The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1898-03-05

N@-+H
Which of these regiments has gained
for you the grentGsJ spiritual victories?
Certainly that under Col. BrcaShcart.
In the time of war, YOU may rcmem-
Der. at the south and north, the ques-
zion WIS whether the black troops
would fight; but when they we're put
into the struggle on both sides they
did h~eroIcally. In the great day of
eternity il will be found hat it was
not the white regiment of joys that
gained your greatest successes, but the
black troops OF trouble, misfortune and
disaster. Where you have gained n
spiritual success from your prosperity.
YOU have gained ten spiritual successes
from your adversely.
Next 1 speak of the shepherds dogs.
They watch the straying sheep, and
drive them back again. Every shep-
herd has his dog-from the nomads of
the Bible times, down to the Scotch
herds1nan Watching his hocks on the
Grampian hills. Our shepherd en-
pioys the criticisms and prosecutions of
the world as His dogs. There are those,
you know, whose whole work 1T is to
watch the inconsistencies ofChristians,
and bark Mt them. Ifone of Gods sheep
gets astray, the world bowls. With
more avidity than a shepherds dog
ever caught a stray shecp by the TANKS
or lugged it by the ears, worldlings
seize the Christian astray. 1t ought to
do as good to know that we are thus
watched. 1t ought to put us IN our
guard. They cannot bite us, IL we
t near the shepherd. The sharp
knife of worldly assault will only trim
the vines until they produce better
grapes The more you pound mar
joram and rosemary, h sweeter they
smell. The more dogs take after o
the quicker you will get to the gate.
You have noticed that different flocks
of sheep nave different marks upon
them; sometimes a red mark, some
times n blue mark, sometimes a straight
mark, and sometimes u crooked mark.
The Lord our Shepherd has a mark for
His sheep. 1t 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"
There is no animal that struggles
more violently than a sheep when you
corner it to catch hold of it. Down in
the glen l see n group of men around
a lost sheep. A plowman comes along
and seizes the sheep, and tries to
pacify it; but it is more frightened
than ever. A miller comes along, puts
down his grist, and caresses the sheep,
and 1t seems as if it would die of
fright. After awhile some one breaks
through the thicket. He says, Let
me have the poor thing" He comes
up and lays his arms around the sheep,
and it is Immediately quiet. Who is
the last man that comes? 1t is the
e6a~ha,l All Y- f.;a1I. ha not
afraid of the s~hepherd's crook. 1t Is
never used IN you, save in mercy, to
pull you back. The hard, cold iceberg
of trouble will melt in the warm
stream of divine sympathy.
Furthermore, consider the shep-
herds pasture grounds The old
shepherds used to take the sheep upon
the mountains in the summer, and
dwell in the valleys in the winter.
The sheep being out of doors perpetu-
ally, their wool vas better than If
they had been kept in the hot atmos-
phere Of h sheep-cot. Wells were
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
wherever he would; nobody disputed
his right. So the Lord our Shepherd
has a large pasture ground. He takes
us in the summer to the mountains, and
in the winter to the valleys. Warm
days of prosperity come, and we
stand on sun-gilt Sabbaths, and on
hills of TRANSPORTATION; and we are
so high up we can catch q glimpse OF
the pinnacles OF the heavenly city.
Then cold wintry days of u Die
anna and IVA m lnu-n into fhn vo11nu
OF sickness. want, and bereavement
and we sly: rs there any sorrow like
unto my sorrow7" But, blessed be
God. the Lords sheep can End pasture
anywhere. Between two rocks of
trouble a tuft of succulent promises;
green pastures beside still waters;
graves. You nave noticed the struc-
ture of the Sleeps mouth? 1t is SO
sharp that it can take up a blade of
grass or clOver-top from the very mar
rowest spot, And so Gods sheep can
pick up comfort where others can
gather none. The secret OF the Lord
Is with them that fear Him" Rich
pasture, ~fountain-fed pasture, for al
the flock of the Good Shepherd.
Lastly: Consider the shepherds fold.
The time of strengthening was u very
glad time, The neighGors gathered
together. and they poured yipe and
danced for Joy. The sheep were put
in a place inclosed by y wall where it
was very easy to count them and know
whether any of them had been takcn
by the iackals or dogs The iDclosure
was called the sheep-fold Good news
/ have ito tell you, IN that our Lord
the Shepherd has n sheep-fold, and
those who are gathered in it shall
never be struck by the storm, shall
never be touched by the jackals of
temptation and trouble. 1t has =
high wall--so high that no troubles
can get in-so high that the joys cam
not get out. How glad the old sheep
will be 10 find the lambs that left them
a good many years agol Millions of
children in Heaven! Oh, what a merry
Heaven it will makei Nc tmany long
meter psalms there. They will be in
the majority, and viii run away with
our song, carrying it up TO Z still high
err point OF ecstacy. Oh, there will be
shoutingl If children on earth clapped
their hands and danced for Joy, what
will they do when, to the gladpess of
childhood on earth, is added the glad,
ness OF childhood in Heaven?
1t is time we got over these morbid
ideas OF how we shall get of this
world. You mako your religion an
undertaken planning collins ard driving
hearsea. Your religion smells OF the
varnish of Il funeral caslset. Rather
let your religion to-day come out and
show you the sheep-fold that God has
provided you. All, you say, there lie q
river between this and that. l know
IL; but that Jordan 10 only for the
sheep-washing. ana they shall go up
on the other banks snow white. They
follow the great Shepherd. They
heard HIS voice long ago. They are
safe now-one fold and one Shepherd
Alas for those who ere finally found
outside the inclosure. The night of
their sin bowls with jackalsi they sre
thirsting for their blood. The very
moment that a lamb may be friskiug
upon the hills, n bear may be looking
for it from the thicket.
The shepherd of Old used to play
beautiful music, and sometimes the
sheep would gather around HIM and