worst that ever shall befal him The Lord comes with a murdering Ax to hew down wicked men but he hath only a rattling Rod to his Children This is all the Hell that ever they shall feel is not this comfort 1 Cor. 11.32 But when we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world Is not this comfort to know that this is the worst that we shall have God lays upon us a light Affliction and saves us from wrath to come Here is the Rod full of comfort What is a drop of sorrow that the godly taste to the bottomless Sea of wrath the damned do endure for ever Fifthly Yet farther The Rod it is full of comfort as it makes us happy and for this consult that Scripture Iob 5.17 Behold happy is that man whom God correcteth Among the Philosophers some place their happiness in Riches some in Wisdom some in Pleasures and the like but who ever placed happiness in Affliction The Worldlings cry If this be happiness the Lord deliver them from it But Iob saith this Happy is that man whom God correcteth How is he happy he is happy who is made better by Affliction The Cross though it makes the outward condition worse yet it makes the heart better Again he is happy who hath God to visit him Don't we account him a happy person who hath a King to visit him but much more to have a God to visit him Persecution it is a Rod yea but for all that it is a blessed Rod it is a healing Rod. A Rod though it smarts yet it saves the Soul. Well then may a Christian say Lord thy Rod comforts me this makes me happy Happy is that man whom God corrects Sixthly and lastly Gods Rod hath comfort in it as it is a means to bring us to glory Gods Rod whips us to Heaven 2 Cor. 4.17 These light afflictions which are but for a moment work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Affliction is like throwing a Bag of Money at another it may bruise him but it doth enrich him so Affliction it may bruise us but it doth enrich us and this works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory In short the black Rod prepares for the white Rod. Oh Christian thou who art now humbled by some sharp Affliction shalt shortly wear a Garland made of the Flowers of Paradice Thou shalt have thy Soul set thicker with the Jewels of Heaven than the Firmament is with Stars Thus you see this Truth is verified Thy Rod doth comfort me Application First Here are several Inferences to name four First See then from hence the difference betwixt the wicked and the godly God makes the worst things tend to the consolation of the godly and the best things tend to the condemnation of the wicked Let the People of God meet with Affliction it is for the better Gods Rod comforts Let the wicked have prosperity it is for the worse Cordials themselves kill them To the godly evil things have good in them To the wicked good things have hurt in them this is clear Scripture Their Table is a snare I say the wickeds Table is a snare Psal. 69.22 Wicked men have mercy out of Gods hand as Israel had Quails they were sawced with the wrath of God Eccles. 5.13 A clear Scripture I have seen an evil under the Sun Riches kept for owners to their hurt Like Hamans Banquet which was a Prologue to his Execution To wicked men even spiritual mercies are turned into Judgments The Word preached is a savour of death to the wicked 2 Cor. c. 2. v. 16. Nay farther Jesus Christ himself is a Rock of Offence to the wicked 1 Pet. 2.7 Christ is as well for the falling as the rising of many in Israel Luke 2.34 In short Sinners stumble at a Saviour and pluck Death from the Tree of Life As for the godly Gods Rod comforts them As for the wicked Gods very Mercy ruins them Secondly See then from hence that Religion is not to be looked on as a melancholy thing Some persons discourage Religion and draw it with a sour countenance and in a frightful dress but we see the worst of Religion hath much comfort in it the very Rod of God comforts the godly See that Scripture Iames 1.2 Account it my Brethren all joy when you fall into divers temptations that is Afflictions they are called temptations because they are for Tryal Account it all joy joy and all joy Take the sourest part of Religion 〈◊〉 is sourest to the Soul Repentance and that which is sour to the Body Affliction and there is comfort in both First That which is sour to the Soul Repentance there is comfort in that For whom is the Oyl of Joy prepared but for Gods mourners Isa. 61.3 A gracious Soul is never more enlarged and comforted than when he can melt kindly for sin Christ Jesus made the best Wine of Water The best Wine of Joy is made of the Water of true Repentance The Hebrew word to repent signifies to take comfort None have such ground of comfort as a true Penitent When God makes him weep for sin he goes away weeping for joy Thus you see the sourest part of Religion hath comfort in it Secondly Take that which is sour to the Body Affliction and it hath comfort in it A parallel Scripture for this worth observing 2 Cor. 6.10 As sorrowful yet always rejoycing There is comfort in the Rod. A Christian is like a Bird that can sing in the Winter season He can pick comfort out of the Rod and with Sampson fetch Honey out of the Lion. 1 Thes. 1.6 Having received the Word with much Affliction with Joy here is Gods Rod comforting that Christian which