,transcriber's ,notes3    ,the word     
',lord' in small-caps has been rendered 
as ,,lord to   differentiate it from the
 word ',,lord' in regular all-caps4     
,obvious missing punctuation was added4 
p #hc4 hill-crest was changed to        
hillcrest           99       99       99
       99       99       ,the ,shepherd 
,psalm    ,a ,meditation    ,by         
,,william ,,evans1 ,ph4,d41 ,d4,d4      
,bible ,teacher and ,author of    ,the  
,book of ,books1 ,how to ,memorize1     
,outline ,study of   the ,bible1 ,how to
 ,prepare ,sermons and ,gospel          
,addresses1   ,the ,book-,method of     
,bible ,study1   ,epochs in the ,life of
 ,christ1 ,through   the ,bible1 ,book  
by ,book1 etc4    ,,chicago   ,,the     
,,bible ,,institute ,,colportage        
,,ass',n   #hbf ,north ,la ,salle       
,street       ,,copyright1 #aiba1 ,,by  
,,the ,,bible ,,institute ,,colportage  
,,association ,,of ,,chicago            
,printed in the ,united ,states of      
,america       ,,contents    ,,foreword 

#e    ,,introduction                    
#g    ,,chapter ,,one3 ,the ,,lord is my
 shepherd2     ,i shall not want        
#ag    ,,chapter ,,two3 ,he maketh me to
 lie     down in green pastures2 ,he    
leadeth me     beside still waters      
#bf    ,,chapter ,,three3 ,he restoreth 
my soul2     ,he leadeth me in the paths
 of righteousness     for ,his name's   
sake                         #cf        
,,chapter ,,four3 ,yea1 though ,i walk  
through the valley of the shadow of     
death1 ,i will fear no evil2 for thou   
art     with me2 thy rod and thy staff  
they     comfort me                     
#eh    ,,chapter ,,five3 ,thou preparest
 a table     before me in the presence  
of mine enemies2     thou anointest my  
head with oil2     my cup runneth over  
#gc    ,,chapter ,,six3 ,surely goodness
 and     mercy shall follow me all the  
days of     my life2 and ,i will dwell  
in the house     of the ,,lord forever  
#gi   ,the illustration on the cover is 
from an actual photograph by the        

,author1 when he was in ,palestine4     
,,foreword   ,,this production of the   
,shepherd ,psalm is sent forth at the   
request of many hundreds of kind persons
 who have listened to the writer preach 
on it and who desire to see it in print1
 that it may be a blessing to many who  
cannot hear it4  ,it is a well known    
,psalm4 ,untold numbers of sermons have 
been preached on it4 ,books without     
number have been printed in attempts to 
set forth its life1 depth1 richness1 and
 beauty4 ,doubtless much more will be   
written and spoken concerning this      
charming pastoral symphony--and1 after  
that1 much more will remain yet to be   
said1 so full is the inspiration of the 
divine ,word4 ,may ,god make this ,psalm
 to the reader all that it has          
been--yea1 and more1--to the writer6    
,,william ,,evans4     ,,introduction   
,the ,twenty-third ,psalm   ,the world  
could afford to spare many a magnificent
 library better than it could dispense  
with this little ,psalm of six verses4  

,if the verses of this ,psalm had       
tongues and could repeat the tale of    
their ministry down throughout the      
generations of the faithful1 what       
marvels of experience they would reveal6
 ,their biographies would be gathered   
from the four winds of heaven and from  
the uttermost parts of the sea2 from    
lonely chambers1 from suffering sick    
beds1 from the banks of the valley of   
the shadow of death1 from scaffolds and 
fiery piles2 witnessing in sunlight from
 moors and mountains1 beneath the stars 
and in high places of the field4 ,what  
hosts of armies of aliens it has put to 
flight6 ,if by some magic or divine     
touch1 yea1 some miraculous power1 the  
saints' experience of this ,psalm could 
shine out between its lines1 what an    
illumination of the text there would be6
  ,luther was fond of comparing this    
,psalm to the nightingale1 which is     
small among the birds and of homely     
plumage1 but with what thrilling melody 
it pours out its beautiful notes6 ,into 

how many dungeons filled with gloom and 
doubt has this little ,psalm sung its   
message of hope and faith6 ,into how    
many hearts1 bruised and broken by      
grief1 has it brought its hymn of       
comfort and healing ,how many darkened  
prison cells it has lightened and       
cheered6 ,into what thousands of sick   
rooms has it brought its ministry of    
comfort and support6 ,how many a time1  
in the hour of pain1 has it brought     
sustaining faith and sung its song of   
eternal bliss in the valley of the      
shadow of death6 ,it has charmed more   
griefs to rest than all the philosophies
 of the world4 ,and ,i am persuaded that
 this little ,psalm-bird will continue  
to sing its song of comfort and cheer to
 your children1 to my children1 and to  
our children's children1 and will not   
cease its psalmody of love until the    
last weary pilgrim has placed his last  
climbing footstep upon the threshold of 
the ,father's house to go out no more4  
,then1 ,i think1 this little bird will  

fold its golden pinions and fall back on
 the bosom of ,god1 from whence it came4
  ,it has been well said that this      
,psalm is the most perfect picture of   
happiness that ever was or ever can be  
drawn to represent that state of mind   
for which all alike sigh1 and the want  
of which makes life a failure to most4  
,it represents that heaven which is     
everywhere1 if we could but interpret   
it1 and yet almost nowhere because not  
many of us do4   ,unusual ,application  
,how familiar this ,psalm is the world  
over6 ,go where you will2 inquire in    
every nation1 tongue and tribe under    
heaven where the ,bible is known1 you   
will find this ,psalm among the first   
scriptures learned and lisped by the    
little child at its mother's knee1 and  
the last bit of inspired writ uttered in
 dying breath by the saintly patriarch4 
,this ,psalm is so universal1 says one1 
because it is so individual2 it is so   
individual because it is so universal4  
,as we read it1 we are aware not only of

 the fact that we are listening to the  
experience of an ,old ,testament saint1 
but also that a voice comes speaking to 
us through the long centuries           
past--speaking to us in our own         
language1 recounting our own experience1
 breathing out our own hopes4  ,the     
,davidic authorship of this ,psalm has  
been questioned4 ,we believe firmly that
 ,david is the writer2 and yet a man    
feels as he reads the ,psalm that it is 
so personal1 so true to his own         
individual experience1 that he could    
fain claim to have written it himself4  
,it might seem as though the promises   
and precious things set forth in this   
,psalm lie beyond our reach2 we have    
nothing to draw with1 and the well is   
deep1 but one of like passions with     
ourselves has passed that way before and
 has left a cup to be let down1 with    
,his name and story written on the rim1 
and we may let that cup down into the   
well and draw a draught of the deep1    
refreshing water4   ,the ,location of   

the ,psalm  ,have you ever noticed just 
where this ,psalm is located8 ,it lies  
between the ,twenty-second and the      
,twenty-fourth ,psalms4 ,a very simple  
statement that--but how deep and        
wondrous a lesson lies hidden therein6  
,the ,twenty-second ,psalm4 ,what is it8
 ,it is ,the ,psalm of the ,cross4 ,it  
begins with the words uttered by ,christ
 on the cross3 ,my ,god1 my ,god1 why   
hast thou forsaken me8 ,it ends with the
 exclamation of the cross3 ,he hath done
 it1 or1 as it may be translated1 ,it is
 finished4 ,the ,twenty-second ,psalm1  
then1 is the ,psalm of ,mount           
,calvary--,the ,psalm of the ,cross4    
,what is the ,twenty-fourth ,psalm8 ,it 
is the ,psalm of ,mount ,zion--a picture
 of the ,king entering into ,his own4   
,how beautifully it reads3 ,lift up your
 heads1 ,o ye gates2 and be ye lifted   
up1 ye everlasting doors2 and the ,king 
of glory shall come in4 ,who is this    
,king of glory8 ,the ,,lord of hosts1 he
 is the ,king of glory4 ,the            

,twenty-fourth ,psalm1 then1 is the     
,psalm of the coming ,kingdom of ,glory4
  ,there you have the two mountains2    
,mount ,calvary and ,mount ,zion4 ,what 
is it that lies between two mountains8  
,a valley with its green grass1 its     
quiet waters1 its springing flowers1    
with shepherd and grazing sheep4 ,here1 
then1 is the lesson we learn from the   
location of the ,psalm3 it is given to  
comfort1 help1 inspire and encourage    
,god's people during this probationary  
period of our life1 between the ,cross  
and the ,crown4  ,is not this the reason
 why the tenses of this ,psalm are      
present tenses8 ,the ,,lord is my       
shepherd2 ,he maketh me to lie down2 ,he
 leadeth me4 ,even the last verse1 ,i   
will 7not ,i shall7 dwell in the house  
of the ,lord for ever1 describes the    
present attitude of the soul of the     
,psalmist1 who determines by no means to
 miss participation in the fellowship of
 the saints in heaven4  ,we love the    
,christ of the ,cross4 ,we may not yet  

fully understand that cross2 may not yet
 have found any particular theory of the
 atonement which completely satisfies   
our intellect4 ,but we have learned to  
say that we believe in the atonement and
 in the vicarious death of our          
,redeemer4 ,somehow or other we have    
come1 by faith1 to throw our trembling  
arms around that bleeding body and cry  
out in the desperate determination of   
our sin-stricken souls to ,him who hangs
 on that cross to save us by ,his death4
 ,we have come to express our faith in  
that divine sacrifice in the words of   
the hymn3      ,other refuge have ,i    
none1     ,hangs my helpless soul on    
,thee4  ,let us never forget that we    
reach the ,twenty-third ,psalm by the   
way of the ,twenty-second ,psalm--the   
,psalm of the ,cross4 ,the way of the   
cross leads home4 ,we love the ,christ  
of the ,twenty-second ,psalm1 the       
,christ of ,calvary1 the ,christ of the 
,cross4  ,we also love the ,christ of   
the ,throne and the ,glory4 ,it may be1 

that1 at times1 we have trembled and    
feared as we have thought of the coming 
judgment1 but when we have remembered   
that ,he who sits upon the throne is our
 ,elder ,brother1 bone of our bone1 and 
flesh of our flesh2 that ,he left ,his  
throne in the glory and took on ,him the
 form of a servant1 dying the           
ignominious death of the cross that ,he 
might redeem us and save us from the    
just wrath of ,god against sin2 that    
some day1 ,he who loved us and gave     
,himself for us1 will say3 ,come1 ye    
blessed of my ,father1 inherit the      
kingdom prepared for you from the       
foundation of the world1 then we take   
courage and look forward with joy to the
 time when1 having washed the last sleep
 from our eyes in the river of ,life1 we
 shall gaze with undimmed vision upon   
,him1 whom having not seen1 we have yet 
loved4  ,we love the ,christ of the     
cross1 the ,christ of the past1 the     
,christ of ,mount ,calvary4 ,we love the
 ,christ of the future1 the ,christ of  

the throne1 the ,christ of ,mount ,zion4
 ,but more precious to us1 and we say it
 reverently1 than the ,christ of the    
past1 or the ,christ of the future1 is  
the ,christ of the present1 ,he who     
lives with us now1 dwells within us1    
walks by our side every moment and every
 hour of the day4 ,we used to sing in   
our childhood days that beautiful hymn1 
,i think1 when ,i read that sweet story 
of old1     ,when ,jesus was here among 
men1     ,how ,he called little children
 as lambs to ,his fold1     ,i should   
like to have been with ,him then4       
,i wish that ,his hands had been placed 
on my head1     ,that ,his arms had been
 thrown around me2     ,and that ,i     
might have seen ,his kind look when he  
said1     ,let the little ones come unto
 me4                                    
--,mrs4 ,jemima ,luke  ,many of us feel 
that we would have given anything to    
have walked by the side of the ,christ  
in the days of ,his earthly pilgrimage1 
and we almost envy those who saw ,his   

