reconciliation be accomplished, guilty sinners, if they know their state, instead of having confidence towards God, and happiness in His presence, can only tremble before Him, and flee and hide themselves from His sight. But Jesus Christ has accomplished this reconciliation for them. By the sacrifice of Himself, as God and Man in one Christ, He has made an effectual própitiation for sin; such a propitiation as has completely satisfied, nay, even has glorified the Divine perfections: insomuch that they never appear so glorious as in this work which He has wrought. For His sake, for the sake of this work, God is reconciled to sinners; and is ready to receive and pardon all those who come to Him by Jesus Christ; to re-admit them to His favour, to adopt them into His family, and to bestow on them a covenanted right and title to everlasting life. Thus Christ has opened unto them the kingdom of Heaven. Thus He has made a way into the fold, by which they may enter in and be saved. And here, then, we see with what propriety He may be likened to a " Door" By Him, we, who some time were afar off, may draw nigh. Through Him, we, who by our sins were justly shut out from communion with God, may have access unto the Father, and an entrance administered unto us abundantly

into His kingdom and glory. to consider,

We proceed

II. For what reason Christ calls Himself "The Door."

He

When Christ says I am "the Door," He means something more than if He had merely said, "I am a Door." This latter expression would have only signified that He is one door among many others; at least that there is some other door besides Him to the Sheepfold. But when he says "I am the Door," He intimates that this is not the case. intimates that He is the only Door, and that there is no other besides Him. This is clearly the meaning of the phrase; and this meaning fully accords with other passages of Scripture; indeed, with the whole tenor of the Word of God. What does Christ Himself directly state in another place? "I am the Way; no man cometh unto the Father but by me." What did Peter, when filled with the Holy Ghost, declare of Jesus Christ? Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name, under Heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved." But I need not dwell on this point. Christ is the Door; the only Door, by which sinners can enter into the Church of God; into favour and communion with Him on earth, into His presence and glory in Heaven. The fact is, there is no other

satisfaction for sin, but that which He has made, no other way in which God can be Just, and yet the Justifier of the sinner, but through the acceptable and infinite propitiation for sin, which Christ has offered up in His own body on the cross. Through His blood, and through that only, is our peace accomplished.

Originally, indeed, there was another door into the Sheepfold; and that may be called the door of innocence. When man was first created, he was created holy. He knew and loved, he obeyed and worshipped God. And in this state of innocence he was favoured with a covenanted right to eat of the tree of life, that sacramental pledge of everlasting happiness. By this door he entered in, and had free and full access to a heavenly Father, and a heavenly kingdom. But when he fell by sin, this way was shut against him. This entrance was for ever closed. Being now become guilty, he could no longer have access through the door of innocence. "Cherubim and a flaming sword, which turned every way, kept that way to the tree of life." The divine perfections forbad any admission to the sinner by this door.

Then it was that the other Door, the Door spoken of in the text, was opened. Then it was that Christ, through His flesh, provided

a new and consecrated way for sinners, by which they might be admitted and be saved from the wrath to come; consequently this is now the only Way, the only Door, by which they can enter into the sheep-fold and be safe.

Men, indeed, have attempted to make other doors for themselves, and to enter in by some other way. But all such attempts have been vain. They spring only from pride and unbelief, and shew the ignorance, presumption, and disobedience of the human heart in its fallen state.

Such, for instance, is the door of good works, by which so many proudly think to conciliate the favour of God, and to obtain admission into the kingdom of Heaven.

Such is the door of alms-giving and charity, by which some have vainly endeavoured to atone for sin, and to purchase an entrance into the fold of Christ.

Such is the door of repentance, through which others have as vainly attempted to satisfy the Divine perfections, and to surmount the barrier which they oppose to the returning sinner.

But here, my Brethren, mistake not my meaning. Think not, that in giving this representation of good works and alms-giving, of charity and repentance, I design to underrate these things, or to represent them as

things of no importance, or not necessary to salvation. I have no intention of this kind. I know that they are things which accompany salvation; and that there can be no real salvation without them. But then I would put them in their proper place, and assign to them their proper office. They are not Doors; it is not by them that we can enter into the fold. There is in them no merit to purchase, no sacrifice to atone, no power to reconcile. To assign to them these works and offices, would be to put them in the place of Christ, who only can purchase, can atone, can reconcile; and who, therefore, only is the Door. The sinner who by Him enters in, will perform good works; will abound, according to His means, in alms-giving and charity; will repent and bring forth fruits meet for repentance; but he will not enter in by these things. They are things which, in seeking to enter in, he will bring with him. They are things, in which, after he has entered, he will abound far more than ever he did before; but they are not the Door by which he enters into the Church of God. Christ is this Door; and whosoever enters in, must enter in by Him alone.

We enquire,

III. How persons enter in by Jesus Christ.