bring them back to God—to reinstate them fully in his favour-to rescue them from the devouring wolf completely-to restore to them the green pastures which they had forfeited, to be their inheritance for eternity and to do these things for them, mere teaching might not suffice. In order to these purposes, it was not enough that He spake as never man spake; nor that he set before them, in his own life, a perfect exemplification of his perfect doctrine; nor that he reasoned with them so conclusively as to prove interest to be, in every case, on the side of duty; nor that he gave pastors and teachers, and a written word, containing all things necessary to salvation, to abide with them after his own departure; nor even that he promised the Holy Spirit to guide them into all truth, and to bring all things to their remembrance whatsoever he himself had spoken to them; no, nor even that he confirmed to them thereby the glorious promise, "This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord I will put my laws into their minds, and write them in their hearts."*

:

All this he did-and no part of this might have been spared-nevertheless, a more marvellous thing than all this was wanted; and, what

Heb. viii. 10.

soever human pride may prompt, in a way of objection, is indispensable.

2. The good Shepherd must lay down his life for his sheep. For those sheep of his, however they might be at length returned to the good Shepherd and Bishop of their souls, yet once they had been wilful wanderers. His people had all sinned; and if repentance may not undo the deed-if ceasing to do evil, and learning to do well, is no proper satisfaction (as who shall say it is?) for past transgression and past negligence —then no man may deliver his own soul. And still more evidently, none can by any means redeem his brother, or give to God a ransom for him. The whole flock, therefore, lay bound like Isaac upon the altar; and the sword, to use the language of Ezekiel, was sharpened and given into the hand of the slayer. But God Almighty stopped the execution, by providing for himself a lamb to be a burnt offering. "I looked," he says, "and there was none to help, and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation to me.' He had kept up the remembrance of sins and of the necessity of a satisfaction for them by those sacrifices which he caused his ancient people to offer up year by year continually, but which could never take away sin. But now, "Awake, O

* Isa. lxiii. 5.

sword," he says,

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against my Shepherd " A body" (as the apostle speaks) "he had prepared for him." And " Lo, I come," replies the Shepherd, (in the volume of the book it is written

66

of me,) to do thy will, O God; and "He taketh away the first," the typical offering, "that he may establish the second;" or render a real

satisfaction in his own blood.

t

This is the mean

ing of the prophet-" The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed." This is the meaning of the apostle. God" hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." This is the fulfilment of his own declaration-" The bread that I give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." And this is the one way by which man may stand accepted before God-" being justified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood."|| " And who suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God." ¶ This is

atonement.

ii. Let us consider, now, the ample sufficiency

* Heb. x. 5—9; Ps. xl. 6—8.

+ 2 Cor. v. 21.

Rom. iii. 24, 25.

+ Isa. liii. 5.

§ John vi. 51.

¶ 1 Pet. iii. 18.

of this atonement, and the suitableness of the provision made thereby for man's redemption.

These things also may be collected from the text. For therein we have such a description of Him by whom our case has been undertaken, as shows him to be in every respect qualified for his office. Three particulars are to be gathered from the words concerning him, in addition to the declaration already examined, that the sword is to awake against him.

1. First, saith the Lord of hosts, he is my Shepherd. He took not upon him the pastoral office without a call. He glorified not himself to be made priest or sacrifice. But all was by His appointment who said unto him, “Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee."* God chose, appointed, and anointed him; and to us, who have ruined and destroyed ourselves, he saith concerning him, "Behold my servant whom I uphold, my elect in whom my soul delighteth. I have put my Spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles :-a bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth." And ought not this to be enough of itself? Were but our soul the bruised reed, which a due consciousness of our iniquity well might make it, were there in us but as much of

grace as

*Psalm ii. 7.

Isa. xlii. 1-3.

there is of fire in the expiring torch: so that, in spite of much offensiveness still cleaving to us, we might in some degree be sensible of God's goodness in interesting himself in our behalf; doubtless we should flee at once for refuge to the hope set before us; for we should be assured that He against whom all our sins have been committed, must alone have right to say how they shall be pardoned; and we should be confident, without further questioning, that we must be complete in Christ, if only it be true that "of God he is made unto us, wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption."

2. The text, however, goes further: it shows wherein particularly the Redeemer's fitness for his office lies. He is the Man Christ Jesus, of the same nature with those unto whose necessities he came to minister, and whose griefs he came to bear-bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh so that, "he that sanctifieth," or consecrateth, the whole flock to God's service," and they that are sanctified, are all of one;" that is, of one stock or origin; and "He is not ashamed to call us brethren." And for this, the apostle, whose words I have adopted, assigns two reasons. "Forasmuch as the children "-those who were to become God's children by adoption and grace in Christ" are partakers of flesh and blood, he

* 1 Cor. i. 30.