knows Affliction tends to the bettering him making his Grace purer and his Crown brighter He can rejoyce in Affliction and say as David Oh Lord thy Rod comforts me Thus you see Religion is no unchearful thing Thirdly A third Inference is this If Gods Rod comforts then it shews us what good reason we have to chuse Affliction rather than Sin. There is something in Affliction to comfort us but there is nothing in Sin to comfort us Sin it is evil and nothing but evil It is the spirit of Witchcraft it defiles the mind disturbs the peace it puts a worm into Conscience a sting into death and a fire into Hell. This is in Scripture called the abominable thing Ier. 44.4 Do not this abominable thing which I hate Sin binds the Soul over unto Gods wrath for ever Oh then what wisdom is it to chuse Affliction rather than Sin A Christian can say there is comfort in the Rod but he cannot say there is comfort in Sin. Sin puts the Soul into an Agony and makes it in the very suburbs of Hell. Moses chose Affliction rather than Sin for a season Heb. 11.25 Fourthly and lastly If Gods Rod comforts
sometimes sickness sometimes prosperity and sometimes adversity Here is change of weather sometimes we see the White Lilly of Peace sometimes again the Red Rose of a Bloody War appears Here is change of weather 3. Life it is a day for Labour The day it is the time for working Psal. 104.23 The Sun riseth and man goeth forth to his work Death is a sleeping time for the body Life is a working time a Christian hath no time to lie fallow Phil. 2.12 Work out your salvation with fear and trembling Work while it is day Iohn 9.4 Still there is some work to do either some sin to mortifie or some grace to exercise 4. And lastly If a day be once past you can never call that day again so when once this day of life is past and gone you cannot call it back Use Briefly 1. The thoughts of this that our lives is but a day may serve to cool the intemperate heat of our affection to earthly things we should not be much raised in the enjoyment of them nor much dejected in the want of them These under moon comforts they are not to be with us long only a few days Nay it is but a day Why then should we be too much taken with them Our life being so transient made up of a few flying Minutes it should much abate our affections to all things under the Sun. Abraham I read of him that he bought the possession of a burying place Gen. 49. v. 30. The longest possession we have here on Earth it is the possession of a burying place So much for the first particular a description of Life it is not measured by years but days nay it is shorter it is but a day 2. The second thing in the Text is the determination of Man's Life in these words My appointed time the days of my appointed time The Hebrew hath a double signification 1. It signifies the days of my Warfare to militate the days of my warfare Hence note this That a Christians Life here on Earth it is no other than a warfare 1 Tim. 1,18 That thou mayest war a good warfare It is not an easie life a life of sloth and pleasure it is a warfare all the days of my warfare A Christians Life it is a warfare in three respects 1. In respect of Hardship 2. Watchfulness 3. Combate First In respect of Hardships a Souldier he doth endure much hardship he hath not his soft bed nor his dainty fare but goes thorough many a tedious March such is a Christian's life 2 Tim. 2.3 Thou therefore indure hardship as a good Souldier of Iesus Christ. We must not be as Tertullian saith silken Christians but expect to wrestle with difficulties Secondly A Christians life is a warfare in respect of Watchfulness We must stand Sentinel and be ever upon our Guard. The Souldier gets up into the Watch-tower sends out his Scouts lest the Enemy should surprize him It was Christs watch-word Mark 13.37 I say unto you all Watch. A subtle Heart needs a watchful Eye Watch lest sin doth decoy you lest Satâ—n falls upon you when you are asleep on your Guard when you have been praying against sin then you must watch against temptation Thirdly A Christians life it is a warfare for Combate We all of us come into the world as into Field-battle we stand just as the Jews did Nehem. 4.17 Every one with one of his hands wrought in the work and in the other hand held a weapon Just such is our Military posture working and fighting in order to this holy warfare we must get our Spiritual Armour ready the Breastplate of Holiness which can never be shot thorow and having got this Armour and the Shield of Faith in our hands we must now give battle to our Spiritual Enemies 2 Tim. 4.7 I have fought the good fight of Faith yea and we must maintain a Combate with the flesh and that for an Enemy Satan To encourage us in this Warfare consider but these two things First We have a good Captain Jesus Christ he is called the Captain of our Salvation Heb. 2.10 Christ not only leads us in our march and gives us skill to fight but he gives us strength also A Captain he may give his Souldiers Armour but he cannot give them strength to fight but Christ doth Isa. 41.10 I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee Secondly To encourage us in this warfare against Sin and Satan having overcome our Ghostly Enemy then we shall have a glorious Recompence of