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JESUS reproves the Blindness of the Pharifees.

SECT. CXXXII.

CHRIST admonishes the Pharifees of their Danger; and reprefents himself as the Door of the Sheepfold, thro' which Men must necessarily enter, if they defire their own Salvation, or that of others committed to their Care. John IX. 39, to the End. X. 1,---10.

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JOHN IX. 39.

39.

209

HILE Jesus stood talking with the Sect. 132. WH Blind Man who had received his Sight, feveral People, who were then entering into the John IX. Temple, knowing them both, and defirous to hear what paffed, gathered together about them: And Jefus faid, fo that they all might hear him, You may fee in this Man, and in what has hap pened in relation to him, an Illuftration of the Effects which my Appearance is to produce: For I am come into this World for Judgment, as well as Mercy; that, on the one Hand, they who fee not, might fee, or that the ignorant Souls, who are willing to be inftructed, might learn Divine Knowledge; and on the other Hand, that they who fee, may be made Blind; that fuch as are proudly conceited of their own Science and Wifdom, may either be humbled, or exposed; and they who wilfully ftand out, and harden their Hearts against my Inftructions, may bring upon themselves yet greater Darkness.

And [fome] of the Pharifees, who were then prefent with him, heard thefe Things, and apprehending that he glanced at them, Jaid to him, Are we alfo Blind? and doft thou mean to infinuate any thing of that Kind? If thou doft, fpeak plainly. And this they faid, hoping thereby to draw him into fome dangerous Reflection on the Sanhedrim, who had lately paffed their Cenfure on the Man whofe Eyes he had opened.

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Jefus faid to them, If you were indeed Blind, 41 and laboured under unavoidable Ignorance, you would not then have any Sin, in Comparison of VOL. II.

Dd

what

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Sect. 132.
John IX.

41.

John X. I.

Sin remaineth.

He declares bimfelf to be the true Shepherd, what you now have (a); but now you fay, Surely have no Sin: but now ye we fee much more clearly than the reft of Man- fay, We fee; therefore your kind, therefore your Sin abides upon you with greater Aggravation; and this Conceit which you have of your own Knowledge hinders Conviction, and prevents the firft Entrance of Instruction into your Minds.

JOHN X. I. Verily, that entreth not by the verily I fay unto you, He Door into the Sheep fold, but climbeth up fome other Way, the fame is a Thief

and a Robber.

2 But he that entreth in

of the Sheep.

Nevertheless, whether you will hear, or whether you will forbear, I will for a while longer continue my Admonitions; and therefore, Verily, verily I fay unto you, who call yourselves the Shepherds of the People, that he who enters not by the Door into the Sheepfold, but climbeth up fome other private Way, whatever be the Character he may affume, the fame is to be looked upon as no 2 better than a Thief and a Robber. But he that comes in at the Door, is the true Shepherd of the by the Door, is the Shepherd Sheep; and fuch a one will always chufe to enter in by that which is the regular appointed Way. To him, as foon as he approaches, the Door-keeper opens the Fold (b); and the Sheep themselves bear his Voice with Regard; and he is well acquainted with each of them, infomuch that he calls each of his own Sheep by Name (c), and leads them out 4 to Pafture. And when he thus puts forth his own Sheep from the Fold, he himfelf goes before them, to guide them to good Paftures, and to defend them from any Danger which may occur; and the Sheep chearfully follow him; for they well know his Voice, being daily accustomed to it. 5 But a Stranger they will not follow; but on the

3

con

3

To him the Porter

openeth; and the Sheep hear his own Sheep by Name, and leadeth them out.

his Voice and he calleth

4 And when he putteth forth his own Sheep, he go

eth before them, and the Sheep follow him; for they know his Voice.

5

And a Stranger will they

not

(a) If you were indeed Blind, you would not have any Sin, &c.] Elfner, (Obferv. Vol. i. pag. 326.) understands this of Corporeal Blindness; as if our Lord had faid, "It is a great Aggravation of your Perverfenefs, that you know by Experience the Difference between "Blindness and Sight, which might convince you of the Importance of fuch a Miracle, and "of the Divine Power by which it is wrought."But the following Words, But now you fay, We fee, fuit much better with the Senfe given in the Paraphrafe.

