The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1898-03-25
Talmage's Sermon.

Lord IL my shepnerd-
What with post snd rail fences,
and our pride In sOuthdown, As
trskhan and Flemish varieties Of
sheep, there Is no use now OF the
old time shepherd. Such sn one
had abundance Of opportunity OF
8 poet, being out OF doors
twelve hours OF the day, and Oft
times waking up In the night on
the hills: II the stars, or the tor
rents, or the sun or the flowers had
anything to say, he MAS very apt to |
1ear IT, The Eltrlck shepherd OF
scotland, who sft"rwHrd took hi
eat ia the brilliant cln.,e OF Wilson
aud Lorkhart, got his wonderful
poetic Inspiration In thu ten year,
in which he Was watching the fiocks
OF Mr.. Ialdlsw. There 10 often .
sweet poetry In the rugged prose o.
the Scotch shepherd. One OF these
Scotch shepherds lOsI his only son
and he knelt down In prayer, and
was overheard 10 say: 10, Lord,
1t has seemed good In Thy proVi-
dence TO take from me the Stai OF
my right hand st the time whom
TO US san1-blind mOrtAls l seemed
to be mOst In need OF it and how l
shall climb up the hill OF sorrow
and auld age without 1t, thou may
est ken, bat dina"
IfGOd will help me viii talk to
you OF the shepherds plaid, the
shepherds crook, tho shepherds
dogs, the shepherds Pasture-
grounds and the shepherds tiOcks.
And first: The shepherds plaid !:
1t would be preposterouS for . nan
going out to rough and besOlling
work TO put on his splendid appsr-
81. The Lord, our Shepherd, COM
ing out TO hunt the lost sheep, puts
on no regal apparel. but the plain
garment OF our humanity. There
was nothing pretentIous about 1t.
l know the old painters represent.
halo around the babe Jesus, but
do not suppose there WAS any more
halo around that child than about
the head Of any other baba that
was born that Christmas eve In
Judea. Becoming q man, he wore
8 seamless garment. The scissors
and needle lad done nothing 10
make it graceful. / take 1t TO have
been a sack with three holes in Is;
one for the neck and two for the
arms. Some times he did not even
wear the seamless rOb9. The work
OF saving the world was q rough
work, rugged work, hard work
and Jesus put on the rslmsnt, tbs
plain raimsnt OF our flesh. The
storms we're to meet Him, tbs
crowds were to jostle Him, the dus
was to sprinkle Him, the mob
were TO pursue Him. Oh, Shop
herd Of Israel! leave at home Tn,
bright array. For Thee, wins
streams to ford, what nights, al
unsheltered! He puts upon Hin
the plain raiment OF our humanity
wears our woes, and, while eartl
and heaven and hell stand amaze,
at the abnegAtlon, wraps aroun'
Him the shepherds plaid:
"Cold mountains and the mid
: night air,
Witness the fervOr Of HE prayer.
Next ! mention the shepherd
: crook. This was . rod with curv
! at the end, which, when . shse
: was going astray, was thrown owe
D his neck ; and In that way was pull
: ed back. When the shcep wsr
), not going sstray, the stephen
would often use 1t a. q sort Q
crutch, leaning on 1t; but when tn
sheep were out OF the way tn
crook was always busy pullin
them back. All We, like sheet
have gone astray, and, had 1t nc
been for the shepherds crook, "
would have fallen long ago, owe
the prsclpices.
There iSno animal that struggle
d more violentl. than . sheep whs
: you corner 1t and catch hold OF Il
. Down in the glen | see . group {
q men around lost sheep. A pillow
man comes along and selSSs Oh
. sheep and tries to pacify II; but
is more frightened than ever.
miller comes along, putS down b
u grlst, and carsssss the sheep, an
it seems a. though 1t would die (
fright. After . while some or
breaks through the thickst. II
SayS:"LOt me have tile poor thing
Ie He comes up aud lays his arm
,r around the sheep, and Ii lsin led
n ately quiet. Who 10 the last ms
II that comes? 1t Is tbs shsphsr
y All, my friend, be not afraid Of Il
T. shepherds crook. II is never uS'
S. on you, save In mercy, to pull yC
back. The hard, cold iceberg
trouble will mslIin the warm n
~ stream OF divine sympathy.
d. Next / speak OF the shepherd
to dogs. They watch the strsyiI
p sheep end drive them back ARal
ly Every shepherd has his dogs-fro
u the nomads Of the Bible tlm'
Is, down to the Scotch hsrdsm
d. watching his flOcks on the Ora
il, plan Hills. Our Shepherd emplo
OF the criticisms and prosecutions
80 fha t,.nrl1 ~ HE do,. Tka.. :