The Alaska citizen., 1917-02-19

and beast. What goodness. what mercy Then passing he comes to the higher hills and the still higher mountains. yet he has not passed beyond the goodnesses and mercies of kind Heavenly Father Then he comes into the cities and towns of the land and there are the hos pitals. homes for the unfortunate, places of correction for the way ward, schools for training and all testify to the goodness and mercy of God Well may We exclaim to every man. Taste and See that the Lord is good" In thinking of goodness We must also think of mercy. for they travel as companions. As God showers goodness so showers He mercy He delighteth in mercy" He Is rich in mercy" Mercy Is His throne" T will commune with thee from off the mercy seat" You cannot number the stars of heaven the drops Of rain. the rays ot the sunshine, the mercies of your Hea- venly Father
 AS the shepherd goes quietly along with the sheep his uogs run hither The sheep are thus more easily guid ed They soon learn the plnish- ment of dsobedience and the play fitness of companionship. And these dogs may have been named good ness and mercy" for the fine ser vice they render By them the sheep are protected in the rear from sud den attack The keen scent of the dogs is quick to detect lurking dan gers. and they are eager to elimi nate all harm. So is goodness and mercy in the life of every man. They follow and follow wheresoever We may go Indeed. the fact that they follow suggests that there are wanderers. We get away from the flock. Out into the world are pit falls Of which We know not until We are entrapped in sudden destruc- tion. Many is the man and woman who once walked with the Lord and who now has wandered into by and forbidden paths, There he finds oth CTS who have wandered and they are companions i'll wickedness. It is not an uncommon utteTance to hear d mother whose daughter has mar ried a man of little character and less religion say: T would give my life if I could only get daughter back to the days when she delighted in the church and all things that are good" Influences have led her into the ways of the transgressor, and those many experiences have taught her that the way Of the transgres. sor is hard" yet she remains with those whom she knows are drawing her lower and lower. How kind is IJn 'gnnfnnSS mercy" on her track, who will follow her all the days" You cant get so far away from God that he does not know just where you are. just what keeps you away, and just how unhappy are the moments Of calm reflection or sudden danger It is easy enough to be bold when others are bold, but let one get alone or ter things, and the heart grows sick with it all The wicked are apt to boast and praise the days of wicked ness and say: All is well, eat drink and be merry" but there are calm days coming days of serious thought and bitter vail, all because goodness and mercy will not leave the wan. derer. The boy runs away from his widowed mother and she puts her prayers on his track. He may go to the wilds of the mort Inland, but he can never get away from those pray CTS. Visit one of the rescue mis- sions of our cities and this fact will be repeated time and again. No man can get away from the love of a good, Christian mother. Take the daughter who wants her own way and is desperate in her determina- tion, leaving home and all good sur roundings she goes out into the city, out in the shadows, and in the night But mother love. mother ten derness. mother soliCitude. follow her