Shepherdy Spiritualized, Tract · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
Shepherds were they that own, as well as they that keep: Chriſt is the great Proprietor of's Sheep.
Obſervation.
THough theſe latter daies have appropriated the name of Shepherd to him that keeps and feeds Sheep, though for another; Yet former ages gave this appellation as well to thoſe that owned, and whoſe propriety the Sheep were. Thus of Meſha King of Moab forementioned. Other Inſtances are not wanting, Gen. 46. 32. of Joſeph's Brethren, the men are Shepherds, Hebr. kViri pecoris i. e. qui ſolent alere pecora. Vatabl.foreign Men of Sheep, or Cattle, which they repeat, Chap. 47. 3. with this addition, both we and our Fathers; not only keeping as Servants, but alſo having intereſt in them as our great Eſtate. That which puts this beyond doubt, is the Oppoſition by our Lord ſet between the Shepherd and the Hireling, John 10. 12. He that is an Hireling, and not the Shepherd, whoſe own the Sheep are not: The Hireling is the Shepherd that attends the Sheep, but the Shepherd is He, whoſe own the Sheep are. Now Men come to have Sheep ſeveral waies.
Either by
Donation, When Sheep are beſtowed on any one by his Neighbours or Friends. Thus would I underſtand Job 42. 11. we read it every man gave him a piece of Money, the Hebr. word is foreign found only Gen. 33. 19. Joſh. 24. 32. and here in Job. The Interl. LXX. Vul. Syr. Arab. and Chald. Tranſlate it Sheep or Lambs: and this ſeems more honourable for them to give, and him to receive, than a piece of money: eſpecially if the lAd valorem nummi quod attinet, Ebraei omnes quos vidi exponunt, Obolas. Druſ.Jews be credited, who value this piece at a ſmall rate, viz an half penny, others contend a piece of money to be intended having the mAgnus erat nomen pecuniae agnum valentis, & ob id agni habentis figuram, Grot. ſic foreign nummus bovis imagine ſignatus: & Corvus apud Baſileenſes, Druſ. & Ludovici in Gallia, & Jacobi in Angliâ, a Regum effigie ſic dicti, Bib. Max. ſic pecunia a pecu: & opes, olim oves; ut opilio pro ovilio. Grot.form of a Lamb ſtamped on it. We have known ſome in our daies, that have got ſome ſtore of Sheep thus by Gift.
Or Secondly by Acquiſition either by
Purchaſe
1. Price: When Money is laid down for Sheep. Thus to buy ſcores or hundreds, yea whole Flocks is no ſtrange thing with us.
2. Exchange: when other Stock or Cattle is given for ſheep.
or Power. When taken from an Enemie; this, Souldiers underſtand under the name of prey, 1 Sam. 15. 9.
Application.
CHriſt is a Shepherd in this ſenſe, as chief Proprietor of his: and he hath this propriety by a multifarious right. Firſt, of Donation, God the Father, whoſe are all things by right of Creation, Pſal. 100. 3. hath given Chriſt's Sheep unto him John 6. 37. and 17. 2. they are made over to Jeſus Chriſt, by him to be brought to life; hence in the language of the Prophet, Iſa. 8. 18. he ſaith, I and the Children whom the Lord hath given me; and Joh. 17. 6.—unto the men which thou gaveſt me out of the world. God having ſeparated them as his peculiar portion in the eternal counſel of his will, gives them unto his Son to take care of them, that they may be preſerved and brought unto glory, that he had deſigned for them. And this work he teſtifieth that he undertook, ſo that none of them ſhall be loſt, but that what ever difficulties they may paſs through, he will raiſe them up at the laſt day, and give them an entrance into life and immortality. Yea, they are given to Chriſt as his Children, Heb. 2. 13. to be provided for, and to have an inheritance purchaſed for them, that they may become Heirs of God, and co-heirs with himſelf. Adam was their firſt Parent by nature, and in him they loſt that inheritance which they might have expected by the Law of their Creation: they are therefore given to the Second Adam, as their Parent by Grace, to have an Inheritance provided for them, which accordingly he hath purchaſed with the price of his blood.
