SERMON XIII THE GREAT SHEPHERD. ISAIAH xl. II. He fhall feed his flock like a fhepherd; he shall gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bofom; and shall gently lead those that are with young. T is not eafy for those, whose habits of life IT are infenfibly formed by the customs of modern times, to conceive any adequate idea of the pastoral life, as it obtained in the eastern countries, before that fimplicity of manners, which characterized the early ages, was corrupted, by the artificial and false refinements of luxury. Wealth, in those days, confifted principally in flocks and herds; and Abraham, Ifaac, Jacob, and others, who were, to speak in modern language, perfons of high distinction, were likewife fhepherds. The book book of Genefis, which is an authentic and infallible history of the most antient times, exhibits a manner of living, fo different from our own, that, perhaps, few persons are qualified to enter fully into the fpirit of the defcription. The poets feem to have derived their idea of the golden age, from some imperfect tradition of this primitive state; and if we compare it with the state of things around us, methinks we have reason to say, How is the gold become dim, and the fine gold changed *! The opulence of Jacob may be conjectured from the present he sent to his brother Efau†. Yet Jacob attended his flocks himself, in the drought by day, and in the froft by night ‡. The vigilance, the providence, the tenderness, neceflary to the due difcharge of the fhepherd's office, have been frequently applied, in defcribing the nature and ends of government; and it has been esteemed a high encomium of a good king, to style him, the fhepherd of his people. This character MESSIAH, the Saviour, condescends to bear; and happy are they, who, with a pleafing confcioufnefs, can fay, We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture §. + Gen.xxxii.14,15. * Lam.iv.1. Pfal. c. 3. Gen.xxxi.40. The The paffage will lead me to fpeak of the fhepherd, the flock, and his care and tendernefs over them. I. Our Lord exprefsly ftyles himself the Shepherd, the good Shepherd of the sheep*, and the apostle Peter styles him the chief Shepherd†. His faithful minifters have the honour to be under fhepherds; he appoints, and qualifies them, to feed his flock. They are the meffengers of his will, but they can do nothing without him; they can only communicate what they receive, and cannot watch over the flock, unless they are themselves watched over by him. For, with refpect to efficacy, he is the chief, and, indeed, the fole Shepherd. The eyes of all are upon him, and his eye is upon, and over, all his flock. The Old Teftament church had a fhepherd, and their fhepherd was Jehovah §. Unless, therefore, the Shepherd and Bishop of our fouls, likewise, be Jehovah, we fall unfpeakably fhort of the privilege of ancient Ifrael, if their Shepherd was almighty, and if ours could be but a creature. Surely we could not then fay, what yet the apostle affirms, that we have a better covenant, * John x. II, 14. Pfal. xxiii. I. + Pet. v. 4. Pfal. cxxvii. 1. 3 efta But eftablished upon better promises *; fince MESSIAH, himself, is expressly declared, to be the furety and the mediator of this covenant. would it not be better, upon this fuppofition, with David, who could fay, Jehovah is my Shepherd, than with us, who are intrusted to the care of a delegated and inferior keeper, if Jefus be not Jehovah. Befides, who but Jehovah can relieve the neceffities of multitudes in all places, in the fame moment, and be equally near and attentive to them, in every age? The finner, who is enlightened to know himself, his wants, enemies, and dangers, will not dare to confide in any thing short of an almighty arm; he needs a fhepherd, who is full of wisdom, full of care, full of power; able, like the fun, to fhine upon millions at once, and poffeffed of thofe incommunicable attributes of Deity, omniscience, and omniprefence. Such is our great Shepherd; and he is eminently the good Shepherd also, for he laid down his life for the fheep, and has redeemed them to God by his own blood. II. A fhepherd is a relative name; it has reference to a flock. This great and good Shepherd has a flock, whom he loved from * Heb. viii. 6. ever everlasting, and whom having loved, he will love to the end *. Formofi pecoris cuftos, formofior ipfe! He humbled himself for their fakes, fubmitted to partake of their nature and their forrows, took upon him the form of a fervant, and was made in the likeness of finful flesh. He died for his fheep, the just for the unjust †, to redeem them from the curfe of the law, from the guilt and dominion of fin, from the power of fatan, and to bring them to God. They, by nature, are all gone aftray, every one to his own way ; but having thus bought them with his blood, in his own appointed time, he seeks, finds, and restores his sheep. By the power of his word and Spirit, he makes himself known to their hearts, causes them to hear and understand his voice, and guides them into his fold. Then, they became his fheep in the fenfe of my text. They are under his immediate protection and government. Confidered as individuals, they are fitly defcribed by the name of sheep. A fheep is a John xiii. 1. + Pet. iii. 18. + Ifai. liii. 6. weak, |