Reward Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness 2 Tim. 4.8 A Crown it is not fit for every one a Crown it is not fit for every head only Princes Kings persons of Renown After our Combate with Sin and Satan God will call us out of the Field where the Bullets of Temptation did flie so fast and will give us a victorious Crown then no more Battle but there shall be Musick not the Drum and the Cannon but the Viol and the Harp shall sound Rev. 14.2 Use 2. Is Life a Warfare how unworthy and blameable are they who have no Spiritual Artillery nor do make out against their Spiritual Enemies they spend their time in dressing themselves but do not put on their holy Armour And rejoyce in the sound of the Organ They spend their days in mirth as if their lives were rather for Musick than for Battle I have read of one he would have no mans name written upon his Tomb but he who died manfully in War. God writes no mans name in the Book of Life but such as die in this holy War die in Battle fighting this good fight of Faith. Secondly Let us consider this word in the Text in the other signification The days of my appointed time my appointed time Hence observe this Doct. That God hath prefixt the just time and period of every mans Life Iob 14.5 His days are determined thou hast appointed the bounds that he cannot pass God who numbers ours hairs numbers our days He hath entred down in his Decree how long our lives shall last and we shall not live one hour nor minute beyond the time prefixt Therefore do not say If such a casualty had not happened such a friend had not died so soon Obj. But is it not said in Eccles. 7.16 Be not over-much wicked why shouldest thou die before thy time Ans. There is a general time of life and there is a limited time of life There is a general time in regard of the course of Nature and there is a limited time in regard of Gods Decree how long such a person shall live Now a man that dies young or dies a violent death he dies before his time in regard of the course of Nature but he doth not die before the time that God hath limited and appointed Use 1. First Use is to admonish us all to beware of adjourning and putting off our Repentance Our days they are certain to God
but they are uncertain to us The Lord knows how long our Glass will be running for ought we know there is but a few Sands more to run life may expire in an instant when our breath goes out we know not whether we shall draw it in again ' It is true Hezekiah had a Lease sealed him of fifteen years but we have no such Lease we are Tenants at will and may be turned out presently our time of life is known to God but not to us therefore take heed of procrastinating and delaying death may be sent to any of you this night with a Habeas Corpus God may say Give an account of your Stewardships Secondly Is the time of our life appointed and the number of our days set why then this should teach us courage for God be not fearful of doing your duty to appear for God to own his Cause in an Idolatrous generation to vindicate Gods Truth wherein his glory is so concerned so the Text saith Our time is appointed Men can take away our Liberty when they will they shall not touch a hair of our heads till Gods time is come This made our blessed Saviour so zealous for his Fathers Honour so sharp in his Reproof against sin Whence was Christ so couragious Iohn 8.20 For his hour was not yet come Christ knew full well that all his Enemies could not take away his life till the time was come which his Father had appointed This should make us like Athanasius that Bulwark of the Nation Thirdly The third thing in the Text is Iob's holy Resolution I will wait till my change come that is I will wait till death come Hence note this Doct. That death whenever it comes it makes a great change First This change that death will make it is a certain change there is no avoiding it Psal. 89.48 What man is he that lives and shall not see death Heb. 9.27 It is not strength it is not courage it is not any worldly grandure can exempt from death deaths Sword cuts asunder the Royal Scepter The godly they must die as well as others Though death doth not destroy the treasure of Grace yet death breaks the Vessel that this treasure is in Pliny he speaks of a golden Vine that is not subject to storms The body of a Saint when glorified shall be be like that golden Vine but now it is a withering Vine and is soon blasted by death We are not so sure to lie down in our beds as we are to lie down in our graves Secondly The change that death makes it is a visible change how strangely is the body metamorphosed at death that one scarce knows their friends they are so disfigured by death the Eyes hollow the Jaws fallen death carries away all the goodly spoil of beauty it changes a living body into a carkass Psal. 39.11 Thou makest the beauty to consume like a Moth. Take a body of the finest spinning the Lilly and the Purple white and ruddy when once death as a Moth gets into it it consumes all the luster and glory of it Death puts the body into a very frightful dress that nothing can fall in love with it but the Worms Thirdly The change that death makes it is often a very sudden change death steals upon some unawares as one I have read of was suddenly choaked with the kernel of a Grape What quick