well cared for.

One day we read in the daily newspaper of some leading man in the
community who had fallen and brought discredit on the cause of Christ.
This unfaithful one was described as having been "an active member of
the church." Yes, that was the trouble. He was too active; he was not
passive enough. He had omitted to "lie down" and feed in "green
pastures" and drink by the "still waters" of God's Word and by prayer.

A friend tells us that while in the Orient he visited a Syrian shepherd.
He observed that every morning the shepherd carried food to the
sheepfold. On inquiry he found that he was taking it to a sick sheep.
The next morning the friend accompanied the shepherd and saw in the
sheepfold a sheep with a broken leg. The friend asked the shepherd how
the accident happened. Was it struck by a stone? Did it fall into a
hole? Did a dog bite it? How was the limb injured? The shepherd replied,
"No, I broke it myself."

In amazement the friend replied, "What, you broke it! Why did you do
that?"

The shepherd then told him how wayward this sheep had been, how it had
led others astray, and how difficult it had been to come near it. It was
necessary that something should be done to preserve the life of this
particular member of the flock, and also to prevent it from leading
other sheep astray. The shepherd therefore broke its leg and reset it.
This breakage necessitated the sheep's _lying down_ for a week or more.
During that time it was compelled to take food from the hand of the
shepherd. Thus had the compulsion of lying down cured the wandering and
wayward disposition of the sheep.

It is said that when a sheep will not follow the shepherd he takes up
the lamb in his arms--and then the mother follows.

So it sometimes happens with the children of God. Our Great Shepherd has
to lay us aside, put us on our backs, perhaps, for a while in order that
we may look up into His face and learn needed lessons. A little girl lay
dying. She looked up into the face of her father, who years before had
been a very active church worker, but on account of business prosperity
had drifted away from Christian moorings, and said, "Papa, if you were
as good as you used to be, do you think I would have to die?" God was
_making_ this man to "lie down," do you see?

A deacon in a Baptist church told me this story. When first married, he
and his wife observed family prayers every day. This worshipful spirit
continued for some ye