206 Reflections on Christ's being the door of the sheep. hear them. SECT. Sons of very bad designs, who had no warrant thieves and robberst cxxxii. from above for what they did; and, whatsoever but the sheep did not their pretences were, their administration has John 8. a fatal tendency to make havoc of the souls they should watch and feed; but the true sheep, or those who are sincere and well disposed persons, have not heard them, so as to relish and regard their doctrine. I therefore repeat 9 it again, as a most important truth, That I 9 I am the door myself am the door; and if any one enter in by by me if any man enme, and acknowledge my authority, he shall ter in, he shall be saved, and shall go be, like a sheep in his fold, safe from the inva- in and out, and find sion of what might injure and destroy him; pasture. and shall go in and out under my care and guidance, and shall still find good pasture; that is, in consequence of his regard to me, and the enjoyment of communion with me, his soul shall be fed and nourished with true doctrine, and shall obtain substantial happiness. 10 For whereas the thief only comes that he may steal, and kill, and destroy; I am come for the eth not but for to benefit of all my sheep, that they may have steal, and to kill, and true life, and that at length they may have it come that they might yet more abundantly, a most plentiful provi- have life, and that sion being made for their everlasting comfort they might have it more abundantly. and happiness, even far beyond what has ever been known before. 10 The thief com to destroy: I am John ix. 39 IMPROVEMENT. LET us hear, with an holy awe on our spirits, that the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world for purposes of judgment as well as of mercy; and make it our humble prayer that we may be enlightened by him, and not sealed up under aggravated darkness, as a punishment for our obstinacy and impenitence; for then all the means of knowledge which we have so basely perverted will rise up to condemn us. John Let Christ be regarded by us as the door from whom all true 7 teachers derive their authority, and to whom they direct their administrations: and let it be our care that we enter by this door. Let inferior shepherds learn their duty, so plainly suggested here: might refer to such persons as Judas of Galilee, or Theudas, who had been the occasion of destruction to their followers. See Acts v. 36, 37. That they may have it more abundantly.] To refer this latter clause, at least ultimately, to the provision which Christ has made for the future and eternal happimess of all his people, seems best to suit the other parts of this discourse, as well as the genius of the whole Christian dispensation. Perhaps the word go may intimate how much this provision exceeded that made by Moses. Christ, as the good Shepherd, will die for the sheep. 207 Let them learn to know their sheep, and take as particular notice SECT. as they can of each single person committed to their care; and cxxxii, let them go before them in all the paths of duty: for what could the greatest enemy to the flock do worse than to lead them by example into the paths of destruction? ver. 3. Happy souls, who are entered in by this gate! Their safety, 9 their comfort, is secure; they enjoy a holy liberty and plenty, and going in and coming out they find pasture. If we are strangers to that entertainment and refreshment which arises from ordinances (those green pastures which Christ hath provided for his sheep in the wilderness), we have a great deal of reason to fear that we belong not to his flock. He came that his sheep might 10 have life, and that they might have it more abundantly; that greater provision might be made for their instruction and consolation now, till they are brought to those better pastures he intends for them above. May his grace prepare us for them! and his hand will certainly conduct us to them; nor need we fear the darkest passage in our way. SECT. CXXXIII. Christ describes himself as the good Shepherd, who will lay down his life for the sheep. John X. 11-21. JOHN X. 11. I shepherd: good the good shepherd giv JOHN X. 11. Lord, having thus represented him- SECT UR self as the door of the sheep, and intimat- cxxxiii. eth his life for the ed the regards to be maintained towards him, John sheep. particularly by those that professed themselves. 11 I am the good Shepherd.] Lamy (in his Harmony, p. 339) very justly supposes that there might be some allusion here to Isa. xl. 11. But nothing can be more precarious than the argument he seems to draw from hence for placing this discourse at the feast of tabernacles, even though it VOL. 2. 28 should be allowed that the xlth of Isaiah was read in the synagogue at that time of the year: for it is certain our Lord does not confine himself to the lesson for the day in his quotations from srcipture, or his allusions to it. 208 He knows his sheep, and will gather them into one fold. SECT. for their safety (compare 1 Sam. xvii. 34, 35), cxxxiii. I not only expose, but sacrifice, my life for the good of my people. John x. 12 The hireling indeed, who is not the true shep- 12 But he that is herd, and whose own property the sheep are not, an hireling, and not as soon as he is apprehensive of approaching own the sheep are the shepherd, whose danger, and sees the wolf, for instance, or some not, seeth the wolf other savage beast, coming, immediately regard- coming, and leaveth the sheep,and fleeth: ing nothing but his own safety, is only careful and the wolfcatcheth to secure himself, and leaves the sheep and flees them, and scattereth away; and so the wolf, meeting with no resist the sheep. ance, seizes on some of them, and disperses the 13 rest of the sheep. Now the hireling flees on 13 The hireling such an occasion, because he is an hireling, and fleeth, because he is is not concerned about the safety of the sheep, but careth not for the hireling, and takes the work upon him merely for his own sheep. gain and the wages he is to receive: and thus basely will those teachers act in a time of danger who undertake the office merely in regard to their own secular advantage. 