They Will Go Away Of Themselves

One evening I went out with a shepherd to collect his sheep. After they had been gathered together, and were being driven off the moor, I observed that there were some among them who did not belong to his flock, I particularly noticed, aiso, that he paid no attention whatever to these wandering strangers, urged forward, though they were, by the barking dog, further and further from their rightful companions.

At last, thinking I must have been mistaken in supposing they were not his, I pointed to one or two of them, and said, “Are those your sheep?” And he answered, “No.” I said unto him, “Why, then, do you not separate them from the flock?”

And he answered, and said, “They will find out directly they are not of us, and then they will go away of themselves.” And immediately I remembered the words of John , and how he had said, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.”

Anon. 7300. CHUROH a Tree, The church is a tree. Strip off its leaves, it is stilla tree.

It can put forth new leaves. Rob a church of its membership, the Bible and a ministry still remain, and new members may be won. Strip off the limbs of a tree, it may put forth others. Rob a church of its ministry, it can develop another.

A church may lose its sacraments, and still be a church. Load a tree with poigonous vines, smother it with unclean things, it may possibly survive. So a church may be weighted down with auricular confessions, prayers to saints, and other superstitions, and yet it is possible they may die and it yet live and grow and clothe itself with beauty. But what of a tree without sap—a church without piety?

Better root it up and occupy its place with another. Dr. HE. O.

Haven.