and attention. The office or character of a fhepherd evidently comprehends this in it. These are fome of his effential duties. A fhepherd without care or concern for the flock is an abfurdity. Such an one our Lord declares is not the fhep. herd, but an hireling, a thief and a robber, that careth not for the fheep, and when the wolf cometh, he fleeth. But the true shepherd hath a genuine concern for the interest and welfare of the flock. This is the defign of his character, and the object of his highest attention.

When Chrift is ftiled a fhepherd, it denotes that the intereft of the flock lies near his heart. Its welfare is the object of his inceffant attention. There are no moments in which he feels indifferent to its fafety, or in which his agency is not employed for its happiness.

Jefus Chrift has the heart and temper of a fhepherd, the most careful and tender feelings towards his fheep. All this proceeds from the kindeft affection. Love is the fource of every branch and inftance of it. No other principle can influence him in the part which he performs. "He is the fhep"herd of Ifrael who never flumbers nor fleeps." He can derive no advantages herefrom, no acceffion to his glory, nor addition to his blifs. The benefits and advantages in this cafe are all in favour of the sheep. He loves them with the most ardent affection, so that he gave up his life for them.

The love of Chrift to his people is two fold, commonly called a love of benevolence and a love of complacency. They are the objects of the one or the other according to the different conditions in which they are, in a ftate of nature or in a ftate of grace. His love in the latter fenfe is exercised only towards believers, to those who are his actual members by a true and living faith: hence they are defcribed as those who hear his voice and follow him. They refpect, love and ad

mire him as their fhepherd, and they will not follow another. None can be the objects of this kind of love, only thofe, who have fome amiable qualities and principles in them, or some thing in a spiritual fenfe lovely belonging to them. Now none of the fons of men have any thing of this kind in them, until they are converted and have put on Chrift and his righteoufnefs by faith; for it is grace and holiness which is the reason of their loveliness. Hereby they become fubjects of what is amiable, and thus objects of divine complacency.

But a love of benevolence is extended to all. Hence fays our Lord in the context, "Other fheep I have which are not

of this fold, them alfo will I bring and they fhall hear "my voice; and there fhall be one fold and one shepherd." Thefe alfo in the proper time fhall be brought unto me, be. lieve on my name, and be taught of the father. Therefore he prays not only for those who have believed already, but for all fuch who should come unto him in future. "Neither, " fays he, pray I for thefe alone, but for them also who fhall "believe on me through their word." Now while they are his people in this general sense, remaining in ftupidity, security, impenitency and unbelief, they can only be objects of his love of benevolence. And this love induced him to lay down his life for all, even for those who were enemies. "While. "we were yet enemies Chrift died for us."

Again, the care of Jefus Chrift, the great and good fhep.. herd, extends to all his fheep without exception; his love is without partiality. His regard to them is not regulated by the figure they make in the eyes of the world. His affection. is built on a very different ground. Nay, it appears from the holy fcriptures, that the confideration which gives things value in the fight of men, often renders them contemptible in the fight of God. This feems to be the amount of a general obfervation of our Lord. "What is highly esteemed among

"men is an abomination in the fight of God." Jefus Chrift feeth not as men fee. They look on outward appearances and profeffions, but he looketh at the heart. Neither eircumcifion nor uncircumcifion with him availeth any thing, but the new creature, faith, and keeping the commandments of God. All who are of this spirit and character, are the objects of Christ's affection and care, because these are of the father, from whom cometh down every good and perfect gift. Every fuch perfon pertains to Chrift and is a part of his pastoral charge, however hated by the world, or loathsome in their own eyes.

