fpiritual food, having the dew of heaven lying all night upon their branches, Job

xxix. 19.

Poor innocent lambs, the period is not far diftant, when many of you will be led to the flaughter, nor will you repine at your fate. So the great Shepherd of his flock, for his peoples fins, was led as a lamb to the flaughter, without the leaft repining at the will of his heavenly Father; and as a fheep before her fhearers is dumb, fo he opened not his mouth, Ifa. liii.

7.

The fhepherd robs the flock of their fleece in fhearing-time, for the purpose of cloathing, not only himself, but also many others. But in this respect our Lord differs from all other fhepherds; for he, as it were, deprived himself for a time of his declarative glory for the good of his flock: when he who thought it not robbery to be equal with God, left the bofom of the Father, came to this earth, and that in the form of a servant, Phil. ii. 6. and wrought out a complete righteousness, a garment indeed without feam, to clothe his flock with; nay, even such a garment that the thun

derings and lightenings of mount Sinai cannot pierce through. Adam the firft made all his posterity naked; but the second Man from heaven hath completely restored the covering.

The Shepherd not only clothes himself with the fleece, but also in due time flays the animal itself, and feeds upon its carcafe. But to the wonder of angels, and the aftonishment of men, our Shepherd laid down his life for his fheep, and that moft willingly of himself, for no man took it from him; that all his true flock might feed upon him, for "his flesh is meat in"deed, and his blood is drink indeed," John vi. 55.

The life of a shepherd is highly delightful during the spring and fummer months; he rejoices in his labour through the cheerful day, and in the night, like Jacob, dreams concerning his flock. If those seafons were always to laft, fuch a life might almost be deemed free from that curfe of toil which was inflicted on man for his dif obedience: but this will not be the cafe; these must end, and the dreary winter ap

proach with her ftern fhort day, and long bleak night, turning the earth as it were into iron, and covering these green paftures and every neighbouring hill deep over with fnow. Then will the fhepherd's life be changed from a life of pleasure to a life of toil. In the morning from his cot, shivering he will afcend the hill, fcarcely knowing where to find his fheep; and when he hath found them, where to feed them: Nay, on the stormiest side of the hill muft his station often be, there to keep his flock from falling down to the hollows, and being drifted over with fnow, and fo perish.

So Chrift, the great Shepherd of his sheep, did not only lead and feed his flock, in that joyful season, when he rode in triumph into Jerufalem, while many spread their garments in the way, and others cut down branches from the trees, and strewed therein, and Hofanna's in the highest were fung, Mark xi. 8, 9. but also in that awful winter, when the malice of men and devils were let loose against him, and like a furious storm raged full in his face. A ftill more dreadful and tremendous than this he bare for his flock, even

ftorm yet

the infinite wrath of Almighty God, which would have swept them all down to hell, and there overwhelmed them through all eternity, if he had not borne it for them: But this he did; and the tempeft was fo infinitely fierce, that it laid him flat on the ground, filled his foul with agony, and made him to fweat, as it were, great drops of blood falling down to the ground, Luke xxii. 44. Nay, fo terrible was the blast, that on the cross it made him to cry out, "My God! my God! why haft thou for"faken me?" Matt. xxvii. 46. but at length he cried out, " It is finished,” (the horrible tempeft which his flock otherwise should have borne was all spent upon him) he bowed his head, and gave up the ghoft, John xix. 30.

Blefs the Lord, then, O my foul, and forget not all his benefits, Pfal. ciii. 2. Let all his flock on earth join with those in heaven, saying, "Unto him that loved us, "and washed us from our fins in his own "blood, and hath made us kings and priests "unto God and his Father; to him be

glory, and dominion for ever and ever. "Amen." Rev. i. 5. 6.