78 They excommunicate him. SECT. and are too firmly attached to that great and exxxi. holy prophet to regard such a deceiver as this. John ses as for this fellow, We well know that God spake to Moses, and 29 We know that IX. 29. gave the most ample evidence of sending him God spake unto Mowith a Divine commission; but as for this man, we know not from we know not from whence he is, nor can we per- whence he is. ceive any satisfactory credentials of his bringing any message from God to us. SO The man an swered and said unto a marvellous thing, that ye know not from he hath opened mine them, Why, herein is whence he is, and yet eyes. 31 Now we know sinners: but if any 30 But, not discouraged by their unjust reflections, the man replied with a becoming freedom of spirit, and said unto them, Why, in this respect, it is strange that you know not from whence he is, and yet it is plain that he has opened mine eyes. 31 Now we all know in general that God heareth not sinners, and that persons of infamous characters and immoral lives cannot expect the Di- that God heareth not vine acceptance in any common petition which man be a worshipper they offer, much less for the performance of a of God, and doeth his miracle; but if any man be truly devout, and will, him he heareth. faithfully do his will, him indeed he heareth with a favourable regard: when therefore God is found to hear a man in such an extraordinary instance as this, there seems the greatest reason to believe he is a person whose temper and cha32 racter are approved by him. began was it not heard that any man opened was born blind. the eyes of one that And this is 32 Since the world plainly an extraordinary instance; for from the beginning of the world it was never heard that any man opened the eyes of one who, like me, was born blind. It is surprising, therefore, that you, who allow that Moses was a prophet, on the authority of his miracles, should in this case judge so hardly of my deliverer, whoever he be. 33 But every unprejudiced person may easily sec that if this man were not sent of God, he could do nothing of this kind. 34 And, not being able to endure so plain and forcible a reproof, which even stung them to the heart, they answered and said to him, with great hatred and scorn, Thou vile presumptuous wretch, thou wast entirely born in sins, and didst bring into the world with thee most evident tokens of Divine wrath and vengeance; and dost thou insolently take upon thee to teach us, the d We know that God spake to Moses.] Their partiality here was inexcusable; for if they believed the mission of Moses, on the evidence of miracles, credibly attested indeed, but performed two thousand years before they were born; it was much more reasonable, on their own principles, to believe the mission of Jesus, on at least equal guides 33 If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. 34 They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether thou teach us? And they cast him out. born in sins, and dost Reflections on the force and prevalence of truth. 35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had 79 CXXXI. guides of the national faith, and members of the SECT. Now Jesus quickly heard of their arbitrary 35 proceedings, that they had thus passed sentence found him, he said on the poor man, and had cast him out for his unto him, Dost thou sake; and, finding him soon after, he said to him believe on the Son of privately, Dost thou believe on the Son of God, the great expected Messiah? God? He answered and said, Sir, who is he that I 36 may believe on him? I know that such a glorious Person is expected; and if he be already come, tell me but who he is, and where I may meet with him, and I am ready to express a due regard to him who shall be pointed out to me under that honourable and important character. Then Jesus, to encourage him under what he 37 was now suffering on his account, said to him, with a degree of freedom which was very unusual, Thou hast no need of going far to seek him; for thou hast both already seen him, and had experience of his power and goodness: it was he that miraculously opened thine eyes, and indeed it is even he that is now talking with thee who is that very Person. And, immediately yielding to that convincing 38 argument which arose from what he had himself experienced of his almighty power, he said, Lord, I most readily believe that thou art he, and humbly prostrate myself before thee, to render thee due homage as such. And, falling down at his feet, he worshipped him. IMPROVEMENT. So little does truth fear repeated examinations; and thus does Ver. it, after every trial, come forth like pure gold out of the furnace. 24--27 So did this miracle of Christ appear to these subtile adversaries; so e With a degree of freedom very unusual.] We have formerly observed the wise caution of Jesus on this head. See sect. xxix. note r, Vol VI. p. 166-The freedom here used may be accounted for by considering the extraordinary circumstances of the case; this being the first instance in which any one had incurred the will great inconveniences attending a sentence f More 80 Jesus reproves the blindness of the Pharisees. SECT will the Christian cause appear to all who will diligently search into its evidence. cxxxi. 28, 29 30 Who can forbear wondering at the obstinacy of these Pharisees; and, on the same principles, at that of the present Jews, who, while they acknowledge that God spake by Moses, because he wrought miracles, will not, on the evidence of yet more various and glorious miracles, and those attested beyond all contradiction, acknowledge the authority of the Son of God himself? But we see this poor illiterate creature (for such he undoubtedly was,) with the advantage of truth on this side, baffles all the sophistry of his most learned antagonists. Great is the truth, and it will prevail. Great is this truth, so fundamental to the gospel, that Jesus is the Son of God: and this also, which is so important to natural religion and revealed, that God heareth not sinners; but 31 if any man be a worshipper of God, and do his will, him he hears, and most favourably regards. May we be truly devout, and add to our devotion an obedient regard to the Divine will, and the eyes of the Lord will be upon us, and his ears be open to our cry! 34 (Psal. xxxiv. 