The Penn's Grove record., 1906-07-20
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LNoH'HS pace LOT as SHeep,
Wnefe they shall not he injured by
poisonous herbs, and where he NAV
oeIehd them against the jackals and
tne wolves that prowl around. Our
shepherd will protect US and provide
1or our wants, not only in the s.
clusion Of the fold, but while we are
still, II need be, out in the world. And
SO David, sings, Thou preparest a
table before me in the presence OF
mine enemies"
Then follows the closing scene OF
the day. The sun is setting, and the
flock is being brought home. But
some of them have been wounded.
and somo of them are weary. And
SO the shepherd stands at the door Of
the ~sheepfold, rodding the sheep, as
1t is termed; holding them back with
his rod, permitting them to enter one
by ore. Here one has been bruised
or torn by the briars, and from the
norm filled with olive oil he batbas
the wounded head. And one is tired
and worn, and, dipping into the YES
sci theIarga two-handled cup, he gives
him a drink. Thus the Shepherd
cares for his sheep clear on till the
very hour Of the Homecoming. Moth
ing IS forgotten. And so the psalm
lst sings, still with the picture of the
shepherd in his mind, Thou a~nointest
my head with oil; my cup runneth
over" But l am anticipating.
The Lord is nv Shepherd; I shall
not want" What? Rest. HE max
eth me to lie down in green pastures"
But the green pastures have to come
first. There is the contemplative life.
and the active life. And. INV breth.
rem, we need the first; that is the
meaning of these services; that is the
meaning of Sunday; that is the mean
ing Of Lent. 1t is a mistake for us
to suppose that We can get on in the
right life without these green pas
ture experiences. Somebody says, "I
Judge Of a man by what he does"
Yes; but what a man does grows out
OF what that man IS. And here in
these contemplative hours we find
Christian manhood and ~womanhood in
the making.
And then, there is the leadership
l shall not want"-guidance; he
leadeth me-" That is the other side
of the Christian experience; the active
side. The purpose of these green
pastures is to send US forth to use the
strength which here we get.
And in this leadership of His there
are two facts which l would have you
remember. He goes before US: He
leadeth." He will select no path
which his sheep cannot travel. But
remember also that the sheep must
follow after: we must select no pathIa
which He cannot travel.
HE leadeth me in the paths Of
righteousness" not always by the side
Of still waters, not always in green
pastures sometimes the sheen track
may lie across the Wilderness; but
if we are following him We may know
that they are always paths Of right
eousness'-right paths, and that they
lead toward home.
And finally, Il shall not want" COM
~panionship.- YEA, though I walk
through the valley of the shadow Of
death, 1 will fear nc evil; for thou
art with me" He who is following
the Master shall find death itself on
ly a shadow; and who shall be afraid
of a shadow? And though the val
ley may be there and the darkness,
He shall lead US out, as He leads us
in. Death is not a blind pocket; il
is not a place of tarrying, only Of
transition. l shall walk through the
valley of the shadow of DEATH"
And now, having appropriated this
psalm, having sought to appreciate It,
let us try to apply it. l mean to-day.
here and now, and tomorrow, and
tomorrow, and tomorrow, every dav.
For you observe that until we reach
the very last verse it is all in the
present tense. He is not speaking
of any distant e1ysium, far away in
the future. The Lord is my shep-
herd; he maketh me to lie down in
green pastures; He leadeth me beside
the still waters" All the blessings
which l have described may be yours
now. Will you take them for yours.
and apply them to the problems Of
your life to-day? Oh, learn to prac-
tice the presence of God. Try to
think of Him as really at your side.
Speak to Him when you are in trouble
or perplexity. Suppose you make a
test Of this Shepherd psalm only for
today. Suppose you say: From now
until the hour when 1 fall asleep at
night I will seek to live with this
thought supreme: that God is mine.
and that He loves me, and is leading
me-" See what it will mean to you
in peace and comfort and joy. And
then realize that if you can do it for
one day, you can do it for every day,
and the problem of your life's mean
ing is solved. And when the last val
ley shall have been passed, and pass
ed through, and you are drawing near
to that fold, which James Lane Allen
Ia-o,;IO- o. Sf%In ffnoI land vrhn-n
the mystery, the pain, and the yearn-
ing of this life will either be infinite
ly satisfied or infinitely quieted."
though you shall have changed your
place, you will not change your COM
pany; He who was with you here will
be with you there. and this song shall
still so singing its way on and up
into the eternal light: Goodness and
mercy shall follow me all the days
of nv life. and l dwell in the house
Of tho I ord forever }