And such affiance in him obliged him, as it were, to display his mercy Hence the Publican went home justified, while the Pharisee returned in a state of condemnation"— Thus it is that God will deal with every humble suppliantHe will assuredly exalt us in proportion as we abase ourselves-] ADDRESS 1. Those who trust in themselves that they are righteous [Almost all, when interrogated about their souls, reply as this PhariseeP But we shall not stand or fall by a comparison with other men If we have been free from some sins, we have committed many others And if we have practised some duties, we have neglected many others As sinners we must all humble ourselves like the Publican— Nor is there a possibility of obtaining mercy in any other way¶_] 2. Those who are of a contemptuous spirit while they profess to believe in Christ [Many pride themselves on the knowledge of the gospel, as the Pharisee did on his virtues And speak as contemptuously of the unenlightened world as he did of the Publican Conceited, arrogant, contentious, they make the gospel itself an occasion of sin Well did St. Paul reprove such persons in the Corinthian church Let them remember that humility and love are the very essence of religion And beware, lest the higher they are exalted in privileges, the deeper they fall into destruction-] 3. Those who are low and vile in their own esteem [Never are you higher in God's esteem than when you are lowest in your own- Fear not but that they who trust in God's mercy shall find mercy at his hands Let that faithful saying of the apostle's sink deep into your hearts m Ps. cxxv. 1. Isai. xxvi. 3, 4. This is the import of that which the text expresses in a way of comparison. • Job xxxiii. 27, 28. sinners," &c. &c. r 1 Cor. iii. 3. and iv. 7. p" I am not the worst of 9 Prov. xxviii. 13. 1 John i. 8, 9. 1 Tim. i. 15. Look truly to the Saviour, and you may "go down to your house justified"t_ To every believing penitent he speaks as he did to that repenting sinner"] 'Christ emphatically says, "I say unto you," &c. CCLXIV. THE GOOD SHEPHERD. 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 importance of sound doctrine cannot be too strongly insisted on Error, especially in the fundamentals of religion, is as destructive as vice In innumerable instances it brings, both those who propagate, and those who receive it, into eternal ruin Hence St. Paul denounced anathemas against any one, even though he should be an angel from heaven, who should blend Judaism with Christianity Our Lord himself also spake of false teachers with indignation The Pharisees, while they rejected him, taught the people to look for salvation to their own ritual or superstitious observances Jesus therefore declared them to be only as " thieves and robbers," who, instead of belonging to the flock of God, sought eventually their destruction And, in opposition to their false doctrines, affirmed himself to be the only door of admission into the fold of God We shall consider I. The metaphor by which Jesus represents his own cha racter He had been delivering "the parable" of " the good shepherd' a The affirmation is exceeding strong, ver. 7. and it is repeated in b Ver. 6. 11. the text. In elucidating that, he speaks of himself as "the door of the sheepfold" The church of God is here compared to a sheepfold [All men in their natural state are wandering at a distance from Gode They neither acknowledge him as their shepherd, nor feed in his pastures— They are strangers to that flock which is under his immediate cared But in every age God has had "a chosen and peculiar people" In the days of Moses he brought them into a visible fold— Till the time of Christ all his sheep were kept within the pale of the Jewish church But our Lord announced his purpose to introduce the Gentiles also into his folde Now all who name the name of Christ are called his sheep— All however who are nominally his are not really sof— It is to be feared that his sincere followers still form but "a little flock"- But the truly upright, of whatever denomination they be, belong to him They are indeed often ready to cast out each other as aliens Nevertheless they are equally the objects of his superintending care-] Of this fold Christ is " the door" [Parts of Judea were probably still infested with wolvesThe sheepfolds therefore were better secured than oursPerhaps the entrance into them was guarded by a doorNow, what that door was to the fold, that is Christ to thechurch Every sheep must enter into it by faith in hims We are expressly said to have access unto God through him Nor indeed has there ever been any other way into the foldi It was the blood of the sacrifice which procured admission for the high priest within the vailk— Through that, all believers, from the very beginning, were brought nigh to God' And, through that, we also have boldness to enter into the holiest c Isai. liii. 6. f Rom. ii. 28. and ix. 6. i John xiv. 6. m Heb. x. 19, 20. d Eph. ii. 12. 8 Gal. iii. 26. Heb. ix. 7. 25. e Ver. 16. Some, it is true, have "climbed up into the fold some other way" They profess to be his without having ever believed in himBut they are regarded by him only as thieves and robbers→→→→s Nor will they ever be admitted into the fold above-] This description of Christ is of great importance II. The benefit of receiving him under that character There is no benefit which can accrue to a well attended flock, which does not arise to those who believe in Christ 1. Security [Protection is of unspeakable benefit to a defenceless sheep But who can estimate the value of salvation to an immortal soul? Yet, such is the portion of those who enter into the fold aright They shall be rescued out of the jaws of the devouring liono They shall be freed from the curse and condemnation of the lawP Death itself, disarmed of its sting, shall have no power to hurt them Every kind and degree of penal evil shall be averted from them He that is empowered, is also engaged to "save them to the uttermost" And this benefit he bestows because they "come unto God by him"] - 2. Liberty [A sheep left to wander on the mountains infested with wolves, might boast of its freedom from restraint But it would soon find what little reason there was to glory in such a privilege Its truest liberty is to submit itself to the direction of the shepherd Thus they, who live without God in the world, may boast of their liberty But their very freedom is, in fact, the sorest bondage And every moment they are in danger of everlasting destructiont It is far otherwise with those who have entered into the fold by Christ Whether at large by day, or inclosed by night, they feel no restraint— Through Christ they have all the liberty which their souls can desire" Secure of God's favour, "they go in and out" before him in perfect peace*-] 3. Provision [Good pasture comprises all the wants of an highly favoured flock And how rich, how abundant is that, which the sheep of Christ partake of!— There are "exceeding great and precious promises," on which they feed It is utterly their own fault if ever they experience a dearth David from his personal knowledge attests this truth— And God confirms it by an express promise to all his peoplea This privilege too, no less than the others, is the consequence of entering into the fold by the appointed door-] ADDRESS 1. Those who are wandering at a distance from the fold [Perhaps, like the silly sheep, you are insensible of your danger is But the more confident you are of safety, the more certain your ruin If they only, who enter in by the door, are saved, what can you expect? O consider, that the loss of bodily life, is not to be compared with the doom that awaits youNor do you know how soon that doom you may be inflicted upon Blessed be God, however, the door is yet open to all who come And the Saviour's declaration is yet sounding in your carsc He is even now desirous to bring you home on his shoulders rejoicingd Stay not then till the door be for ever closed upon you— Let the caution given by our Lord stir you up to improve the present momente-] 2. Those who are desirous of returning to God u John viii. 36. z Ps. xxiii. 2. c John vi. 37. * Ps. xxv. 13. y Ps. xxii. 26. |