soul in all its wandrings: but shift and change as it will, no rest shall it find until it come to this returnings. Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way? Thou shalt be ashamed of Egypt as thou wast of Assyria. Nothing but sorrow and shame till you change all those ways for this one. Return, O Israel, says the Lord, if thou wilt return, return unto me. It is not changing one of your own ways for another that will profit you; but in returning to me is your salvation.

Seeing we find in our own experience, besides the woful end of our wandrings, the present perplexity and disquiet of them, why are we not persuaded to this, to give up with them all? Return unto thy rest, O my soul, says David", this were our wisdom.

But is not that God, in whom we expect rest, incensed against us for our wandering? and is he not, being offended, a consuming fire? True, but this is the way to find acceptance and peace, and satisfying comforts in returning. Come first to this shepherd of souls Jesus Christ, and by him come unto the Father; No man comes unto the Father, says he, but by me. This is via regia, the high and right way of returning unto God. I am the good shepherd, and v. 9. I am the door, by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved: but if he miss this door, he shall miss salvation too. Ye are returned, says the Apostle, unto the shepherd and bishop of your souls.

There be three things necessary to restore us to our happiness, whence we have departed in our wanderings: 1. To take away the guiltiness of those former wanderings. 2. To reduce us into the way again. 3. To keep and lead us in it.

Now all these are performable by this great Shep herd, and by him only. 1. He did satisfy for the offence of our wanderings, and so remove our guiltiness; he himself, the Shepherd, became a sacrifice for his flock, a sheep or spotless lamb, as *: We like

& Jer. ii. 36. h Psal. cxvi. 7. 1 Joh. x. 11, Isa. liii. 6.

sheep have gone astray, and immediately after our straying is mentioned, it is added, The Lord laid, or made meet on him, the iniquity of us all, of all our strayings; and v. 7. he that is our Shepherd, the same is the lamb for sacrifice: so our Apostle, chap. i. We are redeemed not by silver and gold, &c. but by the precious blood of Christ; as of a Lamb without blemish, and without spot. He is the good Shepherd that lays down his life for his sheep. Men think not on this, many of them that have some thoughts of returning and amendment, think not that there is a satisfaction due for past wanderings; and therefore they pass by Christ, and consider not the necessity of returning to him, and by him to the Father.

2. He brings them back into the way of life, ye are returned: but think not it is by their own knowledge and skill that they discover their error, and find out the right path, and by their own strength that they return into it. No, if we would contest grammaticisms, the word here is passive, ye are returned, reduced, or caused to return: but this truth hangs not on so weak notions as are often used, either for or against it. In that prophecy", I will seek, and bring again, &c". He restoreth or returneth my soul. And that this is the work of this Shepherd the Lord Jesus, God-man, is clearly and frequently taught in the Gospel. He came for this very end; it was his errand and business in the world, to seek and to save that which was lost. And thus it is represented in the parable, he goes after that which is lost until he find it, and then having found it, doth not only show it the way, and say to it, return, and so leave it to come after, but he lays it on his shoulder, and brings it home; and notwithstanding all his pains, instead of complaining against it for wandring, he rejoices in that he hath found and recovered it; he lays it on his shoulder rejoicing. And in this there is as much of the resem

1 Joh. x.

m Ezek. xxxiv. 16.

Luke xv. 4. 5.

"Psal. xxiii. 3.

blance as in any other thing Lost man can no more return unsought, than a sheep that wandereth, which is observed of all creatures to have least of that skill. Men may have some confused thoughts of returning; but they cannot know the way and come home unless they be sought out. This therefore is David's suit", though acquainted with the fold, I have gone astray like a lost sheep; Lord seek thy servant. This did our great and good Shepherd, through those difficult ways he was to pass, for finding us; wherein he not only hazarded, but really laid down his life; and those shoulders that did bear the iniquity of our wandering by expiation, upon the same doth he bear, and bring us back from it by effectual conversion.