14 an But Iam the good Shepherd, who have a true 14 I am the good affection for my sheep, and am above the in- Shepherd, and know fluence of all such mean and selfish views: and my sheep, and am known of mine. such is the relation that there is between us, and such the love we have to one another, that I know and acknowledge my [sheep], and take the kindest and most tender care of them; and I am also known, acknowledged, and confided 15 in, by mine: So that we mutually are dear unto 15 As the Father each other; and even as the Father knoweth me, knoweth me, even and owns his affection and regard to me, by ther: and I lay down so know I the Fathe sure tokens of his presence and approba- my life for the sheep. tion; ana I also know, or acknowledge and honour, the Father, in the delight with which I do his will; so the affection is reciprocal be. tween me and my sheep: and as it is in love to them, as well as with an ultimate view to his appointment and his glory, that I lay down my life for the sheep he has given me, so also do my sheep acknowledge and confide in me, and so do I protect and patronize them. 16 And I would farther observe to you, as a point 16And other sheep of great importance, that I have other sheep which I have, which are are not of this fold (meaning thereby the elect not of this fold: I have other sheep which are not of this Wolfius, to understand this of Jews liv. fold.] There seems no reason, with ing out of the land of Canaan, who could there shall be one 209 The Jews are again divided in their sentiments about him. them also I must of God among the Gentiles); them also must I SECT. bring, and they shall at length bring in; and I know that they will cxxxiii. hear my voice; and hear and obey my voice, notwithstanding that fold, and one Shep- ignorance, vice, and misery, in which they are now involved; and so, all being incorporated into one society, of which I am the Head, the Governor, and Guardian, there shall be one sheepfold, [and] one Shepherd. herd. 17 Therefore doth because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. John x. 16 And for this reason more especially does the 17 my Father love me, Father love me, and approves it as an act of eminent duty and love to him, because I am come with this design into the world, to lay down my life for the redemption of my sheep, who are dear to him as well as to me, that I may take it again, and possess it forever, to be employed for his glory and for the happiness 18 No man taketh of my people. For though I am shortly to 18 it from me, but I lay die by the hands of most cruel enemies, it down of myself: I have power to lay yet no one deprives me of my life, or takes it it down, and I have from me against my will; for I have every power to take it moment a power to rescue myself at pleasure, again. This commandment have I and could even with mine expiring breath com received of my Fa- mand immediate deliverance; but I will man ther. ifestly shew that I lay it down of myself, and not with such propriety be said not to be long to the fold of Israel. The incorporating the Gentiles into one church with the Jews was indeed a grand event, worthy such particular notice; and it deserves our remark, that they are here called the sheep of Christ, even while they were yet in ignorance and idolatry, as he intended at length to bring them home. Voluntarily relinquish my body, &c.] That our Lord did so, evidently appeared from the strong cry he sent forth just before his death, with which the centurion was reasonably so much impressed. See Luke xxiii. 46, 47, and Mark xv. 39, sect. cxci. d Full power and authority to lay it down, &c.] This the word or expresses, and the manner of Christ's death abundantly proved it; and as no reasona ble objection can be made to the equity and wisdom of the Divine Being in giving Christ such a power, so the use he made of it (as we may farther shew elsewhere) is truly admirable. See note on Luke xxiii. 46, sect. exci. 210 Reflections on the Care of Christ for his sheep. 19 There was a therefore again among the Jews for these say SECT. When our Lord uttered these remarkable exxxiii. expressions there was a division therefore again division among the Jews, (as there had been before, John x. 19 chap. vii. 43, sect. ci. and ix. 16, sect. cxxx.) ings. 20 especially on account of these last words. And 20 And many of many of them said, He has certainly a demon them said, He hath dwelling in him, and, by the operation of that a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him? evil spirit, is apparently distracted with one of the most malignant kinds of lunacy; why then do you give yourselves the trouble to hear him while he goes on in such extravagant absurdi21 ties? But others much more rationally said, 21 Others said, These are not by any means the words of a demo- These are not the niac, or a lunatic; for there is the greatest con- hath a devil: can a sistence and energy in them: and besides, could devil open the eyes a demon that made a man mad open the eyes of of the blind? the blind, as it is plain this man has often and very lately done? It is rather madness to imagine that an evil spirit has such power, or that he would employ it to such benevolent purposes. ver.20 11 IMPROVEMENT. words of him that THERE is not, perhaps, any where to be found a greater instance of the force of prejudice than in these perverse Jews, who censured Christ as a lunatic and a demoniac for one of the gravest and most excellent speeches that was ever delivered. Let us review it with all due attention and regard. Let us consider Christ as the good Shepherd, and humbly commit our souls to him, as ever we desire they should be safe and happy. We have known his kind regards to the flock in expos15 ing and laying down his life for them. And he hath not laid it down in vain. Delightful thought! Our compassionate Shepherd, even when the sword of the Lord was awakened to smite him, has not so fallen as to rise no more; but as in this great and 18 good work he voluntarily laid down, so he has also reassumed his life; and still bears on his heart the same concern for his flock, and uses his renewed life and exalted dignity for their security and happiness. 15 Let us humbly acknowledge him as acknowledged by the Father: let us courageously and gratefully own him, and be ready to lay down our lives also for him. We are those other sheep, of whom 16 he spake, who were not originally of the fold, but by his grace are now brought in to the great Shepherd and Bishop of souls. Let us pray that the boundaries of his fold may be still more extended, and the whole number of his elect accomplished; that all the flock may at length appear together, and may be conducted by him to the regions of that immortal life which he determines to give it. |