spiritual instinct in most true believers, which generally enables them to distinguish between true and false teaching. When they hear unsound religious instruction, there is something within them which says, " This is wrong." When they hear the real truth as it is in Jesus, there is something in their hearts which responds, " This is right." The careless man of the world may see no differ- ence whatever between minister and minister, sermon and sermon. The poorest sheep of Christ, as a general rule, will " distinguish things that differ," though he may sometimes be unable to explain why.
Let us beware of despising this spiritual instinct. What- ever a sneering world may please to say, it is one of the peculiar marks of the indwelling of the Holy Ghost. As such, it is specially mentioned by St. John, when he says, " Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things." (1 John ii. 20.) Let us rather pray for it daily, in order that we may be kept from the influence of false shepherds. To lose all power of distinguishing between bitter and sweet is one of the worst S3Tmptoms of bodily disease. To be unable to see any difference be- tween law and gospel, truth and error, Protestantism and Popery, the doctrine of Christ and the doctrine of man, is a sure proof that we are yet dead in heart, and need conversion.
We have, lastly, in these verses, a most instructive picture of Christ Himself. He utters one of those golden sayings which ought to be dear to all true Christians. They apply to people as well as to ministers. "I am the door : by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."
We are all by nature separate and far off from God. Sin, like a great barrier-wall, rises between us and our Maker. The sense of guilt makes us afraid of Him. The sense of His holiness keeps us at a distance from Him,