in the Church, but Mine? If then thou be such an one, and lovest Me, “feed My sheep.” For thou shalt be no hireling, but thou shalt be a shepherd. 11. But they did not preach chastely, concerning whom the Apostle sighs. But what doth he say? “What then? Notwithstanding every way, whether by occasion or in truth, Christ is preached.”4107 He suffers then that hirelings there should be. The shepherd preacheth Christ in truth, the hireling by occasion preacheth Christ, seeking something else. Notwithstanding, both the one and the other preacheth Christ. Hear the voice of the shepherd Paul; “Whether by occasion or in truth, Christ is preached.” Himself a shepherd, he was pleased to have the hireling. For they act where they are able, they are useful as far as they are able. But when the Apostle for other uses sought for those whose ways the weak ones might imitate; he saith, “I have sent unto you Timotheus, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways.”4108 And what doth he say? “I have sent unto you a shepherd, to bring you into re- membrance of my ways;” that is, who himself also walketh as I walk. And in sending this shepherd, what doth he say? “For I have no one so likeminded, who with sincere affection is anxious for you.” Were there not many with him? But what follows? “For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s;”4109 that is, “I have wished to send unto you a shepherd; for there are many hirelings; but it were not meet for an hireling to be sent.” An hireling is sent for the transaction of other affairs and business; but for those which Paul then desired, a shepherd was necessary. And he scarcely found one shepherd among many hirelings; for the shepherds are few, the hirelings many. But what is said of the hirelings? “Verily I say unto you, they have received their reward.” 4110 Of the shepherd, what saith the Apostle? “But whosoever shall cleanse himself from such as these shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and useful to the Lord, prepared always unto every good work.”4111 Not unto certain things prepared, and unto certain not prepared, but “unto every good work prepared.” So much have I said, concerning the shepherds. 12. But we will now speak of the hirelings. “The hireling when he seeth the wolf lying in wait for the sheep, fleeth.” This the Lord said. Why? “Because he careth not for the sheep.”4112 So long then is the hireling of use, as he seeth not the wolf coming, as he seeth not the thief and the robber; but when he seeth them, he fleeth. And who is there of the hirelings, who fleeth not from the Church, when he seeth the wolf and the robber? And wolves and robbers abound. They are they who go up by another way. Who are these who 4107 Phil. i. 18. 4108 1 Cor. iv. 17. 4109 Phil. ii. 20, etc. 4110 Matt. vi. 2. 4111 2 Tim. ii. 21. 4112 John x. 12, 13. 1077 The tenth chapter of the Gospel of John. Of the shepherd, and the hireling,…