the disposition and the qualities of that animal we may learn how we ought to be in heart and soul. A quality of the sheep is that it quickly learns to know its shepherd's voice. Though a dozen call it from different directions it will know the voice of its shepherd, and though it catch but a glimpse of him in the distance, yet it knows him. We are to know Jesus as our Savior, and to distinguish His voice from the voice of others. "To know the love of Christ passeth knowledge," says St. Paul. Eph. 3, 19. The ancient heathen were wont to say: Learn to know thyself; but of far greater importance is it, to learn to know Jesus. If you know Jesus it is sufficient, though you should know nothing else, and if you do not know Jesus it is a vain thing, though you would possess all the wisdom of the ancients.

If you would know Jesus you must hear His voice. Let a sheep be ever so distant, so soon as it hears its shepherd's voice, it will lift its head and will incline its ear. If Jesus is to be your shepherd you must incline your ear to hear his voice. Now His voice is His Word. If you do not hear and heed His Word, you are none of His. To a sheep there is no sound so sweet as the voice of its shepherd. If you are of Christ's flock there . is nothing so sweet to you as the voice of His Gospel. If you have no love and no longing for His Word, if it is an unpleasant task to you to go to the place where His voice is heard, then you are none of His. The children of the world find their greatest delight in hearing that which is of the world. Christ's flock knows nothing sweeter than His voice. Which is the case with you? Can you say: The judgments of the Lord are sweeter than honey and the honey-comb." Ps. 19, 10. Sheep do not only listen to the voice of their shepherd, they are quick to follow his call. As soon as the shepherd's voice resounds the whole flock starts to run to him. If you would be of Christ's flock you must follow His calling, otherwise if you do listen to His Word, but will neither believe it nor live agreeably to it, you can be none of His; for of His sheep He says: "My sheep hear my voice, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them

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out of my hand." John 10, 27. If you do not follow His voice you deny Him to be your shepherd, and you can have no hope of eternal life; but if you do hear His voice and follow Him no one shall pluck you out of His hand; for He, your shepherd, will stand for you.

Sheep do not follow the voice of a stranger. We must not follow after every voice which we hear, as fickle hearts do; we must "try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." 1 John 4, 1. We must apply diligence to learn to distinguish the voice of Jesus from all other voices, and His voice alone we must follow. The sheep is a useful animal. It literally does what John the Baptist says: "He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none." Luke 3, 11. Learn to be useful unto others. "To do good, and to communicate, forget not: for with such sacrifices. God is well pleased." Heb. 13, 16. The sheep is a cleanly animal; it avoids mire wherever it can. Do likewise. "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." Matt. 5, 8. The sheep is an humble animal, and at sheepfolds the entrance is low. He that would enter must stoop. "Be not highminded," or you cannot enter Christ's fold. He Himself is the door, and if you would enter by Him, you must be minded as He was; you must humble yourself, as He humbled Himself. Sheep are content with scanty pasture. Too luxuriant pasture is not wholesome for them, and is apt to cause diseases. "Having food and raiment let us be therewith content." 1 Tim. 6, 8. Crave not worldly prosperity and ease, and murmur not under the cross, but let the shepherd choose the pasture for you. Sheep, when in terror, commence to bleat. "Pray without ceasing." In distress and anguish forget not to make known your requests to the shepherd. The sheep is a gentle animal. It harms no "Recone, and when it is injured it does not seek to retaliate. ompense to no man evil for evil," and if evil is done unto you, do not seek to avenge yourselves, but give place unto wrath; the shepherd will repay in due time. Sheep follow wherever their shepherd leads, be the road smooth or rough. Let yourselves be guided by the hand of the Lord according to His will, and know

that He makes all things to work together for your good and at last leads you to the proud rest of the saints above.

Let us rejoice because we have so loving and faithful a shepherd who bought us so dearly and who cares for us so diligently. To Him let us cheerfully entrust our souls, daily striving to become more intimately acquainted with Him and more like unto Him, that on the day of judgment we may be numbered among the sheep at His right hand and none may be missing there. Amen.

III. SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

TEXT: A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father? They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith. Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye inquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me? Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. John 16, 16-23.

The children of the world, who live only for this world, think it their greatest gain to live after their heart's desire, to do what the flesh lusts after. If they can have what they crave in this world, they count themselves happy, and they regard the Christians as acting foolishly in denying themselves and following Christ. If the man of the world can practice those sins and vices in which he delights; if he can obtain what he covets, he has his heaven on earth, and he cares nothing for another heaven. Given the choice, if they would rather be on earth or in heaven, the worldly-minded would not be slow to choose the earth before heaven. This is the chiefest reason, why men refuse to become Christians and to walk with Christ, because they do not want to forego the pleasures and the enjoyments of sin. They love sin and are not willing to forsake it. They do not want to crucify the flesh, they want to live in the world as it

suits them, indulging the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.

Their principle is, to enjoy life while it lasts; to make out of the world what they can. Thus Isaiah describes the mind and doings of the ungodly in the 21st chapter, saying: "Behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to-morrow we shall die," and in the 56th chapter he writes: "They all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to-morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant." Even so the Lord, in the 12th chapter of Luke, introduces a man who had filled his granaries and who said unto his soul: "Thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry." That is all the desire of the world, to gather riches, to have easy days, to eat, drink and make merry. These things are the heaven of the natural

man.

But what do people gain by forgetting God and walking in sinful pleasures? "A little while" and their joy is turned into sorrow. The wicked fare like the people before the flood; like the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. After speaking of the prosperity of the wicked, Asaph, in the 73d Psalm, says of them: "How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors." The way of the ungodly appears to him a pleasant way; he finds it garnished with flowers; the pleasure of sin tastes to him sweet as honey; but this flowery way ends in sorrow and misery. When he comes to die, terrors lay hold upon him, in death his joy is turned into sorrow, and his sorrow no man taketh from him. With the wicked there is first joy, then sorrow. A little while he rejoices, then his joy is turned into never-ending sorrow.

O, the blindness and perverseness of man is beyond comprehension! How many thousands know full well that the way in which they are walking will lead them to destruction? But they like that way, they love it, it is their heart's delight to walk in it, and they will not depart from it. For the short pleasure of