637 / 652
GODS LEADING OF HIS
PEOPLE.
631
this
blessing,
the
,nature of
it,
and
the methods which
God
uses
to lead
his
people
by.
The nature of
this blessing has these
three
things
in
it
:
I. Leading
implies the presence
of
him
that
leads,
with
him
that
is
led.
II.
Leading
is
a
gentle method
of
conduct.
III. It
implies safety
in
our
whole
course.
I.
Leading
implies the
presence
of
him
that
leads,
with
him
that
is
led.
When one
person leads
another
in
a path,
there
is
a
mutual
friendship.
See now
the
extent
of
this
blessing.
God
reconciles
a
backsliding
soul
to himself, and
vill
be
present
with him
that
he
may
not
ruri
away.
I
will
heal him
and
will
lead
him,
saith
the Lord. I
will
take
hire by
the
hand,
and
afford
my
constant
gracious presence
with him,
and he
shall
not
run
so
far back
from
me
again as
he
has done. Such
great
backslidings
that
draw
near
to
apostacy, are
not
frequently repeated
in
the
life
of
a
christian.
II.
Leading
implies a
gentle method
of
conduct.
God
has been before trying
by
severe providences
to
bring
the
soul back to himself,
that
is,
the shepherd takes
his
rod
into
his
hand, and
endeavours
to drive
his
wandering
sheep into
the
fold
again:
well,
it
will
not
do;
then, saith
God,
I
will
take
him
by
the hand
and
will
gently lead
him.
Our
Saviour
is
represented
as
a
gentle shepherd,
that
leads
his flock.
ka
xl.
I
I.
Those
that
are
feeble,
those
that
are burthened
and
oppressed
with many
sor-
rows
and temptations,
they shall
be led
gently
that
they
may
not faint
and
fall
away.
Such
gentle methods
as
a
compassionate mother
uses
towards
her
children, such
does
our Lord
Jests
Christ
use
towards
his
feeble saints,
and especially
when
he has
found
that
severe
methods
will
not
do.
III.
Divine leading implies safety
to
the
end.
He
will
conduct
us
safely
through
all
the dangers
that attend
in
journeying,
and
will
bring
us to his
upper
house.
So
he led
Israel of
old
in
the wilderness through
many
dangers, he
made
his
own
people
to go
forth
out
of Egypt
like
sheep,
he
guided them
in
the
wilderness like
a
flock, he
brought
them along safely
to
the
land
which he
had promised, to
the
.borders
of Canaan.
Thus
he
will
lead
us
safely
till
he
brings
us
to a promised
inheritance, the
heavenly
Canaan,
,his
own
bosom.
2S4