300 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SEE. CXC.
have it signify here liis going astray out of infirmity, from the way of God's commandments. Or else sometimes the condition of strayed sheep is put for misery ; as Hosea iv. 1G, ' The Lord will feed them as a lamb in a large place.' A lamb that is out of the fold goes up and down bleating to seek the fold again, and some company with which it may join itself. It is spoken of them that affected liberty ; the Lord by his prophet tells them they should have liberty enough, but little for their profit and comfort ; leave to wander in the world, and should bleat alone, bewailing their solitude and danger, and be exposed as a prey to the next wolf. He would not feed them in the flock and body of the Israelites together, but would scatter them by exile and banish- ment, so that there should be Israelites amidst many Assyrians, like a lamb bleating up and down that is gone out of the fold. Some think David here represents his misery, when he was a banished exile from the assemblies of the faithful ; not living like a prince in his palace, but wandering from place to place to shift for his life, as a poor sheep doth that is driven from the flock, exposed to beasts of prey ; and thus it befell him in the case of Saul's and Absalom's persecution. If this be the meaning, the following clauses must be suitably expounded : * I have gone astray like a lost sheep : seek thy servant ;' that is, con- sider my affliction, and in thy good time relieve me and restore me ; and the last clause, ' For I do not forget thy precepts : ' he did not for- get his duty, whatever his condition was.
If we should follow this sense, it yields us these points : —
1. That a believer may be driven from place to place, in perpetual hazards and distresses, wandering up and down like a strayed sheep, driven by the wolf, and scattered from the fold : 1 Cor. iv. 11, ' We have/ saith the apostle, 'no certain dwelling-place.'
2. In such a case we may with confidence go to God, the good shepherd, who hears the bleating of the poor wandering sheep, takes care of them, seeks them, and reduceth them into the fold.
3. That whatever befalls us, we should still go on in the way of obedience : ' I have gone astray,' &c. ; driven up and down, and yet, ' I do not forget thy precepts.' When God seems to forget us, we should not forget his precepts. These points might profitably be in- sisted upon.
But because many ancient and modern, both Jewish and Christian interpreters, understand it of sinful errors, and the words will com- modiously enough bear this sense, and it being a similitude very fre- quently used in scripture, to compare the faithful to sheep, and God to a shepherd, I shall handle the words with respect to this interpreta- tion : ' I have gone astray.' &c. We may all of us make this confes- sion to God, we are too apt to straggle from our duty, and we all of us need to make this petition to God, to beg his watchful providence and shepherd-like care over us ; and we may do it with encouragement to be heard of God, if our hearts are unfeignedly set to keep his law, that God will hear us, and keep us from our wandering.
Doct. That a Christian that is obedient for the main, yet may run into many failings and errors of life.
David was right for the main course of his life. He professeth here he did not forget God's precepts, he did not cast off the yoke of his law ;
VER. 176.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CX1X. 301
but yet in particular acts lie acknowledged he did err and fail, and went astray like a lost sheep. And so many who are God's own ser- vants, that do not forget his precepts, may thus err and go astray.
First, In.our natural estate, man is of a straying nature, apt to turn out of the way that leadeth to God and true happiness. The Holy Ghost sets forth the degeneration of mankind by the similitude and emblem of a strayed lost sheep : Luke xv. and Isa. liii. 6, ' All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way.' Mark, he speaks of our estate by nature collectively and distributivcly. Collectively and in common, ' All we like sheep have gone astray.' And distributively, ' Every man to his own way.' We all agree in forsak- ing the right way of pleasing and enjoying God, but we disagree, as each one hath a bypath of his own. Some are running after this lust, some after that, and so are not only divided from God, but divided from one another, whilst every one makes his own will his law, quia- quid velit, licet. As the channel is cut, so corrupt nature in every one finds an issue and passage : Ps. xiv. 3, ' They are all gone aside ; they are altogether become filthy ; there is none that doeth good, no not one.' Some run this way, some that way ; some are enslaved by pleasures, others are captivated by the honours of the present world, and some are oppressed by the cares of this life. Every, man hath his way of sinning and running away from God. But, however, the emblem and similitude of the Holy Ghost is to be considered, that our departing from God and his ways is like the straying of a sheep. What doth that note ?