dispatch do several distempers make death oftentimes strikes and gives no warning Fourthly and lastly The change that death makes it is an unalterable change As the Tree falls so it lies to eternity Death is a change that puts us into an unchangeable condition Application First See what a different change death makes to the Righteous and to the Wicked both are changed at death but there is a vast difference First Death makes a dreadful change to the Wicked it is a Trap-door to let them down to Hell. The Wicked that live here in gallantry and splendor that are clothed in Purple and fare deliciously every day oh but when death comes they will find an alteration Death will throw the Wicked down from the top of the pinacle of their honour Rev. 18.22 I allude to it The voice of the Harper shall be heard no more in thee There is a River in America that runs in the day but in the night it is dried up so these pleasures that now run in the life-time in a full current at the night of death shall all be dried up Nor will the ungodly only lose their suggared things but here is their misery their Souls must be steeped in the flames of Hell Mark 9.44 where the Worm dies not Such a fire is kindled in Gods anger that no tears can quench it nor no time can finish it We read that the Servant under the Law if he had a hard Master yet at the seven years end there was a Jubilee a year of Release when the Servant might go off from him but in Hell torments there is no year of Jubilee Rev. 9.6 Men shall seek death and shall not find it If a spark of Gods anger falling into a mans Conscience be so full of torture in this life oh then how terrible will it be to have the fire of Gods wrath to lie in for ever Thus you see death will be a sad change to the unrighteous Therefore surely the very thoughts of death must needs be terrible to a wicked man. Secondly It will be a glorious change to all Righteous persons they shall have their fetters of sin knockt off and shall drink of the Rivers of pleasure Oh blessed change from a weary Pilgrimage to a blessed Paradice from Labour to Eternal Rest. In short death to a Child of God it is a friend Death it is a pale Horse to carry a Believer home to his Fathers house Death gives a full possession of glory There is a Freehold in Law and there is a Freehold in Deed. A Believer now hath a Freehold in Law that is he hath a Right to Heaven but at death he hath a Freehold in Deed He makes Entry of it and takes Possession Death pulls down this old Building this House of Clay and prepares for the Soul a better House a House not made with hands Oh blessed change to the Righteous and this may be comfort in the death of Christian friends whenever they are changed by death they are sure to change for the better they go instantly into a blessed Eternity Second Use is of Exhortation Does death make such a change a certain change a visible change and sometimes a sudden change and an unalterable change Let us all labour to be fitted for this great change It is a very sad thing as Iob saith to have the grave ready for us and we not ready for the grave When death surprizes the unprepared Soul what a condition will he be in he will say as those Oh death I pray thee let me be excused one day more one
and doth convey it by his Spirit So thirdly He doth maintain this peace by his daily Intercession What Saint alive doth not sometimes offend God and cause the fury of his anger to rise up in his face Now when the case is thus that we offend God and are ready to break his peace then Jesus Christ he stands up as an Intercessor and he speaks to God the Father on our behalf and it is his request that God would lay aside his anger and that he would smile upon his people again and therefore in Scripture Christ is called our Atonement to make peace and he is called our Advocate to purchase peace When we break our peace Christ he pleads our cause and makes up this peace again by his Intercession 1 Iohn c. 3. v. 7. To make some Application of this Use 1. First By way of Inference See then here to what Coast we must trade for this Pearl whither we must go for this spiritual peace that is our consolation in life and death Go to Christ for it That in me ye might have peace Saith Cyprian peace it is in Christ as sap is in the Root of the Vine as water is in the Spring That in meâ— ye might have peace saith Christ. This blessed peace that Christ gives it 's worth going to him for it is superiour to all other peace Peace in a Kingdom it is very desirable peace it is every ones Vote Peace it is the very quintessence of earthly blessings To sit quietly under our Vines and Figg-trees surely better a great deal better is the sounding of the Lute and Viol than the roaring of the Cannon See what a sweet promise God makes Isa. 2.4 He will break their Swords into Plowshares all shall be peace But what is this peace to the peace Christ gives to his People that is sacred This peace our Saviour gives it hath these two properties or these two qualifications to name no more First It is an Emboldening peace Secondly It is a Lasting peace First It is an Emboldening peace Friends that are at peace they use a kind of freedom and boldness one with another So we having peace thorow Christs Blood conveyed by his Spirit may be bold to