John 10

John 10:1

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, There are many, that challenge to themselves the titles of your spiritual pastors, which indeed are no better than wolves to waste and destroy the flock. The Church is as a sheepfold: I am the Door of that sheepfold, by which every lawfully-called pastor must enter: if any man will be climbing up over the walls, and endeavouring to enter by undue and unwarrantable means, upon the charge of the Church, that man is no other than a thief and a robber.

John 10:2

But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

But he that is duly and lawfully called by me, he is the true shepherd of his Church.

John 10:3

To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

To him, God the Father, who is the porter of this spiritual door, gives willing entrance and admission; and the people of God, who are his sheep, do willingly hear his voice; and he is familiarly and entirely acquainted with them, and leads them forth to the green pastures of heavenly doctrine, and to the waters of comfort.

John 10:7

Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

I am that Door of my Church, through which every one, that hopes for true comfort in this holy function, must enter; and by whom every one, that would attain salvation, must necessarily pass. So verse 9.

John 10:8

All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

All, that have heretofore taught any doctrines contrary to mine, or that have endeavoured to draw away the hearts of men to the belief of those doctrines which have not had a reference to mine, (as if men could be saved against or without me,) shortly, all that ever have taught in their own name, they are deceivers and robbers; but those, that are my true and faithful people, did not give any regard to them.

John 10:12

But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: &c.

He, that is not the true shepherd, but takes upon him that calling for the advantage of an outward commodity, who doth but tend another man’s flock for a hire, will not adventure his life for their safety; but, when he sees a danger coming, will run away, and shift for himself, leaving his sheep to the mercy of the wolf, &c.

John 10:16

And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

Ye, my chosen people of the Jews, are now my known and noted flock: but I have other sheep also besides you, even the Gentiles, which are not of your fold; but shall have a fold of their own, a more famous Church than yours: these must I, ere long, bring home, out of the waste deserts of the world; and they shall hear the voice of my Gospel, and by the power thereof shall be united into one body of the Church with you; so as Jews and Gentiles shall make up one holy Catholic Church, under me their one only Head.

John 10:17

Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

Howsoever, the love of my Father to me, as his Eternal Son, is infinite every way, and not capable of the limits of time or measure; yet as Man, and as Mediator between him and man, he loveth me for that dear propension of love, which he sees in me to mankind; that I am, for the redemption thereof, so cheerfully ready to lay down this life of mine; which yet I shall not utterly forego and lose, but only lay it down for the time, and soon after take it up again, in my glorious Resurrection.

John 10:18

This commandment have I received of my Father.

All the whole carriage of this great business, both in the voluntary resigning, and the reassuming of my life, is that, which is determined by the eternal, and most wise, and holy decree of my Father.

John 10:26

But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

Ye believe me not, because, howsoever ye make an outward profession to be within the fold of the Church, yet, in truth, ye are not that which ye pretend: though ye carry the fleeces of sheep, yet ye are wolves within; and, while ye continue such, how can ye believe my words? how can ye do other than persecute me?

John 10:34

Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?

Why are ye offended at this? It is only your ignorance, that is guilty of a scandal herein: were ye rightly informed, ye would understand how justly I do challenge this honour; but, in the mean time, there was no cause ye should stumble at this title, which is in the Holy Scriptures imparted to men in authority; for is it not written in the Psalms, I have said ye are Gods? X. 35, 36. If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? If God himself, in his Scriptures, call them Gods, upon whom it pleaseth him to put rule and command over others, honouring them with so high a stile; and, withal, ye will grant that the authority of the Scripture is sacred and inviolable; Say ye of me, whom the Father hath set apart, to be the Mediator betwixt himself and mankind, and whom he hath sent into the world to be the Saviour thereof, Thou blasphemest, because I said, I am the Son of God? I tell you, this word of yours is no other, than a high and heinous blasphemy against God; and that claim of mine is most just and irrefragable.

John 10:37

If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.

That ye may be thoroughly convinced hereof, do but look upon the works that I do: if the miracles, that you see come from me, be any other than divine and such as can have none but God himself for the author of them, believe me not.