face in the flesh4 ,some of us know the 
thrill of joy that came to our hearts   
when we trod the sands of ,galilee that 
once were fresh with ,his footprints1   
trod the ,temple's marble pavements that
 once echoed with ,his tread1 and sailed
 the blue waters of ,galilee that once  
were stilled by ,his wonderful word4    
,and yet1 we should not forget that the 
enjoyment of the real presence of       
,christ is just as truly ours today as  
it was the possession of the disciples  
in the days of ,his flesh4 ,as the old  
hymn so beautifully says1      ,we may  
not climb the heavenly steeps       ,to 
bring the ,lord ,christ down2     ,in   
vain we search the lowest deeps1        
,for ,him no depths can drown4      ,but
 warm1 sweet1 tender1 even yet       ,a 
present help is ,he2     ,and faith has 
still its ,olivet1       ,and love its  
,galilee4      ,the healing of ,his     
seamless dress       ,is by our beds of 
pain2     ,we touch ,him in life's      
throng and press1       ,and we are     

whole again4                            
--,john ,g4 ,whittier  ,the name given  
to our ,lord in connection with ,his    
birth was ,immanuel1 which being        
interpreted is1 ,god with us4 ,one of   
the most beautiful doctrines of the     
,christian faith is the divine          
immanence1 the continued presence of the
 ever-living ,christ with ,his people2  
for      ,for ,god is never so far off  
as even to be near1 ,he is within4      
--,f4 ,w4 ,faber      ,closer is ,he    
than breathing1 and nearer than hands or
 feet4                                  
--,alfred ,tennyson      ,i know not    
where ,his islands lift       ,their    
fronded palms in air2     ,i only know  
,i cannot drift       ,beyond ,his love 
and care4                   --,john ,g4 
,whittier     ,,the ,,shepherd ,,psalm  
,illustration  ,,chapter ,,one  ,the    
,,lord is my shepherd2 ,i shall not     
want4   ,the ,,lord is my shepherd4     
,have you ever noted how the word ,lord 
is printed in the ,bible8 ,sometimes all

 the letters are large capitals         
7,,lord72 or the first letter is a large
 capital and the other letters smaller  
capitals 7,,lord72 then1 again1 the     
first letter is a large capital and the 
remaining letters ordinary 7,lord74     
,each method of spelling the divine name
 indicates a different phase of the     
character of ,god4 ,,lord refers to     
,jehovah as the covenant-keeping ,god1  
the ,one who never fails to fulfill all 
,his promises4 ,,lord points to our     
,lord ,jesus ,christ as the second      
,person in the ,trinity1 ,he who became 
incarnate4 ,lord signifies also ,god in 
,christ1 the ,jehovah of the ,old       
,testament1 ,god of power1 the ,one who 
is able to do all things and with whom  
nothing is impossible1 manifesting      
,himself in ,jesus ,christ4  ,what a    
world of meaning1 then1 lies wrapped up 
in the word ,,lord in the first verse of
 this ,psalm6 ,jehovah who is           
all-faithful1 never failing in ,his     
promises1 almighty1 all-powerful1 who is

 able to supply all of our needs1 who   
created the heavens and the earth1 who  
upholds all things by the word of ,his  
power1 who spake and it was done1 who   
commanded and it stood fast2 the ,,lord 
of whom ,job said3 ,i know that thou    
canst do anything1 and no purpose of    
thine can be hindered2 the ,,lord who   
never fails in the keeping of ,his      
promises1 however seemingly impossible  
of fulfillment1 from a natural          
viewpoint1 those promises may be2 the   
,,lord of whom it is said1 ,god is not a
 man that he should lie1 nor the ,son of
 man that he should repent4 ,hath he    
said and shall ,he not do it2 hath ,he  
promised and shall he not bring it to   
pass8 the ,lord1 the incarnate ,one1 who
 for our sakes took on ,himself our     
nature with all its sinless infirmities1
 who was tempted in all points like as  
we are1 yet without sin1 and who is thus
 able to feel our needs and sympathize  
with us in all our trials and           
temptations2 the ,,lord who1 speaking to

 the multitudes1 said1 ,i am the good   
shepherd2 the good shepherd giveth his  
life for the sheep--such a ,shepherd1   
faithful1 powerful1 sympathetic1 is our 
,,lord4 ,what a wealth of meaning1 then1
 lies in the first clause1 ,the ,,lord  
7who is ,,lord1 and ,lord7 such a ,,lord
 is my ,shepherd4  ,we can then well    
say1 ,i shall not want4 ,with such a    
,shepherd1 how could we want for        
anything for time or eternity8 ,all that
 we need for body1 mind and soul shall  
be supplied4 ,the ,god who provided the 
table in the wilderness1 who fed ,elijah
 by the brook1 who struck the rock in   
the wilderness that the thirst of ,his  
people might be quenched1 will provide  
for ,his children according to ,his     
riches in glory4  ,reviewing ,israel's  
history in the wilderness it could be   
recorded1 ,these forty years ,jehovah1  
thy ,god1 hath been with thee2 thou hast
 lacked nothing4 ,how wonderfully ,god  
supplied the needs of ,his people when  
they were traveling through that long1  

weary wilderness6 ,for the ,,lord thy   
,god hath blessed thee in all the works 
of thy hand2 he knoweth thy walking     
through this great wilderness2 these    
forty years the ,,lord thy ,god hath    
been with thee2 thou hast lacked nothing
 7,deuteronomy #b3g74 ,thou gavest also 
thy good ,spirit to instruct them1 and  
withheldest not thy manna from their    
mouth1 and gavest them water for their  
thirst4 ,yea1 forty years didst thou    
sustain them in the wilderness1 so that 
they lacked nothing2 their clothes waxed
 not old1 and their feet swelled not    
7,nehemiah #i3bj1 #ba74  ,let us1 then1 
as the children of ,god1 take all the   
comfort possible out of these words4    
,let us not go about mourning1          
grumbling1 and borrowing trouble1       
thereby proclaiming to the world that   
our great ,banker is on the verge of    
bankruptcy4 ,the ,,lord is our shepherd2
 we shall not want for nourishment      
7verse #a71 refreshment 7verse #b71 rest
 7verse #c71 protection 7verse #d71     

guidance 7verse #e71 home 7verse #f74   
,here is a ,bank the child of ,god can  
draw on at any time without fear of its 
being broken4 ,millions have been       
supplied and there's room for millions  
more4 ,no want shall turn me back from  
following the ,shepherd4  ,how          
encouraging to recall the words of      
,jesus uttered to the disciples when    
they had returned from their itinerary  
of missionary activity3 ,when ,i sent   
you without purse1 and scrip1 and shoes1
 lacked ye any thing8 ,and they said1   
,nothing 7,luke #bb3ce74      ,the ,lord
 my ,shepherd is1       ,i shall be well
 supplied1     ,since ,he is mine and ,i
 am ,his1       ,what can ,i want       
beside8                     --,isaac    
,watts  ,when the writer was a lad he   
secured a position for which he was     
promised so much a week in money and    
everything found1 by which was meant    
board1 room1 and clothing4 ,so this     
verse may read1 ,the ,,lord is my       
,shepherd1 and everything found4  ,in a 

park one day two women were overheard   
talking4 ,one of them1 who by her       
appearance showed that she was in very  
straitened circumstances1 said to the   
other1 ,i am at my wit's end2 ,i know   
not what to do4 ,my husband has been    
sick and unable to work for almost a    
year4 ,what little money we had saved is
 all spent4 ,we have not a penny with   
which to buy food or clothing for       
ourselves or the children4 ,this morning
 we received notice from the landlord to
 vacate4 ,and then1 in words that were  
full of suggestive meaning1 she added1  
,if ,john ,d4 ,rockefeller were my      
father1 ,i would not want1 would ,i8    
,oh1 what a world of comfort lies in the
 thought1 ,the ,,lord is my ,shepherd1  
and1 therefore1 ,i shall not want6 ,i   
shall want for nothing in time or       
eternity4 ,every need of body1 mind1 and
 soul shall be supplied4 ,in the great  
,shepherd lies strength for my weakness1
 hope for my despair1 food for my       
hunger1 satisfaction for my need1 wisdom

 for my ignorance1 healing for my       
wounds1 power for my temptation--the    
complement of all my lack4      ,thou1  
,o ,christ1 art all ,i want2     ,more  
than all in thee ,i find4               
--,charles ,wesley   ,religion ,is a    
,personal ,thing  ,the ,,lord is my     
shepherd4 ,my ,shepherd4 ,religion is a 
personal thing4 ,really speaking1 your  
religion consists in your personal      
relationship to ,god in ,jesus ,christ4 
,not mere profession1 but actual        
possession is what counts4 ,christianity
 emphasizes the worth of the individual 
and his personal relation to ,god4 ,sin 
degrades men into mere numbers4  ,a     
photograph was placed on my desk4 ,it   
had inscribed on it a number1 but no    
name4 ,it was the likeness of a convict4
 ,it was a number ,i went to jail to    
see2 a number ,i spoke with by the cell 
door2 a number ,i stood by and saw      
handcuffed2 a number with whom ,i walked
 down the steps of the jail2 a number   
with whom ,i walked up the stairs to the

 scaffold2 a number around whose neck ,i
 saw the rope placed2 a number ,i saw   
drop to his death4 ,sin degrades        
personality1 but the religion of ,christ
 exalts its adherents to a place in that
 innumerable company which cannot be    
numbered1 but every one of whom bears   
upon his forehead the name of his       
,redeemer and ,king4 ,jesus calleth     
,,his sheep by name1 not by number4  ,at
 the close of a sermon in a church in   
the ,highlands of ,scotland the         
preacher1 who was supplying the pulpit  
for a few ,sundays1 was asked to call   
upon a shepherd boy who was very sick4  
,arm in arm with one of the elders of   
the church the minister crossed the     
moor1 climbed the hillside1 and came to 
the cottage where the boy and his       
widowed mother lived4 ,after knocking at
 the door the visitors were admitted by 
the mother4 ,her face showed the marks  
of long vigil4 ,the boy was her only    
child4 ,the minister and elder went into
 the room where the sick boy lay on his 

cot4 ,the minister1 looking upon the    
pale1 haggard face of the sick shepherd 
boy1 asked him tenderly1 ,laddie1 do you
 know the ,twenty-third ,psalm8  ,every 
,scotch boy knows the ,twenty-third     
,psalm1 and so the little fellow        
replied1 ,yes1 sir1 ,i ken 7know7 the   
,psalm well4  ,will you repeat it to me8
 said the minister to the boy4  ,slowly 
and tenderly the lad quoted the words1  
,the ,,lord is my shepherd1 ,i shall not
 want1 unto the end of the ,psalm4  ,do 
you see1 said the minister to the boy1  
that in the first clause of the first   
verse there is just one word for each   
finger4 ,hold up your hand1 laddie2 take
 the second finger of your right hand1  
put it on the fourth finger of your     
left1 hold it over your heart and say   
with me1 ',the ,,lord is my ,shepherd4' 
,the fourth finger of the left hand6    
,why that finger8 ,every woman knows4   
,it is the ring finger4 ,who placed that
 ring on your finger8 ,my friend1 my    
lover1 my husband2 the man who is more  

to me and different to me than any other
 and all other men in this world2 the   
man without whom life would not be worth
 living2 my friend1 my lover1 my        
husband4  ,the following ,sunday the    
elder and the minister again crossed the
 moor and came to the cottage on the    
hillside4 ,as the mother opened the door
 to admit them they saw by the          
expression on her face that a deeper    
sorrow had fallen on her heart since    
they last saw her4 ,she took them1      
silently and solemnly1 into a little    
room1 and there1 covered with a         
snow-white sheet1 lay the lifeless form 
of the shepherd laddie1 her only child4 
,as the minister took the white sheet   
and passed it from forehead to chin1    
from chin to breast1 and from breast to 
waist1 he saw1 frozen stiff in death1   
the second finger of the right hand on  
the fourth of the left hand1 which was  
fastened in death over his heart4 ,the  
mother exclaimed amid her tears1 ,he    
died saying1 ',the ,,lord is my         

