which He will one day welcome all His chosen ones, where they will be as one united flock, in the very presence of their Shepherd.

Be thankful for the Church in which you are now sheltered. I do not mean the building. I mean the Company of God's people, to which you are joined. I mean that Church, which provides you with Ministers, which teaches you sound doctrine, which puts right words into your mouth, which guides you on the pathway to heaven. The folded Sheep become attached to the very enclosure which gives them shelter. And we should love our Church, as we would love the Mother who cares for us, bears us in her arms, and hides us in her bosom. We should be thankful for the means of grace so mercifully provided for us. We should use them as helps by the way, till we are permitted to join "the general assembly and church of the first-born, which are written in heaven."

Secondly, I will say a word or two about the Sheep, which compose this Fold. They are those who have entered into Christ's Church

at Baptism. We were then numbered among the Saviour's flock. He gathered us into His arms, and received us into His bosom.

Oh that we all valued this high privilege! Oh that we all loved our Shepherd, and were true members of His flock! But alas we have wandered and strayed from the right path, and have turned each one to his own way. And some never return. The Fold has no charm for them. They have no taste for the pleasant pastures, into which the Saviour would lead them; and they never reach the Fold above.

Are we among the Saviour's sheep? Have we His mark upon us-the mark of God's elect? Is our spot "the spot of His children"? If so, although the world may not know us; He knows us, and we know Him. And we can look up, and say, "The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters."

Thirdly, there are False Shepherds, of whom the Parable speaks. There were many of these in our Lord's day, and there are many

now.

Satan has his agents in the world, as well as Christ-powerful, willing, active agents. There are those who are bent on doing his work. It may be, they are in the sheepfold, among the sheep, but they have not entered by the door. They are opposed to Christ, and hate His gospel. Instead of leading men to Him, they draw them from Him.

There are many such Teachers in the present day. You meet them in the railway. You hear them in the streets of London. You read their words in the infidel newspaper.

How sad to be destroyers, instead of healers to scatter poisoned seed, instead of truth-to ruin men's souls, instead of saving them!

May we know and love the voice of the good Shepherd! May it have brought such peace to our souls, that the voice of false shepherds may grate upon our ears, and we may flee from it as from the voice of strangers! Let the words of our Collect be often upon our lips, "O Almighty God, grant that thy Church, being always preserved from false

Apostles, may be ordered and guided by faithful and true pastors.

But, fourthly, Who is the True Shepherd? I need say but little on this. For if you examine what our Lord says of Himself, in the remaining verses of this chapter, it will plainly shew you how great and glorious a Shepherd He is. Think of Him caring for His sheep-laying down His life for themgoing before them, as I have sometimes seen a shepherd putting himself at the head of his flock, and leading them on into this or that pasture-field-not driving them, but leading them-not forcing them to follow him, but gently calling them with his voice of love.

Such is our Shepherd. Safe indeed, and happy, is our condition, if we are living near to Him, trusting His gracious care, and looking to Him for daily and hourly keeping.

There is one more point to touch uponthe Door. Jesus, as we have seen, is both the Shepherd of the sheep, and also the Door of the Fold.

He is the Door. Then you and I cannot

draw near to God-we cannot make one step towards the Fold-except through Him. “No man cometh unto the Father but by me."

"I am the Door." Blessed be His name for having told us this! If Christ had not given Himself for us, then Heaven would have been like a high sheepfold, which no man could enter. We might seek to climb up, but in vain. We should be treated only as thieves and robbers. But now each one of us may enter by the open door. We have only to ask, to seek, to knock, and it shall be opened unto us.

And how blessed will it be, when we reach the Fold above! There will be no dangers to terrify us there-no lack of pasture thereno false shepherds there no solitary ones there. The Sheep and the Shepherd will be together: "he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them." We may be parted from one another here. Our happy ties may broken asunder. But if they are Christian ties, they will be again renewed. We shall be as one family in our Father's house-one Fold and one Shepherd.

be