this Name 1 Corinth 5. 4 5. In the Name of our Lord Jesus saith he and by the power of our Lord Jesus deliver such a one unto Satan All Church acts of Government are to be done by the Shepherds of the Church in Christs Name and by power derived from Christ And then 3 They are to be accountable to him for all their misdoings He will judge them for all their miscarriages either towards one another or towards the flock 6. Christ is the great Shepherd in regard of the successe he can give to what he doth Other shepherds may lead the sheep to the pastures or drive them to the waters but they cannot make either successeful to the sheep They cannot give digestion concoction growth 1 Cor. 3. 7. But now this great Shepherd is able to do all this he can give the sheep an appetite to eat and drink and he can by his blessing make their eating and drinking successeful He can make the sheep strong and lusty and vigoâ—ous He can exercise discipline and give them an heart to submit to it and to be bettered by it He can lay a plaister to their wounds and when he hath done so can say the wound shall be healed He can call them from their wandrings and speak so effectually that they shall returne and wander no more 7. He is the great Shepherd in regard of the great jurisdiction he hath over the sheep All other shepherds that ever were or shall be have but a limitted power they cannot do what they will they cannot make any rules for the ordering of the flock nor can they teach any doctrines to the flock but what Christ hath taught 1 Cor. 11. 23. But now Jesus Christ the great Shepherd hath a boundlesse illimited Authority He can do what he pleases with the sheep he can he hath made what Lawes pleased himself for the ordering of the sheep He can cut launce wound put them into fat pastures into barren pastures as he pleases His Dominion is absolute over them 8. He is the great Shepherd in regard of the latitude and extent of his jurisdiction Other shepherds are shepherds over particular flocks but Christ is the universal Shepherd the whole Catholick Church is his flock he is the universal Shepherd of the Church That which the Pope â—alsly and treasonably challengeth to himself to be the Universal Bishop is most truly â—ffiâ—med of Christ The Apostles were shepherds to the universal Church where they came but it was onely to the Church that was in their generation but Jesus Christ hath been and still is thâ— Universal Shepherd in all generations He was tâ—e Shepherd of the Church in the Prophets time he was the Shepherd in the Apostles days and he will be Shepherd to the eâ—d of the world This the Psalmist foretels by way of Prophecy Psal 72. 8. His dominion shall be from sea to sea and from the 〈…〉 of the earth Ever since the Church waâ— Câ—rist was Shepherd and while God hath 〈…〉 in the world Jesus Christ will continue to be the great Shepherd thereof Eccles 12. 11. The Uses concern both the inferior shepherds and the whole flock of sheep First Concerning the shepherds Here are five duties 1. This may teach them to act for Christ It becomes all the Ministers whom Christ hath made shepherds to consider that Christ is the great Shepherd They are but ministerial inferior subordinate shâ—pherds therefore whatever their parts be whatever interest they have in the hearts of the sheep they are still to remember that Christ is the great Shepherd and that it is their duty to lay out all their abilities and interest in gathering together the sheep unto Christ This is the character of a true shepherd in all his actings to serve the great Shepherd whoâ—e servant he is John Baptist is an eminent patterne for this he did not serve himselfe but Christ and therefore was contented to be diminished to be nothing so that Christ the great Shepherd might be exalted See that famous Text John 3. 26 27 28 29 30. He humbles himself to the dust that by his falling Christ might rise 2. This may teaâ—h them not to Lord it over the sheep Ministers though they be shepherds in respect of the sheep yet they are but sheep in respect of Christ This Caution the Apostle gives them upon this very account in 1 Pet. 5. init The great Shepherd may do what he will but the inferior shepherd must not do what he will but what Christ will 2 Cor. 4. 5. 3. This may encourage them in hoping for reward from Christ The great Shepherd doth take an account of the diligence and faithfulnesse of inferior shepherds and if they be faithful in their work whatever their successe be the great Shepherd will abundantly reward them He that hath called himself the great Shepherd knows what belongs to the work of a shepherd and therefore he will consider him according to his work This the Apostle tells the shepherds 1 Pet. 5. 1 2 3 4. 