,shepherd4'  ,what a world of difference
 that little word my makes1 does it not8
 ,as a pastor ,i have often stood by the
 open grave that was to receive the body
 of someone's beloved daughter1 the     
light and joy of some heart4 ,i sought  
to be deeply sympathetic with those who 
were suffering bereavement4 ,i tried to 
mourn with those who mourned1 and weep  
with those who wept1 and ,i think ,i    
did1 so far as it is possible for a     
friend to sympathize4 ,but one day ,i   
stood by an open grave when my daughter1
 my child1 my own darling girl1 my      
,dorothy1 was placed beneath the sod4   
,ah6 then ,i knew what grief was4 ,ah1  
what a world of difference that little  
word my makes6  ,it will not profit you 
much1 my friend1 to be able to say1 ,the
 ,,lord is a ,shepherd2 you must be more
 personal2 you must say1 ,the ,,lord is 
my ,shepherd4      ,a ,shepherd who     
giveth ,his life for the sheep1     ,a  
,shepherd both mighty to save and to    
keep--     ,yes1 this is the ,shepherd1 

the ,shepherd we need1     ,and ,he is a
 ,shepherd indeed6      ,is ,he yours8  
,is ,he yours8     ,is this ,shepherd1  
who loves you1 yours8                   
--,ada ,r4 ,habershon     ,,chapter     
,,two  ,illustration  ,he maketh me to  
lie down in green pastures2 he leadeth  
me beside still waters4   ,they tell us 
that it is a very difficult and         
well-nigh impossible thing to get a     
sheep that is hungry to lie down in a   
pasture1 or that is thirsty to drink by 
turbulent waters4 ,a hungry dog will1   
but not a hungry sheep4 ,the sheep      
described in this verse1 then1 are such 
as have been fed and satisfied in       
richest pastures1 and whose thirst have 
been slaked in quiet waters4 ,doubtless 
the mind of the ,psalmist is going back 
to such scenes in his own shepherd life 
when he had led his flock into rich1    
green pastures1 sought out for his sheep
 some quiet watering-place1 or had so   
manipulated the flow of turbulent waters
 as to make them flow smoothly4  ,the   

writer of this ,psalm is seeking to     
illustrate spiritual truths from his own
 experience as a shepherd among the     
hills of ,judea4 ,he is spiritualizing  
his soliloquy4 ,he thinks of the cry of 
,god's people for the satisfaction of   
the soul's hunger and thirst2 he sees   
the necessity for such feeding and      
nourishment if there is to be a walk of 
obedience in the paths of righteousness4
  ,spiritualizing this verse1 we may say
 that the green pastures and still      
waters refer to the spiritual           
nourishment which the child of ,god     
receives as he waits upon ,god in the   
study of ,his ,word and prayer4 ,there  
can be no spiritual strength sufficient 
to walk in paths of righteousness unless
 time is taken to lie down in the green 
pastures of the divine ,word by the     
still waters of prayer4 ,to lie down is 
the first lesson the ,great ,shepherd   
would teach ,his sheep4 ,not lie down   
after you are tired1 but before4 ,lie   
down that you may have strength to walk 

in the paths of righteousness4 ,one of  
the hardest commands for the soldier to 
obey is to wait in the trenches4 ,he    
would sooner go over the top4  ,it is   
generally recognized as being a very    
difficult thing to get ,god's people to 
thus lie down4 ,they will do almost     
anything and everything else but that4  
,they will run1 walk1 fight1 sing1      
teach1 preach1 work1 in a word do almost
 anything and everything except seek    
seasons of quiet and periods of         
retirement for secret communion with    
,god and quiet soul nurture4  ,most of  
our favorite hymns indicate this        
attitude4 ,they are militant1 working1  
active hymns3 ,work1 for the night is   
coming1 ,the fight is on1 ,onward1      
,christian soldiers1 marching as to war1
 ,stand up1 stand up for ,jesus1        
,steadily marching on1 with ,his banner 
waving o'er us1 and many another4 ,where
 are such hymns as ,alone with ,jesus1  
,o the hush1 the rapture1 ,in the secret
 of ,his presence how my soul delights  

to hide1 ,take time to be holy8 ,how few
 of us are willing to go alone into the 
woods whither the ,master went1 clean   
forspent1 clean forspent8  ,we do not   
like pauses in our meetings4 ,if there  
should be a pause we seek at once to    
fill it in with a verse of ,scripture1  
or someone says1 ,let us sing a verse of
 hymn sixty-six1 and so we fill up the  
pauses with choruses4  ,from the rush   
into the hush ,jesus calls us4 ,from the
 turbulent tumult into the quiet secret 
of ,his presence4 ,where there is peace1
 perfect peace1 ,jesus calls us4        
,jesus calls us1 o'er the tumult     ,of
 our life's wild restless sea2     ,day 
by day ,his sweet voice soundeth1       
,saying1 ,christian1 follow me6         
,jesus calls us--from the worship       
,of the vain world's golden store2      
,from each idol that would keep us--    
,saying1 ,christian1 love me more6      
,in our joys and in our sorrows1        
,days of toil and hours of ease1        
,still ,he calls in cares and           

pleasures--     ,christian1 love me more
 than these6      ,jesus calls us6 by   
,thy mercies1     ,saviour1 may we hear 
,thy call2     ,give our hearts to ,thy 
obedience1     ,serve and love ,thee    
best of all4                            
--,cecil ,f4 ,alexander  ,lie down we   
must4 ,the text says1 ,he maketh me to  
lie down4 ,the word maketh is the       
,hebrew causative and indicates         
forcible1 compelling action4 ,our ,great
 ,shepherd knows that amid the activity1
 the stress1 the strain and the         
restlessness of our lives it is         
absolutely necessary for us to take     
periods of quiet and rest1 without which
 it will be impossible for us to        
continue in the way of righteousness4   
,have you so much to do that you do not 
have time to lie down8 ,then the        
gracious ,shepherd will see to it that  
you have less to do4 ,he would make you 
lie down4 ,the overworked watchspring   
snaps4 ,there must be pauses and        
parentheses in all our lives4  ,we make 

much today of active ,christianity4 ,we 
lay emphasis on the activities of       
,church work4 ,pragmatism is more than  
quietism to us4 ,we must bring things to
 pass1 and deliver the goods4 ,this is  
all very well in its place1 but we fear 
that the strength of our activities is  
not very deeply rooted4 ,we shall be    
able to bear fruit upward and outward   
only as the roots of our spiritual life 
grow downward and deep4 ,the secret     
springs of our lives must be well cared 
for4  ,one day we read in the daily     
newspaper of some leading man in the    
community who had fallen and brought    
discredit on the cause of ,christ4 ,this
 unfaithful one was described as having 
been an active member of the church4    
,yes1 that was the trouble4 ,he was too 
active2 he was not passive enough4 ,he  
had omitted to lie down and feed in     
green pastures and drink by the still   
waters of ,god's ,word and by prayer4   
,a friend tells us that while in the    
,orient he visited a ,syrian shepherd4  

,he observed that every morning the     
shepherd carried food to the sheepfold4 
,on inquiry he found that he was taking 
it to a sick sheep4 ,the next morning   
the friend accompanied the shepherd and 
saw in the sheepfold a sheep with a     
broken leg4 ,the friend asked the       
shepherd how the accident happened4 ,was
 it struck by a stone8 ,did it fall into
 a hole8 ,did a dog bite it8 ,how was   
the limb injured8 ,the shepherd replied1
 ,no1 ,i broke it myself4  ,in amazement
 the friend replied1 ,what1 you broke   
it6 ,why did you do that8  ,the shepherd
 then told him how wayward this sheep   
had been1 how it had led others astray1 
and how difficult it had been to come   
near it4 ,it was necessary that         
something should be done to preserve the
 life of this particular member of the  
flock1 and also to prevent it from      
leading other sheep astray4 ,the        
shepherd therefore broke its leg and    
reset it4 ,this breakage necessitated   
the sheep's lying down for a week or    

more4 ,during that time it was compelled
 to take food from the hand of the      
shepherd4 ,thus had the compulsion of   
lying down cured the wandering and      
wayward disposition of the sheep4  ,it  
is said that when a sheep will not      
follow the shepherd he takes up the lamb
 in his arms--and then the mother       
follows4  ,so it sometimes happens with 
the children of ,god4 ,our ,great       
,shepherd has to lay us aside1 put us on
 our backs1 perhaps1 for a while in     
order that we may look up into ,his face
 and learn needed lessons4 ,a little    
girl lay dying4 ,she looked up into the 
face of her father1 who years before had
 been a very active church worker1 but  
on account of business prosperity had   
drifted away from ,christian moorings1  
and said1 ,papa1 if you were as good as 
you used to be1 do you think ,i would   
have to die8 ,god was making this man to
 lie down1 do you see8  ,a deacon in a  
,baptist church told me this story4     
,when first married1 he and his wife    

observed family prayers every day4 ,this
 worshipful spirit continued for some   
years after their first child was born2 
then gradually the father became so     
engrossed in business that the family   
altar1 ,bible reading and prayer were   
gradually neglected and finally         
altogether dispensed with4 ,one day1 on 
coming home from the office1 the deacon 
found his nine-year-old girl very ill   
with a fever4 ,for weeks they watched   
over her1 but finally the angel of death
 took her home4 ,as the deacon told me  
this story1 the tears filling his eyes1 
he said1 ,then ,i knew that my daughter 
had been taken for my sake and that ,god
 was making me to 'lie down4' ,from that
 day until this1 which is over a quarter
 of a century1 the family altar has been
 maintained in our home4  ,mother1 in   
that sweetest of all hours to a mother1 
the last hour of the day when the child 
is being put to sleep1 when the last    
thing its eyes rest upon is the face of 
the mother1 does its last vision rest on

 a mother who has taught it to pray1 to 
love ,jesus8 ,it would be infinitely    
better that the heavenly ,father take   
that little child to be with ,himself   
than that it should go out into the     
world from a godless1 ,christless1      
prayerless home4  ,fathers and mothers1 
are we taking time to lie down1 to be   
alone with ,god in prayer and the       
reading of ,his ,word8 ,has the family  
altar in your home been neglected8 ,what
 are you waiting for8 ,do you want ,god 
to come and lay ,his hand upon some     
precious one in your family circle to   
take to be with ,himself8 ,would you    
then take time to lie down8  ,it is said
 that when a sheep is wayward and will  
not cross the brook1 the shepherd finds 
that by taking the little lamb from it  
and carrying it across1 the mother sheep
 will at once follow1 rushing over the  
stream4 ,fathers and mothers1 are you   
waiting for ,god to do this8 ,our       
fathers and mothers used to have the    
family altar4 ,they took time to read   

the ,bible and pray with their children4
 ,what kind of age will the next be if  
we neglect these religious privileges8  
,it may be that our parents were not the
 scholars that some of their children   
are1 but ,i think we may safely say that
 they were the saints that we never will
 be until we lie down in the green      
pastures and quiet waters of ,god's     
,word and prayer as they did4           
,christian workers especially need to   
learn the lesson of lying down1 ,we are 
restless2 we fume and worry and fret    
because we are tired and hungry4 ,we do 
not take time to lie down4 ,strange1 is 
it not1 that we will do almost anything 
but lie down8 ,we will walk1 run1 climb1
 sing1 preach1 teach--do anything but   
lie down4 ,let us not forget that the   
secret of power lies in being alone with
 ,god4 ,christ drew the multitudes to   
,him because ,he withdrew from them at  
times4 ,the drawing preacher is the     
withdrawing man4 ,significant are the   
words of ,jesus to ,his active          

disciples3 ,come ye yourselves apart    
into a desert place1 and rest a while4  
,resting in the pastures and beneath the
 ,rock1     ,resting by the waters where
 ,he leads ,his flock1     ,resting1    
while we listen1 at ,his glorious feet1 
,resting in ,his very arms6 ,o rest     
complete6                               
--,frances ,ridley ,havergal  ,these    
seasons of lying down are periods of    
renewal of strength for duty1 not for   
indolence or mere ecstasy4 ,by thus     
feeding in the green pastures and       
drinking by the still waters1 we are    
strengthened in order that we may walk  
in the paths of righteousness4 ,we eat  
and drink for strength1 not for         
drunkenness4 ,one may lie in a bath so  
long that his strength is exhausted     
thereby1 or he may take a good plunge in
 the morning which will be a source of  
exhilaration to him throughout the day4 
,these times of lying down may be       
likened to the plunge4 ,we must not be  
mere recluses or visionaries4 ,our lying

