Book II. CHRIST SHEPHERD. 35,9 METAPHDR. X. If a Shepherd has loft -one Sheep, or one Lamb is gone aftray, he will feek it, and when he hath founJ it, he brings .it home with a– bundance of Joy, .faying to his Neighbours, Rejoyce with me, for I have found my loft Sbe~p,, I;,uke '>-V. 5, 6. X!. A Shepherd he'olls the.Dife~.fes of the Sheep. 'Fbe Dijeqfed (faith. God to the Shepherds of lfrael) haveye notftrengthenr4, neither have ye healed ihat which u1asfick, Ezek• l(Xxiv. 4· XII. A Shepherdjudg>s between Sheep. and Sheep, bet;v~en fat and lean Ones; and if any -pun1 the W eak, and hurt or wrong his Fel– low, or would thruft and fhoulder :him out of the Fold, the Shepherd takes notice of.,it, apd accordingly orders fuch who do the·wrong. PARALLEL. X. Chrift. the good Shepherd, came to feek and fave that which was loft.; his gr<at Ddign is to bring home :;inners, and fuch as have gone atlray, as David, P eter, and other Saints have done. When 'he finds rhem mourning for their Sins, how is he pleafed ! He takes up the loft Sheep upon his Shoulder, as it were, carries it upon rhe Power of his Grace and Love into the Sheep-fold with Joy, Luke xv. I, 2, 3, &c. XI. Chrifr binds up the Broken-hearted, reftore5 Sight to the Blind, and fers at libwy them that are bruifed; he pours in Oil and Wine into the Sinners Wounds. I will bind up that which was broken, and will flrmgthen that which was fick, •&c. Ezek. xxxiv. 16. ' XI!. Chrift judges. between Member and Mem– ber, between one Saint and another. And .if any opprefs and injure his Fellow.Chriftian, or if the Rich wrong the Poor, or the Strong the Weak, an4 retain theirRight, or would jofrle them out of the '(:hurch, Chrift takes.fpecial Notice ofir, and will reward them accordingly-: I will deftroy the Fat and the Strwzg, if tbey repent not 'The Gentiles ex– crcift Lort/fhip, and their great One~ ufurp Autbori– •Jy; but·it foal/ nqt be fo tiii!On~ yoq, Mark x. 42-~Diotrephes, who loveth lo have the Pre-eminence among them, recezvetb us not, I .John 111. g, 10.-{wztl rememb.er hzs [!eeds, .Col. iii. 25.-He that·4oth wrong, /ball receiw for the Wrong. · X!lf. The Shepl,erd watches :JCIII. Chrifr continually keeps a ftrict Watdj ,over his Sheep, becaufe of the Danover his People, his Eye is never off them : 1wi/( -gers that might oth~rwife befal keep it Night and Day, lfa. ~xvii. 3· .In this .;:hem in the Night: .ll~d th~re w,ere Night of Darknel$ 1 how haRPY are we, that the in the famr Cou~lry Sbepher4s, q{,id- .goop Shepherd hath his Eye upoq, and watches ·ing in the Fields, keepiug 'lljtft6h O'l(er hi~ threatened flock, fince fo many lioman \Volves .fheir Flock by Night, /¥c. Luke ii. 8. are abroad ! XIV. Shepherds are to give an XIV. Chrift gives the Father an account of account of their Sheep, to fee that .all his She~p: Of all thofe that thou haft giwn me, ;none are.Jacking. I have loft ' ttone, but Jhe Son of Perdition, Job,. J):V. ,A $hq>h~r~ wMhes ljis Sheep (in conyenient P)aces) frqrp all filth ¥1d foil, whi~;h they are fub– :ject to contract. XVI. f\. S/l_efll>,erd delif!il:!>s rPP~4 •to fee his Sheep and .Lambs ; thriy~. XVII. ~ Sheph!:rcJ, if he fe.e-y ·{>ne or mor$! of hi~ Sheep Fl! in– :fected with any Diftemper, fo that .they may ·endanger the reft, he ft:~ :Pa.ra.J:es fj1eh frqm the Flock. xvji. . 12. XV. Chrift hath loved ~"l and .wa!hed us frpm o4r ,Sins in j1is own Bjoqd~ ]?,cp. i. 5.· It is pis Blood th~t cleanfes tu (tprough .F~ith) jron1 all Sin, 1 John i: ~- . XVI. Chrul: IS ytonclerfu)ly pleafed fO fee Ius People grow in Grace, and in the Fruits of the !';pirit: Her~bJ' i• !"Y Father glorifieg, that you bring fort/:! f/JI§Ch Ffuit, John xy. ~- . ]):V)I. Cjuift, if ))e fees any eyjl 1 ii)fe4ed, and corruptep l\1tnJbers in th~ Chur!'h, th~t fl''!-Y en– danger the re.ft, ~e gjyes copJnJand tp puri?!e then:t !:>llt, or f~para,te t,hem !F9'n ,the Cl)l]rch, py · the righteous Cen)ur.e t,hereo,f, I Por. Y· I, i, o· fit. ~~~ ·- x:vm. A Slwph9rd f~par~t~s XYJI T. Ohr,i.Q: -.yjii l)l~ke a plajq pe.cifio'} at cthe Sheep from thi: Goats. the Jail Day. He will feparate t~e <;;o<)Ly fro~ the Wicked, as a .')hep)lerd (ep,~ra,teJ ,the Sh.eep XIX. AShepherdleadshisFiock :;to fame fweet fhady Place, where 'be makes them reft at Noon, when '~he. Su» lhines hot~ from the,Goats, Matt. xxv. 3i. XIX. Chrift hath the like Care of his Flock i ·he·is as the Shadow of a great Rock., in a weary Land, by his gracious Promifes, and Protection .in tlt.e.Day of Perfecution. . METAPHOR.
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