Is it tlie office of a shepherd to bring hack to the fold his wandering sheep, and to guide them in right paths ? How justly may we unite with David in saying, " Herestoreth my soul;
a Matt. xxii. 42—45.
^ Gen. xlix. 24. Ezek. xxxiv. 23, 24. John x. 11.
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake ? " Mark the words, " For his names sake." It is his own glory that he has consulted in all his deaUngs towards us ; and especially in that astonishing patience and forbearance which he has exercised towards us from day to day. Our backslidings have been so grievous, and our departures from him so fre- quent, that we might well have been left to perish in our sins. But he considers that his own honour is involved in the pre- servation of his sheep ; and, therefore, he has never withdrawn his loving-kindness from us, or ceased to watch over us for good. It is on no other principle that we can account for our recoveries when fallen, and our preservation from ten thousand evils into which we should have fallen, if we had not been guided and upheld by him.
Is it the office of a shepherd to protect his sheep from danger? This he does, as well for the lambs of his flock, as for those that have attained a greater measure of strength. By " the valley of the shadow of death" we may understand a dying hour"^: but we rather understand by it a season of darkness and distress. This is more agreeable to the context, and better accords with the general import of those words in Holy Writ '^. Sheep, in going from mountain to mountain and hill to hill, may easily be supposed to pass occasionally through valleys where dangers affright them, and difficulties obstruct their way : and in this respect the saints resemble them ; for however rich their pastures for the most part may be, they find occa- sional seasons of darkness and gloom. But in such seasons the Lord Jesus Christ, as the great Shepherd and Bishop (Over- seer) of souls, is with them, and with his pastoral rod and staff protects them. It is with that rod he numbers them when they come into his fold^, and with that he secures them from every harm. This he has promised to them in the most express terms ^ and he will fulfil it even to the end^.]
2. A Friend — [This is a character which God assumed in reference to Abraham'*; and our blessed Lord honours all his faithful dis- ciples with this endearing name : " Henceforth I call you not servants, but friends'." Now, as the friend of his people, he uses all hospitality towards them. As in the days of old he spread a table for his people in the wilderness, where they could not otherwise have subsisted, so " he prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies." Enemies we have on every side ; and such enemies as would deprive us of every blessing, if they
" Job X. 21, 22. d Ps. cvii. 10, 14. Jer. xiii. 16.
e Lev. xxxvii. 32. Ezek. xxvi. 37. ^ Isai. xliii. 2, 3, 5.
B Isai. xh. 10. ^ Isai. xli. 8. • John xv. 15.
528.1 David's confidence in god. 137
were not restrained by an invisible and almighty power. But our heavenly Friend protects us from their assaults, and gives us an abundant supply of all good things, even " a feast of fat things, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined." Nor does he omit any thing which can possibly evince his love towards us. As a Host who delights to honour his guests, he anoints our head with oil ; and as the Master of the feast, he fills " our cup" with the richest wine, so that it " runneth over." These figures, though strong and clear, very inadequately represent the communications of his grace, and the consolations of his Spirit. David, in another psalm, says, " The Lord lumself is the portion of my inheritance and my cup'':" and when this is the case, can it be matter of surprise that " our cup runneth over? " No indeed ; for there is nothing on this side of heaven that can be compared with the mani- festations of his love. Truly, " in his favour is life ; and his loving-kindness is better than life itself."]