Now, to seal this ftirther, see what the Scripture saith in some parallel places. ' The Lord is my shepherd ;' and what is the use that David pre- sently makes hereof? Why, 'I shall want nothmg,' Ps. xxiii. 1. He will feed me plentifully and abundantly. The whole psalm is nothing but a commenting upon that word, 'the Lord is my shepherd.' How doth he perform the duty of a shepherd ? ' He makes me to he down in green pastures, and leads me by the still waters.' It is not only meant of the body, but of the soul chiefly, ' he restoreth my soul ;' that is, when my soul languisheth and is ready to faint, he restores it, and gives me as it were a new soul ; he refrcsheth it. We see say,* re-creation is the creating of a thing anew. So he restores my soul ; he gives me my soul anew, with fi-esh comforts. Thus the blessed Shepherd doth, and how ? Because ' he feeds among the lihes,' the promises of the gospel. Then he doth not only do good to the body and soul, but he guides all our ways, all our goings out, 'he leads us in the paths of righteousness.' And why? * Confessions, b. x-. p. [sxviii.] 38.— G. t That is, ' we see that people, etymologists, say.' — Ed.
192 BOWELS OPENED. [SeEMON XX.
Because I deserve so much at his hands ? No ; ' for his own name's sake,' because he hath a love to me ; because he hath purchased me with his blood, and given his life for his sheep ; hath bought me so dear, though there be no worth in me. He goes on, ' Though I walk through all temp- tations and troubles,' which are as 'the valley of the shadow of death,' that is, where there is nothing but disconsolation and misery ; ' yet I will fear none ill ; thou, with thy rod and staff, dost comfort me.' If I, as a wandering sheep, venture to go out of the way, thou, out of thy care, being a sweet and loving shepherd, wilt pull me in with thy hook and staff again. He hath not care only to feed us, but to govern us also. AVhat a sweet Shepherd and Saviour have we in covenant, that deals thus with us ! And so he proceeds, ' Thou wilt prepare my table in the presence of mine enemies.' And for the time to come he promiseth himself as much, that God, as he hath been a Shepherd for the present, to provide all things necessary for body and soul and guidance, so surely the goodness of the Lord shall follow me all the days of my life ; for he is a perpetual Shep- herd. He will not leave us till he hath brought us to heaven. Thus we see in this pkce the sweet care of Christ.
The like place you have — ' He shall feed his flock hke a shepherd ; he shall gather the lambs with his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young,' Isa. xl. 11. So he leads them into the pastures, and feeds them plentifully and sweetly, not only with sweet things, but with a tender care, which is sweeter. As a shepherd, he takes into his bosom the poor lambs that cannot walk themselves, and the sheep that are heavy with young. He cares for them ; ' he gently leads them ' that are poor, weak Christians, that struggle and conflict with many temptations and corruptions. Christ hath a tender care of them. He carries them, as it were, in his bosom and in his arms, and leads them gently ; for indeed all Christ's sheep are weak. Every one hath somewhat to complain of. Therefore he hath a tender care ; he feeds them tenderly and sweetly, or else they might perish.
Another place notable for this purpose, see Ezek. xxxiv. 14, seq., wherein you have the same metaphor from a loving shepherd ; and it is but a com- ment upon the text. Therefore, being parallel places, they may help our memories : ' I will feed them in good pastures ujion the high mountains of Israel ; there shall their fold be ; there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pastui'e. I will feed my flock, and cause them to he down, saith the Lord God. I will seek that which is lost, and bring back that which was driven away ; I will bind up that which was broken, and strengthen that which is sick, and destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them with judgment.' Those that are Christ's true sheep have somewhat to complain of. Either they are sick, or broken, or driven away. Somewhat is amiss or other. But Christ's care preventeth all the necessities of his sheep. He hath a fit salve for all their sores.* And, to apply this to the business in hand,t doth not Christ feed us ' among the liUes '? ' Doth he not now feed us with his own body and blood in the sacrament ? Would you have better food ? ' My body is meat indeed, and my blood is di'ink indeed,' — that is, it is the only meat, ^vith an emphasis ; the only meat and drink that our souls could feed upon. God gave his Son to death, to shed his blood for my sins. What would become of the hunger-bitten, thirsty soul, that is