Amen to that? Who does not feel the justice of it? Who does not wonder that it has not long since been executed on himself, for his base ingratitude to the Saviour? And who, if hell were at this moment to open and swallow him up quick, must not justify God, and say, "Righteous art thou, O Lord; and true and just are thy judgments?" Sure I am, that however we may attempt to palliate our ingratitude to him now, the time is coming, when "our mouths will be shut," and we shall be constrained to acknowledge that " we have received the just reward of our deeds"." But, brethren, “I hope better things of you, and things that accompany salvation:" and most gladly close my subject with that benevolent petition of the Apostle, "Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity! Amen and Amen"."

66

e Luke xxiii. 41.

SECURITY OF CHRIST'S SHeep.

:

John x. 27, 28. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

WHILST we acknowledge with gratitude the powers of reason in investigations of a speculative or temporal nature, we must be very jealous of its conclusions in matters that are purely spiritual or practical. In whatever relates to God and to the soul, its decisions are apt to be biassed by prejudice, or interest, or passion; and it yields, or withholds, assent, not so much according to the weight of evidence adduced, as according to the dispositions which are called forth into exercise. This was peculiarly manifest amongst the persons who attended on the ministry of our Lord: some were so wrought upon by the greatness of his miracles, and the impressive wisdom of his discourses, that they could not but receive him as the Messiah; whilst others were always complaining of want of evidence, and always cavilling at his words. In the preceding context we are told, that "the Jews came round about him, and said, How

long dost thou make us to doubt? if thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you; and ye believed not." He then informs them what the source was of their unbelief; "Ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep :" you are destitute of those gracious qualities which would have fitted you for receiving my word: had you been given to me by the Father, and possessed the dispositions which characterize my sheep, you would have both believed in me, and reaped all the benefits of that faith: "My sheep hear my voice; and I know them, and they follow me," &c.

In these words our Lord refers to a conversation which he had recently had with them respecting his sheep; and goes on to declare,

I. Their character

This is delineated with great simplicity:

1. They hear his voice

[Sheep that are well attended, are always observant of the shepherd's voice: so is the Christian also of the voice of Christ. Christ speaks to us in his word as truly as ever he spake to his Disciples in the days of his flesh and it is the delight of all his people to hear and obey his word. The inspired volume is to them a source, an inexhaustible source, of comfort: they read it, they meditate upon it, they pray over it, they "esteem it more than their necessary food." When they open it, they look up to their Divine Master, and say, "Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth;" "Open thou mine eyes, that I may see wondrous things out of thy law." Directions, warnings, invitations, promises, are all alike acceptable to them every thing that conveys to them the mind and will of their good Shepherd, is received with implicit faith, and unreserved obedience.]

2. They follow his steps

[In the written word they behold the path their Saviour trod; and wherever they see the traces of his feet, they endeavour to follow. They inquire not whether the way be arduous and self-denying, or perilous and beset with enemies; all that they desire is, to ascertain precisely the path of duty; and then to walk in it with steadiness and perseverance. They plainly see that their Shepherd is gone before them towards Zion, regardless of all dangers, indifferent to all the things of this world, and intent only on executing the will of

his heavenly Father; and thither they direct their steps, cultivating in every thing "the mind that was in him," and endeavouring "to walk as he walked."]

In proportion as they pursue this path, they augment,

II. Their happiness

The Lord Jesus Christ regards them with approbation

[It is true that he "knows them" all by name; nay more, he knows every thing relating to them, their wants, their weaknesses, their fears, their trials, their exertions, their desires. But the word in our text is intended to express the approbation with which their Shepherd notices their well-meant endeavours. And what can afford them greater happiness than the enjoyment of his favour? "In his favour is life; and his loving-kindness is better than life itself." Is it asked, How he conveys to them a sense of his favour? I answer, by "the witness of his Spirit," by "the testimony of their own conscience," by "shedding abroad his love in their hearts through the Holy Ghost." It is a certain truth, that "he will manifest himself to them as he does not unto the world:" and he "will give them the white stone, wherein is a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it"." In this sense of his love, they have a "peace that passeth all understanding," and "a joy with which the stranger intermeddleth not."]