(b) The Door-keeper opens the Fold.] Grotius does not attempt the Accommodation of this Circumftance: Mr. Cradock interprets it of the Holy Ghoft; and Dr. Whitby of GOD the Father, as giving free Admiffion to thofe Teachers who maintained a due Regard to Christ: An Interpretation, which feems much more reasonable, than to refer it (as fome do,) to Minifters.

(c) Calls his own Sheep by Name.] Dr. Hammond justly infers from hence, that the Eaftern Shepherds, at least thofe of Judea, gave particular Names to their Sheep, as moft Men do to their Dogs and Horfes.Their Cuftom alfo was, to lead the Sheep, playing on fome Mufical Inftrument.

(d) I am

and the Door by which we are to enter in.

not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the Voice of Strangers.

6 This Parable spake Jefus unto them: but they understood not what Things they were which he spake

unto them.

Then faid Jefus unto

I fay unto you, I am the
Door of the Sheep.

8 All that ever came before me, are Thieves and Robbers: but the Sheep did

not hear them.

2II

contrary, they will flee from him, because they do Sect. 132. not know the Voice of Strangers.

This fhort Parable Jefus fpake unto them; but John IX. 6. they did not understand what it was that he faid to them, but were quite at a Lofs to conjecture his Meaning; tho' his Intent in defcribing the Character of the good Shepherd was plainly, to shew how far the Pharifees, who affumed the Name, were from answering it; and to warn the true Sheep, or Perfons of real Integrity and Simplicity, of the Danger of being blindly governed, and guided by them.

Then Jefus, to clear up what was most obfcure 7 them again, Verily, verily in his former Difcourfe, faid to them again, Verily, verily I lay unto you, and folemnly affure you, that however you neglect me, I am the Door of the Sheep (d), and it is only by Authority derived from me, that the People of GOD are to be taught and fed. All that ever came before me, 8 affuming the Meffiah's Character, or fetting up for a defpotic Authority in the Church, and teaching other Methods of Salvation than by me (e), are Thieves and Robbers, Perfons of very bad Defigns, who had no Warrant from Above for what they did; and whatsoever their Pretences were, their Administration has a fatal Tendency. to make Havock of the Souls they should watch and feed; but the true Sheep, i. e. fincere and well-difpofed Perfons, have not heard them, fo as to relish and regard their Doctrine. I therefore repeat it again, as a most important Truth, that I myself am the Door; and if any one enter

9 I am the Door: by me

if

by

(d) I am the Door &c.] It would be very impertinent to run a long Parallel here, between Chrift, and a Door. The Refemblance plainly centers in this one Circumftance; that as a Man muft obferve and pafs thro' the Door, in order to his making a regular and unfufpected Entrance into a Sheepfold; fo he must maintain a proper Regard to Chrift, in order to his being a true Teacher in the Church, and muft pafs (as it were) thro' him, or by his Authority, into his Office. It is by a Simile very near refembling this, that Chrift elsewhere calls himself the Way. John xiv. 6. Sect. 173.

that

(e) All that ever came before me, &c.] If it could be fhewn by any proper Authority, @po eux ever fignifies in Neglect of me, ur apo Dupas paffing by a Door, I should with Elfner, (Obferv. Vol. i. pag. 327.) prefer that rendering to any other: But as this does not appear, it is evident that the Words must be understood with the Limitation added in the Paraphrafe; for otherwife they would imply fuch a Reflection on Mofes and the Prophets, as we know our Lord could never intend.

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212

Reflections on CHRIST's being the Door of the Sheep.

