Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-05-19

and catch b old Of 1t. Down in the glen I
see group of men around a lost sheep.
A plowman comes along and seizes the
sheep and tries to pacify 1t, but It Is more
along, puts down his grist and caresses the
sheep, and It seems as If it would die or
fright. After awhile some one breaks
through the thicket. He says, Let me
have the poor thing" He comes up and
immediately quiet. Who is the last man
that comes? 1t is the shepherd. Alb, my
friends, be not afraid OF the shepherds
crook. It is never used on you save IN
mercy to pull you back. The hard, cold
iceberg OF trouble will melt In the warm
gulf stream OF divine sympathy.
There IS one passage think you mfsfn-
terpret, 1.-THE bruised reed He will not
break" Do you know that the shepherd
in olden times played upon these reedsf
They we're very easily bruised, but wnen
they were bruised they were never menaeo.
The shepherd could 50 easily make another
one, he would snap the old one and throw
it away and get another. The Bible says
it is not so with our Shepherd. When the
music Is gone out of a mans SOUL, !foo does
not snap him in twain and throw row MIN , away;
He mends and restores. "The bruised
reed He will not break"
Next speak Of the shepherds dogs. They
watch the straying sheep and drive them
back again. Every shepherd has his dog,
from the nomads OF the Bible times down
to the Scotch herdsman watching his hocks
on the Grampian hills. Our shepherd en-
ploys the criticisms and prosecutions OF the
world as his dogs. There are those you
know, whose whole work it Is to watch the
Inconsistencies of Christians and bark at
them. If one Of Gods sheep gets astray,
the world howls. With more avidity than
a shepherds dog ever caught stray sheep
by the flanks or lugged 1t by the ears
worldlings seize the Christian astray. 1t
ought to do us good to know that we are
thus watched. 1t ought to put us on our
guard. They cannot bite us II we stay near
the Shepherd. The sharp knife Of worldly
assault will only trim the vines until they
produce better grapes. The more you
pound marjoram and rosemary the sweeter
they smell. The more dogs take after you
the quicker you will get to the gate. j..
You have noticed that different focks OF
sheep have different marks upon them
sometimes a rcd mark, sometimes blue
mark, sometimes straight mark and some
times a crooked mark. The Lord our Shep-
herd has a mark for his sheep. It 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 mountains IN
the summer and dwell in the valleys in the
winter. The sheep being out of doors per-
petually, their wool was better than II they
had been kept in the hot atmosphere OF the
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 wher-
ever he would. Nobody disputed his right.
SO the Lord our Shepherd has large pas
| ture 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 transit guration, and we are so high
up we can catch glimpse of the pinnacle
of the heavenly city. Then cold wintry
days Of trouble come, and we go down into
the valley of sickness, want and bereave-
ment, and we say, "Is there any sorrow lik Q
| unto my sorrow?" But, blessed be God,
the Lords sheep can find pasture any
| where. Between two rocks of trouble a
| tuft of succulent promises, green pastures
| beside still waters, long sweet grass be-
tween bitter graves. You have noticed the
structure of the sleeps mouth? 1t is so
| sharp that IL can take up blade OF grass
| or clover top from the very narrowest 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."
| Lastly, consider the shepherds fold.
| The time of sheep shearing was very glad
time. The neighbors gathered together,
and they poured wine and danced for joy.
The sheep were put in place inclosed
IL
them and know whether any of them had
been taken by the jackals or dogs. The
inclosure was called the sbeepfold. Good
news 1 have to tell you, in that our Lord
the Shepherd has a sheepfold. 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 a high wallso high that no
troubles can get in-so high that the joys
cannot get out. How glad the old sheep
will be to find the lambs that left them a
good many years ago. Millions Of children
Will make Not many long meter psalms
there. They will be in the majority and
| will run away with our song, carrying it
up to still higher point of ecstasy. Oh,
there will be shouting. If children on
earth clapped their hands and danced for
ness Of childhood on earth Is added the
gladness of childhood in heaven?
1t is time we got over these morbid ideas
| of how we shall get out of this world.
You make your religion an undertaken
planning collins and driving hearses. Your
religion smells Of the varnish OF q funeral
| casket. Rather let your religion today
| come out and show you the sheepfold that
God has provided for you. All, you say,
there is a river between this and that. l
know it, but that Jordan is only for the
sheep washing, and they shall go up on the
| olucT pduAS SuoW WUlIc. 1H5f lOnOW tuo
great Shepherd. They heard his voice
long ago. They are safe now-onefold and
one Shepherd.
Alas for those who are finally found out
side the inclosure! The night of their sin
howls with jackals; they are thirsting for
their blood. The very moment that lamb
may be frisking upon the hills bear may
be looking at it from the thicket.
In June, 1876 there was very noble
party gathered in a house in st. James
square, London. The prince regent was
present, and the occasion was made fas-
cinating by music and banqueting and by
jewels. While quadrilie was being
formed suddenly all the people rushed to
the windows. What is the matter? Henry
Percy had arrived with the news that
Waterloo had been fought and that Eng
land had won the day. The dance was
abandoned, the party dispersed. lords, la
dies and musicians rushed into the street,
and in fifteen minutes from the first an
nouncement of the good news the house
was emptied of all its guests. Oh, ye who
are seated at the banquet of this world or
whirling in its gayeties and frivolities, IL
you could hear the sweet strains of the
gospel trumpet announcing Christ's VIC
tory over sin and death and hell, you