2dly, They are his by acquiſition, hence called a nforeignpurchaſed poſſeſſion, Eph. 1. 14. oforeign: populus quem proprium vendicat, Bez. populus acquiſitionis, Vulg.peculiar people, 1 Pet. 2. 9. i. e. a people of peculiar purchaſe, a people of purchaſe by price: they are bought at a price, 1 Cor. 6. 20, and this not of things corruptible, as of Silver and Gold, but the precious blood of Jeſus Chriſt, 1 Pet. 1. 18. he is ſaid to give his life a foreign, a ranſome, and himſelf foreign, pQuum alius ſolvit quod reus non poterat: ut in bello, cúm caput capite, vita unius alterius morte redimitur, Aret. Tale pretium in quo liberator ſimile quiddam ſubit ei malo, quod ei imminebat qui liberatur. Scult.which for want of a better, we tranſlate alſo a ranſome, 1 Tim. 2. 6. properly that payment which is paid by another, becauſe the Perſon liable could not pay: as in war, when one is given in Exchange for another. God's Juſtice had taken Sinners, and kept them priſoners, nothing but life would ſatisfie for the Offence. Chriſt undertakes the ranſom, and laies down his own life to redeem the life of his Sheep, Joh. 10. 11. They are called Sheep of ſlaughter, Zech. 11. 4, 7. i. e. deſtined to ſlaughter and utter deſtruction, both for their own merits, and unfaithful Shepherds, who rather flaied then fed them, yet Jeſus Chriſt took care of them, and preſerved them.
Secondly, they are purchaſed by Exchange. Theſe Sheep of Chriſt comprehend as it were, all God's gettings, his whole ſtock, that he makes any great reckoning of, and therefore ſeems to ſlight all others in compariſon of them. Typified of old in Iſrael, qQuaſi victimam piacularem a Senache ibo mactandam loco Judaeae.Iſa. 43. 3, 4. I gave Aegypt for thy ranſome, &c. LXX. foreign, in Exchange for thee. When Terkakah King of Egypt and Ethiopia was beaten bp Senacherib, (think ſome) who was then making towards Jeruſalem; which he had already devoured in his hopes, Iſa. 37. 9. Thus the righteous is delivered out of trouble and the wicked cometh in his ſtead, Pro. 11. 8. Saul and his People are afflicted by the Philiſtins, that David might eſcape, 1 Sam. 23. the Canaanites rooted out to make room for the Iſraelites. Charles the Fifth, Emperor, and Francis the French King, after a mutual agreement to root out Lutheraniſm, fell together by the Ears, and the Church the while had her Halcyon days: So the Turks and Perſians deadly feud is for the great ſaſeguard of Chriſtians. God eſteems all the reſt of the world as nothing in compariſon of Believers. Chriſt ſets no value on any elſe in reſpect to them: all elſe given for them: they are his Segullah, Mal. 3. 17. the word is ſomething on which a man for ſome excellency in it, ſetteth his affection, more than on others, and therefore layeth it up, as ſome bright and beautiful pieces of Gold, &c.