 down must fit us for walking4 ,if our  
private communion with ,god does not fit
 us for ,christian activity in our daily
 avocation1 distrust it4 ,we cannot keep
 the rapture of devotion if we neglect  
duty of service4 ,life must not be all  
contemplation any more than it must not 
be all activity4 ,we will not need to   
speak of these times of lying down1 nor 
advertise that we have seasons of quiet 
communion1 of ecstasy and vision2 but   
the result thereof will be clearly      
apparent in our lives as we walk in the 
path of righteousness1 and in the joyful
 assurance of soul when we are called   
upon to pass through the valley of the  
shadow4  ,would that we knew how much   
depended1 both for ourselves and others1
 on these seasons of retirement for     
meditation and prayer6 ,what a blessing 
it would be to us6 ,what a benediction  
to others6      ,lord1 what a change    
within us one short hour     ,spent in  
,thy presence will prevail to make2     
,what heavy burdens from our bosoms     

take2     ,what parched grounds refresh 
as with a shower6     ,we kneel1 and all
 around us seem to lower2     ,we rise1 
and all the distant and the near        
,stands forth in sunny outline1 brave   
and clear2     ,we kneel1 how weak6 ,we 
rise1 how full of power6      ,why1     
therefore1 should we do ourselves this  
wrong--     ,or others--that we are not 
always strong2     ,that we are ever    
overborne with care2     ,that we should
 ever weak or heartless be1     ,anxious
 or troubled1 then with us in prayer1   
,and joy and strength and courage are   
with ,thee6                             
--,richard ,chenevix ,trench            
,,chapter ,,three  ,illustration  ,he   
restoreth my soul2 he leadeth me in the 
paths of righteousness for his name's   
sake4   ,david1 the shepherd ,psalmist1 
is doubtless thinking of the refreshment
 that comes to the soul from browsing or
 meditating in the green pastures and by
 the still waters of the ,word of ,god1 
and of the exhilaration and inspiration 

that comes from being alone with ,god   
with an open ,bible and on bended knee4 
,every true child of ,god knows the     
strength and blessing that comes from   
such fellowship and communion4 ,even the
 youths shall faint and be weary1 and   
the young men shall utterly fall2 but   
they that wait upon the ,,lord shall    
renew their strength2 they shall mount  
up with wings as eagles2 they shall run1
 and not be weary2 and they shall walk1 
and not faint 7,isaiah #dj3cj1 #ca74    
,but the ,psalmist is referring more    
particularly1 perhaps1 to the           
restoration of the soul from a spiritual
 lapse or backsliding1 resulting from   
failure to lie down4 ,we well know from 
what we have read regarding the         
,oriental shepherd life1 that the       
shepherd must needs be a physician as   
well as a guide4 ,a sheep is a most     
defenceless creature4 ,a cat1 horse1 cow
 or a dog will defend itself--a sheep   
cannot4 ,sheep have a genius for going  
wrong4 ,a sheep is said to have less    

brains than any other animal of its     
size4 ,if lost1 it cannot find its way  
back unaided4 ,a dog1 a cat1 a horse    
can1 but not a sheep4 ,all we1 like     
sheep1 have gone astray4 ,if the ,good  
,shepherd had not gone after us we would
 not have been in the fold today4  ,have
 you ever looked into a sheep's eyes8   
,they look for all the world like glass 
eyes4 ,a sheep can see practically      
nothing beyond ten or fifteen yards4 ,it
 recognizes persons by sound and not by 
sight4 ,jesus said1 ,my sheep hear my   
voice2 a stranger will they not follow1 
for they know not the voice of          
strangers4   ,traps for ,falling        
,palestinian fields were covered with   
narrow criss-cross paths over which the 
shepherd would have to lead his flock in
 seeking new pasture4 ,some of these    
paths led to a precipice or deep ravine 
over which a stupid sheep might easily  
fall to its death4 ,from such dangers   
the shepherd had to guard his flock4    
,some sheep1 however1 being wayward by  

nature would take one of these          
criss-cross paths leading to danger and 
fall headlong into thickets or down     
ravines1 where they would lie wounded1  
bleeding and dying4 ,what does a stupid 
sheep know of ravines1 precipices or    
haunts of wild beasts8 ,that hill or    
valley seems to offer fair prospects and
 good pasture--but death lurks there4   
,the sheep knows not4 ,the shepherd     
would have to seek the lost1 wounded    
sheep1 and1 finding it1 bind up its     
wounds1 reset broken limbs and restore  
its health4  ,it is said that if a sheep
 wandered into a stranger's pasture the 
finder could cut its throat and keep the
 carcass1 providing the shepherd did not
 come in time to save the sheep4 ,many  
times the shepherd arrived just after   
the sheep had been mutilated1 and by    
care saved its life and restored it to  
health again4 ,the sheep was again his  
own--it was restored4   ,the ,wandering 
,sheep  ,david is spiritually           
soliloquizing4 ,he thinks of the        

tendency of human nature to err and     
stray like a sheep4 ,all we like sheep  
have gone astray2 we have turned every  
one to his own way4 ,man1 too1 has a    
genius for going wrong4 ,there is a way 
that seemeth right unto a man1 but the  
end thereof are the ways of death4 ,no  
man is clever enough to guide himself   
through the devious ways of life4 ,he   
needs ,god as a guide4  ,david recalls  
how tenderly ,god had dealt with him    
after his backslidings and how          
graciously and completely ,he had       
restored him to fellowship4  ,how gently
 ,christ deals with the backslider6     
,when ,john the ,baptist temporarily    
wavered in his conception of the mission
 of the ,christ1 and sent his disciples 
to ,jesus to ask1 ,art thou he that     
should come1 or look we for another8 how
 tenderly ,christ dealt with ,his       
forerunner6 ,the circumstances in the   
case might have led us to expect harsh  
treatment4 ,john had seen the open      
heavens and heard the voice of ,god     

saying1 ,this is my beloved ,son4 ,in a 
special and miraculous way it had been  
revealed to ,john that ,jesus was the   
,messiah1 the ,lamb of ,god1 which      
taketh away the sin of the world6 ,the  
people had looked upon ,john as a       
prophet4 ,all that he had said          
concerning the ,christ they had         
believed1 and now from the forerunner of
 ,christ comes this message of doubt    
repeated to ,jesus within the hearing of
 the multitudes4 ,but that child of the 
desert had been incarcerated for some   
time in a narrow prison cell4 ,no wonder
 the eyes of the caged eagle began to   
film1 and the faith of the stern prophet
 began to waver4 ,other great men have  
wavered in their faith before ,john4    
,david himself said1 even though ,god   
had definitely promised that he should  
succeed ,saul as king1 ,i shall one day 
perish by the hand of ,saul4 ,elijah1   
after his great triumph over the four   
hundred prophets of ,baal1 sat down     
under a juniper tree1 and full of fear  

because of ,jezebel's threat asked      
disconsolately that he might die4 ,no   
wonder then that1 momentarily1 the faith
 of ,john the ,baptist was in the       
shadow4 ,you and ,i have failed in faith
 amid circumstances less trying than    
those which surrounded ,john the        
,baptist in his dungeon4   ,the         
,gentleness of the ,shepherd  ,how does 
,jesus answer ,john8 ,does ,he curse the
 doubter8 ,no4 ,that would not be like  
,him4 ,he has never been known to do    
that4 ,not once1 so far as we know1 did 
he ever send a message of censure to a  
soul in the dungeon of darkness1 doubt1 
and despair4 ,we have seen ,him blast1  
with the lightning of ,his eloquence1   
the false pride of scribe and ,pharisee 
who stood before ,him in haughtiness and
 scorn1 but we never knew ,him to say a 
harsh word to a creature that was sore  
stricken in soul4 ,no1 ,he will not     
break the bruised reed1 nor quench the  
smoking flax4 ,no1 ,he will not send a  
curse2 ,he will send a blessing4 ,that  

will be more like ,him4 ,he will say1   
,go tell ,john again those things that  
ye do see and hear2 the blind receive   
their sight1 the lame walk1 the lepers  
are cleansed1 the dead are raised1 the  
poor are evangelized1 and blessed is he 
that shall not be offended in me4 ,not a
 curse1 but a blessing will ,he send4   
,how much like his treatment of us6 ,do 
we not remember when we first came to   
,him as our ,saviour1 how ,he forgave1  
freely and gladly1 all our sins1 and    
sent us on our way rejoicing8 ,do we not
 recall how shortly after1 when we had  
sinned and spotted the clean white sheet
 of paper ,he had given us1 that when we
 brought it back to ,him all spotted    
with sin ,he freely pardoned1 gave us   
another clean sheet1 and1 without       
upbraiding1 sent us away1 saying1 ,thy  
sins are forgiven2 sin no more8 ,yes1 we
 recall it4 ,we believe in the deity of 
,christ1 not because of the metaphysical
 arguments that have been produced to   
prove it1 no matter how elaborately     

stated or eloquently discussed2 not     
because our library shelves are groaning
 beneath the weight of evidences of ,his
 deity2 nor because theologians are said
 to have forced ,him to that high       
eminence4 ,we believe ,jesus ,christ to 
be ,god because when we sinned and came 
asking pardon ,he freely forgave1 and   
gave us a clean sheet of acquittal1     
saying ,thy sins are forgiven2 go and   
sin no more1 and then when we did sin   
again and brought back the sheet of     
paper all blotted over with sin and said
 we were sorry and again asked pardon1  
,he freely forgave1 and without chiding 
sent us on our way rejoicing4 ,that is  
what makes us believe in ,him as the    
,son of ,god and love ,him with a love  
surpassing expression4  ,poor wandering 
soul1 have you fallen by the wayside8   
,have you become a wayward sheep8 ,have 
you wandered from the fold8 ,are you    
tossed about1 wounded1 sick and sore8   
,do you desire to come back again to the
 ,shepherd's care8 ,come now1 right now1

 while the throb of passion is still    
beating high1 while the deed of shame is
 recent2 while the blot of sin is still 
wet2 come now1 say1      ,with all the  
shame1 with all the keen distress1      
,quick1 waiting not1 ,i flee to ,thee   
again2     ,close to the wound1 beloved 
,lord1 ,i press1     ,that ,thine own   
precious blood may overflow the stain4  
,o precious blood1 ,lord1 let it rest on
 me6     ,i ask not only pardon from my 
,king1     ,but cleansing from my       
,priest1 ,i come to ,thee1     ,just as 
,i came at first--a sinful1 helpless    
thing4      ,oh cleanse me now1 my      
,lord1 ,i cannot stay     ,for evening  
shadows and a silent hour3     ,now ,i  
have sinned1 and now with no delay1     
,i claim ,thy promise and its total     
power4      ,o ,saviour1 bid me go and  
sin no more1     ,and keep me always    
'neath the mighty flow     ,of ,thy     
perpetual fountain1 ,i implore     ,that
 ,thy perpetual cleansing ,i may fully  
know4                                   

