thirst, let him come unto me and drink." Some are addressed to the burdened soul: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Some are addressed to the hungry: "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled." Some to those who feel themselves prisoners: "Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope." But here is the freest invitation possible. It is addressed to any man: "If any man enter in, he shall be saved." It is not like the door of some of the great people of this world-open only to the great and the rich, and the beautiful and the gay. This door is open to all people, and any man may enter in. The beggar Lazarus was laid at the rich man's gate. He was not allowed to enter in. But Christ was an open door to him. It is not like the door of some churches, where none but the rich and the gay must enter-none but those who wear fine clothes-that have a gold ring on their hand, and a fine robe. No; Christ says: "If any man enter in, he shall be saved". "To the poor the Gospel is preached ""Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled."

Some may say: I have committed open sins-sins of which it is a shame even to speak; so that if men knew, they would stone me. Still Christ says: "If any man enter in, he shall be saved." Some may say: I have despised Christ all my days-sinned against godly parentsgodly teachers against my Bible-against my conscience -against the Holy Ghost striving with me. Still this is His word who cannot lie: "If any men enter in, he shall be saved." Of whatever rank, or age, or sex, you be-of however deep a dye your sins may be-you are invited to

enter in.

2. What? Enter in. Many content themselves with hearing about the open door. They like to hear the Gospel preached. They know about the way of salvation. They can talk about it. Still, they do not enter in. They do not experimentally go through the door into the sheepfold. They do not forsake all their sins-all their worldly companions, for Christ. They do not appropriate Christ. They do not wash in his blood. They do not put on Christ as their righteousness. They are never at rest-never taste forgiveness. Oh! mark the word: "If any man enter in.” Many come up to the door. Like Agrippa, they say:

"Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." They see the folly and vanity of the world. They feel deeply their lost and ruined condition. They desire to be saved through Christ. But, when they come to the door, they do not enter in. When they come to the point-when they must forsake all-when they must cut the cord that binds them to the world-when they must leave Pharaoh's palace, and bear afflictions with the people of God-they pause and draw back-they do not enter in. They do not choose Christ for better for worse-for life and for death.

Many see others enter in. Many not only hear about the door, and come near it, but see others enter. Still they do not enter in. They see a brother, or sister, or friend, giving up all for Christ; and yet they do not enter in. Ah! my brethren, do not rest in mere convictions. Conviction is not conversion. Concern about your soul is not faith in Christ. Many look in at the door, who go away sorrowful.

III. The promise: "He shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. . . . . . I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

1. Salvation. All who are without are unsaved. "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without."-Col. iv. 5. "Without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world."-Eph. ii. 12. "For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie."-Rev. xxii. 15. All who come short of Christ, come short of salvation. All who do not come to God through the blood and righteousness of Christ, must come naked, guilty, exposed to everlasting wrath, and shall be frowned away into outer darkness. But he that entereth in shall be saved. Jesus here gives his word for it. Enter in by me, and you shall be saved. Immediate pardonimmediate entrance into the love and smile of God-is the portion of all that enter in. You will be pardoned all the sins that you have done the moment you receive the Lord Jesus Christ. Free, full, immediate salvation, is what Jesus gives.

2. Liberty: "He shall go in and out." This alludes to the sheep. When sheep are gathered into the fold, then they are at perfect liberty under the care of their shepherd. They go in and out. They are cared for and treated as

dear sheep. Ah, brethren! "if the Son make you free, ye shall be free indeed."-John viii. 36. There is no freedom like that of Christ's flock. As long as you are of the world, you think that to be a Christian is to live a dull, strict life -to give up all pleasure. But the reverse is the truth. The pleasures of the world are not to be compared with those of the Christian. 66 Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin." It is true slavery, to serve sin. Sin is the hardest of all slave-masters: "The wages of sin is death." But Christ's sheep go in and out. They have true, genuine liberty-the same freedom that God and Christ havefreedom from the power of sin.

3. The pasture: "Shall find pasture"-more than life. The soul that enters in by the door is not only saved, but sanctified-set free, filled, enriched for eternity. Jesus will never suffer you to want, here or hereafter. The saved soul shall verily be fed. Even though under-shepherds be removed-though Scotland be made desolate, the witnesses slain, and God's people scattered-still verily they shall find pasture.

LECTURE XVII.

I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD.

"I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep."-JOHN x. 11-15.

IN the preceding verses, we have seen that Christ is the door into the sheepfold. Now let us regard him as the shepherd of the sheep. Christ is represented to us in Scripture under a great variety of names and titles. There are more than a hundred different names applied to Christ in the Bible. He is the rose of Sharon, the apple tree, the

plant of renown, the bridegroom, the husband, the friend of sinners, the door, the way, the true vine, &c. The reason is, that no one name fully describes Immanuel. He is so full, so wonderful, so filled with treasures of grace to the needy soul, that all the names in the Bible do not half describe him. Here is one of the sweetest: "I am the good shepherd." May God draw you this day to put your lost souls in his hand!

We understand things best by contrast. For this reason Christ here contrasts himself with the hireling.

I. The hireling.

1. He is an hireling. It is quite right for ministers to preach for hire: "Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn "Even so hath the Lord ordained, that they who preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel." -1 Cor. ix. 14. It is not desirable that God's ministers should waste their strength in other occupations, so that they must needs be maintained. But unfaithful ministers make hire the end of their ministry. So they did long ago. "Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain from his quarter.”—Isa. lvi. 11. "For from the least of them unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely."-Jer. vi. 13. "Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves: should not the shepherds feed the flocks?" So Paul complains of those in his day: "I have no man like-minded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's."-Phil. ii. 20. Ah! this is the black mark of every unfaithful minister. He is an hireling--he seeks his own-his own ease-his own profit-his own honour.

2. Whose own the sheep are not.-Verse 12. He has neither part nor lot in the sheep. Faithful pastors have a peculiar relation to the sheep. There is a peculiar tie between a minister and the people saved under him—a tie that will never be dissolved. They are fathers: "Though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel."-1 Cor. iv. 15. 66 'My little children of whom I travail in birth again, until Christ be formed in you."-Gal. iv. 19. "Unto Timothy, my own son in the

not

faith."-1 Tim. i. 2. "I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds."-Philem. 10. Those saved under them are to be their crown: "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming; for ye are our glory and joy."-1 Thess. ii. 19. Not so careless ministers, whose own the sheep are not. Instructors they

may be, but not fathers., God, in general, does not own them in the conversion of souls. They have no sons in the faith. They have no crown in the presence of the Lord Jesus at his coming.

Faithful

How remark

3. He careth not for the sheep.-Verse 13. pastors have a peculiar care for the sheep. ably is this exemplified in the case of Paul? (1.) He prayed for them: "I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you."-Col. ii. 1. "God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers." Rom. i. 9. "We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you."-Col. i. 3. (2.) What labours he underwent for them: "Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons."Acts xx. 18. "Remember that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one day and night with tears."-Verse 31. "And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved."-2 Cor. xii. 15. "So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you not the Gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the Gospel of God."-1 Thess. ii. 8. (3.) What tears did he shed for them: "For, out of much affliction and anguish of heart, I wrote unto you with many tears."2 Cor. ii. 4. "I fear lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many that have sinned already."-2 Cor. xii. 21. "For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you, even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ."-Phil. iii. 18. (4.) What joys over them: "Now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord; for what thanks can we render to God for all the joy