Laſtly, … propriety in his by power; he hath not only paid a price for them to his Fathers Juſtice, but he hath alſo recovered them out of the hands of Satan, who held them Captives; he hath wreſted them out of his hands, Mat. 12. 29. with Luk. 11. 22. The ſtrong man keeps all, the ſtronger comes, and brings deliverance. He forcibly delivers from the power of darkneſs, Col. 1. 13. i. e. from the power of the Devil, who is the Prince of darkneſs, and endeavours to darken and blind thoſe that are ſubjected to him. VVe are all born under his Power and Rule, ſo that before we are delivered, he worketh in us according to his pleaſure, Eph. 2. 2. The underſtanding is darkned, the will corrupted, which ſets men in a ſtate of darkneſs, both as to knowledge, and as to practice ſpiritual and ſaving, Epheſ. 5. 8. But Jeſus Chriſt by infuſing the light, of faith, and beſtowing the ſpirit of Holineſs, diſſolves this power and dominion of ſin, according to Rom 6. 14. its body being enervated, ver. 3. rDeus. liberavit ſuos a poteſtate inferni, i. e. à miſeriis & calamitatibus quae dependent ex peccati dominantis reatu. Daven. in Col. 1.VVe may underſtand the power of darkneſs alſo, of thoſe miſeries and calamities which accompany or flow from the guilt of reigning ſin. All Chriſt's are taken as a prey out of the Lions mouth, 1. Sam. 17. 34, 35, 36. David, we know, in many things was a type of Chriſt, in this the figure accords well. Some apprehend David ſpeaking not of one sNon agitur de ſingulari eventu, ſed de re quae non ſemei acciderat. Bochart.inſtance at one particular time, but of what had often hapned to him: ſure it is, it's that which the Mighty Jeſus doth often in the reſcue of his Satan is a Lyon foreign, roaring, 1 Pet. 5. 8. Chriſt the Lion of the Tribe of Judah is foreign, he that delivereth his from the … and from the wrath to come, 1 Theſ. 1. 10.
Reflections.
VVhoſe then am I, O my Soul? Whoſe propriety am I? Tis Propriety For an enquiring Soul.in Chriſt that intereſteth in the Saviour: my Lord, and my God, Joh. 20. 28. tHe foreign, Chryſoſt.True Faith individuates God, and appropriates Him to it ſelf. VVere it not for this poſſeſſive Mine, the Devil might ſay the Creed to as good purpoſe as we. He believeth there is a God, and a Chriſt, &c. that which torments him is, he cannot ſay (my) to any Article of the Faith. Not ſo David, my ſhepherd: not ſo Paul, loved me, gave himſelf for me, Gal. 2. 20. So 'tis Chriſt's having a propriety in his, that intereſteth in the ſalvation of Chriſt, Mat. 1. 21. ſave his people. He is the Saviour of the body, Epheſ. 5. 23. Excluſively underſtood, of none but thoſe that appertain to the body, and are members thereof, Job. 10. 15. Layeth down his for his ſheep, not for goates, wolves, &c. Have I been given up by the Father unto Chriſt? I may know that by Chriſt's being given to, and accepted by me. Have I cloſed with Chriſt as Saviour and Lord? All that the Father giveth to Chriſt ſhall come unto him, viz. believe in him, ſubject to him. Election is beſt known by calling, effectual calling, 2 Pet. 1. 10. Have I been bought by Chriſt? Chriſt's Spirit ſecondeth his merit, as this freeth from the guilt and damnation, ſo that from the filth and domination of ſin. It's a vain thing to ſpeak of being freed from the wrath to come, whiſt lying under power of preſent corruption. Haſt thou not conſidered, O my ſoul, that word of the Apoſtle, Rom. 6. 16. Know ye not to whom ye yield your ſelves to obey, his ſervants ye are to whom ye obey? Chriſts blood redeemeth from a vain, as well as vile converſation, 1 Pet. 1. 18. Am I redeemed by power? ſnatcht out of the power of darkneſs? Darkneſs makes looſeneſs. How can I pretend to redemption by Chriſt, whilſt ſtill under the Dominion of ſin and Satan? To a redeemed one Satan may ſhake his chain, but cannot faſten his fangs. Soul, be much in ſelf-enquiry: take not up with a notion of Salvation, unleſs the Saviour hath propriety in thee. The Prieſts whoſe Genealogy was not found, were rejected from the Prieſthood, Ez. 2. 62. So ſhall all that cannot clear their ſpiritual pedigree in relation to Chriſt: that are not found written among the living in Jeruſalem, Iſa. 4. 3. not regiſtred in the Lambs book of Life, Revel. 21. 27.