--,frances ,ridley ,havergal  ,o        
wandering sheep1 backslidden soul1 may  
the ,saviour find you today1 put ,his   
strong arms around about you1 bring you 
back again into the fold1 keep you from 
wandering1 teach you all you need to    
know1 until the gloaming1 until after   
having washed the last sleep from your  
eyes in the river of life1 you place    
your last climbing footstep on the      
threshold of our ,father's house to go  
out no more4      ,callest ,thou thus1  
,o ,master1 callest ,thou thus to me8   
,i am weary and heavy laden1 and longing
 to come to ,thee2     ,and out in the  
distant darkness ,thy dear voice sounds 
so sweet1     ,but ,i am not worthy1 not
 worthy1 ,o ,master1 to kiss ,thy feet4 
,child6 said the gracious ,master1 why  
turnest thou thus away1     ,when ,i    
came through the darkness seeking my    
sheep that have gone       astray8      
,i know thou art heavy laden1 ,i know   
thou hast need of me     ,and the feet  
of thy loving ,master are weary with    

seeking thee4      ,callest ,thou thus1 
,o ,master1 callest ,thou thus to me8   
,when my untrimmed lamp is dying and my 
heart is not meet for ,thee2     ,for   
,thou art so great and holy1 and mine is
 so poor a home1     ,and ,i am not     
worthy1 not worthy1 ,o ,master1 that    
,thou shouldst come4      ,child1 said  
the tender ,shepherd--and ,his voice was
 very sweet--     ,i only ask for a     
welcome1 and rest for my weary feet4    
,then over my lonely threshold1 though  
weak and defiled by sin1     ,though ,i 
am not worthy1 ,o ,master1 ,i pray ,thee
 enter in4                              
--,helen ,marion ,burnsides   ,christ   
the ,restorer  ,do ,i not speak to a    
soul who once has known ,christ as the  
,good ,shepherd1 but has now wandered   
away from the fold8      ,perverse and  
foolish oft ,i strayed1     ,but yet in 
love ,he sought me1     ,and on ,his    
shoulders gently laid1     ,he home     
rejoicing brought me4                   
--,sir ,henry ,w4 ,baker  ,may ,i not   

remind you of the ,master's own parable1
 ,what man of you1 having one hundred   
sheep1 if he lose one of them1 doth not 
leave ninety and nine in the wilderness1
 and go after that which has gone       
astray1 until he find it8 ,may ,i       
impress upon the words until he find it8
 ,he will not cease the search until ,he
 has found the sheep4 ,it has been said 
that the first verse of this ,psalm may 
be translated1 ,the ,,lord is my        
,shepherd1 ,i shall not be missing4 ,o  
love that will not let me go4  ,the     
,shepherd stands at the door of the     
sheepfold and counts the sheep1 his one 
hundred sheep4 ,he counts to            
ninety-nine4 ,one is missing4 ,he cannot
 rest until that last one is found4 ,the
 door of the sheepfold is closed1 and   
out into the darkness and cold and pain 
of the night the shepherd goes until he 
finds his lost sheep1 and on his        
shoulders he carries it back to the     
fold1 then calls upon his neighbors to  
rejoice with him4 ,he has found his lost

 sheep4      ,there were ninety and nine
 that safely lay     ,in the shelter of 
the fold1     ,but one was out on the   
hills away1     ,far off from the gates 
of gold--     ,away on the mountains    
wild and bare1     ,away from the tender
 ,shepherd's care4      ,lord1 ,thou    
hast here ,thy ninety and nine2     ,are
 they not enough for ,thee8     ,but the
 ,shepherd made answer1 ,this of mine   
,has wandered away from me1     ,and    
although the road be rough and steep1   
,i go to the desert to find my sheep4   
,but none of the ransomed ever knew     
,how deep were the waters crossed1      
,nor how dark was the night that the    
,lord passed through     ,ere ,he found 
,his sheep that was lost4     ,out in   
the desert ,he heard its cry--     ,sick
 and helpless1 and ready to die4        
,lord1 whence are those blood-drops all 
the way     ,that mark out the          
mountain's track8     ,they were shed   
for one who had gone astray     ,ere the
 ,shepherd could bring him back4        

,lord1 whence are ,thy hands so rent and
 torn8     ,they are pierced tonight by 
many a thorn4      ,but all through the 
mountains1 thunder-riven1     ,and up   
from the rocky steep1     ,there arose a
 glad cry to the gates of heaven1       
,rejoice6 ,i have found my sheep6       
,and the angels echoed around the       
throne1     ,rejoice1 for the ,,lord    
brings back ,his own6                   
--,elizabeth ,c4 ,clephane   ,the ,paths
 of ,righteousness  ,he leadeth me in   
the paths of righteousness for his      
name's sake4  ,these words are          
strikingly significant1 and show forth  
the tender aspect of ,god's guidance4   
,ofttimes1 after rain1 the heavy wagon  
wheels would leave deep ruts in the     
road1 which in cold weather would become
 hardened and make it difficult for the 
sheep to walk4 ,not such roads did the  
true shepherd willingly choose for his  
sheep4 ,if compelled1 however1 to take  
such roads1 he would choose those that  
had been flattened down by wagon wheels 

until level4 ,he chose those roads that 
had been worn smooth1 that the tender   
feet of the sheep might not be bruised4 
,he leadeth me in smooth roads4 ,thou   
didst sustain them in the wilderness2   
their feet swelled not4  ,he who follows
 the divine leading will always be led  
aright4 ,his feet will travel in right  
roads4 ,no man will go wrong who follows
 ,christ4 ,he never leads the soul into 
questionable places1 and no feet guided 
by ,him will go into any place where ,he
 ,himself does not go4 ,where ,i am1    
there shall my servant be4 ,he that     
followeth me shall not walk in darkness4
 ,god is light1 and in him is no        
darkness at all4 ,if we say that we have
 fellowship with him1 and walk in       
darkness1 we lie1 and do not the truth4 
,sometimes the road ,he chooses may not 
be after our liking1 but it will always 
be for our best interest1 welfare and   
usefulness4 ,this fact will eventually  
be made clear to us1 and we will gladly 
go with ,him all the way4      ,i said1 

,let me walk in the fields1     ,he     
said1 ,no1 walk in the town1     ,i     
said1 ,there are no flowers there1      
,he said1 ,no flowers1 but a crown4     
,i said1 ,but the skies are black2      
,there is nothing but noise and din1    
,but ,he wept as ,he sent me back--     
,there is more1 ,he said1 there is sin4 
,i said1 ,but the air is thick1     ,and
 fogs are veiling the sun1     ,he      
answered1 ,yet souls are sick1     ,and 
souls in the dark1 undone4      ,i said1
 ,i shall miss the light1     ,and      
friends will miss me1 they say4     ,he 
answered3 ,choose tonight     ,if ,i am 
to miss you or they4      ,i pleaded for
 time to be given4     ,he said1 ,it is 
hard to decide8     ,it will not seem   
hard in heaven1     ,to have followed   
the steps of your guide4      ,i cast   
one look at the fields1     ,then set my
 face to the town4     ,he said1 ,my    
child1 do you yield8     ,will you leave
 the flowers for the crown8      ,then  
into ,his hand went mine1     ,and into 

my heart came ,he2     ,and ,i walk in a
 light divine1     ,the paths ,i had    
feared to see4                          
--,george ,mac,donald   ,his ,name's    
,sake  ,all this ,he does for ,his      
name's sake4 ,how beautiful those words 
are1 for ,his name's sake4 ,christ's own
 glory is involved in the security and  
care of ,his children4 ,the physician   
cares for your child who is sick unto   
death1 for your sake1 it is true1 but   
for his own name's sake as well4 ,to    
lose your child would hurt his          
reputation and practice4 ,the lawyer    
protects his client for his client's    
sake1 it is true1 but also1 and perhaps 
more so1 for his own name's sake4 ,to   
lose the case would be to hurt his      
standing in the legal profession4 ,the  
pilot guides the ship safely into harbor
 for the passengers' sake1 it is true1  
but more particularly for his own name's
 sake1 for to lose the ship would be to 
lose his license4  ,we remember that    
,jesus said1 ,father1 ,i will that they 

also1 whom thou hast given me1 be with  
me where ,i am1 that they may behold my 
glory4 ,he also said1 ,and of all that  
thou hast given me1 ,i have lost none4  
,christ ,himself is the door4 ,his broad
 figure and bulk fills it4 ,who shall   
strip ,him of ,his power1 or rob ,him of
 ,his sheep8 ,he is the secret of the   
security of the believer2 yea1 ,he is   
the security itself4 ,we are hid in     
,him4 ,it is rather the perseverance of 
the ,christ than of the believer4 ,here1
 then1 is the security of the believer1 
saved and kept for ,his own name's sake4
  ,how proud we are of someone who is   
named after us6 ,we have more solicitude
 and care for the child that carries our
 name than for other children4 ,for ,his
 name's sake1 therefore1 is an          
indication of the intense1 intimate     
interest and care of the ,christ for    
,his people4 ,do we not recall what     
,moses said to ,jehovah when ,he said   
,he thought to destroy the people of    
,israel8 ,did not ,moses plead thus with

 ,god1 ,if thou dost destroy them1 what 
shall we say to the nations1 and what   
wilt thou do for thine own name's sake8 
,shall it not be that in that great day 
not one of ,christ's sheep will be      
missing8 ,my sheep hear my voice1 and ,i
 know them1 and they follow me2 and ,i  
give unto them eternal life2 and they   
shall never perish1 neither shall any   
man pluck them out of my hand4 ,my      
,father1 which gave them me1 is greater 
than all2 and no man is able to pluck   
them out of my ,father's hand4 ,the     
,,lord is my ,shepherd1 ,i shall not be 
missing4      ,christ ,jesus hath the   
power1     ,the power to renew1     ,the
 power to cleanse your heart from sin1  
,and make you wholly true4     ,christ  
,jesus hath the power     ,for evermore 
to keep2     ,oh1 none can pluck you    
from ,his hand1     ,or rob ,him of ,his
 sheep6                          --,dr4 
,james ,m4 ,gray   ,god as a ,guide     
,what a wonderful truth is asserted in  
this verse--,he leadeth me4 ,meditate   

just a moment on these words--,he1 ,god1
 the great and mighty ,one1 the ,creator
 of the heavens and the earth1 the ,one 
who upholdeth all things by the word of 
,his power1 the unerring1 unchangeable1 
all-seeing1 all-knowing1 all-powerful   
,one--,he leadeth me--me1 poor1         
trembling1 wayward1 straying1 sinning1  
fallible1 erring son of ,adam1 unworthy1
 unfit1 not entitled to the least of    
,god's blessings2 yet1 incomprehensible 
as the truth may seem1 ,god in heaven   
leads me1 here1 on earth4 ,he leadeth me
 on a journey in which it is so easy of 
myself to go astray from the right path4
 ,further1 ,he leads1 not drives1 ,his  
sheep4 ,he goeth before ,his own sheep  
and leadeth them4 ,the ,good ,shepherd  
will not ask you to go anywhere where   
,he ,himself has not gone4 ,he does not 
drive ,his children4 ,he leads them4    
,he leadeth me6 ,oh6 blessed thought1   
,oh1 words with heav'nly comfort        
fraught6     ,whate'er ,i do1 where'er  
,i be1     ,still 'tis ,god's hand that 

leadeth me4      ,sometimes 'mid scenes 
of deepest gloom1     ,sometimes where  
,eden's bowers bloom1     ,by waters    
calm1 o'er troubled sea--     ,still    
'tis ,his hand that leadeth me4         
,lord1 ,i would clasp ,thy hand in mine1
     ,nor ever murmur nor repine2       
,content1 whatever lot ,i see1          
,since 'tis my ,god that leadeth me4    
,and when my task on earth is done1     
,when1 by ,thy grace1 the victory's won1
     ,e'en death's cold wave ,i will not
 flee1     ,since ,god through ,jordan  
leadeth me4      ,he leadeth me6 ,he    
leadeth me6     ,by ,his own hand ,he   
leadeth me2     ,his faithful follower  
,i would be1     ,for by ,his hand ,he  
leadeth me4                             
--,joseph ,h4 ,gilmore   ,knowing ,god's
 ,will  ,god's way of guidance varies   
with different individuals4 ,there is   
probably no point on which we need more 
careful instruction than that which     
concerns the will of ,god for us4 ,we   
may speak of two wills of ,god4 ,the    

first concerns our character and may be 
known by all1 for it is distinctly      
declared in the ,word of ,god in such   
passages1 for example1 as1 ,this is the 
will of ,god1 even your sanctification4 
,there can be no doubt or hesitancy with
 regard to knowing what the general will
 of ,god regarding our character may be4
  ,there is another will of ,god1       
however1 which affects not our character
 but our career4 ,this particular will  
of ,god is not as easy to discern as    
that which touches our character4       
,others may not know this for me4 ,in   
the last analysis ,god and ,i alone must
 solve the problem of my career4 ,it is 
true ,i may consult others and get all  
the light possible on the question at   
issue1 but ultimately the solution of   
the matter is to be found in the quiet  
with the soul and ,god ,himself4        
,three ,things ,about ,guidance  ,three 
things may be said to indicate clearly  
the particular will of ,god which       
concerns my career4  ,the first comes   

