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That Christ our Lord is a good Pastor.
TO consider that Christ Iesus our Lord to make himselfe known to be a good Pastor, would not only put on the grosse skin of our hu∣manity, that his sheep (which are his select) might know, follow and loue him, & not fly from him; but would also feed & maintaine them with his owne most precious bloud: Being parched with heat, & cold with frost, leeping on the ground, fasting day
and night, finally like a good sheep∣heard being slaine, leaning vnto a tree to deliuer his sheepe from the infer∣nall wolfe.
Ponder the good offices which this excellent sheepheard hath done for thee an vnprofitable sheep, fee∣ding thee, curing thee & seeking thee with the grie••e of his hart, teares of his eyes, and the sweat of his browes, vndergoing so many afflictions and toyles to reduce & bring thee backe to the fold vpon his shoulders: and shou like a lost & vngratefull sheep, hast strayed and cast thy selfe so often from him to betake thy selfe to lewd pastures, which did poison and kill thy soule.
Gather hence instamed & effe∣ctuall desires to follow the steps of thy shepheard, vvalking vvhere he walketh, and be assured that if thou permit thy selfe to be ruled and go∣uerned by him, nothing shalbe wan∣ting to thee.
TO consider how often, in presence of this soueraigne shepheard with∣out feare or shame, thou hast grazed and fed in the greene meddowes and forbidden pastures of thy intempe∣rances, not fearing the perill & dan∣ger of falling into the gripes & teeth of the infernall wolues which be the Diuells, from whence this good shep∣heard bath so often deliuered thee that wert their prey.
Ponder how vngratefull thou hast beene to this great & Mayster∣shepheard Christ Iesus, for the fauors & benefits he hath bestowed on thee, in giuing his life for thee, sith not cō∣tent to be an vnprofitable & erring sheep of his fold, thou art also becom a rauenous wolfe, persecuring him with thy sinnes.
From hence thou mayst gather desi∣res to bewayle and lament them, & to call vpon thy Pastour vvith mournefull bleating, that he may seek and find thee, saying as a wandring and lost sheep, vnto him: My Pa∣stour, I knew well to stray and loose
myself 〈…〉〈…〉 to reclayme and re∣couer my 〈…〉〈…〉 I knovv not. Seeke me O Lord, & fetch me out of the briary bushes of my sinnes, into the fertile pastures of thy fauour and grace.
TO consider that this good Pastor sayd, I knovv my sheep, & they know me, and I loue them so vvell that I haue not doubted to giue my life for them. And if this seem much, how great an argument of loue may it be to haue offered and giuen him∣selfe for those wolues which haue mā∣gled and slaine him.
Ponder first, how much it im∣porteth thee to treate often with thy Pastour, that thou mayst know him, and vnderstand his pleasure, desire, & will, for this is it which he most expecteth of thee.
Secondly how much it auaileth thee to knovv thy selfe, that if thou haue any thing not beseeming the sheep of such a Pastour, thou correct and amend it, least he expell thee out of his flocke, which were the greatest
disaster that could befall 〈◊〉〈◊〉
Gather hence 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to be the sheep of this sheepheard, giuing him all thou hast, without reseruation of any thing to thy selfe, that is, thy soule and body with thy senses, thy hart, thoughts, meanes, honours, life and contentment, sith he gaue all these first for thee: and now to seale vp the whole, he giueth himselfe to thee as food to eate. And if he haue loued thee so much, and bestowed such fauours on thee being his Ene∣my, what will he giue thee, or what will he deny thee being his Friend, & a good and profitable sheep, in regard thou art marked and sealed with his precious Bloud.