Ver. 3 z, 3 3. xxvtl'. Chapter of St. M À T T H E W. 16i 4. No excuftng or extenuating ::. For Chr f will judge the World in Righteoufnefs, AO; 17. 31. according to terms of ftrift Juftice. 5. No Appealing : For this is thelaft Judgment. No fuing out of Pardon, or no Time of (hewing Favour : For this is too late ; the Day of Grace , is part ; Sinners are in termino : Their Work is over, and now come to receive their Wages. Oh then ! Now let us take care, that this day may be comfortable to us : God's Children have more caufe to look, and long for it, than to dread it. Secondly, We now come to the Segregation ; and there, Firft, As to Company : He fhall feparate them one from another, as the. Shepherd divideth between the Sheep and the Goats. In thefe Words there is, (s.) A Point intimated and implyed: That Chrift is reprefented as a Shepherd, and the Godly as Sheep ; but the Wicked as Goats. (z.) There is a fecond Point expreffed That though there be a Confuj o'n of theGodly and Wicked now ; yet at the Day ofYudg- ment, there will be a perfect Separation. For the Firfi of thefe : That Chrift is reprefented to us under the Notion of a Shepherd. So he is called, Zech. 13. 7. Awake, O Sword, againfl my Shepherd : I will finite the Shepherd, and the Sheep (ball be fcattered. And r Pet. z. 25. But are now returned to the Shepherd, and Bijbop of your Souls. Firfi, A Shepherd among Men is one that is not Lord of the' Flock, but . a Servant to take care of them, and charge of them. This holdeth good of Chrift, as Mediator ; for he is Gods Ele& Servant, the Servant of his Decrees : The Flock are his, not in point of Dominion, Right, and original Intereft ; but in point of Trutt and Charge : So Chrift is Lord of the Faithful as God ; but as Mediator he bath an Office and Service about them, and is to give an Account of them to God, when he bringeth them home, and leadeth them into their Everlafting Fold. Yoh. 6. 37. to 40. with 1 Cor. 15. 24, 25. Heb. 2. 13. Behold I, and the Children, which God hath given me. fude 24. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to prefent you faultlefs before the Prefence of his Glory. And Col. 1.22. To prefent you holy, and unblameable, and unreproveable in his fight. Secondly, Thé Work of the Shepherd is to keep the Flock frám fraying, to choofe fit Pafture, and good Zaire for them ; yea, not only to fodder the Sheep, but to drive away the Wolf.' To defend the Flock, is a part of his Office ; as David fought with the Lyon, and the Bear, and flew them for the Flock's fake. All thefe concur in Chrifl, as you may fee, Pfal. 23. 1, 2, 3, 4. The Lord is my Shepherd, I ¡hall not.mant. He maketh me to lie down in green Paftures ; He leadeth me betides the fill Waters. Thy Rod and thy Staff they comfort me. There is guarding and feeding, and defending: So Yoh. io. there is Leading, Verf. 3, 4. then there is Feeding them, Verf. 9. and De- fending them, Verf. 12; 27,28, 29. . Thirdly, Chrift is not an ordinary Shepherd: He is, ; 7aatai& ; nTGs, Thegood Shepherd, gob. so. es. And, Heb. 13. zo. ,ulyav, The great Shepherd of the Sheep. Andy r Pet. 5. 4. dpti+'do pO, The chief Shepherd : When the chief Shepherd ¡hall appear, &c. (a.) He is the good Shepherd: Other Shepherds are laid to be good, when they perform their Office well, or quit themfelves faithfully in the difcharge of their Trutt. But befides the refemblance in thefe Qualities, there are certain Singularities in Chri/Ps Office, that denominate him the good Shepherd. 1. A good Shepherd is known by his Care and Vigilancy : If he know the State of his Flock, Prov. 27. 23. This Refemblance holdeth good in Chrift: 'He bath a particular Care and Infpe&ion of every Soul that belongeth to his Flock ; Calleth his Sheep by Name, yoh. so. 3. He bath a particular exa& Knowledge of every one of X them,
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