come, until you came to this place."[1] As our Father, God does not disdain to call us His children, His cherished children, as the prophet Jeremias attests when, speaking in the name of God, he says: "Surely Ephraim is an honorable son to Me, surely he is a tender child; for since I spoke of him I will still remember him. Therefore are my bowels troubled for him; pitying I will pity him."[2] Let us ponder these words, which are uttered by God Himself, that they may inflame our hearts and move us to make some return for His affectionate tenderness to us.
It is in illustration of this same providence that God assumes the title of Shepherd. "I am the Good Shepherd," He tells us; "and I know Mine, and Mine know Me."[3] How dost Thou know them, O Lord? "As the Father knoweth Me, and I know the Father."[4] Oh! blessed care! Oh! sovereign providence! What happiness is comparable to this? Hear the prophet Ezechiel, speaking in the person of God, and beautifully describing His loving watchfulness over us: "Behold I Myself will seek My sheep, and will visit them. As the shepherd visiteth his flock in the day when he shall be in the midst of his sheep that were scattered, so will I visit My sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the peoples, and will gather them out of the countries, and will bring them to their own land; and I
