Farewell-Sermon. 24 Greatfhepberd,tberefore iremutt dye ; but becaule he is the great) (bepherd, therefore he cannot continue ha a flate of the Dead ; Death mull not tryurnph over thegreat fhepherd of the (beep, no, not by any means. As it was neceffary that he fhould dye, much more, that he fhould rife-again. We read, Revelations the Ele- venth, concerning two Prophets ; when they had finifhed their courfe, they dye ; and their dead bodies are caft into the Streets, but we read alfo of their Refurre&ion. There is a two-fold flate incident to thofe Perfons, one Efate of Dying, another effete of Rifing , and fo it is not peculiar to Chrift only, but to others with him, The great fhepherd of the fbeep dyes : no wonder, if the little fhepherd dye too. But the great Shepherd is railed, fo Ball the littleones in their order, and in their time, (t Pet.5.+6.) When the chief fhepherd (hall appear, ye fliall receive a Crown of Glory that faded) not away. Refurre&ion is that which Chrift exemplifies firft in his own Perfon, inorder to afire all his Mem- bers, they (hall attain to the fame Rate with him ; andGod is eafilyable to provide, when he fees expedient, to mire them from theDead, as to fuffer them to die. Chrift he [brought again]. by a high hand, and in a tryumphant manner : he did not Co with fo much forrow and trouble to hirnfelf, and his Difciples, go to, as tryumphantly come from the Grave : So can God, with .a word, in a moment bring them to rife again. (2) By what means the great Shepherd comes tohave this ho- nour confer'd uponhim, that he fhould be railed from the dead ? There was worth enough in his Perfon, but 'tis not altogether af- cribed for this ;: but through the blood of the everlaffing Covenant) 1. e. by, and in, the vertue and efficacy of it ; he had dyed as a Prieft, and his blond was a bloud of Sacrifice, and it was filed for the remiffionof filmes; and fa I vation ofSouls ; becauleChrift did dye for fo noble an end as this, and in filch a manner, as that his death became a Sacrifice, and did feel the everlaftiag Covenant whereof Chrift is the Mediator ; therefore with confideration of this bloud of Chriftyand of the ends tifesaind benefits of it : here- upon it is Chrift is railed from the dead. In the ninth of Zach. the Refurrealon of Chritit was prophefied of, but by vertue of his blood-fhed ; fo that Chrift was more fit to be railed, who dyed for fiicti noble and honourable ends, as the glory of God, and Calve- tion of his people, in the vertue of that Covenant God bath made,and in the vertue ofthe bloud of Chrift flied for the feeling, of that Covenant. Now, what this Covenant is, is worthy to be confidered,becanle of
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