St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1902-12-27
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Beautiful Relationship Which Christ
Sustains to His Followers.
Sermon by the "HiEliway and BY.
way Preacher on One Of the
Six Striking Declarations
of Christ,

way Preacher ON One Of the
Six Striking Declarations
of Christ.
Copyright, 1902. by A. N. kellogg News
| paper Col
Chicago, 1902
Text am the Good Shepherds: the
Good Shepherd glveth His life for the
sheep."-John lO:l1.
Like the mothers lullaby to the ear
of the little tired child as it rests its
weary head on her bosom and finds
rest, and comfort, and safety; like
the soft clear note of the nightingale
cleaving the darkness of the midnight
air and reassuring the affrighted soul;
like the burst of melody floating out
over the noise of the tumultuous crowd
sitting it to enrapt silence; like the
| glad songs of the birds and ripping
| laughter OF the children aboye the roar
of the mighty rushing Niagara; like
| the quiet lull ard the glorious burst OF
sunshine after the blackness of the
| whirling cloud and the rush of the
| tempest, so art the words of our tex
| to the weary, sinsick. troubled soul.
81 am the Good Shepherd" The
words, like the 'Peace, be STILL spo-
ken over the troubled dashing waters
of Galilee, soothing them to placid qui-
etness, fall on the ears of the wander
ing sheep o. the world and draw many
of them from the byways of death to
the green pasture land of Gods love,
and the pathway that leads to Life
Eternal. The kiss of the prince OF
the fairy tale was potent to wake the
sleeping princess and deliver her from
the spell which bound her. The gen
tie, sweet words, 81 am the Good Shep-
herd" waited on the soft breezes OF
Gods love around the globe, are able
to kindle new life and hope in the
fallen sheep, and as the pleading look
IF helplessness is lifted to the face OF
the Good Shepherd as He passes by
His loving arms are outstretched ana
the sinsick, dying soul is clasped TO
His bosom.
David, the simple shepherd lad,
whose quick ear had caught the music
of the gurgling, splashing mountain
streams. and the glad song OF the
birds, and whose deft fingers had
learned to pick out the notes upon his
willing, responsive harp, played be-
fore II ng Saul when the evil spirit
of a rebellious heart possessed him,
and soothed that turbid soul to quiet
ness, and Jesus, with the music OF His
love learned in Heaven, comes to the
world with His message: Il am the
Good Shepherd" and longs to win the
wandering world back to God. David,
as he tended his sheep, sang: 1.-The
Lord is my Shepherd" and the bright
star of his hope rose in the fullness OF
time over Bethlehem, and Jesus
came, declaring: 81 am the Good
Shepherd" AS David gently led his
flocks into the green pastures and be-
side the still waters which his quick.
watchful eye so faithfully searched
out, his heart sang in gratitude to
God as he felt every desire of his soul
gratified, and he knew that the Lord
was leading him beside the still wa
tiers and making him to lie down in
green pastures. And Jesus. the Good
Shepherd, came with the living water,
saying: "Whosoever drinketh OF the
water that l shall give him shall never
thirst; but the water that l shall
give him shall be in him
well of water springing up into
Everlasting Lie" And He led
the way into the green pastures of
inexhaustible supply as He said: II
am the Living Bread; he that ccmath
to. Me shall never hunger" They say
a hungry sheep will never lie down to
rest, and David knew his sheep were
satisfied as he saw them resting in
quiet contentment on the green, slnp-
ing hillsides of Judea. Jesus, the
Good Shepherd, calls to the wandering
sheep of the world: "Come unto Me,
all We that labor and are heavy laden,
and l will give you rest" He alone can
give lest unto the soul, because He
alone can feed it and quench its
thirst. David heard the roar Of the
wild beasts as it echoed among the
rocks and in the thick underbrush
which skirted the green pasture
where his flock was feeding; he saw
the lion and the bear, which had crept |
up unawares, make off with the little |
lambs innocently gamboling on the
outer edges of the flock, and had
swiftly given pursuit. He delivered |
the lambs out of their dreadful peril |
and when the lion and the bear
turned upon him to rend him he s1note |
them and slew "both the lion and the
bear" Jesus, the Good Shepherd,
hears the roar of the devil as he goes
about through the earth, seeking
whom he may devour,' but "He is able
to save unto the uttermost," and
when His sheep let Him fight for them
the devil is driven away every time
and the Good Shepherd turns to His
Father in Heaven and says: "Those
that Thou gavest Me have kept, and1
none of them is lost" Oh, what q
wonderful declaration it is to hea-
Jesus say: 81 am the Good Shep-
ierd; the Good Shepherd giveth His
ife for the sheep!"
Wandering Sheep-God gave to
Isaiah true glimpse of the condi-
ion of the world, and the faithful
prophet cries out: "All we like sheep
AVE gone astray, we have turned
very one to his own way" Wander
ng sheep out on the mountain side
# sin. Wandering sheep in Chris
ian America, in chaotic South
America, in darkest Africa, in devil
Asia, in cultured, intel
ectual Europe, and in the isles of the
ea; wandering sheep everywhere.
sheep caught in the thick
It's of worldly pleasures, in the thick
is of greed for gold, in the thickets