Evening journal., 1916-05-10

dimness OF Easter morning by speak
ing the one word Mary" so always
His own sheep He calleth by name
Each Of us is personally known to
Him, individually spoken to and by
his own name addressed. To him
that overcometh will 7 give to eat of
the hidden mama. and will give him a
white stone. and in the stone a new
name written, which no man knoweth
save he that receiveth it, The inti-
macy belongs to innermost experience
and is the most precious Of all per-
sonal possessions.
"The relationship OF an eastern
shepherd to his flock suggests share
in common thought and feeling. such
as to western minds might perhaps
more readily suggested by the init
macy Of a dog with his master. The
sheen have entire confidence in the
shepherd, hear his voice and follow
gladly. The flock in some way shares
the character of the shepherd. Devo-
ton inspires confidence. sense of Sc
curity spirit of brotherhood, To drop
the metaphor, the relation is that in
dicated by our Lords assurance to His
Apostles. i have not called you SER
wants. for the servant knoweth nos
what his lord doeth; but 1 have called
you friends There is no limit to the
devotion. The good shepherd layeth
down his life for the Sheep greater
love hath no man than this than that
man lay down his life for his
friends Hence the friends. constitut-
ing flock, follow His steps as the
Good Shepherd goeth before them.
Once they wandered before they knew
Him well; now they trust, and no long
en- bring Him in search of them Ger
moor and fen. DER crag and torrent;
they have returned to the Shepherd of
their souls. They know who finds out
the still waters and the green pas
lures. They do not fear the bowling
wolves. that dread sound to the hire
ling: but they hear the Shepherd S
voice and are at ease. 1 shall not
want They take their character
from Him. A sense of brotherhood
in the flock is produced by the knowl-
edge that He loves each alike with a
whole and undivided attention. rs il
not He who laid down His life for the
sheep. and by so doing has collected
many scattered individuals into one
flock over which He rules These
are some OF the thoughts suggested by
this weeks gospel The consciousness
Of the Good Shepherd is at the heart
Of Christianity. II we have none OF
IT,, then we are not really Christians
Relationship Developed.
"The church is provided an environ
ment within which personality and
personal relationship are developed
The highest life depends on strength
ening Of mind and soul. on deepest
knowledge and on spiritual strength
This is precisely what our Lord came
to give He is full of grace and truth
and of His tullness have we all re-
ceived.' To as many as have received
Him. to them gives He power to be-
come the sons Of Cod Power comes
through personal contact. mind with
mind, soul with soul. In the church
+ all centers on personal relationship
with the Living Lord. The Living
/ Church but perpetuates His truth
mediates His grace. Its life is one O
worship, that is. complete surrender
in loving devotion to Person. Hence
we call those building set apart fol
religious uses churches. a name
which means the Lords as reminder
that the Lords House Is a meeting
place, not Of man with men. but OF
men with God. the church, the build
ing, like the church, the divine So
ciety, being a means of leading souls
to realize the presence Of their Lord
1T is natural on such an occasion
as this, when we are assembled as a
council Of the church. composed pre-.
sumably of those especially devoted
to church principles and interested in
church-work, to think OF the meanine
of the church in itself I wish TO re.
mind you of the connection between
church principles, which concern out.
ward activities and ways of gainine
our ends, with the simple and central
thought which constitutes the essence
of the message Of the gospel. All we
like sheep have gone astray.' or are in
danger Of going astray. We have beer
sought out by the Bishop and Shep.
herd of our souls. and are supposed
to have returned to Him. You and
are sinners and need salvation. That
is the fact of CHIEF practical import
ance. God so loved the world that He
gave His only-begotten Son, who
died for our sins on the cross. Thai
is the gospel. the good news. pro-
claimed to us who are conscious Of
that chief fact The church is nothinf
apart from this gospel message. II
its acts and methods cannot be con.
nected with this, they are nothing; il
they can be, they are all-important
The church stands or falls as il is re-
lated to the gospel
Forgiveness From God.
I'm the creed We acknowledge one
! baptism for the remission of sins.
Baptism is a sacrament. ASSOCIATED
with rites and ceremonies, a church,,
act. the primary representative of tn
ecclesiastical element in Christianity
But its only meaning comes from il
connection with sins those tenden
cies in human nature which make
miss its aim. those facts Of human lif
which our Lord came to remedy. II
only reason for existence as a mean
Of remission forgiveness. This for
/ lgiveness is something that can only b
effected by God; hence this initial sac
rament OF the church signifies some
thing divine or signifies nothing. II
use for men can only be explained a
il is connected with the idea that 'th
Good Shepherd giveth His life for th