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The Third Sunday in Advent.

EVENING SERVICE.-Second Lesson: 1 Peter v.

Verse 4.-"And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away."

THE ministers of the gospel are under-shepherds. They have been appointed to this office by Christ Himself. They are governed by the regulations which He has prescribed, and they are responsible to Him for the manner in which they fulfil the functions of their office. Their duties are to watch over, to instruct, and to feed the flock of Christ. Those duties are minutely pointed out by St. Peter in this chapter, "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock." When a person undertakes this office he undertakes a most responsible charge. He is not only accountable to God for his own soul's salvation, but also for the guidance of others to seek the salvation of their souls.

At this season we are especially instructed to pray for the under-shepherds. To pray, first that the minds of the bishops and pastors of Christ's flock should be guided and governed, "that they may lay hands suddenly on no man but faithfully and wisely make choice of fit persons to serve in the sacred ministry of His Church." We are secondl instructed to pray for those "who are ordained to any hol function, that by their life and doctrine they may set fort (His) glory, and set forward the salvation of all men." The fitness required is not merely a mind well stored with knowledge by a liberal course of collegiate education, but also actuated by the Spirit of God, so as to possess a sincere

desire to promote the glory of Christ, and to "spend and be spent" in winning souls to Him. God's people should always pray that a Divine blessing may accompany the labours of His ministers. We need your prayers. If an inspired apostle so earnestly solicited the Thessalonian Christians to pray for him and his fellow-labourers, how more need we the help of prayer! Brethren, I fear that it is too seldom you pray for your ministers. Too many come to a place of worship rather with the measuring line of a critic than with the prayerful feeling of the Christian. Be not surprised if you receive but little edification and comfort in the house of prayer, if you have not been on your knees asking God to give His "grace and heavenly benediction" to His minister who has been appointed to dispense unto you the word of life. The blessing is connected with prayer. The under-shepherds have an important duty to discharge. They have to "feed the flock of God," therefore they need your prayers. Then, when the duty is faithfully and disinterestedly done in the fear of God and for the good of man, there is a promise of a reward held forth in the text, "And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away."

This promise is not confined to the under-shepherds, but is extended to all the flock. In the word "ye" may be included both the shepherd and those given under his charge. "Ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away."

Let us observe, First, The character by which Christ is here represented; Secondly, His future advent; and Thirdly, The promise of reward given to His followers.

I. The character by which Christ is here represented : "The Chief Shepherd."

It would take us too long to enter fully into the duties of a temporal shepherd this evening; but whatever those duties. may be, they are all performed by our Saviour in connection with His people.

The duties seem to include that the shepherd watches over,

collects together, feeds, heals, leads, governs, reclaims, and defends the flock. All these functions Christ fulfils faithfully and completely.

He collects them by the ministry of the Gospel. He sends forth His ministers from east to west, from north to south, to collect His sheep into His fold, and in sending them forth He still enforces the original commission, "Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled."

When they are brought in He watches over them with the tenderest care. He feeds them with the bread of life-the heavenly manna that comes down from heaven. He waters them with living water which shall be in them a "well of water springing up into everlasting life." "He maketh (them) to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth them beside the still waters." As the children of Israel were fed in the wilderness, so that they neither died of hunger, nor perished of thirst, He still supplies all the temporal and spiritual wants of His people. Yes, Christian, "The Lord thy Shepherd is, and thou shalt never want."

Whilst He feeds He does not neglect the wounded and the bruised. "He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds." He has told us by the prophet Isaiah, "He hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted.... to appoint to them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness."

He also governs His flock by His Spirit, so that they are all taught to obey His will, and submit to His commands. They look up to Him as their Lord and Master, and knowing His voice they follow Him.

He leads them; He does not drive them. The parallel between our Saviour's treatment of His people, and that of the eastern shepherds of their flocks, is beautifully drawn by Isaiah in the 40th chapter. "He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with

young." When the shepherd goes before, and either calls, or plays upon his pipe, the sheep follow him, knowing that he watches over them, and that his object is to do them good. The voice of Christ is music to the ears of His people; they follow Him, and obey His voice.

He, again, reclaims the strayed ones of His flock. Like the man in the gospel, he goes after the lost sheep, and rests not until it is found.

Finally, He protects and defends His sheep from all danger and harm. He has provided for them a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain. Neither shall the inclemency of the weather nor the assault of foes, neither shall affliction nor trial, neither shall poverty nor riches, neither shall life nor death, hurt them under His protection. You may therefore, brethren, cast "all your care upon him, for he careth for you."

He is the Chief Shepherd, superintending and governing all the under-shepherds. Whatever capacity our Saviour holds, He holds it pre-eminently above all others. If he be King, He is the King of kings. If He be Lord, He is the Lord of lords. If He be priest, He is the Great High Priest. If He be Prophet, He is the Great Prophet. If He be Shepherd, He is the Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd, the Chief Shepherd. In all things He has the pre-eminence. We observe,

II. The future advent of the Chief Shepherd: "When the Chief Shepherd shall appear."

1. This appearance may be regarded as referring first to His coming to visit each member of His flock individually through the medium of death. Then every one shall see Him personally for himself; we shall "see him as he is," arrayed in all the radiant splendour of His heavenly kingdom. There need exist no doubt in the minds of God's people, but that immediately after death, their souls shall be conducted into the presence of their Redeemer. Christ Himself told the dying thief upon the cross: "Tc-day shalt thou

be with me in Paradise." St. Paul teaches us in his Epistle to the Corinthians, that to be "absent from the body" is to be "present with the Lord." And in the remarkable vision of the Isle of Patmos, St. John saw the multitudes standing round the throne and saying, "Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests." We look upon death as our direst foe. We cannot contemplate it with any degree of complacency, for it has robbed us of the dearest of our earthly friends. Neither can we anticipate it with any pleasure, as it will sever connexions to which we most tenaciously adhere. Still, when we think that death will convey us into the immediate presence of Him whom, though unseen, we love, it is divested of most of its gloom, and the river which we shall have to ford, appears to our hoping hearts calm and serene.

Here we commune with Christ through the medium of faith. We "see through a glass darkly, but then face to face." Some one or more of you may have a friend in a distant land; it may be in India, Australia, America, or any other country. You have never seen that friend personally, but you have often received communications from him. From the nature of those communications you have learnt to love him—you love him better than anyone else you know. You long to see him with all the ardency you possess, and to live with him would be the summit of all that could constitute your happiness. In his communications he invites you to him, assures you of a free and safe passage, and tells you that you shall be welcome to his home and bosom. You dread the passage, but so great is your love for your friend, that you believe his word, sink all your fears, and face the voyage. When you arrive, so much are you bent upon one object, that nothing else attracts your attention, you see nothing of the beauty of the place until your friend appears to meet you. Then, having held sweet converse with him, in his company you can realize the glory of surrounding objects. In the Christian you have a parallel case. He has a Friend in the dis