THE SORROWS OF THE LAMB OF GOD ON THE Psalms present to us a mass of most blessed the joys and comforts of the 23rd Psalm. Jehovah was His Shepherd; and, as "the only begotten Son in the bosom of the Father," in what green pastures must He have rested-what waters of quietness must He have tasted! But in order that we might be sheep of the same pasture-children of the same Father-what deep and unsearchable billows of wrath rolled over Him on the cross! Another column of texts might however have been added, telling us at the same time of His faith and strong confidence-His trust in God in the midst even of that deep mire where there was no standing. All is wonderful that pertains to Him whose name is "Wonderful!" May we read and meditate, and worship whilst we read, and thus get joy and strength from this bread of life, this pure blood of the grape, this refreshing drink that God has given us as out of great depths: " The pathway of the sheep. under the care of the Great and Good Shepherd, to the house of the Father. 1. "Jehovah is my Shepherd; "I shall not want. The sorrows of the Lamb of God on the Cross, inficted by Jehovah, and endured for the sake of the sheep. "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith Jehovah of hosts: smite the shepherd" (Zech. xiii. 7). "He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth" (Is. liii. 7). "It pleased Jehovah to bruise him; he hath put him to grief" (Is. liii. 10). "Behold the Lamb of God" (John i.36). "But I am poor and needy" (Ps. xl. 17). "Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me: for I am poor and needy" (Ps. lxxxvi. 1). "I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: 2. "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: "He leadeth me be side the still waters. 8. "He restoreth my soul: I am tossed up and down as the locust. My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness" (Ps. cix. 22-24): "Thou hast brought me into the dust of death" (Ps. xxii. 15). "My days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth. My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread. By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin. I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert......I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping. Because of thine indignation and thy wrath for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down. My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass" (Ps. cii. 3—6, 9—11). "Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me" (Ps. xlii. 7). "Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me...... Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters. Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the Ideep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me" (Ps. lxix. 1, 2, 14, 15). "Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves" (Ps. lxxxviii. 6, 7). "Thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me" (Jonah ii. 3). "Lord, why castest thou off my soul?" (Ps. lxxxviii. 14.) "Thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed" (Ps. lxxxix. 38). "He "He leadeth me in the paths of righteous. ness for his name's sake. 4. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil : hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow. He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins...... And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity. And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord" (Lam. iii. 12, 13, 17, 18); "Thou shalt make his soul an offering "He hath led' for sin" (Is. liii. 10). me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light. He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travel. He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old. He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy. He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked. He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places. He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate" (Lam. iii. 2, 5-7, 9-11), "The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me" (Ps. xviii. 5). "My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me" (Ps. lv. 4, 5). "My heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion's mouth" (Ps. xxii. 14, 21). Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions" (Ps. xxxv. 17). "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thoa disquieted within me? O my God, my soul is cast down" (Ps. xlii. 5, 6). "My soul is full of troubles, and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength. Thou hast laid me in the lowest "For thou art with me; "Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. |pit, in darkness, in the deeps. I suffer thy terrors, I am distracted. Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off" (Ps. lxxxviii. 3, 4, 6, 15, 16). "The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow" (Ps. cxvi. 3). "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. Be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me" (Ps. xxii. 1, 11, 19). "Why hast thou forgotten me" (Ps. xlii. 9), "Why dost thou cast me off" (Ps. xliii. 2). "Forsake me not, O Lord: 0 my God, be not far from me" (Ps. xxxviii. 21). "Why hidest thou thy face from me?" (Ps. lxxxviii. 14.) How long, Lord? wilt thou hide thyself for ever? (Ps. lxxxix. 46.) "Then, I said, I am cast out of thy sight" (Jonah ii, 4). "I am the man that hath seen afflic tion by the rod of his wrath" (Lam. iii. 3). "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. For the transgression of my people was he stricken. It pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief" (Is. liii. 5, 8, 10). "My heart is smitten and withered like grass" (Ps. cii. 4). "The Lord hath chastened me sore" (Ps. cxviii. 18). "Smite the Shepherd" (Zec. xiii. 7). "Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none* (Pa. Ixix. 20). 5. "Thou preparest "How long shall mine enemy be exa table before me inalted over me?" (Ps. xiii. 2.) Mine the presence of mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall enemies: he die, and his name perish?" (Ps. xli. |