things to you, not only to assure you that if such is your state, your religion is nothing worth in the eyes of God, and utterly sickening to the gentle, long-suffering Jesus; but I also wish to remind you of a fact to which your own experience will bear witness, that if such is your state, your religion is neither comfort nor satisfaction to yourself. Other things may delight you, or seem to do so; other things may comfort you, or seem to do so; but the christian faith, and the hidden life of glory certainly do not; you are quite indifferent to them. All other things will pass from you, and you will pass from them. Oh! shall the life of glory, which is your's to all eternity if you are Christ's, shall that pass also from your grasp for ever? It may be now within reach, but the time shall assuredly come, when, if you continue as you now are, turning from the arms of mercy which are stretched out to you, you shall stretch forth your arms, but in vain. The glories of heaven shall be passing away from your sight, and the arms of wicked angels shall be wound closely around you, while they are bearing you away swiftly and forcibly to their own dismal dwelling place. But, let us turn from so frightful a picture. You are yet spared, and we are yet allowed to stand and preach before you the unspeakable love, the unsearchable riches of

We

Christ, to point out to you One who is able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by Him, to tell you that from His own mercy seat we hear a voice speaking, "Why will ye die?" We hear an invitation given, "Come unto me!" Do you say, I cannot come. bid you behold the third person of the eternal Godhead descending as a Dove upon the head of Him who is your covenant Head, and not only upon His head but upon the head of every one whose spirit is ineekly bent in prayer, for the outpouring of that Holy Comforter. He is the Lord and Giver of life to all who seek Him. He will make you willing in the day of His power, and give you power in the day of His willingness, and now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation!

SERMON X.

THE SHEEP AND THEIR SHEPHERD.

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JOHN X. 9.

I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."

THE people of the eastern world, where our blessed Lord dwelt and taught while on earth, were accustomed to parables, and figures of speech. That which may seem dark and perplexing to the natural understanding of one of us, would not be so to the mind of an Arabian, or a Jew. There was, indeed, something peculiarly captivating to the people of the East in such language, and to this day they love and use it. I have seen letters from great men in those far countries, where almost every expression was in itself a picture or a figure of what we should have written in plain words. The Holy Bible is full of such figures of speech, it is

as bright and sparkling with their glorious lustre as a casket full of precious gems. All that is rich and grand and beautiful in earth and air and sea are gathered together to set forth the mind of God in His dealings with the rebel man; the gospel itself (to give one instance) being the one pearl of great price. Jesus spoke on this occasion to them by a figure more homely, but not less beautiful, not less striking to a people whose fathers had long dwelt in tents and lived a shepherd's life, and whose riches often lay in flocks and herds. He spoke of, shepherds and their sheep. But there were subjects the mere mention of which deadened at once the glowing imagination of his hearers; and as it was with them, so it is with ourselves. Do you ask what they are? They are spiritual subjects. The dull, dead, carnal mind, turns from them with coldness, or disgust, or an utter lack of interest; and this is from no want of comprehensión in the understanding, but from a dislike to spiritual things, in fact, to the things of God.

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Jesus spake a parable unto them. Verily verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice; and he calleth his

own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers." This parable spake Jesus unto them; but you hear what is added, “but they understood not what things they were that He spake unto them." He then gave them a full explanation of the parable and its holy and precious doctrine, but, as you will find at the end of His discourse, there was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings;" and the conclusion to which some, nay many of them came, was that our most holy and gracious Lord (I shudder to speak the words,) "had a devil and was mad." Let us return to the verse of the text, but let us return to it in the spirit of meekness and prayer for the teaching of God the Spirit." O Lord God of our salvation! we meekly come before Thee; open our eyes to behold the true Light rising with healing in His wings before us. Enable us to behold in Him the wisdom of God, and the power of God, and to receive from Him the peace of God which passeth all understanding. In His name we seek the knowledge of Him, and to Him, with Thee and the Holy Ghost, we ascribe all glory, both now and for ever. Amen."