Ezekiel 34

^{1 !} Against the shepherdes that despised the stocke of Christ, & seke their owne gain.

^{2 a} By the shepherds he meaneth the King, the magistrates, Priests, & Prophetes.

^{3 b} Ye seke to inriche your selues by their comodities, & so spoile their riches & substance.

^{4 c} He describeth the office and duetie of a good pastor, who oght to loue and sucor his stocke and not to be cruel toward them.

^{5 d} For lacke of good of a good gouernement & doctrine they perished.

^{7 !} The Lord faith that he wil visite his dispersed flocke, and gather them together.

^{10 e} By destroying the couetous hirelings and restoring true shepherdes whereo we haue a signe so oft as God sendeth true preachers who bothe by doctrine and life albour to fed his shepe in the pleasant pastures of his worde.

^{12 f} In the daie of their affliction and miserie: and this promes is to comfort the Church in all dangers.

^{16 h} That is, by putting difference betwene the good and the bad, and so giue to ether as thei deserue.

^{16 g} Meaning such as lift vp them selues aboure their brethren, & think thei haue no nede to be gouerned by me.

^{18 i} By good pasture and depe waters is ment the pure word of God and the adminsracion of justice, which thei did not distribute to the poore til their had corrupt it.

^{23 k} Meaning, Christ, of whome Dauid was a figure, {Jere. 30, 9}. {hosea 3,5}

^{23 !} He promiseth the true shepherd Christ, and with him peace.

^{25 l} This declareth, that vntder Christ the flocke shulde be truely deliuered from sinne, and hel, and so be safely preserued in the Church where thei shulde neuer perish.

^{27 m} The frutes of Gods graces shal appeare in great abundance in his Church.

^{29 n} That is, the rod that shal come out of the roote of Ishal, {Isa. 11,1}.