He loads them with his richest benefits

[Whatever he bestows upon them in this world, it is but a taste before the banquet, a drop before the shower, a pledge and earnest of infinitely richer blessings in the world to come. "He gives unto them eternal life:" he has prepared other pastures for them in heaven, where all his sheep from the commencement to the end of time shall be collected, and form 66 one fold under one Shepherd." If their "joys" even here are sometimes "unspeakable," who shall declare the happiness reserved for them against that day? Never for a moment will they lose sight of their Beloved: they will hear his voice day and night: they will follow him incessantly without any weariness or difficulty: the richest images that can be borrowed from earthly things are incapable of conveying the smallest idea of the felicity that awaits them. And all this is given them; it is given them freely; it is given them now it is said in our text, not, "I will give them," but, "I give them :" the

a See Ps. i. 6. and 1 Cor. viii. 3. VOL. XIII. LL

b Rev. ii. 17.

very moment that they are brought home to his fold, he bestows it on them: they have instantly a right and title to it; and when they go hence, they go and take possession of it, not as a new gift which shall then be conferred, but as an inheritance, which by the surest of all titles, they have before been enabled to call their own.]

Their ultimate possession of these benefits is insured to them in such a manner, as warrants us to affirm and to rejoice in,

III. Their security—

Nothing shall be permitted to rob them of their inheritance

:

[Sheep may perish either from internal disorders, or from outward enemies and it should seem that the sheep of Christ also may fail of attaining eternal blessedness either through the corruptions of their own hearts, or through the assaults of their spiritual enemies. But against both these dangers their Shepherd has engaged to protect them: "they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of his hand." It is here taken for granted, that they are exposed to things, which, without the intervention of Omnipotence to prevent it, might terminate in their destruction: and every one of them feels that this is really the case. But Jesus guarantees, if I may so say, their safety: he has himself begun the good work in them, and he undertakes to perfect it: he "has laid the foundation in their hearts, and he will finish it, and bring forth the topstone:" he has reserved heaven for them; and he will keep them for it.]

For this Jesus pledges his own veracity and his Father's power—

[It is not asserted here, that they shall never be tempted: nor is it asserted that they shall never fall: but it is asserted that they shall never perish, nor be plucked out of their Redeemer's hand. What shall we say then? That they are at liberty to live in sin? No; there is no such licence allowed them. The way in which they shall be kept from perishing, is, by giving them "grace sufficient for them," by enabling them to mortify the deeds of the body," and by sanctifying them throughout "in body, soul, and spirit," and by "bruising Satan under their feet." In this way they shall be made "more than conquerors through Him that loved them." And, because Jesus was about to leave his Disciples, and to commit the keeping of them to his heavenly Father, he pledges himself, that his Father also, who was infinitely above all created

c 1 Pet. i. 4, 5.

Powers, yea, and greater than he himself also, as man, and as Mediator, should effectually preserve them; and that no enemy should prevail against them, unless he should first overcome Jehovah himself. This then being secured to them by a promise that cannot fail, and by a power that cannot be overcome, we may congratulate the sheep of Christ in the words of their good Shepherd; "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."]

Now because of the singular importance of this subject, we shall,

1. Guard it against abuse

[By referring the final issue of our warfare to the veracity and power of God, rather than to the faithfulness and diligence of man, it may be thought that we open a door for licentiousness of manners, or at least for carelessness and indifference in our spiritual concerns. But if it be recollected what has been stated as the character of Christ's sheep, (that "they hear his voice" and "follow his steps;") and what has been declared as to the manner of perfecting in them the good work, (that God enables them to mortify sin, and to vanquish Satan ;) what room can there be for the objection of its tending to licentiousness? If however there be any man disposed to say, 'God will not suffer me to perish, therefore I will be careless about my walk and conduct,' he needs nothing more to prove that he is not one of Christ's sheep; he has not the smallest resemblance to his sheep; he is altogether deaf to the voice of Christ; he walks in a way directly opposite to his; and, instead of vanquishing sin and Satan, he is overcome by them. Whatever therefore he may call himself, he is no other than a wolf in sheep's clothing. To imagine that he can attain the end without the means, is absurd; for God has ordained not only the end, but the means, and the end BY the means. See how clearly this is stated by St. Paul: "God," says he, "hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth." To what hath God chosen us? to enjoy the means of grace? to possess heaven, if we can earn it by our good works? No; he has chosen us to salvation, even " to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." But has he left it to our choice in what way this end shall be attained? No: he has appointed "sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth," as the way to it and if we are not proceeding in that way, it is in vain to think of ever attaining that end. If we choose to walk in sin, we may; but it will infallibly lead us to perdition: holiness is

d 2 Thess. ii. 13, 14.