make use of Gods Promises There is never a Promise in the Bible but a Believer may pluck a Leaf from and be at peace with God thorow Christ. We may now use a holy boldness in prayer We may come to God as Children to their Father Heb. 4.16 Let us come with boldness to the Throne of Grace God is our Father and he being at peace with us he will not deny any thing that may conduce to our real good This may make us come with boldness to the mercy Seat That 's the first It is an Emboldening peace Secondly Christs peace that he gives as it is an Emboldening peace so it is a Lasting peace Here is a peace that will hold For all Earthly peace to speak properly it is rather a truce than a peace a truce that is but for a small time and it ends Yea but this peace that Christ gives it is for ever Once in Christ and ever in Christ. Once justified and ever justified Here is a Lasting peace Isa. 54.10 The Covenant of my peace shall not be moved saith the Lord. The peace of a Believer it is but begun here in this life it is perfected in the Kingdom of Heaven Isa. 57.2 He shall enter into peace Here is a godly mans priviledge when he dies he dies in peace and as soon as ever he is dead he enters into peace he shall enter into peace that is he shall go to the Ierusalem above that City of peace Here the Saints peace it is but begun it is but in the seed there it shall be in the Flower Here it is but in its infancy there it shall be in its full growth That 's the first see to what Coast you must trade for this peace Go to Christ for it That in me ye might have peace Use 2. See what a sad condition all wicked men are in that live and die in their sins They have nothing to do with peace What! Shall they have peace that make War with Heaven persecute Christ in his Members Shall they have peace that deride and grieve the Spirit of God whose very Office it is to drop peace into the Conscience What a sinner to have peace 2 Kings 9.22 What peace so long as the Whoredoms of thy Mother Jezabel and her Witchcrafts are so many A wicked man is a worker of iniquity As a man works at his shop so he works at the trade of sin and what hath he to do with peace and how deplorable is his case What if a Foreign Enemy should come sinners would be in a storm and have no where to put in for Harbour It is a very sad thing to be in Sauls condition the Philistines upon him and God departed It is a very sad thing to have fightings without and fears within to have the Bullets shooting against the Ship and the Ship leaking within Isa. 57.21 There is no peace to the wicked saith my God And if God saith it he knows it to be true The wicked perhaps they may delude themselves and presume that though they go on in sin yet they shall have peace but to undeceive them turn to that one Scripture Deut. 29.19 And it come to pass when he heareth the words of this curse that he blesses himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine heart Verse 20. The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his Iealousie shall smoke against that man. One may as well think to suck health out of Poison as to suck peace out of Sin. Sinners they may be quiet or rather secure for the present but as 2 Sam. 26. it will be bitterness in the latter end Guilt will sooner or later raise a storm saith Chrysostom Sin will conjure up the Winds and Storms into the Conscience I have sometimes thought it is with sin as it is with poison there are some sorts of poison that will lie a great while in the body and not work but at last it does wring and torture the bowels a fit resemblance of sin Men they drink this poison and they may be quiet a while but at last especially at death then it begins to work and then the poison begins to touch the Conscience The great God of Heaven and Earth hath set up his Standard and proclaimed open War against every impenitent sinner and it will not be long if men go on in sin before Gods Cannon Bullets will begin to flie Gods wrath may seem to be like a sleeping Lion but this Lion will awake and roar and tear his prey I will say but this I confess God may bear long with wicked men let them alone he may bear long with them in respect of punishment when
currant of divine Joy runs into the Soul Here is Christs love to his Sheep he comforts them Thirdly Christ shews his love to his elect Sheep in that he shed his Blood for them Iohn 10.11 I lay down my Life for my Sheep The Death of the Shepherd is the Life of the Sheep Consider Christs death in a three-fold Notion 1. As it was painful 2. As it was voluntary 3. As it was Meritorous in all these ways he shews his love in dying for his Sheep First Look upon Christs death as painful if the torment of the body was so great Oh! What was the agony of the Soul The Lord Jesus Christ he was troden he was squeezed in the wine-press of his Fathers wrath the Evangelists use three Words worthy of observing to express Christs agony he began saith the Text to be amazed he began to faint Mat. 14.23 and he began to be exceeding sorrowful Mat. 26.37 He felt Hells torment in his Soul equivalent though not locally though Christ was anointed with the Holy Ghost though he was supported with the Deity though he was comforted with Angels from Heaven yet for all that he swate great drops of Blood the Text saith