PreachedAuguft. i7. 1662. 45 lowly ; both there qualities are expreft by the Prophet,ljet.i 1. where (peaking concerning the times of the Golpel, faith, The Lamb (hail lie down with the Wolf; now, where the Prophet expreffes their fafety, there he expreffes their innocency and weakneffe. This is the reafon why the Prophet faith, For thy fake we are killed all the day long, we are accounted as jbeepfor the flaughter becaute of all creature, moil liable to injuries, that which doth leaft relent them: And, where ever the grace of Chrill comes, it rWeetens the moll cruel nature, and pohlhes the molt rough difpolition, and Takes them to be like Chrifloieekand lowly. 3. In regard of their profitablenel:s; for of all cream' es, they are , molt profitable,' the food, as to their fleffi, the cloath, as to their fleece. And the people of God, however they are ended to the contempt§ and injuries of the world, they are the moil profitable ; for, were it not for them, thewhole frame ofNature would fall into pieces, the Stars would fall like leaves in Autumn, and all the Ele- ments would fall into confuCon; we fee it be one Lot,who kept_limpet's of fire and brimflone from fallingon Sodom, till he was got out ()fit. And it is the people of God, for whom this frame of nature is con- tinued, and when they are brought into the fold ofChrift, the jit,, Pike of God will have a folemn triumph over all the world. 4. As they are lyable to wandring : Sheep are wandriug crea- tures, and when itrayed, not able to reduce themfelves. And in this refpe6i the people ofGod are fheep; they have a thottfand al- lurements to draw them from the wayes ofGod ; and i fGod fhould not guide them by his eye, tis impoffible they lhould go in the way that leads to Heaven. Therefore David faith, Ihavegone a:fray like a lotfbeep, feekthy fervant,Pfatil9.176. This than ft,ifFce to make the Parallel and Refemblance of the people ofGod and fheep. The fecond Argument is this, That he bath defiEofd C hrift to be the Shepheard of the Chuch, Thegreat ,S'bepheardof the freer; this is another argument and evidence that he is reconciled to us and that lie is the God ofpeace : For when God gaveChrift to Ce our Sacrifice, and railed him up tobe our Shepheard, thefe are the moll clear tali monies of his love : For, although (Thrift now fits in Hea- ven, and all the Angels of God worlhip hiw, yet he doth not dirdain to exercife the fame care, and to exprefs the fame love to his people, that he did when he was upon the earth. All the Offices of Chrill, expi els Gods love to us, for he feeds us as a Prophet, died for us as a Priefi, governs and defends us as tie is King ; and all there meet together in this Title, feeding of us, dying for us, defending of ALE j as he was God he loved as, as he was Man lie died foieuse 1.1 This
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