December 29 — On the Gospel of the good Shepherd (John x,) read on the Feast of Thomas of Canterbury

Consider, first, that the Son of God, by his incarnation and birth, did not only come amongst us to be our Father, and to be our Head, our King, our Priest and our Sacrifice, our Brother and our Friend, our Physician and our Advocate, &/C., but also recommends himself to us in this gospel, under the amiable quality of the good Shepherdy and Pastor )f our souls. I am the good Shepherd y saith he, v. 1 1: the good Shepherd giveth his life for his sheep. But the hireling y and he that is not the shepherdy who is not the owner of the sheep y secth the wolf coming y and leaveth the sheep y and runneth away; and the wolf cat diet h and scatter eth the sheep; hut the hireling runneth away y because he is a hire ling; and he hath no concern for the sheep, I am the good Shepherd; and I knmo minCy and mine know me. As the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father: and I lay down my life for my sheep, &c. O Christians, how happy are we in such a Shepherd; so great, so good, so loving, so careful of our true welfare! O, he is the good Shepherd indeed that came down from heaven, to seek the poor sheep that was lost; and when he had found it, he took it upon his own shoulders, to carry it home, with joy, to his heavenly fold, Luke xv. O how dearly have his sheep cost him! O how truly has he made good in himself that sentence, that the good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep I O let us ever em brace and love, follow and obey, this true Shepherd of our souls.

Consider, secondly, how many ways this heavenly Shepherd is daily providing for all the necessities of his sheep, and the tender affection he perpetually shows them. The Lord ruleth me, (or, as it is in the original, is my Shepherd,) saith the Psalmist, (Ps. xxii,) and I shall want nothing: He hath set me in a place of pasture. Yes, Christians, he has placed our souls here in the midst of the rich pastures of his divine word and sacraments, in the communion of his church. He hath brought us up by the streams of the living waters of his grace, which are ever flowing to refresh and nourish us. He conducts us to thepaphs of justice; he converts our souls; he is with us, even when wc are walking the midst of the shadow of death: his rod and his staff still comfort and support us. But, O, give ear, my soul, to what follows in the same psalm. Thou hast prepared a table before me against them that afflict me. Thou hast anointed my head with oil; and my chalice which inebriateth me, how goodly is it! Here are benefits indeed of this divine Pastor of our souls: he has prepared a table for us, in which he feeds his sheep with his own most sacred body and blood: he anoints our heads with the divine oil of his holy Spirit; and he inebriates us with the goodly chalice of his passion, continually offered up on our altars, to be a plentiful source to us of all heavenly grace. And in consequence of all these favours, already bestowed on us, he encourages us to conclude with the royal prophet, that his mercy will follow us all the days of our life; and that we shall dwell in the house of the Lord, unto length of days, even to a happy eternity.

Consider, thirdly, what we owe, in quality of the sheep of Christ, to this divine Shepherd. He tells us, (John x. 3, 4, 5,) that his sheep hear the voice of their Shepherd; that he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out; that he goeth before them, and that the sheep follow him, because they know his voice: but a stranger they follow not, but fly from him, because they know not the voice of strangers. And again, fv. 27, 28,) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give them eternal life; and they shall not perish for ever; and no man shall snatch them out of my hand, Christians, do we stick close to this heavenly Shepherd? Do we follow him both by our faith and by our life? Do we know him, and hear his voice? Do we fly from strangers, the world, the flesh, and the devil? If so, we are his sheep indeed: if we persevere, he will bring us, in spite of the world, the flesh, and the devil, to the pastures of eternal life. But if we run away from our Shepherd, to follow these strangers, we must expect to fall a prey to the wolves.

Conclude to embrace your divine Saviour, under this amiable character of the Pastor and Shepherd of your souls; and as nothing has been wanting on his side to fulfil, in the utmost per fection, even beyond all expression and imagination, every p»-r. of the character of the good Shepherd, see nothing be wanting on your side, to fulfil, by a perpetual correspondence with bis grace, every part of the character of good sheep.