the one is Extraordinary, of which Mifſion Chriſt fpeaketh tg Th Apoſtles in that place 3 rhus the Apoſtles and fir Miniſters of 3. Goſpel were ſent ; Chriſt breathed upon them, and ſaid, Receive jy the Ko!y-Ghoſt,, Ch. 20. 22. And there was yer a fuller fending y- cheſe firſt Shepherds in the Days of Pentecoit, Atts 2. 17, And there is a more: ordinary ſending, as to: which God revealed his Wy . Time. 2. 2+ The things that thou bait beard of me amongſt SY witneſſes, the ſame commit thou to faithful men, who ſhall be i. to teach others. Thus the Apoſtles, Atty 14. 23. did them Ry dain Elders in every Church, and Pau! for this purpoſe 1 in Creet, co ſet in order the things that are wanting, and 19 ordayn Elders mn every City, Whoſcever entrerh into any place in the Church, for the Feeding and Governing of it, that way which God hath directed in his Word, he entreth 1n it by the Door, he is the true Shepherd. Concerning Chints Tile, ang his way of Entrance and the firſt Preachers of the Goſpel, immediately ſent by Chriit. and decl.red to be ſent by rhe Effulion of che Spirit In the Days of Pr. ec ſt, there can be no queſtion made by any who believer\ the Scriptures of the Old and New Teſtament. This Text decl;res Th.:t « hotoever cometh into the Church with right, and as a try: She pherd ro ir, mult come in at the Door, by a Call fron; God as Chriſt was ſen: ) or from Chriſt, either by ad Extraotdinary Miltion or in ſuch a Method and Order as Chriſt hath in his Word dire&eg e:ti:er from his own Mourh, or by the Mouths of his Apoſtles, whom ne, Aſcending up into Heaven, left in the firſt Charge of hisChyrch, This 18 t:ar which every one ouzht in the firſt place to look after, We ſhall obſerve in Gods whole Courſe with his Church. Th ij the Corruption of rhe State of rhe Church, when it was eminent] deviated trom the Rule he had ſet, he ſent ſome by an extraordingy Mi:ſion ; fuch were the Prophers, whoſe Writings make up a part of Scripture. Such were the Apoſtles, and firit Miniſters of the Goſpel. Such we ſay, were our firſt Reforimers in Germany, a other Parts; nor is it any prejudice toit, that they were able to work no Miracles ; we read of no Miracles wrought by the Prophets of old, unleſs by rwo or three of them. Their Faithful declaring the Will of Gcd, and calling men back to rhe plain Law of Gy, in atine when the generality were notorioully departed from it rogether with their Spirit of Conrage and Boldneſs in their Work,way Evidence enough, that God had ſent them. Bur this Text odly Ge. clareth this general Trarh, Thar every true Shepherd coming int the Church, muit come in the right way, by the Door, fo the Great Shepherd ot the Theep did, being ſent by his Fatier, (whoſe the Church is ) to take care of it 3 fo much all inferior Shepher(y do, by him, whom God rhe Father hath made the Door; accord. inz to whole Directions all the Afffairs of rhe Church mutt be or. dered.
3 To him the Porter openeth 4 ; and the ſheep hear his voice ; and he calleth his own ſheep by names. and leadech them out f.
d By the Porter, is underſtood God, or more particularly, (0 ſhew the order of the Holy Trinity in working) the Holy Spirit, who openeth the Hearts of Men, to receive and embrace Jeſus Chilt, who is the Chiet Shepherd, e and the Sheep are able ro diſtinguid his Voice from the Voice of Thieves and Robbers. Probably they had in thofe Countries particular Words and Phraſes, which their Shepherds baving uſed their Sheep to, underſtood, and moved ac- cording to the Direction of th-m. Some think they had alſo Names for their Sheep, as we have for our Dogs and Horſes, which they underitood ; otherwiſe ir only ſignifieth, rhar particular Knowledge which Chritt harh of all rhoſe thar are truly his, as the former Phraſe Ggnified, that Judgment of diſcerning of Spirits and Doctrines, which was 1n an eminent degree in the firft Minitters of the Goſpel, and is yet in a meaſure in Believers; by which tho” they cannot per- tectly and infallibly Judge concerning Truth, and the Willof God, in all rhings, yet they can in a great meaſure do ir, and arenor or- dinarily led afide into pernicious and damnable Errors, to the run of their Souls. g And faith our Saviour, thetrue Shepherd leadeth the Sheep out ; thar 18. into their Pa.tures, and true feeding Places This 18 eminently true concerning Chritt rhe Chief Shepherd ; when he came into the World, God opened to him the Door of his Church ſo as tho? he was reje&ted by many, ( the Builders and Rulers of the Few:ſh Church in particulir ) yer he was by many received, mulritudes followed him ; many truly believed on him, and truly heard his Voice ; he had a -patticular knowledge of them, who rruly were his Sheep ; he knew Nathanel while he was yer under the Fig-tree. He le4 them out into their true Paſtures, Preaching the Goſpcl of the kingdom to them, and ſhewing them the way of Life and Salvation. It 1s in its meaſure true of every inferiour Shep- herd, that truly deriveth from Chriſt 5 God giveth unto ſuch, favous in the eyes of his People. The true Sheep of Chriſt, hear them, re- ceive and embrace the Truth delivered by them. They take apir- ticular charge of them, and they lead rhem ro Chriſt, and to the embracing of his Goſpel ; as by the holy and true Doctrine which they Preach to them, ſo by their holy Lives and Converſations b& fore them,
4 And when he putteth forth his own ſheep, he goeth before them, and the ſheep follow him 5, tor chey know his Voices.
h In our Country at this day, Shepherds generally follow rheir Sheep, which go before them. In other Countrics, as France _ It is otherwiſe at this day, the Shepherds go before their Flocks, anc their Flocks follow them, upon ſome Sounds they make. In __ na, (which was the Fews Country) It ſhould feem, that the Shepherds ſometimes went before their Sheep, and ſometimes followed them. : David followed his Fathers Sheep, 2 Sam. 7+ 8. L/alm 78. 7 : ' Oa the orher fide, God 1s ſpoken of, P/al. 80. Ii. under £ k Notion of the Shepherd of Ifael, who leadeſt Foſ-t like 4 ap and theiſalmift, Pſabm 23, 1. ſpeaking of God 4s £8 Sep
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