St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1902-12-27

the highest pitch. The climax drew
) on apace. Each stride of the giant
and each spring of the 1.-THE youth
brought the conflict nearer. The
stone is placed, the swish of the sling
breaks the intense silence which fol
lows the speeches of the two com
batants, and then at the feet OF
David is stretched in helpless, igno.
minious defeat the great quivering
frame of the mighty Goliath. Then
the shout of victory from the army
of Israel, then the panic-stricken
flight of the Philistines, then the de-
liverance for the nation of Israel.
Oh, that was wonderful battle!
Oh, that was an inspiring scene!
But oh, wonderful battle of the
ages! Oh, inspiring scene for time
and eternity! Jesus, the Good Shep-
herd, battling for the life of His
sheep, giving His life for the sheep,
triumphing over Satan and death and
giving life to His sheep! How won
derful! Is it any wonder that tho
story never grows old in Heaven or
in earth? The angels beheld the con-
flict with bated breath and marveled
at Gods wonderful way of salvation;
the redeemed in Heaven and earth re-
joice in the deliverance wrought and
never tire of telling the story of the
lost sheep and the Good Shepherd
who gave His life to save them. Yes,
they can tell it over and over again,
| HRu+ pooo IS <ba oor o,,o~ I'm oxv
How deep were the waters crossed;
Nor how dark was the night that the Lord
! passed through
Ere He found His sheep that was lost.
Out in the desert He heard its cry
Sick and helpless, and ready to die.
lord. whence are those blood-drops all
the way.
That mark out the mountains track"
They were shed for one who had gone
| astray
E,e the Shepherd could bring him back
| Lord, whence are Thy hands SO rent and
They are pierced tonight by many
But all thru the mountains, thunder
| And up from the rocky steep.
| There rose a glad cry to the gate OF
| Heaven,
Rejoice! I have found My sheep"
] And the angels echoed around the throne,
| Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His
It is related of settler on the up
| per Mattawa river in Quebec that
last winter he caught a large wolf
alive, and, having heard that the rat
| released with a bell about its neck
had driven all the other rats away by
the tinkling of the bell, he thought
he would try the experiment with
the wolf he had captured, and ac-
cordingly securely fastened about its
neck bell taken from the leader of
his flock of sheep. The wolf was re-
leased and the incident well-nigh for
gotten. The next summer when the
sheep were placed in pasture land
| where was neck of woods they
suddenly bolted without any appar-
cnt cause towards the woods and dis
appeared. Presently they came rush
ing back, scattered and affrighted,
but one of the lambs was missing.
This singular conduct on the part Of
the sheep and the mysterious disap-
pearance of sheep after sheep con-
tinued day after day until the farm
er made thorough investigation and
found that the wolf with the bell was
drawing the sheep to his lair by the
tinkling of the bell which the sheep
recognized as that which had been
worn by the former leader of the
flock. And Jesus sheep know His
voice and follow Him. The wolf can
don sleeps clothing, but it cannot
initiate the voice of the Good Shep-
herd. His sheep hear His voice and
follow Him.
And Jesus as the Good Shepherd
knows His sheep and His sheep know
Him. 1t is said that Napoleon knew
the name of every man in his army,
wonderful achievement and indicat-
ing close association of the general
with his army, but Jesus not only
knows the names of all His sheep,
but He knows them each and all
through and through. And on the
ether hand the sheep know the Shep-
herd, and as they know Him they
grow into His likeness. Such beau
tifully intimate relationship that the
one understands the every need Of
the other, and the sheep respond to
the gentle leading and loving care of
the Shepherd. The oriental shepherd
knows his flock by name and they
follow as he calls them; he leads
them in and out and they find pas
ture. Jesus says: "My sheep hear
My voice, and they follow Me- His
sheep have two characteristics which
stamp them as His: In their ears,
"They hear My voice." and in their
feet, "They follow me-" 1t is said
that sheep having once learned the
voice of the shepherd never forget it.
And in this country where the shep-
herd is not known as he is in the |
oriental countries, and where the
leader of the flock is marked by the |
bell which tinkles as he feeds and
the sheep learn the sound of the bell |
and do not forget it.
And Jesus as the Good Shepherd |
gives His sheep Eternal Life and no |
man can pluck them out of His hand. |
Perpetuity and absolute security are
characteristics which mark the flock |
Of the Good Shepherd. The pasture
of time adjoins the pasture of eter-
nifty and the sheep of His pasture
here pass over the line into the green
fields of the Celestial Kingdom. And
the safety of the flock is absolutely
certain. Oh, what comfort there
ought to be in this declaration of
Christ, that no man is able to pluck
them out of His hand! With such as
Il.