from a constant and prayerful reading of
 the ,word of ,god1 through which ,god  
will in some way make known to me in    
particular ,his will regarding me4 ,the 
scripture which decides the matter for  
me may not have the same meaning to     
others1 but ,i recognize it to be ,god's
 will for me4 ,a minister received one  
day two calls to the pastorate of two   
churches4 ,one offered a stipend of     
#cjjj a year and manse1 and an          
established church with #ijj members1   
and located under the shadow of a great 
university4 ,a flattering call indeed4  
,the other invitation was from a        
struggling suburban church with a       
membership of #ge1 and offering a salary
 of #ahjj a year4 ,what should the      
minister do8 ,which call should he      
accept8 ,to say there was no struggle in
 the heart at the time would be to belie
 the fact4 ,the man of ,god took the two
 invitations1 laid them on the bed1     
knelt by its side1 and put his open     
,bible in front of him between the two  

letters4 ,after prayer for guidance and 
after reading the ,word for some time   
his attention was riveted upon this     
verse3 ,set not your mind on high       
things1 but condescend to them that are 
lowly 7,romans #ab3af1 ,r4 ,v474 ,he had
 read that verse before1 many times1 but
 somehow he could not get beyond it at  
this time4 ,to him at that particular   
time it was indicative of ,god's will4  
,obediently he chose the smaller church4
 ,after years proved the wisdom of the  
choice4 ,so ,god will in some way       
indicate to you through the reading of  
,his ,word ,his will for you at that    
time4  ,the second element in discerning
 the will of ,god is what may be called 
the inward impression1 by which we mean 
the constant1 irrepressible1 insistent1 
persistent conviction in the heart of   
the child of ,god that he ought to do   
thus and so in a given case4 ,it often  
happens that a strong impulse comes to a
 child of ,god4 ,in a day or two that   
impulse has passed away1 and he looks   

back and sees that he has no assurance  
that such was the will of ,god for him2 
but to the obedient soul in communion   
with the heavenly ,father1 the constant1
 irrepressible1 insistent and persistent
 conviction that a certain thing should 
or should not be done is one of the sure
 indications of ,god's voice in the     
soul4  ,the third feature in discerning 
the will of ,god is what may be called  
the favorable circumstance1 or the open 
door4 ,if ,god wants one to go to a     
certain place or do a certain thing1 the
 opportunity to do it will be present   
with the call to do it4 ,if it is not1  
then one should wait until the door     
opens4 ,if the pillar of cloud by day or
 the pillar of fire by night remains    
stationary1 then ,israel must remain in 
the camp4 ,when these emblems of ,god's 
guidance lifted and moved1 then ,israel 
knew that it was time for them to move4 
,so long ,thy power hath blest me1 sure 
it still             ,will lead me on   
,o'er moor and fen1 o'er crag and       

torrent1 till             ,the night is 
gone2     ,and with the morn those angel
 faces smile     ,which ,i have loved   
long since and lost awhile4             
--,john ,h4 ,newman  ,these three       
things1 the ,word of ,god1 the inward   
impression1 and the open door1 should be
 present in every clear indication of   
the will of ,god4 ,if any one of them is
 missing1 it indicates that the will of 
,god is not yet clear4 ,we have a       
beautiful illustration of these three   
things in the call of ,peter to admit   
,cornelius into the ,church 7,acts #aj  
and #aa74 ,first1 ,peter had the ,word  
of ,god--nothing should be regarded     
common or unclean2 second1 he had the   
inward impression--he was meditating on 
what the vision he had seen should mean2
 and third1 there was the open          
door--three men were already waiting for
 him to convey him to ,caesarea4        
,wonderfully instructive is ,god's      
guidance of the children of ,israel by  
the pillar of cloud by day and the      

pillar of fire by night4 ,in this       
connection we should recall the words of
 ,jesus when in the ,temple1 at the time
 they were celebrating ,god's care for  
,his people in the wilderness in        
providing them with the pillar of cloud 
and the pillar of fire4 ,he said1 ,i am 
the light of the world2 he that         
followeth me shall not walk in darkness1
 but shall have the light of life4      
,christ is our ,guide2 the ,word of ,god
 is our chart4 ,having them1 we may rest
 assured that ,god who has guided ,his  
people in all the ages will guide us    
safely to the end4      ,guide me1 ,o   
,thou great ,jehovah1     ,pilgrim      
through this barren land2     ,i am     
weak1 but ,thou art mighty1     ,hold me
 with ,thy powerful hand2     ,bread of 
heaven1 feed me till ,i want no more4   
,open now the crystal fountain          
,whence the healing stream doth flow2   
,let the fiery1 cloudy pillar     ,lead 
me all my journey through2     ,strong  
,deliverer1 be ,thou still my ,strength 

and ,shield4      ,when ,i tread the    
verge of ,jordan1     ,bid my anxious   
fears subside1     ,death of deaths and 
hell's destruction1     ,land me safe on
 ,canaan's side3     ,songs of praises  
,i will ever give to ,thee4             
--,william ,williams     ,,chapter      
,,four  ,illustration  ,yea1 though ,i  
walk through the valley of the shadow of
 death1 ,i will fear no evil2 for thou  
art with me2 thy rod and thy staff they 
comfort me4   ,it was necessary for     
shepherds in ,palestine1 when leading   
their flocks from one pasture to        
another1 to lead them1 at times1 through
 dark ravines1 on either side of which  
were caves and holes wherein dwelt      
ravenous beasts4 ,from the attack of    
these beasts the shepherd must protect  
his flock4 ,for this purpose he used the
 staff which he carried with him4 ,the  
staff was a great stick with a large    
knob at the end of it pierced through   
with sharp nails and spikes4 ,this      
weapon was used to beat off the attacks 

of the wild beasts4 ,the shepherd must  
be bold and courageous4 ,we recall how  
,david referred to his encounters with  
wild beasts which attacked his flock4   
,and ,david said unto ,saul1 ,thy       
servant kept his father's sheep1 and    
there came a lion1 and a bear1 and took 
a lamb out of the flock2 and ,i went out
 after him1 and smote him1 and delivered
 it out of his mouth2 and when he arose 
against me1 ,i caught him by his beard1 
and smote him1 and slew him4 ,thy       
servant slew both the lion and the bear2
 and this uncircumcised ,philistine     
shall be as one of them1 seeing he hath 
defied the armies of the living ,god4   
,david said moreover1 ,the ,lord that   
delivered me out of the paw of the lion1
 and out of the paw of the bear1 he will
 deliver me out of the hand of the      
,philistine4 ,and ,saul said unto       
,david1 ,go1 and the ,,lord be with thee
 7,i ,samuel #ag3cd-cg74   ,the ,valley 
of the ,shadow  ,the valley of the      
shadow of death may refer to any dark1  

dread or awful experience through which 
the child of ,god is called to pass4 ,in
 this sense it is used in many places in
 the ,scriptures4 ,the ,christian's path
 is not always beside still waters and  
in green pastures4      ,in pastures    
green8 ,not always2 sometimes ,he       
,who knoweth best1 in kindness leadeth  
me     ,in weary ways1 where heavy      
shadows be4      ,and by still waters8  
,no not always so1     ,ofttimes the    
heavy tempests round me blow1     ,and  
o'er my soul the waves and billows go4  
,but when the storm beats loudest1 and  
,i cry     ,aloud for help1 the ,master 
standeth by1     ,and whispers to my    
soul1 ,lo1 it is ,i6      ,above the    
tempest wild ,i hear ,him say1          
,beyond the darkness lies the perfect   
day1     ,in every path of thine ,i lead
 the way4                               
--,henry ,h4 ,barry  ,but is it not kind
 of our ,father that ,he puts the valley
 in the middle of the ,psalm--not at the
 beginning of our ,christian journey1   

lest we should be unduly discouraged1   
but in the middle--after we have been   
strengthened with food and drink and    
have been assured of the tender care and
 guidance of the ,great ,shepherd4 ,oh6 
wondrous thought and care6  ,of course1 
the valley of the shadow of death refers
 also1 and probably more particularly1  
to the experience of death itself4 ,at  
least we have come to look upon it in   
such light1 and doubtless thousands of  
,god's people have found the comforting 
truth of this verse a safe pillow in the
 dying hour4 ,it has lightened the      
valley1 removed the fear of death1 and  
illumined immortality4   ,the ,fear of  
,death  ,when a robber would scatter a  
flock of sheep and cause fear and       
consternation he throws a dead carcass  
in the midst of the flock4 ,sheep fear  
nothing as much as the sight of death4  
,is this not true of man also8 ,about   
the last fear taken from the human heart
 is the fear of death4 ,the last enemy  
that shall be destroyed is death4 ,even 

though the believer knows that the sting
 of death has been removed1 nevertheless
 there is usually an attendant fear     
connected with the passing out of this  
life4  ,i have read that a famous       
scientist was in the habit of visiting a
 zoological garden in ,london4 ,among   
the many things that always interested  
him was a large snake--a boa            
constrictor4 ,it was kept in a large    
glass case so that inspection of the    
reptile was perfectly safe from the     
outside4 ,the scientist1 we are told1   
was in the habit of knocking on the     
glass in order to awaken the snake4     
,instantly1 when the knock was heard1   
the snake would raise its head and      
strike at the glass with its fangs4 ,the
 scientist1 instinctively shrank back1  
fearful of being struck1 though he knew 
there was absolutely no danger4 ,so     
sometimes is it with the believer's     
relationship to death4 ,even though he  
knows the sting is removed1 nevertheless
 the experience of death is somewhat of 

a dread4 ,the soul naturally recoils at 
the thought of death4  ,no really       
thoughtful man will speak lightly of    
death4 ,he may1 as some men may1 in the 
fullness of health and vigor1 laugh at  
the idea of dying2 but when he comes    
face to face with the real experience1  
there is1 as any minister or physician  
will tell you1 quite a different story  
to tell4  ,it reminds me of an          
experience in our own family life4      
,behind a former residence of ours was a
 stretch of woods where1 after school1  
our boys would go to play their outdoor 
games4 ,it was the understanding in the 
home that when the whistle was blown or 
some other signal given the boys should 
come home for their meals4 ,at times the
 boys would come home in response to the
 signal in a somewhat murmuring spirit4 
,they have said something like this to  
their mother3 ,mother1 what did you call
 us home for anyway8 ,didn't you know   
that we were just in the midst of a     
great game and our side was about to    

win8 ,we wish you wouldn't call us4 ,i  
have felt as ,i have listened to them   
speaking thus to their mother that1 just
 at that particular time and in the     
middle of the day1 they could1          
apparently1 get along very well without 
their mother4 ,but ,i have noticed this 
also1 that at night time1 after their   
mother had prayed with them and the     
lights were turned out1 there was       
another story to tell4 ,it seems to me  
that ,i can still hear one of the boys  
calling out in the dark to his mother1  
,mamma1 are you there8  ,yes1 son4      
,mamma4  ,yes4  ,is your face turned    
towards me8  ,yes4  ,mamma1 will you    
hold my hand8 ,it's dark1 isn't it1     
,mamma8 ,good night1 ,mamma4  ,ah1 yes1 
in the day-time they might think they   
could get along very well without their 
mother1 but when the night comes1 and   
the lights are all out1 and it's dark1  
then nobody on earth but mother will do4
  ,so it is with you1 my friend4 ,in    
your bravado of health and strength you 

may say that you are not afraid of      
death1 but you wait until your feet come
 down to the brink of the river2 then   
there will be a different story to tell4
 ,some men haven't much use for ,god in 
life1 but nobody else but ,god will do  
in the hour of death4   ,the ,valley ,is
 ,certain and ,narrow  ,death is        
certain4 ,it is appointed unto men once 
to die4 ,while the ,lord tarries1 every 
child of ,adam will have to pass through
 the experience of death4      ,there is
 no flock1 however watched and tended1  
,but one dead lamb is there6     ,there 
is no fireside1 howsoe'er defended1     
,but has one vacant chair6              
--,henry ,w4 ,longfellow  ,we cannot    
bribe death4 ,we cannot avoid or evade  
passing through the valley of the       
shadow4 ,we cannot dig under it1 nor    
tunnel around it1 nor fly over it4 ,face
 it we must4 ,it behooves us1 therefore1
 to make sure that we have the light and
 the life which alone will secure for us
 a happy exit from this valley and a    

