Messiah. Nor is the time far distant when it shall be fulfilled
in all its glorious extent1 The Lord Jesus will gather
his people from every quarter of the globe u He will
feed them in green pastures, and rule over them in Zionx
And God will manifest himself to be " their God,"
with such displays of his glory, as shall far transcend any which he ever vouchsafed to his people in the days of old y ]
Address —
Receive now the Saviour under the characters in which he is here offered to you —
[Could we obtain mercy with God in any other way, there were the less reason for concerning ourselves about an interest in Christ. But in vain shall we attempt to ingratiate ourselves in the divine favour by any other means : we must obey the voice of that good Shepherd, and follow him : we must submit ourselves to the government of that Prince, and become his faithful subjects : then, and then only, will God acknowledge us as his people, and give himself to us as our God. Let us not then neglect the Saviour any more : let us rather go to him with one accord : let us entreat him to take us under his charge. Then, whatever may be the fate of those who are at a distance from him, we shall be delivered from our spiritual enemies ; and, having suffered awhile with him, shall in due time be glorified together z. You may safely trust the promises of God.
Many hundred years before the coming of Christ was this prophecy delivered : and how exactly was it accomplished in every thing that respected Him! He was appointed our Shepherd ; he was exalted to be our Prince ; and to this very hour has he executed these offices in their fullest extent. Shall we doubt then whether the prophecy shall be fulfilled as it respects us ? Will God refuse to be our God, when we desire to be his people ? Or will he be only nominally our God, and withhold from us the blessings that are implied in that relation ? Has he done what is so infinitely greater, and will he decline to do the less ? Has he not " delivered up for us his only Son, and will he not with him also freely give us all things3?" We cannot doubt. He says, "J the Lord have spoken it" we may be certain, therefore, that he will perform; since "with him is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." Let us trust then, and not be afraid ; and in due season we shall enjoy, " according to his covenant, the sure mercies of David V]
1 Isai. xxix. 17. u Hos. iii. 5. Jer. xxxii. 37 — 41.
x Isai. xxiv. 23. v Isai. lx. 19, 20.
z Rom. viii. 17. a Rom. viii. 32. b Isai. lv. 3.