244 Donor Seaman's no fuel fpirit or principle in them,that they fhould lay dOwn their lives for the fheep : but he fo much refpeaed his Father's glory, and good of his Flock, finding there was no way to bring them to Salvation. As he deny'd himfelf, in other refpetts, for their good :,fo, in this refpeet, lays down his life for them. And here- in the Church of God feems to have a deadly kind of wound, to be at a deadly lofs,,Zach. x3. 7. I willfinite the fhepherd, and the /beep (ball be fcattered: But herein lies the wonderful goodneffe nd wiffe me ofGod, he is pleafed to improve, as the life, fo the death ofChrift, for thegood of his Church, Luk. 24.26. Ought not Chrili to have fuffered theft things? It was very expedient, that feeing the fheep could not otherwife be faved,but by the thepherds dying, that the Shepherd fhould lay down his life for the (beep and feeing no other way, tomake Reconciliation to God, it was very expedient Chrift fhould die. Therefore 'tis to be taken no-, tice of, That it doth not mis-become the Head, therefore not the Members of the Body, they muff be content to lay down their Lives for their Flock, for fo did the great shepherd. (2) Something expeers'et. Where, take notice, Firff of the Perkincf. Secondly, of that which is given us to be taken no- tice Olin particular. (i) The PerfOn to be taken notice of, is, Our Lord lefus That which we have confiderable, is, Firft, The Title that belongs to him in his Church : in this re- gard, called, The great Shepherd of his iheep ; The Shepherd of the !beep, yca, the great Shepherd of the fheep. Whatfoever glo- ry, was tobe communicated to any MeMber of the Church, it was rft put into the Head, before they were to be made partakers of it. Some were to be made inferiour Ranks, (Et/bet-4.r 1.) But it was not fit any fhould havefuch glory, to be called shepherds, fore he had that honour on him. Therefore, 'tis the great /yep- herd ; he that is Shepherd not ofa particular Congregation, but ofthe whole Churchof God, he is the Saviour of all his body, he hath the full number of all the Elea, both among the Jew and Gentiles, committed to his charge to rave. (a) What betides this great Shepherd, through God's grace towards him, that is, that he is brought again frotn the dead, is e. that he doth attain to a Rate of R.eforreaiou. And here take notice ofthis by the way, for Coufolation ; The great fhepherd of the (beep doth dye, but thereat fhepherd of the fheep riles a- gain. Herein argues Gods love, that though he would fader bins to dye, yet not topeCorruption3(iltl. i6. so) befaufe he is the great
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