like?  Did he call down lightning to strike sinners dead, or call up earthquakes, to swallow them?  No; he went about healing the sick, cleansing the leper, feeding the hungry in the wilderness; that therefore they might see by his example, the glory of their Father in heaven, and understand that God is a God of Love, of mercy, a deliverer, a Saviour, and not, as the Scribes and Pharisees made him out, a hard taskmaster, keeping his anger for ever, and extreme to mark what was done amiss.

Ah that, be sure, was what made the Scribes and Pharisees more mad than anything else against Christ, that he spoke to the poor ignorant people of their Father in heaven.  It made them envious enough to see the poor people listening to Christ, when they would not listen to them; but when he told these poor folk, whom they called ‘accursed and lost sinners,’ that God in heaven was their Father, then no name was too bad for our Lord; and they called him the worst name which they could think of—­a friend of publicans and sinners.  That was the worst name, in their eyes:  and yet, in reality, it was the highest honour.  But they never forgave him.  How could they?  They felt that if he was doing God’s work, they were doing the devil’s, that either he or they must be utterly wrong:  and they never rested till they crucified him, and stopped him for ever, as they fancied, from telling poor ignorant people laden with sins to consider the flowers of the field how they grow, and learn from them that they have a Father in heaven who knoweth what they have need of before they ask him.

But they did not stop Christ:  and, what is more, they will never stop him.  He has said it, and it remains true for ever; for he is saying it over and over again, in a thousand ways, to his sheep, when they are wandering without a shepherd.

Only let them be Christ’s sheep, and he will have compassion on them, and teach them many things.  Many may neglect them:  but Christ will not.  Whoever you may be, however simple you are, however ignorant, however lonely, still, if you are one of Christ’s sheep, if you are harmless and teachable, willing and wishing to learn what is right, then Christ will surely teach you in his good time.  There never was a soul on earth, I believe, who really wished for God’s light, but what God’s light came to it at last, as it will to you, if you be Christ’s sheep.  If you are proud and conceited, you will learn nothing.  If you are fierce and headstrong, you will learn nothing.  If you are patient and gentle, you will learn all that you need to know; for Christ will teach you.  He has many ways of teaching you.  By his ministers; by the Bible; by books; by good friends; by sorrows and troubles; by blessings and comforts; by stirring up your mind to think over the common things which lie all around you in your daily work.  But what need for me to go on counting by how many ways Christ will lead you, when he has more ways than man ever dreamed of?  Who hath known the mind of the Lord; or who shall be his counsellor?  Only be sure that he will teach you, if you wish to learn; and be sure that this is what he will teach you—­to know the glory of his Father and your Father, whose name is Love.