weak, defenceless, improvident creature; prone to wander, and if once aftray, is feldom known to return of its own accord. A sheep has neither strength to fight with the wolf, nor speed to escape from him; nor has it the fore-fight of the ant, to provide its own fuftenance. Such is our character, and our fituation. Unable to take care of ourselves, prone to wander from our refting-place, exposed to enemies which we can neither withstand nor avoid, without resource in ourfelves, and taught, by daily experience, the infufficiency of every thing around us. Yet, if this Shepherd be our Shepherd, weak and helpless as we are, we may be of good courage. If we can say with David, The Lord is my Shepherd, we may make the fame inferences which he did, Therefore I shall not want: therefore I need not fear.

Collectively they are a flock. They are not, indeed, in one place. They are scattered abroad, difperfed through different ages and countries, feparated by feas and mountains, and, too often, by misapprehenfions and prejudices, by names and forms; and, only a very fmall part of the flock are known to each other. But they are all equally known to

7

him, and equally under his eye. In his view they are one flock, one body; they are animated by one and the fame spirit; their views, hopes, and aims, are the fame; and, yet a little while, they shall be all brought together, a number without number, to rejoice and to join in worship, before his throne of glory. For they have an inheritance referved for them in heaven *, and they shall be safely kept, while they are fojourners upon earth, for the Shepherd of Ifrael is their keeper.

III. He fhall feed his flock like a shepherd. The word is not reftrained to feeding. It includes all the branches of the fhepherd's office. He shall act the part of a Shepherd to his flock. We have a beautiful miniature defcription, of what he has engaged to do, and what he actually does, for his people, as their Shepherd, in the twenty-third Pfalm. And the fubject, is more largely illuftrated, in the thirty-fourth chapter of Ezekiel's prophecy. His sheep, from age to age, have been witneffes to the truth of his promifes. He has a flock at present who rejoice in his care, and greater multitudes, as yet unborn, shall succeffively arife in their appointed seasons, and * 1 Pet. i. 4, 5. R

VOL. I.

call

call him bleffed. For he is the fame yesterday, to day, and for ever.

He feeds them. He leads them into green and pleasant pastures. These paftures are, his word and ordinances, by which, he communicates to them of his own fulness, for in ftrict propriety of fpeech, he himself is their food. They eat his flesh and drink his blood. This was once thought a hard faying by fome of his profeffed followers, and is still thought fo by too many. But, it is his own saying, and, therefore, I am not concerned, either to confirm, or to vindicate it. The knowledge they receive by faith, of his incarnation and fufferings unto death, of the names he bears, and of the offices and relations in which he is pleafed to act for them, is the life and food of their fouls. The expreffion of feeding them, is agreeable to the analogy, he has been pleased to establish, between the natural and the spiritual life. As the strength of the body is maintained and renewed, by eating and drinking; fo they, who, in this sense, feed upon him in their hearts by faith with thanksgiving, even they live

* Pfal. lxxii. 1 $ John vi. 57.

17.

+ John vi. 54.

John vi. 58.

by him; for his flesh is meat indeed, and his

blood is drink indeed.

He guides them. Firft by his example. He has trodden the path of duty and trial before them; and they perceive and follow his foot-steps. Again, by his word and Spirit he teaches them the way in which they fhould go; and both inclines and enables them to walk in it *. He guides them, likewife, by his providence; he appoints the bounds of their habitations, the line and calling in which they are to serve him, and orders and adjufts the circumftances of their lives, according to his infinite wisdom, so as, finally, to accomplish his gracious defigns in their favour.

He guards them. It is written concerning him, He fhall ftand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord bis God. If we conceive of a flock of sheep feeding in the midst of wolves, who are reftrained from breaking in upon them, not by any visible enclosure, but meerly by the power of the shepherd's eye, which keeps them in awe and at a distance, it will give us fome idea of the fituation of his people. He pro+ Micah v. 4.

Ifai. XXX. 21.

vides them food in the midit of many and mighty * enemies, who envy them their privilege, but cannot prevent it. If he fhould withdraw his attention from the flock, for a fingle minute, they would be worried. But he has promifed to keep them night and day†, and every moment; therefore their enemies plot and rage in vain. Their visible foes are numerous; but if we could look into the incipble world, and take a view of the subtilty, malice, machinations, and affiduity of the powers of darkness, who are inceffantly watching for opportunities of annoying them; we should have a most striking conviction, that a flock, fo defenceless and feeble in themfelves, and against which such a combination is formed, can only be kept by the power of God.

He heals them. A good shepherd will examine the state of his flock. But there is no attention worthy of being compared with his. Not the flighteft circumftance in their concerns, cfcapes his notice. When they are ready to faint, borne down with heavy exercifes of mind, wearied with temptations, dry and difconfolate in their spirits, he seasonably + Ifai. xxvii. 3.

*Pfal. xxiii. 5.

revives