Another of the flock replies, “Have we not an able, faithful, experienced shepherd?  Have we not seen his ability to defend us in past dangers?  Is he not as much concerned for our defence and safety as ourselves?  While he is my shepherd, I shall not want.—­Yea, though I walk through those valleys of death-shade, I will fear no evil; for he is with me; his rod and his staff they comfort me.”

The shepherd carried with him two instruments—­the staff, for his own support, and to attack a beast or robber; and the crook, or rod.  By this crook, the shepherd guided a sheep in a dangerous pass, placing the crook under the sheep’s neck, to hold him up and assist his steps.  When a sheep was disposed to stray, the shepherd could hold him back with his crook.  When the sheep had fallen into the power of a beast, the crook assisted in drawing him away.  A good sheep loved the crook as much as the staff,—­to be guided, as well as to be defended.  Both of the shepherd’s instruments were a great comfort to the sheep, while passing through a frightful and dangerous valley.

The interpretation usually given to the words, “thy rod and thy staff”—­as though they meant “thy gentle reproofs and thy severe rebukes”—­is erroneous.  A sheep would hardly tell his shepherd that his chastising rod, and the heavy blows of his staff, comforted him.  The meaning is, It is a comfort to me to feel the crook of thy rod helping me in trouble, and to know that thy staff is my defence against wild beasts.

* * * * *

Through fear of death, many who are truly the followers of Christ, are, nevertheless, all their lifetime subject to bondage.  On whatever mountains, into whatever pastures, and by whatever streams, their Shepherd leads them, they know that there is a valley into which they must go down, and the imagined darkness and horrors of the place make them continually afraid.

A fear of death, without doubt, is frequently permitted, as a means of religious restraint.  Some, who have wondered at this trial all their life long, find that its influence is great in keeping them near to the Shepherd and Bishop of their souls.  If a flock could reason, no doubt the shepherd would make use of the fears of the sheep, in many instances, to keep them from going astray.  If one of them were inclined to wander, it would be natural for the shepherd to caution that sheep against the dark valley, warning him of its terrors, and making him feel how necessary it would be to have a shepherd there, with his crook and staff.  It may be that apprehensions with regard to death are the most powerful means, with some, of keeping them from going astray, and of holding their minds to the contemplation of spiritual things.

It has often been observed that those Christians whose fears of death were very great for a large part of their life, frequently die with triumph.  The reality is not such as they feared; they found support and consolation which they did not anticipate.