Sect. 132. by me, and acknowledge my Authority, he shall if any Man enter in, he shall be like a Sheep in his Fold, fafe from the Inva- be faved, and fhall go in and John X. 9. fion of what might injure and deftroy him, dva out, and find Pafture.

fhall go in and out under my Care and Guidance, and hall ftill find good Pafture; i. e. in Confequence of his Regard to me, and the Enjoymentof Communion with me, his Soul fhall be fed and nourished with true Doctrine, and fhall ob10 tain fubftantial Happiness. For whereas the Thief only comes, that he may fteal, and kill, and deftroy; I am come for the Benefit of all my Sheep, even that they may have true Life, and that at length they may have it yet more abundantly (f); a moft plentiful Provifion being made for their everlasting Comfort and Happiness, even far beyond what has ever been known before.

John ix. 39.

-x. 7.

Ver. 3.

Ver. 9.

L

ro The Thief cometh

not, but for to fteal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have Life, and that they might have it more abundantly..

IMPROVEMENT.

ET us hear with an holy Awe on our Spirits, that the Lord Jefus Chrift came into the World for Purposes of Judgment, as well as of Mercy; and make it our humble Prayer, that we may be inlightened by him, and not fealed up under aggravated Darkness, as a Punishment for our Obftinacy and Impenitence; for then all the Means of Knowledge,, which we have fo bafely perverted, will rife up to condemn us.

Let Chrift be regarded by us as the Door, from whom all true 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, fo plainly fuggefted here: Let them learn to know their Sheep, and take as particular Notice as they can, of each fingle Perfon committed to their Care; and 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?

Happy Souls, who are entered in by this Gate! Their Safety, their Comfort, is fecure; they enjoy a holy Liberty and Plenty, and going in, and coming out, they find Pafture. If we are Strangers to that Entertainment and Refreshment, which arifes from Ordinances, (those green Paftures, which Chrift hath provided for his Sheep in the Wilderness,)

we

(f) That they may have it more abundantly.] To refer this latter Claufe, at leaft ultimately, to the Provifion which Chrift has made for the future and eternal Happiness of all his People, feems beft to fuit the other Parts of this Difcourfe, as well as the Genius of the whole Christian Difpenfation. Perhaps the Word weprasov may intimate, how much this Provifion exceeded that made by Mofes.

CHRIST, as the good Shepherd, will die for his Sheep.

Ver. 10.

213 we have a great deal of Reason to fear, that we belong not to his Flock. Sect. 132. He came, that his Sheep might have Life, and that they might have it more abundantly; that greater Provifion might be made for their Inftruction and Confolation now, till they are brought to those better Paftures 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 Paffage in our Way.

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CHRIST defcribes himself as the good Shepherd, who will lay down his Life for the Sheep. John X. 11,-21.

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JOHN X. II.

John X.. 11..

UR Lord having thus reprefented himself Sect. 133. as the Door of the Sheep, and intimated the Regards to be maintained towards him, par-ticularly by thofe that profeffed themselves Teachers of others, now changed the Similitude, and said, I may also very properly add, that I am myself, by Way of Eminence, the good Shepberd (a), the Perfon frequently foretold in Scrip-ture under that Character; (Ifa. xl. 11. Ezek. xxxiv. 23. xxxvii. 24. and Mic. v. 4.) and I moft fully anfwer it in all its Branches; especially in this, that as the good Shepherd on Occafion layeth› down his very Life for the Defence of his Sheep, and will expofe himself to any Danger for their Safety, (compare 1 Sam. xvii. 34, 35.) I not only expose, but facrifice my Life for the Good of my People.

.

The Hireling indeed, who is not the true Shep- 12:
herd, and whofe own Property the Sheep are not,
as foon as he is apprehenfive of approaching Dan--
ger, and fees the Wolf, for Inftance, or fome.

other

(a) I am the good Shepherd.] Lamy (in his Harmony, pag. 339.) very justly supposes, that there might be fome Allufion here to Ifa. xl. 11. But nothing can be more precarious than the Argument he feems to draw from hence, for placing this Difcourfe at the Feast of Tabernacles, even tho' it fhould be allowed, that the xlth of Ifaiah was read in the Synagogue at that Time of the Year: For it is certain, our Lord does not confine himself to the Leffen for the Day, in his Quotations from Scripture, or his Allufions to it.

(b) I have.

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