Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-09-18
THE GOOD SHEPHERD.
LESSON XII, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, SEPT. 20.

init Verses, 14-16-Golden Text, Ps.
xiii, documentary by the Rev. ID.
NJ. stearns.
Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by
permission of II. s. Hoffman, publisher, Phil
adelphia.l
l. verify, verify, l say unto you"
These great and most emphatic words
occur so often (some twenty-five times in
this gospeD that the careless reader is apt
| to slight them instead of attaching to
| them the Importance which they deserve
verify" is "Amen," and carries us back
to Isa. Ky, 16, where we read of "the God
of Truth" or "the God Amen" Or. v, mar
GIN. 81 say unto you" is equal to the
"Thus saith the Lord" of the prophets.
HE that entereth not by the door into
the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other
way the same is thief and a robber"
g But he that entereth in by the door
is the shepherd of the sheep"
g. "To him the porter openeth, and the
sheep hear his voice; and he calleth his own
sheep by name and leadeth them out"
The porter is the Lord the Spirit, the
third person of the Blessed Trinity, who
opens the heart to the Lord Jesus and His
message as He opened the heart of Lydia
(Acts XVI, ~; and who also opens doors for
the followers of Jesus (Acts xiv, q; Cor.
xvi, 8; II Cor. ii, 12). His own sheep who
hear His voice are those that are truly His,
not having merely a name to live, but hav-
ing life indeed, having sincerely received
Himself as their life. AS to calling His
own sheep by name, see Elk. xxxiii, IL, II,
and lisa. xiii, 1; and remember how He
spoke to Simon and Nathaniel and Laza-
NV ( I'm,
|, AZ, AZ; ri, 43; XXX, 10y.
4. And when He putteth forth His own
sheep, He goeth before them, and the sheep
follow Him, for they know His voice"
He does not drive them out, but He lead
eth them out. He does not ask His sheep
to go where He has not gone Himself, nor
to do what He Himself has not done.
8. "And a stranger will they not follow,
but will flee from him; for they know not
the voice of strangers"
The stranger is the thief and robber of
verse |, the shepherds that feed themselves
Of Eek. xXxiv, :, or the idol shepherds of
Zach XII II.
6. "This parable spake Jesus unto them;
but they understood not what things they
were which He spake unto them"
Even the disciples understood not many
of His sayings John xii, Is; Luke xviii, "a;
Mark TX, 32) so that He had to say to them,
"Are ye also yet without understanding?
Do not ye yet understand2" (Math. XIV, 16,
10. The secret of understanding is simply
hearing and believing tMath. XIV, 10; Heb.
xi, 81 without reasoning or questioning.
Z. Then said Jesus unto them again,
Verify, verify, | say unto you. am the door
Of the sheep"
He is the door by which the sheep enter
ha fol- fnr 70 ha = bar
but by Him. and there is none other name
given under Heaven among men whereby
we must be saved John xiv, 6; Acts iv, 12).
8. "All that ever came before me are
thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not
hear them"
He could not possibly refer to such as
Moses and the prophets who were before
. Him in the sense of antecedent to Him,
for they were sent by Him and were His
= faithful witnesses, but the word before
sometimes signifies INSTEAD Of" or Gin
preference to-" as when God said, "Thou
shalt have no other gods before me- (Ex.
XXX 81.
o. 81 am the door; by me if any man en-
ter in he shall be ssved, and shall go in and
out, and find pasture"
He is not only the entrance to Life and
TO the Kingdom, but He is the only Ell
trance, and He is an entrance wide open
inviting and entreating all to enter in
Any one, whatsoever WILL may enter with
the assurance of being made welcome
John vi, 81; Rev. xxi, ~.
10. "The thief cometh not but for tc
steal and to kill, and to destroy; am come
that they might have life, and that they
might have it more abundantly."
The thief or stranger or false prophet is
ua ri IN vol al
where in the prophets. His aim is always
SELFISH he speaks to please the king and
the people, that he may have their favor
and receive their wealth, or he Expresses
that he may enrich himself.
II. II am the good shepherd. The good
shepherd giveth His life for the sheep"
He is also called the Great Shepherd ant
- the Chief Shepherd Heb. xiii, 90; Pet ii
25). Instead of killing and destroying fol-
His own benefit, like the thief, He suffers
Himself to be killed for others
l2. But he that is an hireling, and not
the shepherd whose own the sheep are not
seeth the wolf coming and leaveth tn,
sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf catchetl
them and scattereth the sheep"
Hireling and wolf are all one with THE
and robber-that is, they are all on the sid,
of the enemy, and against the sheep and tn,
Good Shepherd. "He that is not with M
is against me, and he that gathereth no
with me scattereth abroad" (Math. xii, 9O)
10. 1.-THE hireling feeth, because he is al
hireling, and careth not for the sheep"
He cares only for his hire, as If minis
ter should think more of his salary thai
of the souls committed to his care
IA. 81 am the good shepherd, and know
my sheep and am known of mine"
This is the essential theme Of the who'll
discourse The under shepherds may re
ceive into the church many who are no
His, and may fail to gather in many VIII
are His. Nevertheless the foundation O
God standeth sure. having this seal, TIL
Lord knoweth them that are His"
10. "As the Father knoweth me, even s
know the Father. And l lay down M
life for the sheep"
At another time He said, mo man know
fth the Son but the Father; neither know
9TH any man the Father save the Son, an,
ne TO whomsoever the Son will revea
Him" (Math. xi, 90. He dwells much upo
ha Of ha