The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1898-03-12

4
crutch, leaning on il; but when tn,
sheep were out of the way, the crool
was always busy pull ing them back
All we, like sheep, have gone astray
and had it not been for the shepherd,
crook, we would have fallen long age
over the precipice.
Here is man who is making too
much money. He is getting very vain
He says: AFTER awhile shall be in
dependent of all the world Oh, my
soul, eat, drink and be merry Bust.
ness disaster comes to him. What il
God going to do with him? Has God
any grudge against him? Oh, no. God
Is throwing over him the shepherds
crook and pulling him back into better
pastures. Here is man who has al.
ways been well. He has never had any
sympathy for invalids, he calls them
coughing, Wheeling nuisances. After
awhile sickness comes to him. He does
not understand what God is going to
do with him. He says: us the Lord
angry with me?" On, no. With the shep-
herds crook he has been pulled back
into better pastures. Here's happy
household circle. The parent 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 lit
tie one. He says, SIS God angry with
me?" No. His shepherds crook pulls
him back into better pastures. do
NOT knoyy What ,yo,,1J La ~l,A..,,,a ~ 6
us if it had not been for the shepherds
crook. Oh, the mercies of our troubles!
You take up apples and plums from
under the shade of the trees, and the
very best fruits of Christian character
we find in the deep shade of trouble.
When l was on the steamer coming
across the ocean / got cinder in my
eye, and several persons tried to get it
out very gently, but it could not be
taken out in that way. l was told that
the engineer had faculty in such
cases. l went to him. He put his
large, sooty hand on me, took knife
and wrapped the lid of the eye around
the knife. l expected to be hurt very
much, but without any pain, and in
he removed the cinder. Oh,
there come times in our Chris
tian life, when our spiritual vision
is being spoiled, and all gentle appli-
ances fail Then there comes some
giant trouble, and, back-handed, lays
hold of us and removes that which
would have ruined our vision forever
will gather all your joys together in
onc regiment of ten companies, and
will put them under Col. Joy. Then
will gather all your sorrows together
m one regiment of ten companies, and !
put them under Col. Breakheart. Then |
will ask: Which of these regiments
mas gained for you the greatest spirit
nal victories? Certainly that under
Col. Breakhcart.
In the time of war, you may remem- |
Der, at the south and north, the ques-
ion was whether the black troops |
would fight; but when they were put |
nto the struggle on both sides they did |
leroically. In the great day of cter-
lity IL will be found that it was not the |
white regiment of joys that gained
our greatest successes, but the black
roops of trouble, misfortune and dis
lster. Where you have gained one
piritual success from your prosperity,
'ou have gained ten spiritual successes
rom your adversely.
There is no animal that struggles
more violently than a sheep when you
orner it and catch hold of it. Down
n the glen | see group of men around
lost sheep. A plowman comes along
nd seizes the sheep, and tries to pacify
/; but il is more frightened than ever.
! miller comes along, puts down his
rist, and caresses the sheep. and it
Gems as il il would die of fright.
.fter awhile some one breaks through
he ticket. He says: LET me have
he poor thing" He comes up and laws
is arms around the sheep, and it is
quiet. Who is the last
ian that comes? 1t is the shepherd.
h, my friends, be not afraid of the
hepherd's crook. 1t is never used on
on, save in mercy, to pull you back.
he hard, cold icebergs of trouble will
lelt in the warm stream of divine
There is one passage think you mis-
"The bruised reed He will
reak." Do you know that the shep-
erd in olden times played upon these
ecds? They were very easily bruised;
ut when they were bruised they were
ever mended. The shepherd could so
asily make another one, he would
nap the old one and throw it away, {
nd get another. The Bible says it is ,
OF so with our Shepherd. When the ,
lusic is gone out OF mans soul God ,
oes not snap him in twain and throw
i'm away. He mends and restores. ;
The bruised reed He will not break
Then, in the o'erhanglng heavens OF fate
The threatening clouds OF darkness dwell,
hen let us humby watch and walt
1t shall be we'll, IL shall be well.
nd when the storm has passed away
And sunshine smiles on food and fell,
ow sweet TO think, how sweet TO say,
1t has been well II has been we'll
Next speak Of the shepherds dogs. !
hey watch the straying sheep and ;
rive them back again. Every shep-
erd has his dog-from the nomads of {
ne Bible times down to the Scotch
erdsman watching his fiocks on the 1
rampian hills. Our Shepherd employs
ne criticisms and prosecutions of the
'orld as His dogs. There are those. I
on know, whose whole work Is to
'atch the Inconsistencies of Christians, I
nd bark at them. IL one of Gods
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