4. This should teach them to go to this great shepherd both for Pastoral Abilities and for successe As they should learn to carry themselves in the managing of their Pastoral work by Christs example the great Shepherd to be diligent painful watchful affectionate as he was so they should when they want strength wisdome encouragement go to him The great Shepherd who hath set them on work will both strengthen them in the work and blesse them with successe though not so much as they desire yet with so much as shall make them cheerfully go on with their work 5. To learn of Christ meeknesse patience painfulnesse faithfulnesse forbearance love to some bearing with infirmities Zeale to preach with authority impartiality courage self-disregarding Secondly concerning the sheep Here is both Instruction and Consolation I. Instruction they may learne three lessons from hence 1. Be ruled and governed by Christ. It 〈…〉 shepherds work to governe as well as to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies both to feed and to rule The sheep is to follow the shepherd Those that are Christs sheep in truth do follow him John 10. 4. They follow him without disputing they follow him without murmuring they follow him universally It doth not become a sheep of Christ to refuse the Shepherds conduct The Shepherd is wiser then the sheep they will erre if they follow their own counsel they cannot wander if they follow Christ The sheep are safe while they follow Christ he never led any of his sheep into dangerous places When you heare the voice of the great Shepherd be sure to yield obedience We are to obey the voice of subordinate shepherds yet no farther then they teach Christs commands but the voice of the great Sheperd is to be obeyed in all things Let me adde but this one word to perswade you to it Jesus Christ will not be a feeding Shepherd where he may not be admitted to be a ruling Shepherd
20. 20. 1 Kings 11. 36. 12. For God himself 1 Job 1. 5. 13. For Christ so 't is used in the Text. In what respects we shall afterwards see The World The Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mâ—ndus from that real and orderly digestion and composition of things that are in the world God hath made all things in number weight and measure The world is an orderly beautiful piece It 's used here some think to take away the difference between Jewes and Gentiles Others think it 's taken for the world of the Elect But I rather think in this place it 's taken for all sorts of men to whom this light is offered This benefit saith Calvin is not offered to one or a few but to all the world though few receive it yet the tender of it is made to all according to that of our Saviour Mark 16. 15. The words are a Proposition In 〈…〉 1. The Subject Jesus Christ 2. The Predicate The light of the world 3. The Copulate joyning these together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All put together make this Observation Doct. That Jesus Christ is the spiritual light of the world Jesus Christ in three respects is the natural light of the world as he is God 1. He created the light The first light that ever shined in the world was his creature The Sunne Moon and Starres which are the vessels of natural light are the works of his hands He as well as the Father is that Jehovah who at first said Let there be light and there was light Gen. 1. 3. For all things were made by him and without him was not made any thing that was made John 1. 3. All the luminaries of heaven which carry the light of nature abroad are his creatures 2. He preserves the light The sinne of mankinde would extinguish those vessels of light those lamps of the world did not the Lord Jesus Christ by his Divine power and Providence keep them burning When the Sunne is set and darknesse spread upon the world it would never rise again if Christ did not give it a Command 3. He it is that created the eye of man and endued it with power to set the light It is he that as God formed the eye of man and gave it power to behold the light of the Sunne It is he also that by his providence opens the eye when it is by sleep shut up in darknesse These windows of the body would be pitched up for ever if Christ did not open them morning by morning Davids prayer Psal 13. 3. must be our daily prayer Lighten mine eyes lest I sleep the sleep of death In all these respects Christ according as he is God is the natural light of the world And as Mediator he is the spiritual light of the world He was so when he was on earth and that both by his Doctrine and by his example And he is still the spiritual light of men The Scripture doth often affirme this of Christ See a few places John 1. 9. that was speaking of Christ the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world John 12. 35 36 46. What can be more expresse The Prophets who Prophecyed of him spake of him as a light Esay 42. 6. I give thee for a Covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles And Esay 49. 6. I will give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayest be my salvation to the end of the earth He is therefore compared to the day-star Luke 1. 