glorious entrance into the unfading     
light of a new day4  ,the valley of the 
shadow of death is narrow1 very         
narrow--so narrow indeed that even a    
mother cannot take her one-hour-old babe
 with her4 ,it is so narrow4 ,she must  
go through the valley alone4 ,single    
file1 if you please1 is the order of    
march through this valley of the shadow4
 ,an aged woman lay dying4 ,by her      
bedside1 with his hand in hers1 sat the 
man who for over fifty years had been   
her husband4 ,the light was failing     
fast1 and eternity drawing near to the  
aged woman4 ,grasping the hand of her   
husband tightly1 she said1 ,john1 it's  
getting dark4 ,take my hand4 ,for over  
fifty years we have traveled together1  
and you have led me4 ,now it's getting  
dark1 and ,i cannot see the way4 ,john1 
come with me1 won't you8  ,but ,john    
could not go1 and with tear-filled eyes 
and trembling voice1 he said1 ,anna1 ,i 
cannot1 cannot go4 ,only ,jesus can go  
with you4  ,she was a little girl of ten

 years4 ,the angel of death was hovering
 over her bed4 ,the end was drawing     
near4 ,she said to her father1 who was  
standing by the mother's side at the    
bed1 ,papa1 it's getting dark and ,i    
cannot see4 ,will you please go with me8
  ,with heart breaking1 the father had  
to say1 ,child1 ,i cannot1 ,i cannot go 
with you4  ,the girl turned to her      
mother and said1 ,mamma1 then you will1 
won't you8  ,but the mother1 in turn1   
amid her tears1 replied1 ,child1 ,i     
would1 but ,i cannot4 ,only ,jesus can  
go with you4   ,the ,personal ,pronouns 
,change  ,it is interesting to note the 
change in the personal pronoun in this  
verse4 ,up to this point the ,psalmist  
has been speaking in the third person   
and using the personal pronoun ,he--,he 
leadeth me4 ,he maketh me4 ,he          
restoreth2 he1 he1 he4 ,when he comes to
 speak of the valley of the shadow of   
death1 however1 the third personal      
pronoun is changed to that of the second
 person1 ,yea1 though ,i walk through   

the valley of the shadow of death1 ,i   
will fear no evil2 for thou1 7thou--not 
he1 is with me1 but thou7 art with me4  
,there is no room for a third person in 
this valley4 ,if one does not have      
,christ as ,saviour and ,guide in the   
dark hour of death1 he goes through the 
valley of the shadow all alone4 ,surely1
 without ,christ with him man will      
stumble and fall in this valley4  ,poor 
indeed is that soul who1 when his feet  
are about to enter the valley1 has no   
,guide1 or1 when he comes to the brink  
of death's river1 has no ,pilot4        
,oh1 to have no ,christ1 no ,saviour1   
,how lonely life must be6     ,like a   
sailor lost and driven       ,on a wide 
and shoreless sea4      ,oh1 to have no 
,christ1 no ,saviour1       ,no hand to 
clasp thine own6     ,through the dark1 
dark vale of shadows       ,thou must   
press thy way alone4                    
--,w4 ,o4 ,cushing  ,but what a blessing
 and comfort it is for those who know   
,christ as ,saviour and ,comforter1 to  

have the assurance that in that last    
hour of life ,he is by their side to    
guide them4 ,it was doubtless this      
thought of the presence of ,christ that 
comforted ,tennyson when he wrote the   
words of that beautiful poem3           
,sunset and evening star1         ,and  
one clear call for me6         ,and1 may
 there be no moaning of the bar1        
,when ,i put out to sea4            99  
99   99   99   99          ,twilight and
 evening bell1         ,and after that  
the dark6         ,and1 may there be no 
sadness of farewell1         ,when ,i   
embark2          ,for tho' from out our 
bourne of ,time and ,place         ,the 
flood may bear me far1         ,i hope  
to see my ,pilot face to face           
,when ,i have crossed the bar4          
--,alfred ,tennyson  ,some one has      
called the fourth verse of the ,psalm a 
song of the waters4 ,did you ever hear  
singing on the water8 ,there is         
something wonderful about it4 ,the water
 seems to take all harshness out of the 

music1 and puts something exquisitely   
beautiful into it4 ,here then is a psalm
 of the waters1 a song for the believer 
to sing when his feet are touching the  
margin of the river3 ,when thou passest 
through the waters1 ,i will be with     
thee2 and through the rivers1 they shall
 not overflow thee4444 ,for ,i am the   
,,lord thy ,god4  ,here1 too1 is a song 
in the night4 ,sing it1 ,christian      
pilgrim1 when earth's last hour is at   
hand4 ,sing it as you enter the valley4 
,sing it as the darkness deepens4 ,sing 
it when the light of earth's day begins 
to fade4 ,sing it when the earth is     
receding1 heaven is opening and ,god is 
calling you4 ,sing it until the glory of
 the eternal morn breaks upon thine     
enraptured vision4 ,sing it until your  
feet stand upon that golden shore       
against which death's chilly wave never 
again shall dash1 and where death is no 
more4 ,sing it1 sing this song of the   
waters--,yea1 though ,i walk through the
 valley of the shadow of death1 ,i will 

fear no evil2 for thou art with me2 thy 
rod and thy staff they comfort me4      
,why be afraid of ,death as though your 
life were breath6     ,death but anoints
 your eyes with clay4 ,oh glad surprise6
      ,why should you be forlorn8 ,death
 only husks the corn4     ,why should   
you fear to meet the thresher of the    
wheat8      ,is sleep a thing to dread8 
,yet sleeping1 you are dead     ,till   
you awake and rise1 here1 or beyond the 
skies4      ,why should it be a wrench1 
to leave your wooden bench8     ,why not
 with happy shout run home when school  
is out8      ,the dear ones left behind8
 ,o foolish one and blind4     ,a       
day--and you will meet--a night--and you
 will greet6      ,this is the death of 
,death1 to breathe away a breath1       
,and know the end of strife and taste   
the deathless life4      ,and joy       
without a fear and smile without a tear1
     ,and work1 nor care1 nor rest1 and 
find the last the best4                 
--,maltbie ,d4 ,babcock   ,thy ,rod and 

,thy ,staff ,they ,comfort ,me  ,the rod
 is a protection from all the           
adversaries of the night4 ,no enemy1 not
 even the last enemy1 death1 can        
affright the soul in the care of the    
tender ,shepherd1 for ,he has extracted 
the sting from death4 ,the staff is used
 for counting the sheep as they pass one
 by one into the fold4 ,this action is  
sometimes called passing under the rod4 
,the language used here indicates safety
 and security4      ,i fear no foe1 with
 ,thee at hand to bless2     ,ills have 
no weight and tears on bitterness4      
,where is death's sting8 where1 grave1  
thy victory8     ,i triumph still1 if   
,thou abide with me4                    
--,henry ,f4 ,lyte  ,christ hath        
abolished death and brought life and    
immortality to light4 ,the word         
abolished is a very strong one in the   
,greek4 ,it has three root letters1 a1 r
 and g4 ,then the preposition kata is   
added to it1 thus making our ,english   
word energy which means a working force4

 ,then1 in a way known to ,greek        
students1 the preposition gives the     
word1 as it were1 the force of a double 
negative4 ,so the ,apostle teaches us   
that ,christ1 when ,he came into the    
world and died on the cross1 did        
something with death4 ,he double-twisted
 it1 ,he de-vitalized it1               
double-negatived it1 made it            
inoperative1 rendered it powerless1 so  
that ever afterwards it would be unable 
to hurt the children of ,god4  ,i do not
 know very much about bees except1 of   
course1 that they sting4 ,i am told1    
however1 that when a bee stings you it  
leaves its sting in the wound and goes  
away to die4 ,a little child may play   
with the bee after it has stung a person
 without any harm coming to the child4  
,the bee has lost its power to hurt4 ,so
 we are told that the sting of death is 
sin4 ,death stung ,christ on the cross  
and left its sting in ,him1 so that ever
 after it could not hurt the children of
 ,god4 ,he is ,death of death and hell's

 destruction4  ,christ1 the ,great      
,shepherd1 will be there at the entrance
 of the valley to meet you and lead you 
through4 ,he will beat off all the      
powers of death4 ,he will destroy all   
the enemies of darkness and convey you  
safely through the valley into the      
,homeland4 ,he holds the keys of death  
and the grave4 ,how helpless a thing a  
sheep is6 ,how much in need of a        
defender it is6 ,it seems as though     
almost any other animal can defend      
itself4 ,a dog will fight when attacked4
 ,a sheep stands helpless in the        
presence of its opponent4 ,christ1 the  
,good ,shepherd1 will protect to the    
last4  ,the comforting thoughts of this 
verse must certainly take the sting out 
of death to those who grasp the great   
truths taught here4 ,it surely abolishes
 death and illumines immortality4  ,no  
one need fear death with such thoughts  
as these before him4 ,the ,apostle ,paul
 asserts that every believer in ,christ 
has a cheerful view of death1 and       

desires rather to be absent from the    
body and at home with the ,lord than to 
remain here upon the earth4  ,go to thy 
grave1 not as the slave scourged to his 
dungeon1 or the dog whipped to his      
kennel1 but as the prince wraps around  
him the drapery of his couch and lies   
down to pleasant dreams4 ,the conscious 
companionship of the ,christ will remove
 thy fears4 ,with what alacrity1 courage
 and fearlessness doth he walk the      
highway whose heart is honest and whose 
conscience doth not convict him of the  
violation of his country's laws6 ,how   
different with the criminal6 ,how full  
of fear and apprehension6      ,abide   
with me6 fast falls the eventide2       
,the darkness deepens--,lord1 with me   
abide6     ,when other helpers fail1 and
 comforts flee1     ,help of the        
helpless1 oh1 abide with me6      ,swift
 to its close ebbs out life's little    
day2     ,earth's joys grow dim1 its    
glories pass away2     ,change and decay
 in all around ,i see2     ,o ,thou who 

changest not1 abide with me6      ,i    
fear no foe1 with ,thee at hand to      
bless2     ,ills have no weight1 and    
tears no bitterness4     ,where is      
death's sting8 where1 grave1 thy        
victory8     ,i triumph still1 if ,thou 
abide with me6      ,hold ,thou ,thy    
cross before my closing eyes2     ,shine
 through the gloom1 and point me to the 
skies2     ,heaven's morning breaks1 and
 earth's vain shadows flee2     ,in     
life1 in death1 ,o ,lord1 abide with me6
                                        