Hath Chriſt a Propriety in his ſheep? have I profeſt my ſelf one of For the Profane pretending Chriſtian.the ſheep of Chriſt, and yet deny the right of his propriety? Have not I, that ſay a man ſhould not ſteal, committed Sacriledge in robbing Jeſus Chriſt of what I have profeſſedly acknowledged to be his due? Was not I, in my Baptiſm, ſolemnly given up to Chriſt, and have I not often ſeemed to ratifie and confirm that engagement? and yet do I not give up my ſelf to the ſervice and drudgery of ſin and Satan? Should I proſeſſing Chriſt my Captain General, having taken his preſs-money, being enliſted under him, and having his Badge on me, fight the Devils battels? Have I not profeſt to have been bought by Chriſt with a price, both body and ſoul, that I ſhould glorifie him in both? Have I not profeſt my body to be the member of Chriſt? and ſhall I take members of Chriſt, and make them the members of an harlot? 1 Cor. 6. 15? Shall I think it enough to pretend that Chriſt hath mine heart, though the Devil hath my head, tongue, hands, feet? Is not the body for the Lord, viz. the Lords uſe, and ought to be imploy'd for his Glory? and is not the Lord for the body, viz. to redeem and ſanctifie it, and conſequently to command and rule it, being Lord of both body and ſoul? Is this to own Chriſt's propriety in me, to let World and luſt have head and heart, the faculties of Soul, and members of body, with the neglect of the commands of Chriſt? Will not Chriſt condemn me out of mine own mouth? If Chriſtianity were not good, why did I profeſs it? If it were good, why did I not practiſe it? Shall I poſſibly be able to give any anſwer hereto? If I like not the Marriage-feaſt, why came I thither? If I come, why without a wedding garment? Surely I muſt be ſpeechleſs. Awakethen, O my ſoul! out of this ſleep of carnal ſecurity: rouze thee from this inconſiſtency: If thou wilt own thy ſelf a ſheep of Chriſt, own his propriety in thee, and let that repell all temptations to unrighteouſneſs. As Scipio ſaid, when an harlot was offered him uVellem ſi non eſſem Imperator., I would if I were not a General, ſo ſay thou, I would if I were not a Chriſtian. Hierome reports of a woman who beat back all temptations thus, wChriſtiana ſum, baptizata ſum.I am a Chriſtian, I was baptized.
My Beloved is mine, and I am For the humble believing ſoul.his: Oh what cauſe of joy and glorying is here? However vile in mine eyes, and however vilified by men, yet Chriſt diſdains not to own propriety in me. I was given in by the Father from all Eternity, O bleſſed gift of me, for me!) and in time, though my Lord had much adoe to prevail with me, yet hath he taken my heart, and I have given over my ſelf to him, chooſing Him to be a Lord to me, to protect and defend me, and a Lord alſo over me, to command and rule me. Bleſſedhour, wherein I was perſwaded to give up my ſelf thus to the Lord! Being His, I may be ſure:
Firſt, Of being owned by him in the worſt of times and ſtates. He will never be aſhamed of them, who have not been aſhamed of Him. They ſhall be mine, ſaith the Lord, in the day that I make up my Jewels, Mal. 3. 17. They ſhall be to me in the day which I make for a p…culiar, i. e. as that thing which is moſt acceptable; of great price, and very dear, a peculiar people, and whom God doth ſpecially claim and challenge as his own.
Secondly, Of being provided for: He that hath commanded men ſhould, will not himſelf forget to provide for his own. The Father will lay up for the children; the Shepherd will care and provide paſture for his ſheep. If the Lord be my Shepherd, I ſhall not want. (But hereof more hereafter.)
Thirdly, Of being ſaved and glorified by Him: I am thine, ſave me, was good arguing with David, Pſal. 119. 94. Where I am, there ſhall my ſervant be alſo, is the word of promiſe of him that cannot fail, Joh. 12. 26. and Chap. 17. 24. Father, I will that they alſo whom thou haſt given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory; is the prayer of him that was heard alwayes. O my ſoul, the lines are fallen to thee in pleaſantneſſes, I am my beloved's, and my Beloved is mine.