78. To the Sunne Mal. 4. 2. As all natural light is collected into the vessel of the Sunne and by it dispensed to the world so all spiritual light is gathered together and placed in Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse and by him communicated unto all those whom God hath given him In the opening of this Doctrine I shall handle three things 1. Wherein the proportion between Christ and light stands 2. How Christ doth dispense the light which is in him 3. How Christ is differenced from all â—ther lights First the resemblance between Christ and light stands in seven things 1. Light hath a manifestative quality It doth discover and cause to appear things that do in darkness lie unseen Darkness is a thick veile and shadow under which things and persons are concealed but light removes that shadow and shews both it self and every other thing in its own nature When you would see what a thing is if you do not know it you bring it forth to the light and then it appears Whatsoever doth make manifest the same is light Eph. 5. 13. Jesus Christ in this respect is well compared to light He discovers and makes manifest to men that which they never saw before How many rare mysteries hath Christ discovered to the sonnes of men When he came into the world he revealed those secrets that before were either not known or not so fully known The Apostle speaks of this Eph. 3. 2. 3 4 5 6 8 9. When Christ comes to a soul what discoveries doth he make there 1 That sin which lay hid for many years is now manifest that pride that unbelief that covetousnesse which was not discovered before is now made manifest The very secrets of the heart are made known when this light begin to shine 1 Corinth 14. 25. The soule wonders that so much wickednesse should be so long undiscerned 2 That shining beauty which is in grace which was not before discerned is now made manifest He sees godlinesse to be another kinde of thing then he ever apprehended it to be He sees a lovelinesse in every duty of Gods worship a lovelinesse in every act of holinesse which he could have not believed so that he is able to say with the blinde man restored by Christ This I know that whereas I was blinde now I see Christ hath the discovering quality of light 2. Light hath a Directive vertue It guids men in their way The Traveller by the benefit of the light sees what path to keep which way to turne to his intended journey Our Saviour mentions this effect of light John 11. 9 10. Now Christ is fitly called a light in this regard He it is that doth direct the sonnes of men in the way to life And therefore he is called not onely the light by which we see but the guide that leads us Luke 1. 79. Yea he is called not onely the light and the guide but the way in which we walk John 14. 6. Jesus Christ is sent by his Father from heaven to direct his Elect to heaven He is the great Pilot of his Church that doth steer it through the tempestuous seas of this world to the Haven of glory 3. Light hath a Penetrating vertue Light is of all creatures that are material the most immaterial it is of so subtile a nature that it conveys it selfe into the least crevise You can hardly make any fence so close as wholly to keep out
making a promise This is the second 3. 'T is an undecent thing 'T is a very uncomely thing that God should be hurryed by his creatures to make good his promises before his own time The undecency of it will appear these wayes As. 1. God is our Superiour He is our King he is our Master he is our Father he is the supreme Lord as far above the bighest of us as the Creator is above the creature 'T is not good manners to be too hasty with a Superiour Woman saith our Saviour to the Virgin What have I to do with thee my houre is not yet come Joh. 2. 3. It is unsutable to the highnesse of the God of glory to stoop so low as to observe the time of the best of creatures Great men will not be hastened by their servants its incongruous that the great and mighty God should have his time appointed him by the works of his own hands The great God is willing to be petitioned by the meanest but he will not be determined by the greatest of his creatures Greatnesse will not be uncivilly hurryed by meannesse Luther having once been too bold with God bout a businesse which he thought necessary telling God it must be dâ—â—ne thought he heard this answer Martine admodum sapis sed ego non sum Deus sequax It is not meet that God should either take counsel or be importunately hurried by his servants 2. God is a free agent in whatever he doth or promises All his promises are gracious and all his gracious promises are free Nothing bâ—t his meer will caused him to make any promise They are called promises of grace not only because they conteine gracious things but because they are the effects of free-grace Now it is not meet that a free agent should be determined either for matter or time When we do with impatience over-eagerly put God on to fulfil what he hath promised we do forger that he doth all things according to the counsel of his own Will which is affirmed by the Apostle Ephes 1. 