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You have heard of sheep-folds, places in which to keep the sheep on cold nights, and to preserve them from wild beasts. These folds have high walls all round them, and sharp thorns on the top to prevent enemies leaping over. Wolves cannot then get in; though leopards have sometimes been known to leap over, when very hungry. Even so the Church of Christ, which is His fold, and to which you all by being baptized belong in name, is not safe from enemies at all times. So long as the Church is on earth, the devil will work mischief; though the sheep need not fear, if they will but call out in earnest to their Shepherd to help them. He is stronger than all enemies. There are many shepherds mentioned in the Bible; and to be rich in sheep was considered a great blessing. Jacob kept Laban's sheep. His sons were shepherds. Moses was keeping Jethro's sheep, when God appeared to him in the burning bush. David was a shepherd-boy before he was King of Israel; and at one time he killed both a lion and a bear, when they attacked his sheep. And of course you remember the shepherds of Bethlehem, to whom that glorious company of angels appeared one bright starlight night, as they kept their flock, and proclaimed the birth of a Saviour who should save His people from their sins. Sheep (or rams, which are the male animals)

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were constantly used in very large numbers for sacrifice. When King Solomon dedicated (or opened) his beautiful temple at Jerusalem, he sacrificed one hundred and twenty thousand sheep besides twenty-two thousand oxen. (1 Kings viii. 63.) But sheep were very plentiful in the East, and are to this day; and rich men possessed many thousands. The rams were generally slain; and their skins dyed red. They were thus used for making part of the tabernacle in the wilderness. Do you remember the first mention of the ram? It was in that beautiful story of Abraham's obedience, when about to offer up his only son at God's command: but God, when He saw his faith, told him he need not, and provided a ram; which, caught by his horns in a thicket, was taken and offered in Isaac's place. The first-born of sheep were, under the Law of Moses, always to be given to God in sacrifice: and this should teach us, when God has given us riches, we should give him a first portion from them. Sheep are often used as emblems. Thus they were types of the Jewish nation (see Psalm lxxviii. 52, etc.); and often of Jesus, who was to be led "as a Lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb." (Isaiah liii. 7.) False prophets were like wolves in sheep's clothing; appearing outwardly mild and harmless, but inwardly wicked and cruel. And

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in one of our Saviour's discourses, he compares the righteous, in the day of judgment, to sheep, -which shall be on God's right hand; and the wicked to goats, on the left. (Matt. xxv. 32, 33.) I trust, dear children, you will all be on the right hand, when that awful day shall come. Lambs are the young of sheep, and Jesus calls children His lambs; and in His last command to Peter, Jesus tells him, not only to feed His sheep, but His lambs. A lamb was especially a type of Jesus. is called "The Lamb of God." (John i. 36.) When the Israelites ate the Passover, a lamb was the food chosen to make them think of Jesus, who should save them hereafter from their sins. A lamb was killed also every morning and evening by the Jewish high priest, constantly to remind the people of this. And from earliest ages a lamb was stamped upon the money they used. Jacob had this image on his money. You will see what I mean by looking at Genesis xxxiii. 19, in the margin or reference, on the right side of the verse. There is a beautiful parable of a little ewe lamb, told by the prophet Nathan to David. You may read it in 2 Sam. xii. And, lastly, do you ever think of that vision St. John saw of a Lamb in heaven, standing on Mount Sion, even Jesus, and "with Him an hundred and forty and four thousand, having His Father's

name written in their foreheads."

(Rev. xiv. 1.) That holy band were those who had washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb; and who "stand on a sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb," etc. (Rev. xv. 2, 3.) Dear children, I trust you will sometime sing that song, and be of that blessed number who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. (Rev. xiii. 8.)

Clean Animals.

PART II.

THE GOAT AND KID.

THE GOAT is not so well known in England as the sheep, yet it is somewhat like it in size, shape, and habits. Instead of wool it has hair for a covering, and a beard under its chin, and horns on its head, which, in danger, it sometimes uses for defending itself. The goat of Palestine has also very long ears, and is of a reddish brown colour; so that it is unlike the goat we generally see in England. It is very hardy and active. It can climb high mountains, and is so sure-footed, that it can get over the steepest rocks and places without danger. It is far less cowardly than the sheep, and can endure cold and heat in extremes much better also. When in flocks, one male goat always leads the rest; in this they differ from sheep, who depend upon the shepherd to guide them. (Jer. 1. 8.) The goat can eat all kinds of herbs, but likes best the bark and boughs of young trees. Its milk is much used, and is rich and strengthen

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