NINETY AND NINE.

ND the Pharisees and Scribes murmured, saying, This man

AND

receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.

And Jesus spake this parable unto them, saying,

What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Luke xv. John x.

NINETY AND NINE.

JESUS

ESUS is the sinner's friend, not the friend of his sins, but the friend of him whom he would separate from his sins and lead to God. Divine Love can never close and bolt the door of mercy against any soul, however far he may have wandered. The faithful shepherd leaves the ninety and nine safely grazing in the field, and searches through briar and thicket for this estray from God's fold. The faint bleat of a single lost lamb is louder in his ear than the roar of the tempest. He never rests till the lost is found, and then never drives it back, but lays the poor weary thing on his shoulder and bears it home with a glad heart. Because The Good Shepherd will always follow and bring us in, is it no matter where we stray? Because the lost will be found, is it

a slight thing to be lost?

Not more truly was the fish made for water or the bird for the upper air, than man for virtue, purity, and God. Sin clips the wings of the soul; leaves it to crawl on the earth instead of rising into the pure airs of holy living. Divine Love goes out to find the sin-sick child.

LITTLE CHILDREN.

THEN

HEN were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.

But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,

And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

Matt. xviii. xix. Mark x.

LITTLE CHILDREN.

HERE Jesus comes into the Home as the children's friend. He saw how near the throne they were. The lighthearted, happy children looked up into his sweet, calm face, knowing he loved them. How tender the invitation to come so close that he might lay his hands upon them, and tell them that, in the good time coming, the dear God had a great deal for every one of them to do. Think of the potential glory of a young life given to the highest. It is the inspiration of the Almighty that gives the understanding of childhood; an understanding which often puts to shame the doubts and misgivings of what we call our riper age. We permit the gates of care to shut off the young blood from our hearts before the time. We must receive the kingdom of God as a little child. What is it to be child-like? It is to be open-hearted toward God. It is to be rid of self-conceit, whose presence makes the heart poor. God help us to be more child-like, and pray and work and live more nearly

In His Name.

THE THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT.

BE ye therefore followers of God, as dear children.

For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in

the Lord: walk as children of light:

Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

And be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.

II Cor. iv. Ephesians iv. v.