11. It 's not equal to determine a free agent 3. God hath waited patiently and doth still wait patiently on us Before our conversion he waited long stretching out his hands with unwearied patience while we did oppose him Since our conversion he waits still Cant. 5. 2. Rev. 3. 20. He waits for our rising after falls for our obedience to duties commanded 'T is the most incongruous thing in the world that a patient waiting God should be impatiently hastened This is the first 2. For those who never look after the promises of God Many men are so negligent and careless that they never take any thought about the promises of God they neither pray for them nor wait for them Iâ— God will give them a â—eing they can be contented if he never fulfil them they can bear it I would have such Christians consider these four things 1. This is a great sleighting of the promises and of the good which is centained in them The Apostle Rom. 2. 4. speaks of some who despise the riches of Gods goodnesse He that never looks after the promise is guilty of this sinne He scornes the love of God the Father the maker of the promise the blood of God the Sonne the purchaser of the promise the grace of God the holy Ghost the applyer of the promise God complaines of his people that they accounted the great things of his Law as strange things Hos 8. 12. He that never looks after the fulfilling of the promises of God accounts the Gospel and the great things thereof mean things 2. It renders the promise lesse comfortable when it is fulfilled The souls consolation in receiving the good of the promise is according to the souls expectation in waiting for the promise The Prophet mentions this Esay 25. 9. He that exerciseth most saith and hope in waiting for a promise shall finde most joy in gathering the promise We know how it befel that incredulous Lord who would not beleeve the promise of plenty which God made by his Prophet 2 Kings 7. 1â— He saw iâ— with his eyes but did not eat of it He that mindes not the good which God hath promised robs his soul of half of that joy which he might have from the promise The promise will neither be so fat nor so sweet as it would have been if the heart can be more confident in expecting it 3. This makes the promise wholly uncomfortable till the accompâ—â—shment of it The very blossâ—ms of Gods promises yield some comfort to the soul God hath for this end revealed his promises that the souls of his people might have some refâ—eshment by them before they be brought forth The thoughts that such a good shall certainly be ours beare halfe as â—uch comfort as if it were already ours We rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God saith the Apostle Rom. 5. 2. The present hope of future glorification is not without some joy Good in reversion yields much joy in possession The promise made to Christ that his body should not see corruption was a foundation of present comfort Psalme 16. 9 10. the hope of the bodies resurrection makes a childe of God die with comfort All Gods promises lay a foundation of present comfort But he that never looks after the promise what joy can he have from the promise 'T is the souls beleeving and studying of the promise that draws comfort out of the promise He that mindes not what God hath promised hath as little present joy from the promise as if it were not at all 4. The neglecting of the promises is a real slighting of the Precepts The same God which hath made the promise hath commanded the soul to wait for the promise and no man can dis-regard the promise but he doth thereby make himself guilty of disobeying the Precept This is the second use of the point 3. For Exhortation Let all that professe themselves to be of Simeons religion waite as he did for the accomplishment of the promises of God God hath made many promises which are of general concernment to the Church of God the promise of calling the Jews of ruining Antichrist of Establishing the mountaine of the Lords house upon the top of the mountaines of settling unity and uniformity of worship in his Church God hath made many promises of particular good things to beleevers the takâ—ng away the stony heart the giving of them victory over their spiritual enemies c. be intreated to expect the fulfilling of all these I shall in this Use 1. Urge the duty by some Motives 2. Propound some rules to direct us in the manner of our waiting 3. Answer some objections which the soule makes against waiting 1. For Motives Consider 1. That all the promises which God hath made shall have their certaine accomplishment in their time The Apostle saith in 2 Cor. 1. 20. That all the promises of God in Christ Jesus are Yea