Gleanings from the Past.
Extracts from a Sermon by Samuel Rutherford (1600-1661).
"He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm and carry them in His bosom." Isaiah 40:11.
Sheep are passive creatures, and can do little for themselves: so can believers in the work of their salvation. They have not of themselves more knowledge of the saving way than sheep, and so cannot walk but as they are taught and led. "Teach me, O Lord" (Ps. 119:33): "Lead me in Thy truth" (Ps. 25:5). Like a blind man holding out his hand to his guide, so they: "Lead me O Lord, in Thy righteousness" (Ps. 5:8). Leading may suppose some willingness; but we must be drawn: "No man can come to Me, except the Father draw him" (John 6:44). There is a word of special grace, which is more than teaching, leading, drawing; and that is leaning; "Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her Beloved?" (Cant. 8:5). There is a word yet more, and that is bearing: when the good Shepherd hath found the lost sheep, He layeth it on his shoulders rejoicing" (Luke 15:5).
The life of sheep is the most dependent life in the world: no such dependent creatures as sheep: all their happiness is in the goodness, care, and wisdom of their shepherd; wolves, lions, leopards, need none to watch over them. Briars and thorns grow alone; the vine tree, the noble vine, is a tender thing, must be supported. Christ must bear the weak and the lambs in His bosom.
Sheep are docile creatures. "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27). How knoweth the lamb its mother amongst a thousand of the flock? Natural instinct teacheth it. From what teacher or art is it, that the swallow buildeth its clay house and nest, and every bee knoweth its own cell and waxen house? So the instinct of grace knoweth the voice of the Beloved among many voices (Cant. 2:8). To the new creature, there is in Christ's word some character, some sound of heaven, that is in no voice of the world, but in His only.
Sheep are simple: fancy leadeth them much, therefore they are straying creatures (Isa. 53:6; Ps. 119:176; 1 Peter 2:25). A mouthful of green grass carrieth the sheep on upon a pit, and the mouth and teeth of lions and wolves. Fancy is often the guide of weak believers, rather than faith: little care we by nature, what we shall be in the next generation. Fancy and nature cannot out-see time, nor see over or beyond death. Fair green-like hopes of gain, are to us hopes of real good. There is a way good-seeming that deceiveth us; but black death is the night lodging of it.
The lamb is one of the lowliest and meekest creatures, and hath a bed beside the heart, and in the bosom of Christ: "He shall carry the lambs in His bosom" (Isa. 40:11); yea, "He shall deliver the needy when he crieth: the poor also, and him that hath no helper" (Ps. 72:12). The Lord giveth more grace, He resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble. Grace upon grace is for the humble (James 4:6). "God shall save the humble" (Job 22:29): and hear his desire (Ps. 10:17); revive his spirit (Isa. 57:15): beautify him with salvation (Ps. 149:4); honour him (Prov. 15:33): guide him in judgment (Ps. 25:9); Increase his joy (Isa. 29:19): bless him and give him a sure inheritance (Matt. 5:5). None can extol grace as the humble soul, "Not I, but the grace of God which was with me (1 Cor. 15:10). Grace is mercy given for nothing, and the promise is made to the humble. In the judgment of sense, every one is to esteem another better than himself (Phil. 2:3).
Humility is a soul smoothed and lying level with itself, no higher than God hath set it, "I do not exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me" (Ps. 131:1). The proud soul hath feathers broader than his nest. The humble soul is a door-neighbour to grace. Christ is near a cast-down mourner in Sion, "To give him beauty for ashes, … the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness" (Isa. 56:3). There is a Saviour's hand in heaven, to wheel an ill-boned soul on earth.
In the night wherein our Lord was betrayed, He ordained the Supper for you. In death He had more mind of you than He had for Himself. In the garden, on the cross, in the grave, His silly lost sheep was aye in His mind. Love has a brave memory, and cannot forget. He has graven you upon the palms of His hands; and when He looks to His hands and says, "My sheep I cannot forget. Yea, in my death, My Spouse was aye in my mind."
What think ye of His love? What of those feet, that went up and down the world to seek His Father's lost sheep, pierced with nails? The eyes that were oft lift up to heaven unto God in prayer, wearied with tears? His head pierced with thorns? The face that is fairer than the sun, all maimed, and the hair pulled out of His cheeks. He took shame and gave you glory. He took the curse, and gave you the blessing, He took death, and gave you life.
"Whither I go ye know, and the way ye know." Christ lets you see all the footsteps in your way to heaven. In His death and blood He made a new way to heaven. He went in a hard way Himself, through God's curse and painful sufferings. He bids you not follow Him that way, but believe in Him, and love one another, and stick fast to Christ.
"Those that Thou gavest Me I have kept, and none of them is lost" (John 17:12). As the Chief Shepherd, He shall make an account of all His lambs, and tell His Father, these be all my sheep. I went through woods, and waters, and briers, and thorns, to gather them in, and My feet were pricked, and My hands and My side pierced, or e'er I could get a grip of them; but now here they are.
When blood from a victim must flow,
This Shepherd, by pity, was led
To stand between us and the foe,
And willingly died in our stead.
Our song then for ever shall be
Of the Shepherd Who gave Himself thus:
No subject's so glorious as He,
No theme so affecting to us.
Gods Intervention at Babel.
Strife and violence displayed themselves in the time of Nimrod; and perhaps pride and ambition, rising against God, were seen in those who wished to make themselves a name, lest they should be dispersed. There Satan caused the principle of rule to flow from the will and the violence of man, and the concentration of power from the name he was making for himself. But the judgment of God, con-founding their projects and dispersing them, sufficed to show the supremacy of His power to humble their pride, and by the confusion of tongues to originate at the same time the national separation and ties of country, which were to furnish opportunity for the organizations of His providence.
J. N. Darby.