none other can it rest; therefore Christ declares: "I know them even as the Father knoweth me and I the Father."

When Christ, the Son of God, yet walked on earth, it often seemed as if He was entirely in the power of the devil and his imps, so that they could practice upon Him all their malicious pranks at pleasure. God had apparently deserted Him. But when Christ in great agony exclaims: "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me," when He died upon the cross and was buried, and the devil really thought that Christ had no God, then it was manifest that the Father knew Him well, for He leads forth His Son from death and hell.

Even so, Christ declares, shall it be with you, my sheep. Be not confounded, though it seems at first as if I knew you not. A Christian must, while yet on earth, endure many misfortunes, sorrows, sins and all kinds of miseries, as though there were no difference between him and the wicked. His life and death, outwardly viewed, have nothing peculiar; it even seems, now and then, that God leads the Christian through much severer trials than if he were a heathen; he certainly has more conflicts with temptations and other tribulations of the soul. But be not disconcerted thereby; remember what thy Shepherd has said: "I know my sheep."

Ah, say the devil and our unhallowed reason, why do we fare so badly if we are sheep of Christ's fold? We answer: It is nevertheless a fact that He knows us, nor will we waver in this faith, though death and misfortune visit us. We know His voice and hear it plainly, declaring unto us in

the tones of a shepherd to his lambs: I am your Shepherd, who laid down His life for you. These words we hear and believe, and thereby have a certain proof that we know Him and are known of Him. Nor shall our experience in life change this conviction. Troubles here on earth are but temporal, but His Word assures us of life eternal. What matters it if we must die, just like those who believe not in Christ? The voice of our Shepherd comes to our ears in the most friendly tones with the assurance: "Whosoever believeth in me, shall never die;" and again: "I lay down my life for the sheep." On account of these declarations we are fully convinced that our Shepherd, Jesus Christ, knows us and that we are safe in His care.

This recognition, however, does not yet become manifest, so that faith may be exercised; for if by means of Baptism we were entirely exempt from impurity and death, we would have no need of the Word nor of faith. But because the Word still remains, it must be accepted in faith, and not by experience, until that final day when faith shall cease and everything shall be seen and experienced.

Beyond all doubt, man becomes through Baptism pure and beautiful before God, even as the sun itself; no sin remains in him; he is fully justified, as Christ says: "He who believes and is baptized, shall be saved." This, however, is not perceptible to the eye; but it is true according to the Word and ordination of Christ. It is therefore all-important that we exercise implicit faith in the Word, that we do not in the least deviate from it, convinced that in the life to come all that we now hear

through the Word and believe will be manifest in the bliss of eternal life. As this life and the life after death are essentially different, it is impossible fully to experience here on earth what we shall feel and understand hereafter.

It therefore exceeds our skill to distinguish beyond all mistake a Christian from other men. Who, indeed, can assert that he has eternal life? And yet we must declare it as a simple fact, that a child, which by nature is oppressed with death, sin and other ills, which show nought of eternal life, begins eternal life at the time of its Baptism. How is this possible? No change is perceptible, indeed, in the mode of life; yet God has substituted for the former life of sin and corruption an eternal life, beginning already in this world, and this new life is a reality, according to the Word and to faith, though we neither see nor feel it now.

Consequently, if we wish to know who is a Christian, we must not judge by the outward appearance, but by the Word. A sheep lives because it hears the voice of its shepherd, for surely as soon as it disregards this voice it will go astray and becomes a prey to wolves. The only safety is in the neighborhood of the shepherd; therefore that sheep which hears the shepherd's voice is secure. Just so the Christian. If he does not hear the Word of Christ he has no consolation; if he faithfully heeds this Word he has everything that Christ achieved for him, forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Then he will be filled with hope and joy every day of his life. In the midst of his labors and in the performance of his daily duties, while he

eats and drinks and works, yes even while he suffers pains, which are also ordained of God, he realizes that he is a sheep in the fold of Jesus; to His voice he listens, and judges his life not according to what he sees and feels, but according to the words of Christ: "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."

Let us learn this lesson and accustom ourselves to accept calmly the fact that Christians must yet suffer and die like other men. It is true Christian wisdom and a precious acquirement if we can say: In the outward, daily life and experiences of men, we see no difference between Christians and unbelievers, unless it be this, that the faithful often endure much more sorrow and misfortune than the others, yet we know that a great difference exists between them, in their relation to the Word, so that the Christian is distinguishable from the infidel not by his features, nor even by his apparent piety, but by his having and hearing the voice of his Shepherd. Heathens, Turks, Jews, hypocrites and false Christians, who propose to earn their salvation by their own good works, do not hear nor heed this voice; nor do the tyrants and the unchristian, Epicurean multitude, nor the Pope with his sycophants, know this Shepherd's call, which is heard and understood alone by the lambs and sheep of the fold of Jesus. Otherwise, in external appearance and temporal avocations, there is no difference.

The meaning of the words of Christ: "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also

must I bring, and there shall be one fold and one Shepherd," became evident on the day of Pentecost, when the Gospel began to be preached by the apostles to all the world. This Gospel still continues its conquests throughout the world, but we must not expect all men to accept its teaching and to be saved; this will never happen; the devil prevents it. The world is opposed to the Word and refuses to be admonished, therefore various beliefs and religions will continue to exist. "One fold and one Shepherd" simply means that God will for Christ's sake receive all as His dear children, whether they were Jews or Gentiles, who believe the Gospel. The only true religion is, to follow this Shepherd and to hear His voice.

May our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the only and true Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, together with the Father and the Holy Ghost, grant us this faith; unto whom be honor and glory now and forever. Amen.