ÌGods g Children called fheepe On the' 1 hurfedayafter &lambeein holy wiiy&why. Eveh. 3e 2. net. King 4.. Nonfummiffiic nifi adOues, qu.eperierunsdolma7frael. 1amnotfentbut to theloft Sheepe ofthe HoufeofIfracll. Principally,perfonally, andbyefpeciall precept, was our Sauiour fens tothe People of Ifraell ; which was teftifiedbySaint Paul, TheWardofGod was t® be f okenfirfl toyou : And this wasthe reafon why he calledthem Children ; andtheGentiles, Dogges. But by his Apoítles he came to preachanddomiracles for the whole-world:focloth Saint vimbrofe, Cyril Alexandrinus, Saint Hierome, and learnedBede declare it. Saint Auuxfline faith, That he employed his prefence onely vpon the lewcs, in regardof Abrahams Faith, and for the promife fake which-God had madeof the Meffias ; fo that thoughhee came to the borders ofTyrus and Sydon , it was more for to hide himfelfcout of theway, thanany thing elfe _ and that though he wrought this miraclethere, itwas notmuchmateriali, beefingwrefted from himby importunitie ; as one, who toRill abauling Curre, throwes hin, amot cell ofbread to flop hismouth ; or , to fpeake it inbetter termes, as one, from whom bychance acrumme had fallen from forth hisfingers. Nonfummiffes nifi adones, &c. Among(' manyother officeswhich our Sa- uiout Chrifr had, one was that ofa Sheepheard, whowas togathertogether his fcattered Sheepe,and tobring themall intoone Fold. etfu f itabofuper cos Pa- fioremmeum,quipafcat ear, fo faith Ezechiel, i mill ft vp a Sheepheardoxer them,and he(hall feedthem. Saint Peter calls him Principempa/lorum ; and heprooues him- felfe to beaSheepheard, by hisgoing forth to feeke after this loft Sheepe. And ifwe mean to haue ourhabitation inHeauen,& tobeof the fame Fold with the Saints,wemuff firft be this Sheepheards Sheepe vponearth , before wee can come tobehis Saints in Heauen: Foralbeit the lust beare the nameof Sheepe; as is noted by Saint Hierome,Saint Augxfline, Saint Gregorie, and Saint Cyprian yetall that haue thisname flail not come toHeauen ; formany, ofSheepe íhall become Wolfes. Fill}, The proportionof our Sauior Chiifts giuing to his,thenameof Sheep and of Lambes, conftffs firft of all intheir innocencie and frmplicieie; whereof the Shcepe and the Lambe are the true fymbole andhieroglyphieke ; as it is proouedbySaint Gregorieand Saint Cyprian inthe placebefore ailedgged. id per Owes nifi innacentia defignatur ? What butinnocencie ispointedat bySheepe ? faith Saint Gregorie. Oxes nominat, vt innacentia Chriflianaoutbma aquetttr, Hecalls them Sheep,ro( hero, that Chriflianinnocencie fhouldquailthat oftheirs,faith SaintCyprian. When the Angelwith;that his nakedSword inhis hand wentmaking that fearé- full ílaughteramongft the Ifraelites, Ilauid humblykneelingon his kneesmakes his mones vnto God,and faith, Ifli queowesfuns, quid/wring?What baise'thefe` poore Sheepedone,thefe innocentLambes' it isI thathaue fatned,fnìitemee and not them : ter thy hand I pray , bee againítmeeandmy fathers Houfe ; but fpare thefe thySheepe,who fyllie harmeleffe Creatureshauenowayoffended thee. Secondly, This proportionconfríts in that wonderful! obedience which the Sheepecarrie to the Sheepeheard, who withawordorawhiftlebiidleth their. appetites, and keeper them within theirbounds,not offeringto filly into ftrange' Paftures. This isthat whichDaxidfaid,Hiacare a o obedient tome : And out Sa- uiour Chrift; MySheepheartmy voyce. Thirdly;In.that,thofe:that areloft andgoneaftray, fhewtheir dìf`comfort, by bleatingand following from hill tohill, frompaftugea`o.páfture, path topath, thefteps of h,is Sheepheard, lifting vphis head,and bendinghis eare ontheone frdee1
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