in miry puddles, like fome animals of a different fpecies or kind. It avoids from its nature every thing of this fort, and every approach to all degrees thereof. A peculiar instinct of nature canfes it to fhun all fuch places. Remove every reftraint which threatened danger may form, and from a natural antipathy to fuch things, it is fhy of and flees from them. If it accidentally falls into the mire, it quickly arifes and springs from it, as if it had received fome foul difgrace, or a great and lasting injury. It chufes places clean and dry from a native propenfity to them.

This is the conduct of Chrift's fheep, of every true faint. The tendency of their nature which they received from the fpirit of grace, is to purity and holiness. The breathings of their hearts are to be holy as God is holy. And their daily prayer is, "O God create in us a clean heart, and make us of "pure hands." They avoid fin and moral defilement, not only from the dangers to which it exposes them, but likewife from its difagreeableness to their new nature. If at any time they fall into iniquity, they continue not therein, but arise again by repentance and repair anew to the blood of Jefus for cleanfing and purification. Sheep have many difficulties to struggle with, so christians have numerous trials in this world. Within often are faintings, and without are fears. And if Jefus the great and good fhepherd did not interpose, refcue, deliver and fupport, who could be faved? But precious is his grace, and compaffionate his heart, when his poor sheep are ready to be devoured by every prowling beaft, and overwhelmed in every flough, his own almighty arms form a defence around them, and bring falvation.

Thirdly, fheep have a natural tafte and fagacity to dif cern their proper food. They can diftinguish the wholesome and nourishing, from the poisonous and mortal plant. How

ever artfully it may be mingled with their provender, they will difcern and carefully avoid it. Some naturalifts have obfer ved, that they poffefs this fagacity in a fuperior degree, fo that they will pick out that which is proper and nourishing, while they leave that which is noxious and unwholesome.

Thus the fheep of Chrift have a tafte and difcernment of a moral and spiritual kind, of the fame ufe and efficacy. They can discover what doctrine is wholesome and true, and what not; what is agreeable to their new nature, and what is other wife. However falfe doctrine may be coloured and disguised, and they may be impofed upon by it for a time, yet afterwards they find it is not fit food for them, their fouls cannot live and thrive upon it; it is not the fincere milk of the word, and they Cannot grow thereby. Nothing can be proper food for a fpiritual nature, only that which is fpiritual and fuitable to a Spiritual tafte. This fpiritual difcernment does not strictly depend upon laboured reasonings, great powers of mind or extensive speculative knowledge; but perfons of the feebleft un derstandings, and whofe knowledge is very limited and contracted, in fome good measure poffefs this holy qualification. For the inspiration of the Almighty giveth this understanding. They have an unction from the holy one, whereby they know. all things. It is in regard to this fpiritual difcernment the apostle declares, "He that is fpiritual judgeth all things." To this alfo he has refpect, when he speaks of chriftians having their fenfes exercised to difcern good and evil. It is allowed there is a tafte in painting, poetry, architecture, and other branches of art; why fhould there not alfo be a tafte in religion? Is there not a beauty in holiness, and in holy objects, as well as in other things? And can this beauty be difcerned without an holy tafte? Doth not the mouth tafte readily its meat? So doth the new creature tafte the truths of the gospel, and feels the power of pure and undefiled religion. Tate and fee that the Lord is gracious.

Fourthly, it is obferved of sheep that they know their thepherd, and can distinguish him from a ftranger; they know his voice and will not follow another. They flee from ftrangers, because their voice is strange unto them. This our Lord affigns as a difcriminating note or mark of his sheep, whereby they are known unto others, and manifeft unto themselves. "His sheep hear his voice, they know it and they follow him." They have ears to hear, understandings to know, and hearts to follow him whitherfoever he leadeth.

These marks are true in general of all Chrift's fheep in every age. The meanest in the flock perceive his voice and can diftinguish it from that of a ftranger. They understand his truths, feed upon his word and rejoice therein; his gospel is precious to them, of more value in their esteem than mountains of gold. To adopt the language of the fpoufe. "His lips ❝ are like lillies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh. His mouth " is most sweet." That is, his voice, his words, and truths, are all thus delightful to them. The sheep of Chrift not only hear, but they follow him. They follow the found of his voice without hesitation. However it may thwart their own blind and corrupt hearts, they receive it with meeknefs. They fol low his example, imitate all the imitable parts of his character, and endeavor to walk even as he walked.

