ed back into better pastures. Here Is
a happy household circle. The par
ent does not realize the truth that these
children are only loaned TO him, and
he forgets from what source came his
domestic blessings. Sickness drops
upon those children and death swoops
upon a little one. He says. rs God
angry with met No. His shepherds
crook pulls him back into better pas
lures. do not know what would have
become Of US n II had not been for the
shepherds crook. Oh. the mereies OF
our troublesl You take up apples and
plums from under the shade OF the
trees, and the very best fruits Of Chris
tian character We End In the deep
shade Of trouble.
When I was on the steamer. coming
across the ocean. / got = einder In my
eye. and several persons tried 10 get II
out very gently. but Il could not be
taken out in that way. Twas told'th
the engineer had 4 facility In such
cases. went 70 him. He put his
large. sooty hand on me. took a knife.
and wrapped the lid Of the eye around
the knife. expected TO be hurt very
much. but without any pain, and In
SANITY he removed the cinder. oh.
there come times In our Christian life.
when our spiritual vision is being
spoiled. and all gentle appliances fail.
Then there comes some giant trouble.
and black handed, lays hold Of US and
removes that which would have ruined
our vision forever. ! will gather all
your Joys together In one regiment OF
ten companies, and will put them
under Colonel Joy. Then will gath
er all your sorrows together In one
regiment Of ten companies. and put
them under Colonel Breakheart. Then
will ask. which Of these regiments
has gained for you the greater spirit
ual yictories7 Certainly that under
Colonel Breakheart.
In the time OF war. you may remem-
Der. at the South and North. the ques-
ton was whether the black troops
would fight: but when they were put
into the struggle on both sides. they
did herolcally. In that great day OF
eternity Il will be found that II was
not the white regiment Of Joys that
gained your greatest successes,
but the black troops Of trouble. mis-
fortune and disaster. Where you have
gained one spiritual success from your
prosperity. you have gained ten spirit
ual successes from your adversely.
You have noticed that different floeks
Of sheep have different marks upon
them: sometimes red mark. some
times blue mark. sometimes a straight
mark. sometimes a crooked mark The
Lord our Shepherd has a mark for his
sheep. II is a red mark-the mark Of
the cross. Blessed are they that are
prosecuted for righteousness sake. for
theirs Is the Kingdom OF heaven"
Furthermore. consider the shepherds
pasture grounds. The old shepherds
used to take the sheep upon the noun
tains In the summer. and dwell in the
valleys in the winter. The sheep being
out OF doors perpetually their wool was
better than II they had been kept in the
hot atmosphere Of the sheep-cot. Wells
we're dug for the sheep and covered
with large stones. In order that the hot
weather might not spoil the water And
then the shepherd led his flock vher-
ever he would; nobody disputed his
right So the Lord our Shepherd has
a large pasture ground. He takes us
/ In the summer 20 the mountains, and
In the winter TO the valleys. Warm
days Of prosperity come. and we stand
on sun-gili sabbaths, and on hills Of
TRANSPORTATION and we are so high up
We can catch a glimpse OF the pima
Giles OF the heavenly city. Then cold
wlntry days OF trouble come. and we
go down into the valley OF sickness.
want. and bereavement, and we say,
is there any sorrow like unto my sor-
row." But, blessed be God. the Lords
sheep can find pasture anywhere. Be
/ tween two rocks Of trouble tuft OF
succulent promises; green pastures be-
side stlll waters. long sweet grass be-
/ tween bitter graves. You have noticed
the structure OF the sleeps MOUTH It
/ is so sharp that It can take up blade
OF grass or clover top from the very
narrowest spot. And so Gods sheep
can lltk w tNhiihEA NAfff utNtEh can
gather none. The secret Of the Lord
Is with them that fear him" Rich pas
ture, fountaln-fed pasture. for all the
flock Of the Good Shepherd.
The hill Of Zion yields
A thousand sacred sweets
Before We reach the heavenly fields.
or walk the golden streets.
Lastly: Consider the shepherds fold.
The time Of sheep shearing was very
glad time. The neighbors gathered to-
gether. and they poured wine and
danced for Joy. The sheep we're pu,
In place inclosed by a wall. where II
was very easy TO count them aud know
whether any Of them had been taken
by the iackals or dogs. The Enclosure
was called the sheep-fold Good news
! have to tell you. 10 that our Lord the
Shepherd has sheep-fold. and thos,
who are gathered In Il shall never b,