them, 7 —10. his providence and care for his flick, 11—19g. Chriſt the chief ſhepherd ard prince of his chureh is promiſed, 20—24. the church's kaypy and ſafe condition under his government, 25—31I,
2 Son of man, propheſie againſt the * ſhepherds a
at laſt. z Come I pray let us go up to the
phorical Shepherds ſhould, as the other, Rirengthen their Sheep with carrying then into good and quier Paſtures. p The Sheep in our Fa
ſtures are ſubje&t ro many Sickneſles, the Sheep in Church and Stats fo more, and Shepherds in both ſhould be as Phyſicians to heal then: but here theſe did not {9. 4 Sometime violent and ravenous Bzafi; break their Bones, ſomerimes the ſtronger and fatter Sheep bruiſe or break them ; theſe ſhould the Shepherdsbind up ; violent Oppreſior s in the State, and ſuch in Church broke many then, but theſe Shepherds bound them not up. » Sheep are often driven our of the Paſture
frighred, hunted, and purſued by Dogs, or other miſchievous Crea- tures ; theſe the Shepherd ſhould find our, and bring back in Churck and State. There were many ſuch frighted and driven by fierce Men,like Dogs,running upon them ; bur the ſewiſh Rulers took no care to en. quire for them, or to bring them back totheir own Connery. « Sheep wander and loſe themſelves, Shepherds ſhonid ſcek ſuch and bring them home ; many political Sheep among the Jews wandezz:d from their Country, their King, Religion and God, and'theſe carele(s Rulz:s never ſought them. - Witch hard Hand that held faſt all, char thou'4 look like Royal Power and Privilege, and rigoroull; executed all chei: grievous Laws and Edits. » Such asthe Egyptians uſed toward the Jews, Exod. 1.13, 14. inſtead of ating like Shepherds, theſe Tyrants, £ the Jewiſh Polity, att:d like mercileſs Butchers in Church and cate,
5 And they » were ſcattered y || becauſe 55.72 i5 no i} Or,»
ſhepherd z: and they became meat : a to all the beaſts = A verd, fov.
5 of the field, when they were ſcattered c. < x My NegleQted Sheep. - » By the Inroads and Invaſions of theic * Enemies, taat broke in like devouring Beaſts. z No vigilant, ai he ful good Shepherd that loved the Flock, and of Love ſtudied its Wel- fare. a Were madea Prey of, and devoured by Syrians, Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, &C. al] their Neighbours migit then devour them b Signify Men, Troops of Robbers and Spoilers. c As Sheep ſcatrer- ed are eaſily devoured by every hungry Wolf or Fox. 6 My « ſheep wandred through ali the mountains 4, and upon every high hill e: yea, my f flock was ſcat- tered upon all the face gof the earth, and none did h ſearch or ſeek aftcr them, EE c Theſe Shepherds forgot thaaFlack was not theic Propriety ; bur God. will .not loſe his Propriety in them, nor ſhall Shepherds find ar laſt they were more than God's Stewards and accountable. a When endangered, afrighted, purſued, they got upon the Mountains by their own Choice, or carricd away by Enemies ; or it may refer to their wandering after Idols worſhipped in High-places, or perhaps to King doms and States, and great Cities, compared ro Mounr 1ins, that there rhey might find what they conld not at home, Quiet and Safery. e The ſame thing in the Words. f They were (if any among the Jews could be called fo) my Flock, that were fo uſed, nor the Swine, and Goats, and uaclean Beaſts, that by whole Herds reſted undiſturb- ed ; 'twas Baruch and Jeremiah were fain to hide. g They were diſ- perſed through male adminiſtration to all Parts of the known World ; "tis an Hyperbole that Speaks a mighty ſcattering. 6 The Shepherds were contented; nay. glad they were rid of them, neicher principal Officers ſearch'd, nor inferiour ſought after them. -
7 JT Therefore ye # ſhepherds, hear the word of the LORD; - # The Rulers, King of 7/-ae!, Princes, High-Prieft and Prieſts, and pretended Prophets, hear ye ; God ſpeaks in the Stile and Manner of one greatly incenſed.
8 As I live, faith the Lord .GOD, ſurely becauſe my
of Ifrae! b, prophefie c and ſay unto them, Thus faich the Lord GOD unto the ſhepherds 4; Wo be to the
-
Woes theſe Rujers thall have more than ordinary ſhare. f Contrive their own Eafe, Advantage, Honour, and ambitious Proje&s. g Let the Cortſciences of theſe Rulers Eccleſiaſtical and Political ſpeak; ought they not as ſhepherds take care of the Sheep commited to their Care? The Sheep, both whole Flocks and ſingle Sheep, whole So- citties, and particular Members of them.
3 * Ye eat the fat; and ye clothe you with the
® woo! k, ye kill /them that are fed: bur ye feed m2 not
7 Rather the Milk, which inſatiably and without meaſure you de-
our: you exhauſt their Purſes, and weaken their Eſtates by Tributes
} exaGted by Extortions; ſo the Temporal Rulers ; and the Spiritual Rulers
had their Methods and Arts to Milk them dry; theſe lived on the Sins
| Of the People. & With beſt and fineſt, as beſt ſurting with your Pride
and Luxury, on which you force the Peopleto beſtow ſo much, they
| have not to c!othe themſelves and theirs, this was mighty oppreſſion.
! Contrive Methods for a ſeeming legal courſe to forfeit, firſt che Life,
and next the Eſtate of the well-fed, the rich and wealthy, and then
make merry and feaſt ; as voluptuous unfairhful Shepherds feaſt on the
fatteſt of the Sheep in their Maſters Fold. »» Take no care to lead,
prote&, provide for, and watch over them, but as idle Shepherds, teaſted with the fatteſt, let the reſt ſtatve for any thing they cate.
4 The diſeaſed » have ye not ſtrengthned 0, nei- ter have ye healed p that wich was ſick, neither have fe bound q up that which was broken , neither have ye Sought, again that which was driven away r, neither ave ye fought that which was loſt s; but with *,force # and with cruelty # have ye ruled them.
" The weak and linguiſhing, ſuch there are in the Church and
flock became a prey, and my flock became meat & to every beaſt of the field, becauſe there vas no / ſhep- herd , neither did my m2 ſhepherds ſearch » for my flock, but the ſhepherds fed themſelves o, .and fed nor y my flock: k See wer. 5. let. a,b. 1 1bid. let z. m Government and Gover. noursare by Gad's Appointment, and here he owns the careleſs, worſt of Rulers, as his Shepherds. » Yer. 6. let. h, o Yer. 2. let, f. p Yid. ver. 3. let. fo ; : |
9. Therefore, O ye ſhepherds, hear the word of the LORD; |
Vid. ver. 7. tot. | ,