THE SHEPHERDS AND THEIR DOG.
By W. N. G.
JESUS CHRIST announced Himself as the "good Shepherd." John 10:11. The preeminent virtue of the good Shepherd is that He "giveth His life for the sheep." His peculiar manner of caring for the flock is to lead them; "He calleth His own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them, and the sheep follow Him; for they know His voice." Verses 3, 4. This represents Christ's manner of work. The Scriptures also represent His ministers as shepherds. Peter exhorts the elders to "feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." 1 Peter 5:1-4. If the under shepherd be true to his calling, he will follow the example of the chief Shepherd. He will do his work on the same plan, following the same principle, as that of his Master. He will use the same means that the Master used, feeding the flock with the same food with which the Master feeds them. He will go before the sheep, having the Spirit and therefore the voice of the Master; and He will feed them, as the good Shepherd did, on the Word of God. See Matt. 4:4; John 6:63; 17:14. The under shepherd who does not work in this way, and is not willing to give his life for the sheep, is a "hireling," and "careth not for the sheep." Now there are two ways of "herding" sheep in vogue among men. The oriental way, to which Christ likened His work, is to lead the sheep out to pasture, and lead them back to the fold. The Western way is to drive them back and forth. For this purpose dogs are used to a great extent. But the latter system gradually found its way into the church in the early centuries, and the shepherds began driving their flocks by means of the civil law. This system became almost universal, until the Reformation reintroduced the Gospel idea. The method of driving with dogs was considerably modified, as the head of the system received a "deadly wound." See Revelation 13. But for some time the prophecy of the healing of this wound has been in process of fulfilment. The wounded "head" has so far recovered as to be able to wield a very extended influence. In the United States we have the image to the "beast," or power, "which had the wound by a sword and did live." Therefore we see an ever-increasing inclination on the part of professed shepherds to use dogs in "herding" their flocks. The most popular dog is named Sunday Law. It is a kind of combination animal—the head is religious, and the body political. It is also undenominational and non-partisan. In fact, it is about the only point on which there is anything near "church unity." This dog will come at the beck or call of any one, religious or non-religious, who may entertain a prejudice against those who keep the Sabbath of the Lord according to the commandment. It will bark furiously at this class of people, and if sufficiently urged will bite quite savagely. But his masters—who claim to be shepherds under Him who sacrificed His own life instead of the liberties of his opponents—are training their dog Sunday Law to still further utility. By its help they hope soon to be able to "round up" not only their individual flocks of sheep but all other flocks, and even all the goats in the country. And then, on the "Christian nation" pretense, they will endeavor to turn in the whole lot to the chief Shepherd as actual sheep. In furtherance of this far-reaching purpose, these nominal under shepherds are feeding their flocks, and others as far as possible, not on the Word of God, but on a specially-prepared diet. Not only is it designed to strengthen the dog for a larger sphere of operations, but the people must be drilled to willing obedience. They have heard that the flock should obey the voice of the chief Shepherd, which is the commandment of God; but their professed shepherds are teaching them to obey the voice of the State in religious matters—beginning with the Sunday law as an entering wedge. This specially-prepared food which is being fed to "the flock," and the people in general, in lieu of the Word of God, is in the form of "Lord's Day Papers," and literature with other like alluring titles. There are two points which the professed under shepherds hope to gain as a result of a free use of this literature: (1) They hope to stimulate the people to such an extent that they will demand of the California Legislature a Sunday law for the State, and demand of Congress a national Sunday law. (2) They hope, by a great cry of, "Vox populi vox Dei!" to coerce the aforesaid Legislature and the national Congress to pass the required laws, on penalty of political boycott forever after. However, whether the game be successfully played this winter or not, the Word of the Lord is sure: the good Shepherd goes before His own sheep, and they follow Him: "for they know His voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him; for they know not the voice of strangers." John 10:1-5. Now any voice that is not the voice of the "good Shepherd" is the "voice of a stranger," no matter whether it be the voice of the State in reference to religion, or the voice of the "hireling" shepherd, or the voice of this shepherd's dog Sunday Law. We expect these professed shepherds will one day gain all they demand. We believe that prophecy plainly indicates that such will be the case; and our object in promulgating the truth concerning this Sunday-law movement is that the people may be faithfully warned that the voice which utters such a law is "the voice of a stranger," and not of the "good Shepherd." The voice, or law spoken by the voice, of God says that "the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord." And the Lord has positively added, "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in nowise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." But we are not contending that the State has no right to interpose its voice in matters of religion merely because Sunday is not the Sabbath. It has no right to add to or take from the law of God in regard to any day; and in doing so it puts an implement of persecution in the hands of any prejudiced or unprincipled individual who may be inclined or have opportunity to use it. And it is certain that they who seek such advantage over those who oppose their scheme, do so for the purpose of using that advantage. The good Shepherd never sought such advantage over any one, and no true disciple of His ever will. No, He did not sacrifice the sinners, but sacrificed Himself in behalf of sinners.