fider, firft, who they are that are faved: 2dly, what they are faved from: 3dly, the Duration of it. First, WHO they are. They are all that the Father fanctified, or fet apart to be faved; and they are a (p) numberless Number, which no Man can number, out of all Nations, and Kindreds, and People, &c. and thefe all in a (9) loft and undone Condition, being (r) wretched and Miferable, and poor and blind, and naked.

2dly, WHAT they are faved from; and that is, Firft, From their Sins. Secondly, From Wrath, Thirdly From the World, and Fourthly, From

the Devil.

First, (s) From their Sins, and this he doth by making an end of them, by blotting them out, by cafting them behind his Back, and into the Depths of the Sea of his Blood.

Now if we confider what a numberlefs Number of Sins every one of us have to be made an end of by making Atonement for them, and blotting them out of the Book of Juftice, cafting them behind his Back, that is out of the Sight of Juftice, by burying them in the Sea of the Merit of his Blood.

2dly, AND thereby faves them from that horrible (t) Tempeft of Snares, Fire and Brimftone, which is the Warth to come that he faves from.

(p) Rev. 7. 9. (9) Luke 19. 10. (r) Rev. 3. 17. (s) Mate 1. 21. Dan. 9. 24. Ifai. 43. 25, 44. 22. Col. 2. 14. Ifai. 38. 174 Mic. 7. 19. (t) Pf. 11. 6. 1 Thef. 1. 10. F

3dly

3dly, HE faves from the (u) World, even out of the many Tribulations that they meet with in it.

4thly, FROM all the (w) Power, Rage and Attempts of the Devil, which are many, for he goes about as a Roaring Lyon, and oftentimes fadly a affrights the poor Children of GOD, but "this Almighty ftrong Hand not only bruifeth and bindeth him, but by his Death has deftroyed him.

Now He that does this Work must be an able One, and none but Jefus Chrift is able, and if he had not been the LORD GOD he had not had a Hand ftrong enough to have done it.

Secondly, I SHALL confider his Reward and that is to poffefs and enjoy this innumerable Company in a State of Perfection, and fullness of glorious Joy in all thofe indeared Relations (in all the true Glory of them) that the Scriptures fpeak of, that they were firft given to be in of the Father, before the World was, as has been a little fhown in Page 2d. But to proceed to the 11th Verfe, and here He that in the 10th Verfe we were called to behold as the LORD GOD in the Almightiness of his Power and Strength, here as the Man in Union with the LORD GOD, in the Office of a Shepherd, which properly can -belong to none but a Creature, for God abfolutely fo, cannot be in, or have any Office conferred on him,because there can be none to call him unto it,

(u) Fobu 16. 33. Rev. 7. 14. (w) Rev. 12. 17. Mat. 16. 18. Pet. 5. 8. Rom. 16. 20. Rev. 20. 1, 2. Heb. 2. 14.

or inftall

or inftal him into it, and yet he that is the LORD GOD in the one Verfe, is the Shepherd in the other, therefore he muft have two diftinct Natures in one Perfon, fo that when the Scriptures any where fpeak of the Lord or God, or Lord God as a Shepherd, as is very often in the Old Teftament, as may be feen in thofe (x) Texts cited in the Margin, which I could wifh I had room to open and compare with thofe in the New, but I must leave them (with many other Things that prefent themselves with great Weight, and are of great Moment, and but little Notice taken of them) unto another Time, if the LORD will put it into my Hands, and then give me Ability for it. AND now a little Note fome few things from this eleventh Verfe. First from hence Note, that there is (by comparing thefe Words with fome of thofe Texts cited in the Margin.)

First Note, Two fpecial Parts of this Shepherds Office-work.

THE one to die for them; and adly Note, The other to feed them and to gather them, that is, the Lambs (or new born Souls newly born of the Word and Spirit, or fuch as are very weak in Faith or Knowledge) with his Arm of Power,

3dly Note, He carries them in his Bofom to fhew his great Love and tender Compassion to

wards them.

4thly Note. His great Care to bear them up under all their Weakneffes, and Fears, and Diftreffes what foever; thefe are all Expreffions to fet forth the Power of Love that is in the Shep herd who is the Lord GOD, and fo is another Branch of the great Ability of Jefus Chrift for his Work. Verfe 12, read it; for here it is evident, what a strong Hand and ruling Arm the Lord God has (for the LORD GOD in the roth Verfe, and the Shepherd in the 11th, and the who here in the 12th muft be one and the fame) for no lefs then Almightiness itself both of Power and Strength, Wisdom and Skill, can be here fet forth by thofe Expreffions of Measuring, Holding, Meeted, Weighed.

HERE is infinitenefs of Wisdom and Skill to measure the Waters in the Heavens, Earth and Seas, fo as perfectly to know the certain Meafure of the whole, by containing it in the hollow of his Almighty Hand of Strength and Power: O what Hand can meet the Heaven with a Span, but an Almighty one! Or weigh the Mountains and Hills, or comprehend the Duft of the Earth in a Meafure, it can be no lefs then Almighty Everlafting Strength, even (y) Jehovah the Son of GOD's Nature, in whom is everlafting Strengh, and who hath (2) everlasting Arms underneath his People to fecure them! Almighty (a) Hands to hold them fafe, fo that none can pluck them out of his Hands, this is the great, the good, the

(y) Ifa. 2014. (z) Dent: 33: 27. (a) John 10, 28.

chief Shepherd of the Sheep, the Man GOD's Fellow.

THIS is he, the Son, who as GOD, is a Spirit, and by what has been faid, it is evident that he may well put forth thofe Queries as in the 13th, and 14th Verfes, as if he fhould fay, Come fee if there be a wifer one then I to be my Director, or that could have given me Counsel to have ordered Matters better, or more exactly then I have done who could fhew me what I did not perfectly know or understand? All these are very high and lofty Demands, which further fhews his great Ability for his great work.

BUT as if the LORD GOD, the Son fhould fay unto all that deny him to be God, if this is not enough to ftop your Mouths, come, behold I have fomewhat more to fay unto you of of my Divine Nature ; 15, 17, verfes, behold, ftand and wonder, and attend and give due regard. Behold the Nations, the Work of my Almighty Hand are but as a Drop unto me; Yea I count them all but as the fmall Duft of the Ballance, a Drop is but fmall, but Duft and small Duft is far lefs.

BUT yet it is fomething as they may be counted by him as his work, they are a Drop or Duft of his producing,but set them before him by themfelves, and then they are all Cyphers, which of themselves are nothing in Accompt, fo here count whatsoever makes the greateft Figure let it be Wifdom, Strength, Power, Riches, Honour, or Majefty, fet them before him and they are nothing; and as they are Sinners, they are less

than