15.) Then, being favourably owned of God, we shall have no reason to fear the censures of men. If they cast us 35--37 out Christ will receive us, and perhaps reveal himself to us with more freedom, in proportion to the injuries we sustain from them. SECT. John SECT. CXXXII. Christ admonishes the Pharisees of their danger; and represents himself as the door of the sheepfold through which men must necessarily enter, if they desire their own salvation, or that of others committed to their care. John IX. 39, to the end ; X. 1-10. JOHN IX. 39. JOHN IX. 39. am that they which see, might be made blind. XXX WHILE Jesus stood talking with the blind AND Jesus said, For judgment 1 man who had received his sight, several come into this world: people, who were then entering into the tem- that they which see IX. 39. ple, knowing thein both, and desirous to hear not, might see; and what passed, gathered together about them: and Jesus said, so that they all might hear him, You may see in this man, and in what has happened in relation to him, an illustration of the effects which my appearance is to produce: for I am come into this world for judgment as well as f More various and glorious miracles.] A beautiful parallel between the miracles of Moses and Christ is drawn by Orobio on the one hand, and Limborch on the other, mercy : Limb. Collat. cum Judeo, Scrip. iii. Quæst. 4. If He declares himself to be the true Shepherd. 40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him, heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? 41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin but now ye say, We see; there fore your sin remaineth. JOHN X. 1. Verily, 'He that entereth not eth up some other and a robber. 81 cxxxii. mercy; that, on the one hand, they who see not, SECT. And [some] of the Pharisees who were then 40 present with him, heard these things, and apprehending that he glanced at them, said to him, Are we also blind? and dost thou mean to insinuate any thing of that kind? If thou dost, speak plainly. Now this they said, hoping thereby to draw him into some dangerous reflection on the sanhedrim, who had lately passed their censure on the man whose eyes he had opened. Jesus said to them, If you were indeed blind, 41 and laboured under unavoidable ignorance, you would not then have any sin in comparison of what you now have, but now you say, Surely, we see much more clearly than the rest of mankind, therefore your sin abides upon you with greater aggravation; and this conceit which you have of your own knowledge hinders conviction, and prevents the first entrance of instruction into your minds. X. 1. Nevertheless, whether you will hear, or whe- John verily, I say unto you, ther you will forbear, I will for a while longer by the door into the continue my admonitions; and therefore, verisheepfold, but climb- ly, verily, I say unto you who call yourselves the way, the same is a thief shepherds of the people, That he who enters not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other private way, whatever be the character he may assume, the same is to be looked upon as no better than a thief and a robber. But he that 2 comes in at the door of the sheepfold is the true shepherd of the sheep; and such a one will always choose to enter in by that which is the regular appointed 2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. a If you were indeed blind, you would not have any sin, &c.] Elsner (Observ. Vol. I. p. 326.) understands this of corporeal blindness; as if our Lord had said, "It is a great aggravation of your perverseness, that you know by experience the difference between blindness and sight, which might convince you of the impor- The 82 He is the door by which we are to enter in. openeth ; and the SECT. appointed way. To him, as soon as he ap- 3 To him the porter proaches, the door-keeper opens the fold b; and sheep hear his voice; John the sheep themselves hear his voice with regard; and he calleth his own X. 3. and he is well acquainted with each of them, sheep by name, and insomuch that he calls each of his own sheep by leadeth them out. fore them, and the 4 name, and leads them out to pasture. And 4 And when he 6 strangers. 5 And a stranger not This short parable Jesus spake unto them; but Jesus unto them: but 6 This parable spake they did not understand what it was that he said they understood to them, but were quite at a loss to conjecture what things they were his meaning; though his intent in describing them. which he spake unto the character of the good Shepherd was plainly to shew how far the Pharisees, who assume the name, were from answering it; and to warn the true sheep, or persons of real integrity and simplicity, of the danger of being blindly governed and guided by them. 7 Then Jesus, to clear up what was most obscure in his former discourse, said to them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, and solemnly assure you, that, however you neglect me, I am the door of the sheep, and it is only by authority b The door-keeper opens the fold.] Grotius does not attempt the accommodation of this circumstance: Mr. Cradock interprets it of the Holy Ghost; and Dr. Whitby of God the Father, as giving free admission to those teachers who maintained a due regard to Christ: an interpretation which seems much more reasonable than to refer it (as some do) to ministers.-It is suggested by Sir Isaac Newton, that, as these words were spoken near the temple, where sheep were kept in folds to be sold for sacrifices, Christ here alludes to what was peculiar in those folds; that, as they were kept locked, they not only excluded the thief, but the shepherd, till the door-keeper opened them. (See Newton on Proph. p. 148.) But I cannot think, whatever occasion Christ might take from the sight of sheep to represent his people under that image, and himself as a Shepherd, he would describe them like sheep shut up in a pen to be sold for sacrifice: nor does the shep derived Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. herd's leading them out, &c. agree with this circumstance. In countries where there were so many savage beasts it might be ordinarily necessary to have the folds, better secured than among us; and the chief shepherd might often leave a servant towatch them while thus shut up,and come himself to lead them out to pasture in a morning c Calls his own sheep by name.] Dr. Hammond justly infers from hence, that the eastern shepherds, at least those of Judea, gave particular names to their sheep, as most men do to their dogs and horses. Their custom also was to lead the sheep, playing on some musical instrument. d I am the door, &c.] It would be very impertinent to run a long parallel here between Christ and a door. The resemblance plainly centres in this one circumstance; that as a man must observe and pass through the door, in order to his making a regular and unsuspected entrance into a sheepfold; so he must maintain a proper regard |