much Guiit upon your Souls as you now have; tho' your Igno- rance had bcen Sin, yet it had not been fo great a Sin, as a waltul ſhutring your Eyes again{t the Light ; bur, « now thar you have an Opinion that you ſee, and boaſt in your knowl:dge of the Law, as it you were the only men that faw ; and upon this Preſump:10n re- ject the Doctrine ot S.Ivation : k You by it do not only conclude your ſelves under the guilt of Sin, but your Sin remaineth upon you, not pardoned ro you ; which teacherh us, That withour a true and fav- ing {ight of Sin, and ſuch a one as carrieth the Soul our of it elf, to Ckriit for Pardon and Remedy, there is no hope of Pardon and Forgivencfs trom all the Mercy that 1s in God.
CAAP XK
Chri# telleth them that he is the true Shepherd of his Sheep, 1---6,
and ihe Door, 7--11, and that hz is no Hireling, by his willing- neſs to lay down bis Life for his Sheep, 13-21. The Fews ask him mhether he is Christ, 22-24. athich be teſtifieth by hu Aftions, 2.5.
Chrif ſheweth who are hu Seeep, and who are not ; telling rbem the benefits hy Sheep ſhall receive from him.26-30. Wherefore the Fews would have Stoned him, 31--33. but be juſtifies himſelf, and
eſcapeth from them, and goeth to Fordan, 34-42.
\ T Erily, verily, I ſay unro you, He that entreth not by the door, into the Sheeptold a, but climberh
up ſome other way, the fame is a Thiet and a Robber b
In this famous Parable, ( which reacheth to ver. 31.) our Sa- viour ſeemeth to drive ewogreat Deſigns. 1. To prove himſelf the
zrue Shepherd, 2. To prove the Phariſees, and Teachers of thoſe times, Thieves and Robbers,
a It ſhould ſeem, that the Sheepfolds in rhoſe Countries were Houfes,which bad Doors by which the Entry was into them. - There is no coubr, but by the Sheepfold is meaat here, The Church of Gad, in which the People of God are garhered together in one. By theDoor, he apparently meaneth himſelf, as he himlelf ſpeaketh, v. 1. Or ra- ther, more generally that way which God hath appointed for any that are co take charge of his Church to enter. He is both the Shepherd, (the true Shepherd) and the Door , the Shepherd as the Care, Conduct, and Government of the Church belongeth ro him, and 15 upon his Shoulders. The Door, as he is he whom the Father hath ordained to be the Chief Shepherd, from whom all who pre- tend to any right to Teach, or Govern in the Church, mutt derive both their Authority and Abilities. 6 Now faith our Saviour, Who- ſoever they be, rhat rhru(t themſelves into the Care, Conduct, and Governinent of the Church, without any Call or Warrant from my Father or me, who am the rrue Docr, through which whoſoever en- treth into the Church mult enter; and the Chief Shepherd from whom he mutt derive, or be a Thzef and a Robber. His very entrance makes It appear, That his end is not ro feed the Flock, but to feed himſelf ; and that he drives only a private Deſign of Advantage to himſelf.
2 Bur he thatentreth by the door is the ſhepherd of the ſheep c.
c As 1t 1s among't men, the true Shepherd goes into the Sheep- fold by the Door ; fo it is in the Church of God. He that taketh nor the Honour 0: Governing the Church to himſclf, bur being called of God, as Aaron was : He i the Shepherd of the Shecp. This very Ar- g11ment the Apoſtle uſeth, ro prove Chrilt to be the true High Prieſt, Heb 5.4. 5-Becauſe,be glorzfizd not himſelf to be made anHigh-Prieſt, bar was nude one by him, who ſaid unto him, Pſa/n 110. ver. 4. (quorea there allo, v.6 ) Thow art a Prieſt for ever, after the order or Melchyjedeck. God (whoſe the Church is) call'd his Heritage, hy peculiar Peop'e, &c. was the Door, by which Chritt rhe Chict Sepacrd, entred into the Flock; he made him the Head of the Church, Ephe. 5. 23- For this he is ſaid to be lent, and often makes himſelt known to us, under the Notion. of him- whom the Farther hah ſent. And the under Shepherds gult alſo derive from Caritt,
S.F 0 HN.
Beiod !thy C hild 1s fer for the fall and riſing again of many m Ir ael. As alſo with that of
Chap
as the Fathers Will in ſending. Chriit was his Door ;
_—_ | So the Wj Chrilt in ſending others, is their Door ; thar is, 1 Will of
their only true
l way of entring upon the Charge ofthe Flock of Chriſt, Fob. 20. 21. my Father hath ſent me, ſo fend I you. There is a double "tn