The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-04-17
:. The Song That Sets Spirits Singing.
The International Sunday School Les
son for April I 8 is 1.-The Shepherd
Psalm. Psalm %.
(BY WILLIAM T. ELLIso


(BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.)
In a print shop in London I once
bought a photograph of a remarkable
painting called '@The Good Shepherd -
but / have never been able to learn
anything about the original. The pic
ture shows a steep hillside, covered
with rocks and briars. One whose
radiant brow proclaims him the Good
Shepherd is clambering toilsomely
down to where a lamb is caught amid
the thorns. The sun is setting; the
day soon will be gone. In the sky
hovers an eagle; and the beholder
perceives that if the Good Shepherd
does not get the lamb the bird of prey
will. More of Scripture teaching IS
wrought into the painting than one
finds in any other treatment of the
same theme.
The great teaching which represents
man as a straying sheep, and God as
the Shepherd of souls is found In
two great picture passages in the
Bible, one in the Old and one in the
New Testament. The old writers, who
took more time for careful study of the
Bible itself than we do today, were
fond of pointing out the para1leliSm-
Doubtless the most popular piece OF
literature in all human speech is this
ancient hymn of trust, which seems to
flute of the shepherd boy David, on
the hills of Bethlehem. Yet while
written with the simplicity of the open
fields, it bears the profound convic-
lions of a man who has suffered deep
ly, and having drunk life to the lees,
returns to the childlike faith of his
boyhood. The poem sounds the uni
versal note.
Jehovah is my shepherd; 1 shall not
He maEeth me to lie down in green
He leadeth me beside still waters.
He restoreth my soul;
ness for His names sake.
Yea, though 1 walk through the valley
of the shadow of death,
/ will fear no evil for Thou art with me;
Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest table before me in the
presence of mine enemies:
Thou has anointed my head with oil;
SSreiv GOODNESS and loving kindness shall
follow me all the days of my life
for ever
The Common Need.
When the old prophet wrote "all
we like sheep have gone astray ne
voiced no new sentiment Every man
at all aware of himself knows his
own sheep quality. His proneness to
follow a multitude to do evil; his
tendency to lag from tested leader
ship; his aptness for folly; his weak
ness and defenselessness, all are
borne in upon the retrospective man:
In his sincerest hours he is Surest or
his need for shepherding.
This deep human sense of depend
ence breathes from the oldest litera-
ture. The comfort of the Scriptures
times are in His hands" Casting
all your care upon Him for He careth
for you:' God is our refuge and
strength, a very present help IN
trouble.
We want a shepherd for our souls. |
We never get beyond the need for
the comfort of Gods tender. patient
care. Some one who is wiser than |
we are, and stronger and sufficient |
for our spirits needs, is the hunger |
of all hearts Such simple songs as |
this stir us, when the grand epics
leave us unmoved:
81 was wandering sad and weary
When my Saviour came to me;
And the world has ceased to WOO me
And 1 thought I heard Him say,
AS He came along His way,
ooh, foolish souls! come near Me;
My sheep should never fear Me;
1 the Shepherd true.
His voice could not deceive me!
saw His kind eye glisten.
So anxious to relieve me
And 1 thought l heard Him say,
As He went along His way,
ooh, dying souls! come near me.
My sheep should never fear Me
l am the Shepherd true
ct thought His love would weaken,
As more and more He knew me,
But it burnett like a beacon.
And its light and heat go through me,
And l ever hear Him say,
As He goes along His way.
oh, foolish souls! come near Me,
MY sheep should never fear Me;
l the Shepherd true.
The Promise of Provision.
One is in a goodly fellowship when
he feeds his spirit upon David's Shep-
herd Psalm, for millions of devout
souls through thousands of years
have done so-JewiSh patriots in eX-
lie: Christian martyrs facing death;
patient sufferers on beds of pain;
hosts of the poor, knowing not where
they would get their next meal; and
modern business men in a perplex-
ity which the ancients scarcely knew.
Nobody is too high or too low for the
comfort of this Psalm. 1t is better
medicine for the soul-carking dis
eases of civilization than anything the
doctors can prescribe.
Take the little Psalm apart, and
note it's promises. Above and under
all is the presence and power and |
provision and protection of the Good !
Shepherd, who is God over all. blessed
forever.
No comfort. counts that is not bed /
rocked on God. Much of our modern |
jejune optimism fails in hfe'S real |
crises because it leaves God out |
Reams of modern poems and cpl |
grams and philosophy to the con-
trary notwithstanding, man is not self /
sufficient He Graves and must have /
a power outside of himself to help him |