Time will not admit of my purfuing this fubject, or retail. ing the marks of Chrift's fheep any farther; and fhall there. fore conclude with a few words of application,

First, how great and wonderful is the grace and love of Christ, that he has found and collected a flock for himself from among the degenerate fons of men? O what infcrutable condefcenfion and goodness is here? What marvelous mercy and grace, that any of the race of fallen Adam fhould ftand in

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the near relation to him of his fheep and of his lambs? That he fhould affume to them the tender, gentle and endearing character of their thepherd? This is a branch of the unfearchable riches of his love. It ought to be reflected back with affec tionate wonder and adoring admiration. With propriety may we employ the rapturous language of the loving and beloved defciple, "Behold what manner of love is this," that the Saviour hath beftowed upon us, that any fuch as we should be felected for his fheep, that he fhould lay down his life for us. Truly he is the good shepherd, who gave his life for the sheep. "O the depth of the riches, both of the wifdom and know"ledge of God, how unfearchable are his judgments and his 46 ways past finding out?" "O that we may be able to com"prehend with all faints, what is the breadth and length and "depth and height, and to know the love of Chrift which "pafleth knowledge." Should not the love of Chrift have a fenfible and conftraining influence upon our hearts? Should we not live wholly to him? Ought we not to imbibe the fpirit of St. Paul, who in raptures laid, "For me to live is Chrift "and to die is gain." What can be more ungrateful, unten. der and unkind than to offend him, than not to love him with the most ardent affection? How dear ought every thing to be to us which appertains to him? How should we take pleasure in his word, his truths, his worship, his fabbaths, ordinances and people? Every thing which wears his image or feal, fhould be to us instead of a thousand arguments to induce us to esteem, refpect and cleave to him.

Secondly, this fubje&t calls for folemn fearchings of heart. In the light of it, we ought to try and examine ourselves. Do we belong to his flock, or are we all of the number of his fheep? How bleffed and happy fhould we be, if this were the cafe? What a glorious affembly, what a precious church? But alas! however extenfive our charity, there can be no juft

ground for fo enlivening a hope. It is a melancholy truth, they are not all Ifrael, who are of Ifrael. Some, perhaps, not a few, who have no lot or intereft in this matter.

Let us

therefore to-day, make a ferious enquiry into this bufinefs. What will it avail us to comfort ourselves that we are of Chrift's flock and confort with it, if, when the great dividing day commences, we shall be separated from it, as a fhepherd divideth his theep from the goats, and hear the awful sentence pronounced upon us, "Depart from me ye curfed." Wherefore let us, in the prefence of a heart iearching and rein trying God, look into our hearts and into our lives. Have we the nature of the sheep of Chriit ?-Are we of an holy nature?-Do we chufe holiness for its own intrinfic beauties and excel. lencies?-Have we the talte and fagacity of his fheep, to difcern between good and evil?-To discover spiritual food, from that which is noxious and corrupted --Do we find patures in his word and ordinances, which are fweet to our fouls as the honey, and the honeycomb to the taite ?-Do we know Christ's voice, understand, and diftinguith it from the voice of firangers? Can we difcriminate the pure doctrines of grace, from false colourings or corrupt mixtures, which are poisonous to sheep, and deftructive to the fold?-Do we follow the good fhepherd, wherefoever he leads?-Is his example prevailingly before us?--Are we frequently recalling it to remembrance ?--Is the imitation of it the joy and rejoicing of our hearts ?

Those who can understandingly and with a good confcience anfwer these queries in the affirmative, have reason for confolation and hope. "Rejoice in the Lord, and again I fay unto "you rejoice." "Fear not, little flock, ye are the charge of "him, who shall feed his flock like a fhepherd, gather the "lambs with his arms, carry them in his bofom, and gently