O thou *Shepherd and Bishop of Souls, the †great and good Shepherd of the Sheep, that gavest thy self for them, that *gavest thy Ministry to them, for the perfecting of thy Saints, for the edifying of thy Body; Quicken thy forgetful Stewards, to look to the pinching wants of thy distressed Family. Awaken thine Under-Shepherds; call up thy Watchmen to watch over thy Flock by night, that the beasts of prey may not devour them. Sleep not thou, O Lord, in the sides of the Ship, when the Water is come in, even to the soul, and we are all in jeopardy. Hear the moving cries of thy Children and Disciples, about thee; Lord, save us, or else we perish. Behold how thy Flock is scattered, and few search or seek after them, so that they become a †prey to every beast of the field, because there is no Shepherd. O fulfil thy Promise, and take the Work into thine own hands. Do *thou feed thy Flock, and cause them to lye down. Thou hast said, †I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat, and the strong, and will feed them with Judgment. Remember thy Word unto thy Servants, in which thou hast caused us to hope. O Lord God, *thou art that God, and thy Words are true, and thou hast promised this Goodness ⟨p. 31⟩unto thy †Servants. Thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it; be it unto thy Servants according to thy Word. O *turn the hearts of the Fathers to the Children, and of the Children to the Fathers. Where are the †soundings of thy Bowels? where are the movings of their Bowels? O let the Distresses of thy Servants make their hearts to turn within them, and their Repentings to kindle together, and give us once again, the men after thine own heart, and set thou up Shepherds over us, that we *fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither be lacking, as thou hast promised. †So we thy People, and Sheep of thy Pasture, will give thee thanks for ever, and praise thy Name to all Generations. O Lord, thy People say, Amen. Let all thy Ministers say, Amen, Lord Jesus, say thou, Amen.
O thou *Shepherd and Bishop of Souls, the †great and good Shepherd of the Sheep, that gavest thy self for them, that *gavest thy Ministry to them, for the perfecting of thy Saints, for the edifying of thy Body; Quicken thy forgetful Stewards, to look to the pinching wants of thy distressed Family. Awaken thine Under-Shepherds; call up thy Watchmen to watch over thy Flock by night, that the beasts of prey may not devour them. Sleep not thou, O Lord, in the sides of the Ship, when the Water is come in, even to the soul, and we are all in jeopardy. Hear the moving cryes of thy Children and Disciples, about thee; Lord, save us, or else we perish. Behold how thy Flock is scattered, and few search or seek after them, so that they become a †prey to every beast of the field, because there is no Shepherd. O fulfill thy Promise, and take the Work into thine own hands. Do *thou feed thy Flock, and cause them to lye down. Thou hast said, †I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat, and the strong, and will feed them with Judgment. Remember thy Word unto thy Servants, in which thou hast caused us to hope. O Lord God, *thou art that God, and thy Words are true, and thou hast promised this Goodness ⟨p. 31⟩unto thy †Servants. Thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it; be it unto thy Servants according to thy Word. O *turn the hearts of the Fathers to the Children, and of the Children to the Fathers. Where are the †soundings of thy Bowels? where are the movings of their Bowels? O let the Distresses of thy Servants make their hearts to turn within them, and their Repentings to kindle together, and give us once again, the men after thine own heart, and set thou up Shepherds over us, that we
- *1 Pet. 2. 25
- †Heb. 13. 20 Joh. 10. 11.
- *Ephes. 4. 11, 12.
- †Ezek. 34. 5, 6.
- *Ezek. 34. 14.
- †Ibid. v. 16.
- *2 Sam. 7. 28.
- †ibid. v. 29•
- *Mal. 4. 6.
- †Isa. 63. 15.
- *Jer. 23. 4.
- †Psal. 79. 13.