S. He keeps and leads us on in that way, into which he hath reduced us; he leaves us not again to try our own skill, if we can walk to Heaven alone, being set into the path of it; but he still conducts us in it by his own hand, and that is the cause of our persisting in it, and attaining the blessed end of it. He returneth my soul, says the psalmist, and that is not all, he adds, he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake; by those paths are the green pastures meant, and the still waters that he speaks of. And thus we may judge, whether we are of his flock. Are we led in the paths of righteousness? do we delight ourselves in him, and his ways? Are they the proper refreshment of our souls? Do we find his word sweet unto our taste? Are we taken with the green pastures in it, and the crystal streams of consolations that glide through it? Can we discern his voice, and does it draw our hearts, so that we follow it?

The shepherd and bishop.] It was the stile of kings to be called shepherds; and it is the dignity of the ministers of the gospel, to have both these names: but this great Shepherd and Bishop, is peculiarly worthy of these names, as supreme; he alone is the universal Shepherd and Bishop; and

P Psal. cxix. ult. 9 Psal. xxiii. 2, 3. VOL. I.

Dd

Joh. x. 27.

none but an antichrist, that makes himself as Christ, that kills and destroys the flock, will assume this title that belongs only to the Lord, the great owner of his flock. He himself is their great Shepherd and Bishop all shepherds and bishops that are truly such have their function and place from him, they hold of him, and follow his rules and example, in their inspection of the flock. It were the happiness of kingdoms, if magistrates and kings would set him, his love, meekness and equity before their eyes in their government. All those that are properly his bishops, are especially obliged to study this pattern, to warm their affections to the flock, and excite a tender care of their salvation, by looking on this archbishop and arch-shepherd (as our Apostle calls him) and in their measure, to follow his footsteps, spending their life and strength in seeking the good of his sheep, considering that they are subordinately shepherds of souls, that is, in dispensing spiritual things; so far the title is communicable.

The Lord Jesus is supremely and singularly such, they under him are shepherds of souls, because their diligence concerns the soul, which excludes not the body in spiritual respects, as it is capable of things spiritual and eternal, by its union with the soul. But Christ is sovereign shepherd of souls above all, and singular, in that he not only teaches them the doctrine of salvation, but purchased salvation for them, and reaches the soul powerfully, which ministers by their own power cannot do. He lays

hold on it, and reduces, and leads it, and causes it to walk in his ways. In this sense it agrees to him alone, as supreme, in the incommunicable

sense.

And from his conduct, power and love, flows all the comfort of his flock, when they consider their own folly and weakness. This alone gives them confidence, that his hand guides them, and they believe his strength is far surpassing that of the roaring lion. His wisdom, in knowing their particular Joh. x. 28, 29, 30.

state, and their weakness, and his tender love pitying them, and applying himself to it. Other shepherds, even faithful ones, may mistake, and not know the way of leading them in some particulars, and they may be sometimes wanting in that tender affection that they owe, or if they have that, yet are not able to bear them up, and support them powerfully: but this Shepherd is perfect in all these. The young and weak christian, or the elder at weak times, when they are big and heavy with some inward exercise of mind, which shall bring forth advantage and peace afterwards to them; them he leads gently, and uses them with the tenderness that their weakness requires.

And in the general, he provides for his flock, and heals them when they are any way hurt, and washes and makes them fruitful; so that they are as that flock, described", they are comely, but their Shepherd much more: he is formosi pecoris custos, formosior ipse. They are given him in the Father's purpose and choice, and so they that return, even while they wander, are sheep in some other sense than the rest that perish. They are, in the secret love of election, of Christ's sheepfold, though not as yet actually brought into it: "but when his time comes, wheresoever they wander, and how far off soever, even those that have strayed most, yet he reduces them, and rejoices Heaven with their return, and leads them till he bring them to partake of the joy that is there. That is the end of the way wherein he guides them, They hear my voice, and follow me, and they shall never repent of having done so. To follow him is to follow life; for he is the life". And he is in that glory which we desire. And where would we be, if not there where he is, who at his parting from the world said, where I am there they shall be also? To this happy meeting and heavenly abode, may God, of his infinite mercy bring us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

t Isa. xl. 11.

" Cant. iv. 2.
Joh. xiv. 6.

* Joh. x. 27, 28.]