A little of that glorious sight we may see in this
life, if our hearts and reasons are purified by the
Spirit of God, to see God in all things, and all things
in God: and more in that life whereof it is
written, ’Beloved, we are now the sons of God;
and it doth not yet appear what we shall be:
but this we know, that when he appears, we shall
be like him, for we shall see him as he is.’
To that life may he in his mercy bring us all.
Amen.
John x. 11.
I am the good shepherd.
Here are blessed words. They are not new words.
You find words like these often in the Bible, and
even in ancient heathen books. Kings, priests,
prophets, judges, are called shepherds of the people.
David is called the shepherd of Israel. A prophet
complains of the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves,
and will not feed the flock.
But the old Hebrew prophets had a vision of a greater
and better shepherd than David, or any earthly king
or priest—of a heavenly and almighty shepherd.
‘The Lord is my shepherd,’ says one; ’therefore
I shall not want.’ And another says, ’He
shall feed his flock like a shepherd. He shall
gather his lambs in his arms, and carry them in his
bosom, and shall gently lead those who are with young.’
This was blessed news; good news for all mankind,
if there had been no more than this. But there
is more blessed news still in the text. In the
text, the Lord of whom those old prophets spoke, spoke
for himself, with human voice, upon this earth of
ours; and declared that all they had said was true;
and that more still was true.
I am the good shepherd, he says. And then he
adds, The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Oh, my friends, consider these words. Think
what endless depths of wonder there are in them.
Is it not wonderful enough that God should care for
men; should lead them, guide them, feed them, condescend
to call himself their shepherd? Wonderful, indeed;
so wonderful, that the old prophets would never have
found it out but by the inspiration of Almighty God.
But what a wider, deeper, nobler, more wonderful
blessing, and more blessed wonder, that the shepherd
should give his life for the sheep;—that
the master should give his life for the servant, the
good for the bad, the wise one for the fools, the pure
one for the foul, the loving one for the spiteful,
the king for those who had rebelled against him, the
Creator for his creatures. That God should give
his life for man! Truly, says St. John, ’Herein
is love. Not that we loved him: but that
he loved us.’ Herein, indeed, is love.
Herein is the beauty of God, and the glory of God;
that he spared nothing, shrank from nothing, that he
might save man. Because the sheep were lost,
the good shepherd would go forth into the rough and
dark places of the earth to seek and to save that which
