THE GOOD SHEPHERD. VERILY, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him for they know his voice.

And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him for they know not the voice of strangers.

This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.

Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

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 thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. -JOHN X. 1-18.

HE shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.-ISAIAH

THE GOLDEN TEXT.

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."-John x. 27.

THE GOOD SHEPHERD.

A GIDDY lamb, one afternoon,
Had from the fold departed;
The tender shepherd missed it soon,
And sought it broken-hearted.
Not all the flock that shared his love,
Could from the search delay him;
Nor clouds of midnight darkness move,
Nor fear of suffering stay him.

But night and day he went his way
In sorrow till he found it ;
And when he saw it fainting lay

He clasped his arms around it;
And closely sheltered in his breast,
From every ill to save it,
He brought it to his home of rest,
And pitied and forgave it.

And so the Saviour will receive

The little ones who fear Him ; Their pains remove, their sins forgive, And draw them gently near Him; Bless while they live, and when they die, And soul and body sever, Conduct them to His home on high, To dwell with Him for ever.

THE TWENTY-THIRD. PSALM. ONLY those who have been in the Holy Land, and have seen the Eastern shepherds carefully leading their flocks along some dangerous pass and on the edge of a frightful precipice, can possibly understand the full meaning of the beautiful words of the twenty-third Psalm :—

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies : thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for

JESUS OUR SHEPHERD.

JESUS my Shepherd is,

'Twas He that loved my soul:

'Twas He that washed me in His blood, 'Twas He that made me whole; 'Twas He that sought the lost,

That found the wandering sheep; 'Twas He that brought me to the fold, 'Tis He that still doth keep.

I was a wandering sheep,

I would not be controlled;

But now I love my Shepherd's voice, I love, I love the fold!

I was a wayward child,

I once preferred to roam;

But now I love my Father's voiceI love, I love His home!

NAMES OF SHEEP.

A MISSIONARY in Greece says in his journal: "Having had my attention directed last night to the words, 'The sheep hear His voice: and He calleth His own sheep by name,' &c. (John x. 3), I asked my man if it was usual in Greece to give names to sheep. He informed me that it was, and that the sheep obey the shepherd when he calls them by their names. This morning I had an opportunity of verifying the truth of this remark. Passing by a flock of sheep, I asked the shepherd the same question, and he gave me the same answer. He called to one of his sheep, and it instantly left its pasturage and its companions, and ran up to the hand of the shepherd with signs of pleasure, and a prompt obedience, which I never before observed in any other animal. It is also true of the sheep in Eastern countries, that 'a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.' The shepherd told me that many of his sheep were still wild; that they had not yet learned their names; but that, by teaching, they would all learn them: the others, which knew their names, he called tame."

SHEEP AND SHEPHERDS.

IN Palestine, many of the flocks of sheep are at night brought from the plains by the shepherds, and folded within the walls of Jerusalem. They are given into the charge of a porter for the night. The shepherd then wends his way to his home, for his nightly rest. In the morning he comes to the fold-door, and on giving the accustomed knock "the porter openeth." The shepherd calls his sheep, and the pretty and kindly-treated animals

instantly recognise his friendly voice and cheerfully follow him. He then gently leads them outside the city walls to their usual pasturage. Instead of the goads and heavy sticks which English drovers so often use, the Palestine shepherd seems to draw, as with silken cords of love, his flock wherever he desires.

A friend of mine, a lady who was for some years a missionary in Armenia, lately told me the following anecdote, which I repeat as nearly as possible in her own words :

"We had been encamped in a beautiful situation near Mount Ararat. The tent was pitched on the banks of a rocky ravine, in which flowed a bright stream, while near at hand was a little village, and the picturesque ruins of an Armenian convent. We were wandering about awaiting the loading of the packs, and the other morning preparations for continuing the journey, when we saw a boy come out of the village, followed by a large flock of sheep and goats, more than a hundred in number. The young shepherd led them to a short distance, and then, sitting down on a rock, he produced his knitting from the horsehair bag which held his provisions for the day, while the flock fed quietly around him. We went up to him, and found him very ready to enter into conversation. He assured us that he knew all the members of his flock by name, and that they also knew their names, and would answer to them. Pointing out a pretty young kid on the edge of the flock, we requested him to call it. At the first call the little creature lifted its head, with a quick, intelligent look. At the second, it came trotting up to the shepherd, and received his caresses with every appearance of delight. He repeated the experiment. many times, and the animal called never failed to respond to the shepherd's voice. We then tried to call them in the same way; but, imitate the shepherd's voice as closely as we would, neither sheep nor goats would pay the least attention to us. For 'a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.''

In the East the sheep are not driven, as with us, but led. The shepherd goes first, and the flock follow. An old author speaks of seeing thousands of sheep from many different flocks assembled for washing near the upper waters of the Jordan. Of course all were mixed together, and it seemed a scene of inextricable confusion. But as each shepherd gave his own peculiar call, the sheep belonging to him, and knowing his voice, came out from the crowd, and followed their own leader.

A.

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Jesus is