The Great Shepherd and His Sheep

"Ye were as sheep going astray, but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls." —II Peter 2:25 [KJV]

Scripture allusions continually remind us, "that salvation is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God who sheweth mercy:" therefore, not unto us, not to our free will, but to Thy free grace, O Lord, be all the glory. Like that poor silly creature, a sheep, we naturally stray into all kind of danger, but are unapt to return of ourselves. We never should unless the shepherd sought us. "We have turned every one to his own way," have lost ourselves in the wilderness of sin, are wounded by the wolf of prey, blinded by pride, self-will, and self-righteousness. We delight in our distance from the good Shepherd. We please ourselves in feeding on carnal lusts and sensual vanities, while our poor souls are in a starving, perishing condition. Unparalleled love! the sheep's wounds are healed by the Shepherd's stripes; pardon is obtained by the Bishop's sufferings and death. All this is proclaimed by the Shepherd's voice. But, "O! what fools! how slow of heart to believe this!" This keeps many poor sheep from returning to Jesus; and those that have heard His voice, and are returned to Him, do not keep so close to Him as is their interest and happiness. The loving Shepherd complains of this—Jer. 2:31— "Have I been a barren wilderness unto you, O ye sheep of my pasture?" No, truly: our souls can never be healthy and thriving but while our Shepherd is in view, and we are feeding in the green pastures of His love by the still waters of His salvation.

It behoves Christ's sheep to consider daily how dear they are to Him; what sweet relation He stands in to them; what love and care He has for them; that so Jesus may be more endeared to them, and His pastoral instructions, cautions, and directions, may influence their walk and conversation; for the adversary is ever working upon our treacherous nature to make us conceive of Jesus otherwise than a faithful Shepherd and loving overseer, that so, as terrified sheep, we may fly from Him, and cease to love and follow Him. Yea, to this end the father of lies thus preaches: 'Though you are returned to your Shepherd, yet after all He may cease to care for you, and let you perish.' This is the doctrine of devils, let who will preach it; for it gives the lie to Jesus, THE TRUTH, who says, "I give unto them eternal life; they shall NEVER PERISH, neither shall ANY pluck them out of My hands."—John 10:28. "We are not ignorant of Satan's devices,"—II Corinthians 2:11—nor "of the cunning craftiness of those who lie in wait to deceive."—Ephesians 4:14.

The Lord my Shepherd is, I shall be well supply'd; Since He is mine, and I am His, What can I want beside!

If e'er I go astray, He doth my soul reclaim, And guides me in His own right way For His most holy name.

-William Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)

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