--,henry ,f4 ,lyte     ,,chapter ,,five 
,illustration  ,thou preparest a table  
before me in the presence of mine       
enemies2 thou anointest my head with    
oil2 my cup runneth over4   ,there is a 
variety of senses in which the truth of 
this verse may be understood4  ,it is   
said that in the ancient days a         
shepherd's tent was a kind of city of   
refuge4 ,the man who had unwittingly    
slain another could find refuge in a    
shepherd's tent from the avenger of     

blood4 ,the fugitive was permitted to   
stay a given length of time within the  
shepherd's care1 during which time he   
was as safe from the pursuer as though  
he were in the actual city of refuge4   
,the pursuer might be raging with fury  
outside of the door of the tent1 but the
 fugitive could eat with perfect safety 
and peace in the presence of his enemy4 
,how like ,christ in ,his relation to   
the believer6  ,one day ,charles ,wesley
 stood looking out of a partly open     
window at the fierce storm howling      
without1 when a young robin1 quickly    
passing some other birds1 flew to his   
breast1 seeking shelter from its foes4  
,it was then he wrote that wonderful    
hymn1 the opening words of which are3   
,jesus1 ,lover of my soul1     ,let me  
to ,thy bosom fly6  ,is not this a      
picture of this verse of the ,psalm8    
,and a man 7,jesus ,christ7 shall be for
 a hiding place and a refuge from the   
storm4 ,are we not safe in ,him from all
 our foes8 ,there is therefore now no   

condemnation to them that are in ,christ
 ,jesus4  ,we are told that in ,david's 
day it was the custom of conquering     
kings and princes to bring the royal    
captives of the contending defeated army
 into a large banqueting house4 ,to each
 pillar in the house a prisoner of royal
 blood or a commanding officer was      
chained4 ,the banquet tables were       
heavily laden with good things of which 
the victors partook4 ,feasting and      
jollification were indulged in1 and joy 
and gladness were manifest in the       
presence of defeated and chained        
enemies4 ,are we not made always to     
triumph over all our foes in ,christ8   
,are we not made more than conquerors in
 ,him who hath led captivity captive8   
,ye shall eat your meat in quietness1   
and nothing shall make you afraid4  ,or1
 again1 it may be that reference is made
 in this verse to the grazing of sheep  
in fields full of snakeholes or of      
poisonous plants4 ,a sheep raiser in    
,texas once told the writer that he lost

 a great many sheep because snakes would
 come up through holes in the ground and
 bite the sheep as they grazed1         
poisoning them4 ,after losing many of   
the flock he finally discovered a       
remedy4 ,a mixture of some kind was     
poured down the holes1 which killed the 
snakes1 and after that the sheep were   
able to graze in peace and safety4 ,hath
 not ,christ abolished death for the    
believer8 ,has ,he not deprived death of
 its sting and stripped the grave of its
 victim8 ,hath ,he not overcome that old
 serpent1 the ,devil8 ,do we not        
overcome the dragon1 that old serpent1  
the ,devil and ,satan1 the accuser of   
the brethren day and night--do we not   
overcome him by the blood of the ,lamb8 
,whichever of these meanings may be     
adopted as indicating the teaching of   
this verse1 we may be certain that the  
truth the ,psalmist desires to express  
is this3 ,that ,god gives ,his children 
victory over all their foes1 and makes  
them more than conquerors over all their

 enemies4 ,thus shall we eat our meat in
 peace and quietness1 and nothing shall 
make us afraid4 ,why do the heathen     
rage8444 ,he that sitteth in the heavens
 shall laugh--and so shall we4      ,on 
the ,rock of ,ages founded1       ,who  
can shake thy sure repose8     ,with    
salvation's walls surrounded1           
,thou mayes't smile at all thy foes4    
--,rev4 ,john ,newton   ,thou ,anointest
 ,my ,head with ,oil3 ,my ,cup ,runneth 
,over  ,a shepherd must needs be a      
physician also4 ,in the belt of the     
shepherd medicines are always carried4  
,sheep are very susceptible to          
sicknesses of many kinds1 particularly  
fevers4 ,ofttimes at night as the sheep 
passed into the fold the shepherd's     
knowing eye would detect that one or    
another of them was sick and feverish4  
,perhaps it had been bitten by a serpent
 or torn by some wild animal4 ,he would 
take the feverish sheep and plunge its  
head into clear1 cold water1 plunging   
the head so far into the pail that the  

water would run over1 or anoint the     
bruise with mollifying ointment4        
,doubtless ,david is thinking of this   
experience of his shepherd life4  ,or1  
again1 ,david may be referring to the   
bountiful water supply provided for the 
sheep and applying it to the rich       
provision ,god has made for the         
believer4 ,not only is there grace      
enough for oneself1 but with the        
believer as a channel1 an abundance for 
others4      ,thou1 ,o ,christ1 art all 
,i want2     ,more than all in ,thee ,i 
find6                   --,charles      
,wesley  ,this is the wonderful truth   
taught by ,jesus in the ,temple3 ,now on
 the last day1 the great day of the     
feast1 ,jesus stood and cried1 saying1  
,if any man thirst1 let him come unto me
 and drink4 ,he that believeth on me1 as
 the scripture hath said1 from within   
him shall flow rivers of living water4  
,here we see how the believer may come  
to ,christ for the quenching of his own 
thirst1 and then draw on1 or drink more 

deeply of1 ,christ for the quenching of 
the thirst of others4 ,thou1 ,o ,christ1
 art all ,i want1 more than all in ,thee
 ,i find4 ,here we have the personal and
 relative side of a consecrated life of 
service4  ,my cup is to run over4 ,no   
selfish religion must ,i claim4 ,i am to
 be satisfied with ,christ first myself1
 then ,i am to take from ,him so large a
 supply that others with whom ,i come   
into contact may also partake of ,his   
fullness4 ,no hermit1 no ascetic1 monk1 
or recluse would the ,master have me be4
      ,there are hermit souls that live 
withdrawn     ,in the peace of their    
self-content2     ,there are souls1 like
 stars1 that dwell apart     ,in a      
fellowless firmament4     ,there are    
pioneer souls that blaze their paths    
,where highways never ran--     ,but let
 me live by the side of the road        
,and be a friend to man4      ,let me   
live in my house by the side of the road
     ,where the race of men go by--     
,the men who are good and the men who   

are bad1     ,as good and as bad as ,i1 
,i would not sit in the scorner's seat1 
,or hurl the cynic's ban--     ,let me  
live in the house by the side of the    
road     ,and be a friend to man4       
,i see from my house by the side of the 
road1     ,by the side of the highway of
 life1     ,the men who press with the  
ardor of hope1     ,the men who are     
faint with the strife2     ,but ,i turn 
not away from their smiles nor their    
tears--     ,both parts of an infinite  
plan--     ,let me live in a house by   
the side of the road     ,and be a      
friend to man4                          
--,sam ,walter ,foss     ,,chapter ,,six
  ,illustration  ,surely goodness and   
mercy shall follow me all the days of my
 life2 and ,i will dwell in the house of
 the ,,lord for ever4   ,the writer was 
once called to speak with a ,scotch     
,presbyterian elder who was rapidly     
passing from this life4 ,i had read to  
him this last verse of the ,psalm1 when1
 turning in his bed1 he said to me in   

words that were almost his last1 ,take  
my ,bible and read that verse to me from
 ',the ,psalms in ,metre' in the back of
 my ,bible4 ,i took his ,scotch ,bible  
from a table close by and read3         
,goodness and mercy all my life         
,shall surely follow me1     ,and in    
,god's house for evermore     ,my       
dwelling place shall be4                
--,william ,whittingham  ,some one has  
well said that goodness and mercy are   
,god's two collie dogs to preserve the  
,christian from all danger4 ,others have
 likened goodness and mercy to the      
,christian's footmen to wait upon him   
daily4 ,the house of the ,,lord is      
doubtless here contrasted with the tent 
of the shepherd1 just as the words dwell
 for ever are contrasted with the fact  
that the fugitive was allowed to stay in
 the shepherd's tent only a limited     
time4  ,this verse expresses the        
confidence of the ,christian with regard
 to the future4 ,it is the ,christian's 
confidence that in the ,father's house a

 mansion is prepared for him1 and that  
when the earthly house of this          
tabernacle is taken down and dissolved  
by death he has a house not made with   
hands1 eternal in the heavens4 ,this is 
surely a grand provision for old age1 a 
life insurance worthy of the name1 a    
home for the winter of life1 and a      
blessed assurance with regard to one's  
eternity4 ,how poor indeed is that soul 
that cannot say1 ,yea1 though ,i walk   
through the valley of the shadow of     
death1 ,i will fear no evil1 for the    
grave is not the terminus but the       
passageway that leads to endless light  
and life1 into the glory and beauty of  
the house of the ,lord in which the     
believer shall dwell for ever4 ,beyond  
the night of death lies the perfect day2
 beyond the valley of the shadow lie the
 plains of peace4  ,one cannot help but 
wonder if you1 reader1 have such a      
confident hope with regard to your      
future life4 ,only those who are able to
 say ,the ,,lord is my shepherd are able

 to say ,i will dwell in the house of   
the ,,lord for ever4  ,a famous ,scotch 
preacher tells us that a demented boy1  
who was in the habit of attending one of
 the classes in his ,sunday school1 was 
sick unto death4 ,the minister was asked
 to go to see the boy4 ,he went to the  
house1 and in speaking with the lad and 
after reading the ,scriptures he was    
about to leave1 when this boy1 with only
 half his reasoning power1 demented and 
partly idiotic1 asked the great preacher
 if he wouldn't kneel down and recite   
for him the ,twenty-third ,psalm4 ,in   
obedience to the boy's request he knelt 
and repeated the ,twenty-third ,psalm1  
until he came to the last verse which1  
as you know1 reads ,surely goodness and 
mercy shall follow me all the days of my
 life1 and ,i will dwell in the house of
 the ,,lord for ever4 ,but the preacher 
did not repeat this last verse1 for he  
was saying to himself while on his      
knees1 this verse can hardly be true of 
this boy1 surely goodness and mercy has 

not followed him all the days of his    
life1 and further1 what does he know    
about the determination of this         
verse--to dwell in the house of the     
,,lord for ever8 ,and so the great      
preacher was rising from his knees1     
having omitted the last verse1 when the 
boy reached out his hand and1 placing it
 on the shoulder of the minister1       
pressed him again to his knees and      
repeated the last verse of the          
,psalm--the verse the preacher had      
omitted1 as it is written in the ,scotch
 hymn book3      ,goodness and mercy all
 my life       ,shall surely follow me2 
,and in ,god's house for evermore       
,my dwelling place shall be4            
--,william ,whittingham  ,this was a    
lesson the preacher never forgot4 ,can  
you1 my reader1 you1 with all your      
senses1 your keenness of brain and      
intellect--can you say what this idiotic
 boy could say3 ,i will dwell in the    
house of the ,,lord for ever8  ,i am    
reminded in this connection of one of   

,bunyan's characters in the ,pilgrim's  
,progress4 ,he is referred to as ,mr4   
,feeble ,mind4 ,this character in       
speaking of his immortal hope--that hope
 which lies beyond the valley of the    
shadow and the grave--expresses it in   
this way3 ,but this ,i am resolved on3  
to run when ,i can1 to go when ,i cannot
 run1 and to creep when ,i cannot go4   
,as to the main1 ,i thank ,him that     
loved me4 ,i am fixed4 ,my way is before
 me4 ,my mind is beyond the river that  
hath no bridge1 though ,i am1 as you    
see1 but of a feeble mind4 ,mark that   
wonderful expression1 will you8--       
,my mind is beyond the river that hath  
no bridge4  ,is yours8 ,you--man1 woman1
 with all your senses1 of strong and    
sound mind1 can you give expression to  
an exclamation of faith like that8      
,there are some of my readers on whose  
head time has laid its hand and whitened
 their hair to the whiteness of that    
winter in which all their glory must    
fade4 ,their sun of life is going down  

beyond the hill of life4 ,the young may 
die2 the old must die4 ,oh1 the pity of 
it1 to see the old and gray with no     
eternal life insurance for the winter of
 life6 ,the gray head is indeed a crown 
of glory if it be found in the way of   
life2 otherwise it is a fool's cap4     
,reader1 may your eventide be light1 and
 may your path be as the path of the    
just that shineth brighter and brighter 
unto the perfect day6  ,thus we see that
 the grave is not the end4 ,we pass     
through the grave only in order that we 
may place our last climbing footstep    
upon the threshold of our ,father's     
house1 to go out no more4 ,then we shall
 dwell for ever there4 ,beyond the grave
 lie the ,plains of ,peace1 the         
,homeland--with all the loved who have  
gone before--those whom we have loved   
long since and lost awhile4      ,is the
 way so dark1 ,o wanderer1     ,is the  
hillcrest wild and steep1     ,far1 so  
far1 the vale beyond thee1     ,where   
the homelights vigil keep8     ,still   

the goal lies far before thee1     ,soon
 will fall on thee the night2           
,breast the path that takes thee onward1
     ,fight the storm with all thy      
might4      ,tho' thy heart be faint and
 weary1     ,tho' thy footsteps fain    
would cease1     ,journey onward--past  
the hillcrest     ,lie for thee the     
,plains of ,peace6      ,is thy path so 
rough1 ,o pilgrim1     ,passing on thy  
way through life2     ,deep the sorrows 
that beset thee1     ,great the burden1 
wild the strife8     ,tho' the hill of  
life be weary1     ,tho' the goal of    
rest be far1     ,set thy whole heart to
 endeavor1     ,turn thy soul to yon    
bright star4      ,from the toiling1    
from the striving     ,there at last    
shall come release2     ,one shall bring
 thee past the hillcrest1     ,home unto
 his ,plains of ,peace2     ,one shall  
bring thee past the hillcrest1          
,home1 ,home1 ,home unto ,his ,plains of
 ,peace6                                
--,clifton ,bingham