provoked only the spleen and malice of the haughty Pharisees. Our Lord however took the best method of silencing their murmurs. By appealing to their own consciences he forced them to condemn themselves.
We shall consider, I. The parable —
The scope of the parable is not so much to mark the resemblance between a sinner and a lost sheep, as between our Lord and a faithful shepherd —
The parallel between them will appear, if we consider,
1 . A shepherd's concern for his sheep when lost —
[Though a man had ninety-nine others, he would not be indifferent about the loss of one. If he missed one, he would immediately begin to make inquiries about it : he would not expect it ever to trace back its steps unto the fold again. If he gained intelligence respecting it, he would go in quest of it : leaving the rest in the pasture a, he would seek diligently till he found it : and the more it was in danger of being devoured by wolves, the more assiduously would he exert himself for its recovery. Such is the conduct of our Lord towards our ruined race. We all are fitly compared to sheep wandering from the foldb. Never do we think of " returning to the great Shepherd of our souls," though every moment exposed to the assaults of a devouring lionc. Our compassionate Shepherd came from heaven itself to seek us. His solicitude for us is well delineated by an inspired prophet'1 — . He moreover sends his servants into every part of the world. By his word and Spirit he endeavours to apprehend us : nor does he account any labour too great, if he may but succeed at last. Though he has myriads in his fold above, he cannot endure to lose one ; nor, while so much as one of his sheep is wandering from him, will he relax his endeavours to bring it back.]
2. His joy over it when recovered —
[When a shepherd has found his lost sheep, he seizes it with his crook : the more it struggles for liberty, the more he labours to secure it : rather than lose it again, he brings it back upon his shoulders : exulting in his success, he announces it to every one he meets, and receives with pleasure the congratula- tions of his friends. Do we not here also see the benevolence of our blessed Lord 1 Having apprehended us by his grace, he overcomes our resistance : having prospered in his labour,
a The Jews called all ground which was not arable, The wilderness. b Isai. liii. 6. e 1 Pet. v. 8. a Ezek. xxxiv. 11 — 1G.