A Complete collection of farewell sermons preached by Mr. Calamy, Dr. Manton, Mr. Caryl…A Compleat collection of farewel sermons preached by Mr. Calamy, Dr. Manton, Mr. Caryl…

1. That Christ is indeed the only Great Shepherd of the sheep. Whatsoever others there are, they make to his own interest, whosoever there be that may possibly entitle themselves under the name and notion, yet this is undeniable, that Christ is the only Great Shepherd of the Sheep: therefore in the concernments of the Church, there is none Christians should honour as Christ; and whose voice they ought to hear before his, or by whom they should be ruled and governed, but by him. If Christ be ⟨image 115⟩the great Shepherd, then the Church must hear his voice, for my Sheep hear my voice, &c. And if he be the great Shepherd, then the Church must be ruled by him, for the Shepherd must have the ordering of the Flock, and the Flock must be at the disposal of the Shepherd. And then thirdly: The Flock of Christ must be careful to please him, (for fear he set his Dog upon him) that we provoke him not to exercise his correcting power. He hath his correcting power. He hath his Rod of Discipline, (as well as his Staff and Crook) which is to performed by others as seems good to him, for he hath many ways to let loose the Devil on his own Children. Satan had a desire to afflict Job, and God gave way to it, &c. The Church of God, is Gods Spouse, and there is a great deal of love between the Husband and the Wife, between Christ and the Church: Yet Psal. 4.5. this she is solemnly charged withal. God hath made Christ a head to his Church, therefore his Church must be ruled by Christ; and 'tis not for the Church to say, the inferior Shepherds would order me thus and thus, we must in the mean while say, but what doth Christ say in such cases? It is not for the Church to go aside by the Flocks of his companions, Cant. 1.7. The companions of Christ pretended to be Shepherds of the sheep as well as he, but have not that power Christ had: They have their societies, and would have the ordering of them; but the Church desires to know where she may hold Communion with Christ, that she may not turn aside by the Flocks of her companions. There are many Disputations among inferior Shepherds; but this is out of all dispute, that Christ is the great Shepherd of the Sheep. That great man at Rome never pretended higher, then to be the Vicar of Christ, and Successor of Peter: now we know that the Principal is much more to be regarded then the Vicar;