Some true faints who belong to the sheep-fold of Christ, are full of doubts, hesitations, and mifgivings of foul. Divers circumstances and reflections conspire to make them draw the gloomy conclufion, that they appertain not to Jefus, nor are they fubjects of his fpecial care as the fhepherd of Ifrael. They are fometimes in fuch a fituation from fears within and troubles without, that aftonishment lays hold upon them, and the painful fufpicions gather ftrength from every view they take of their heart and life, that they are not chriftians, that they have no intereft in his diftinguishing love. If I had, fays the foul, how comes it to pafs that things are thus with me? Deep calleth unto deep; inward darknefs joined with outward afflictions. They are often bemoaning themfelves with fuch bitter lamentations as thefe; alas ! for this day is great, it is the time of fore and complicated troubles. They are frequently adopting the mournful language of Job, "Be "hold, we go forward but he is not there, and backward, but

we cannot perceive him; on the left hand where he doth work, but we cannot behold him, he hideth himself on the " right hand, that we cannot fee him." "O that we knew "where we could find him, that we might come even to "his feat." Thus many a time their diftrefs is eminent, and their anguish poignant. When their melancholy circumstan. ces would feem to call for fome token of his favour, fome

fmile of his loving kindness, he maketh clouds his covering and darkness his pavilion. This is a state of infelicity beyond defcription. The sheep befet with dangers, affaulted with temptations, and furrounded with diftreffes, the shepherd abfent, and none to help or comfort. Sufpicions and fears refpecting Christ's affection are painful and afflictive to the faint beyond measure. The fpoufe perhaps alludes to this cafe when the pours forth this moft earnest petition and fervent request, "Set me as a feal upon thine heart, as a feal upon "thy arm, for love is stronger than death and jealousy more "cruel than the grave."

But amidst all this difcouragement, darkness, diffidence and dread, the good fhepherd is at hand, and whispers to them "Son be of good cheer, thy fins are forgiven. His care is extended to his fheep, and his agency exerted for their fupport. He interpofes and difperfes every cloud, in fuch a way as shall display to them the good pleasure of his goodness.

If a tender fhepherd shuts up a particular sheep for a season, and fecludes it from the privileges of the flock, yet in this case it is always an act of care, to preferve it from fome evil, or to heal it of fome disease.

The care which Chrift exercifes toward his people is pecu. liar; it is different from that common providence which he exercifeth toward the world in general. The acts and instan ces of it are peculiar, and the fruits and effects of it are so alfo. They are the fubjects of his common providence as well as others, but they are moreover the fubjects of thofe special acts of gracious tendernefs and affectionate care, which he performs as the fhepherd of his fheep.

This leads,

Secondly, to confider what thofe important acts denote, which he performs toward his fheep. And they may be res duced to thefe three, feeding, leading, and protecting them.

First, Jefus Chrift, as the good shepherd of his flock, feeds: them. It is one of the chief and principal branches of a shepherd's office, to feed the flock committed to him. In this refpect Chrift acts the part of a liberal and beneficent fhepherd. It is true he does not now feed it in perfon. His person is in heaven, which must contain him till the restoration of all things. He appears not in perfon to any on earth, neither are any admitted here to behold his personal glory, any otherwife than by faith in the reprefentations of it given in his word. It is herein and hereby his people, as in a glafs, behold hisglory. In the future world they fhall behold it in his person, as, in believing, they now do in the facred fcriptures.

The way in which Chrift feeds his fheep here, is by providing pastures and food convenient for them. These pastures are his word and ordinances. They are adapted and defigned to answer this purpose; they are intended as the means for the fupport and nourishment of the new creature, until it shall arrive at the stature of a perfect man in Chrift Jefus.

The end of pafture is not answered unless it ftrengthens and promotes the growth of the creature, fo the intention of the word and ordinances will not be accomplished, unless they comfort, edify, and strengthen chriftians; and if they produce not this nourishing effect, it forms a ftrong prefumption that they are not Chrift's fheep. The word and ordinances are not in themselves thus nutricious, or the mere use of them would be fufficient; but as we find this effect doth not follow of courfe, we must therefore confider them in another point of view. It is not in them, nor in those who adminifter them, as