"On a dying Christ I feed; This is meat and drink indeed."
Christ once crucified for the redemption of His loved ones, but now alive for evermore, is the life and joy of all who believe on His name.
And these sheep are divided into two cla.s.ses--lambs, and their parents.
Those who are young, inexperienced, and weak, like Christ"s followers were when He was on earth, how gently He "carried" them, guarding, supporting, and instructing so gradually until they became able to lead others in the ways of G.o.d. And still He tends His feeble ones with special care. He is kind and full of compa.s.sion, and they who most need His protection are most sure to have it, for He fully knows the need.
But the older sheep need the shepherd"s consideration as much as the lambs of the flock. Those who have young ones to nourish and care for must be gently led.
The Apostle Paul said that "the care of all the Churches of Christ pressed daily upon him" (2 Cor. xi. 28), yet he could tell how the Lord comforted both himself and his fellow-workers in all their trials, so that they were enabled to comfort others; and speaking from his own experience, he could encourage his friends to "cast all their care upon Him" who ever cares for all His people.
And it is Jesus only who can really lead and feed His flock. Ministers of the Gospel are called "pastors," "shepherds." As Christ"s servants, they may be, and often are, the means of leading their hearers into green pastures, and of restoring the wandering and the weak; yet every true pastor is a sheep after all, and all spiritual, heavenly power and blessing must proceed from Him alone.
I was much interested, some time ago, in a pretty little poem, ill.u.s.trated by the picture of a splendid ram, standing beside his wounded little one, calling loudly for the help he could not render; and the shepherd, hearing his cries, hastened to the spot, and carried the helpless little thing to the fold. And methought, "Is not this a beautiful parable for us?" If we are longing to help and heal the feeble, the straying, and the sin-sick, and feel how little we can do, let us seek to follow this sheep"s example, and call upon our Shepherd--
"Whose ears attend the softest call, Whose eyes can never sleep."
He is the Good Shepherd, for He gave His life for the sheep; the Chief Shepherd, possessing all the amiable and winning attractions that charm and draw the heart; and the Great Shepherd, almighty and unchanging, "able to save to the uttermost all who come unto G.o.d by Him."
Oh, that we all may know His love, which never can be fully known on earth, and enjoy the sweet privilege of commending all our loved ones to His gracious care, a.s.sured that He is able to do all that His heart desireth, and that--
"With heaven and earth at His command, He waits to answer prayer."
Our next subject will be, _The Glory of Christ, as described by Himself in John xvii_.
Yours affectionately, H. S. L.
THE POWER OF KINDNESS.
Elihu Burritt, speaking of the power of kindness, says, "There is no power of love so hard to get and keep as a kind voice. A kind hand is deaf and dumb. It may be rough in flesh and blood, yet do the work of a soft heart, and do it with a soft touch. But there is no one thing that love so much needs as a sweet voice to tell what it means and feels; and it is hard to get and keep it in the right tone."
BIBLE SUBJECTS FOR EACH SUNDAY IN OCTOBER.
Oct. 7. Commit to memory Rom. ix. 25.
Oct. 14. Commit to memory Rom. ix. 26.
Oct. 21. Commit to memory Rom. ix. 27.
Oct. 28. Commit to memory Rom. ix. 28.
PRIZE ESSAY.
CHARITY.
Paul says (1 Cor. xiii. 4) that "charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up"; and in the thirteenth verse, "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."
Now, this shows that charity is a very great and good thing, and that we ought to desire to have charity above all things. "If we have not charity, we are nothing."
Charity means "love," and that is the greatest of all good gifts. Love supplies all other wants, however hard they may be; and so, if we have not it, we are not by any means complete, for "above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness" (Col. iii. 14). This teaches us that charity is perfect above all things, and that we are to "love our enemies, and pray for those that despitefully use us"; also, we are exhorted to "let brotherly love continue."
"Brethren, let us walk together In the bonds of love and peace; Can it be a question whether Brethren should from conflict cease?
"Tis in union, Hope, and joy, and love increase."
There would be fewer quarrels and less sin if every one had charity.
"Charity," or love, "covers a mult.i.tude of sins." "Flee also youthful l.u.s.ts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart" (2 Tim. ii. 22).
In 1 Corinthians xvi. 14, it says, "Let all your things be done with charity," which means that all our actions are to be done in love. "G.o.d is love." Jesus had charity or love when He was on earth. His love knew no bounds. When G.o.d sent His only Son Jesus Christ down into the world, it was done thoroughly out of love to sinful man.
Jesus Himself was full of love, for He prayed for His persecutors when He was on the cross, and said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
"High beyond imagination Is the love of G.o.d to man; Far too deep for human reason; Fathom that it never can: Love eternal Richly dwells in Christ the Lamb."
"If G.o.d so loved us, ought we not to love one another?"
Charity is being kind and loving to one another, and helping one another when we can. If we are not kind and gentle to them, we have not charity, and do not love each other. When people do ever such great things, if they do it for self-praise, and not for love, it does not profit them anything. If we love our neighbours as ourselves, we shall never do them any ill, but rather "kill them by kindness," even if they are inclined to resent our charity, or love.
JESSIE MARTHA COLLINS (Aged 11 years).
_19, Platt Street, Pancras Road, London, N. W._
[Very good Essays have been sent by Ada Dudley Mote, E. B. Knocker, A.
J. Wells, H. F. Forfeitt, K. E. Thomas, W. E. Cray, C. Bowman, B. E. J.
Noakes, A. Judd, C. Lack, Winnie Langman, and F. Lawrence.]
[The writer of the above Essay receives a copy of Foxe"s "Book of Martyrs."
The subject for December will be, "The Disobedience of our First Parents and its Results"; and the prize to be given for the best Essay on that subject, a copy of "The Loss of All Things for Christ." All compet.i.tors must give a guarantee that they are under fifteen years of age, and that the Essay is their own composition, or the papers will be pa.s.sed over, as the Editor cannot undertake to write for this necessary information.
Papers must be sent direct to the Editor, Mr. T. Hull, 117, High Street, Hastings, before the twentieth of October, in order that the Volume may be completed for binding.]
ANSWER TO BIBLE ENIGMA.
(_Page 213_)
"_Persecution._"--2 TIMOTHY iii. 12.
P otiphar Genesis x.x.xvii. 36.