Oh! the love of Christ in dying for his Sheep Secondly Consider Christs Death as it was voluntary He did part with his Life freely It is true Christs death was necessary in regard of Gods decree but it was voluntary in this respect that Christ chearfully yielded to suffering Iohn 10.18 I lay down my Life the Iews could not have taken away his Life if he had not laid it down nothing could have forced Christ to have died for his Sheep but love Nothing could have bound him to the Cross but the golden chain of Love. Thirdly Consider Christs Death as it was Meritorious It is the inlet to all holy benediction it procures for us Justification of our Persons acceptance of our services access to the Throne of Grace it procures an entrance into the holy acceptable place of Heaven Heb. 3.19 Behold here is the Love of Christ in laying down his Life for his Sheep He hath purchased glorious things for us there was no way for the Sheep to live but by the Death of the Shepherd and for Christ Jesus to die as a Malefactor having the weight of so many sins lying upon him it was more than if all the Angels had been turned into dust Sixthly Christ is a better Shepherd than any other in that he can make all the care and pains that he takes with his Sheep to be successful which no other Shepherd can do other Shepherds they may lead the Sheep to the water or to the pasture but they cannot make the Sheep have a stomack they cannot make them have an appetite to feed they cannot make the pasture to nourish their Sheep but Christ our blessed Shepherd as he leads his Sheep into the pasture so he can cause an appetite in his Sheep to their food he can make them with a word speaking hunger and thirst after Righteousness Jesus Christ he provides pastures for his Sheep and he only can bless these pastures and make them nourishful to the Soul 1 Tim. 4.6 Nourished up in the Words of Faith Christ can bless the blessed Sacrament he can make the Elements thorow the operation of his Spirit to be spiritual growth and nourishment in his elect Sheep Thus he is a better Shepherd he can bless the pasture Seventhly Christ is a better Shepherd than any other in the World for he is a pattern and example to all his flock an example of meekness and of humility and sanctity he is a pattern for all his flock and in this sence observe Christ is said to go before his Sheep Iohn 10.34 how did he go before them that is by his holy Example 1 Pet. 2.21 For even hereunto were ye called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps Ierom having read the religious Life of Delyan and what an excellent end he made now saith he Delyan shall be the example that I will follow So let all the Sheep of Christ say Jesus Christ he shall be the example that we will follow and imitate Christs Sheep go astray when they do not tread in the steps of their Shepherd the Lord Jesus Eighthly Christ is a better Shepherd than any other and far excels them In that he keeps his Sheep so fast in his hands that none can ever pluck them out Iohn 10.28 Neither can any man pluck them out of my hand Not one of Christs Sheep was ever lost a Shepherd though he is never so careful and vigilant yet sometimes a Sheep may go astray and be devoured by the Wolf but not one of Christs elect Sheep was ever lost Iohn 17.12 None of them are lost but the Son of Perdition Iudas was never given to Christ he was not a Sheep but a Goat none of his Sheep was ever lost Christs Sheep sometimes may go astray by errour and may fall into the acts of Sin as David but Christ will reduce them and bring them off again by speedy Repentance Christs Sheep they may be lame and faint and can hardly go but yet Christ he hath a care of the weak Sheep as well as the strong Sheep the bruised Reed he will not break the weakest Saint alive is so a Sheep that he is part of his Shepherd Christ and Believers are one the Sheep cannot perish but the Shepherd must perish likewise Ninthly Christ is a better Shepherd than any other in that he puts his Sheep into a better pasture at last takes them out of the Wilderness here the valley of Tears and transplants them into Paradice there to feed among the Lillies he gives them Eternal Life Iohn 10.28 I give unto them Eternal Life Christs Sheep may lose their golden Fleece men may rob them of their Wool and they may lose their lives for Christs sake I but Christ gives them Eternal Life Life is sweet but that word Eternal makes it far sweeter Eternal Life it doth consist in the fruition of all good things Life Beauty Strength Joy Perfection Eternity here is the excellency of our good Shepherd he gives his Sheep Eternal Life he will take them out of the Wilderness where are fiery Serpents and place them in Paradice and they shall feed among the Cherubims Thus I have shewed you how the Lord Jesus is resembled to a Shepherd and how he is a better Shepherd than any other Give leave to make some Application VSE the first Is the Lord Jesus Christ this great Shepherd which takes such care for his Flock and is he a better Shepherd than any other Then let us all labour to know our Shepherd here in the Text saith Christ I know my Sheep And I know them by Name I and I am known of them too Oh! Let us know our blessed Shepherd knowing of Christ is nothing else but believing in him in