did when on earth; in everything doing his Father's will, and saving, in reference to his human inclinations, "Not as I will, but as thou wilt ;" and this he is doing in heaven; for there he is "declaring his Father's name to his brethren; and in the midst of the congregation" of his chosen "is he singing His praise." When it is said that as the Father knoweth the Son, and the Son knows the Father, so does the good Shepherd know his sheep, and is known of them, the meaning, so far as they are concerned at least, is merely that there is resemblance, not equality; for "as no man 'knoweth the Father but the Son, so no man knoweth the Son but the Father." The idea is, that there is as really a peculiar, mutual knowledge and acknowledg ment between the good Shepherd and his sheep, as between the Father and the Son, and that it has the same character of complacential affectionateness. IV. The only other illustration of the appellation, "the good Shepherd," as applied to our Lord, to which I mean to call attention, is that suggested in the 16th verse of the chapter. Jesus Christ is the good Shepherd, as he cares for ALL his sheep: "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," or rather one flock"-"one Shepherd." He is not a good shepherd who overlooks any part of the flock committed to his care: he is the good shepherd who protects, and guides, and feeds, and cares for all. When our Lord uttered the words before us, his charge on earth was a very "little flock," and was chiefly, if not exclusively, to be found within the fold of the Jewish economy. But our Lord well knew that it was not to be always so. He remembered the decree that had gone forth: "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession." He remembered the exceeding great and precious promises which had been made to him,-that he should "see of the travail of his soul-see his seed, and have the mighty for his portion-the strong for his spoil." He remembered that it had been said of old of him, "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him; all nations shall serve him." He knew Him who had said, "It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel; I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, 35 Matt. xxvi. 39. 36 Psal. xxii. 22. * Luke xii. 32. The ποίμνη was indeed ποίμνιον. 40 Isa. liii. 12. 41 Psal. lxxii. 8-11. 37 ποίμνη, not αὐλή. and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom. the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee. Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee; and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages: that thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Show yourselves: they shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them. And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted. Behold, these shall come from far; and lo, these from the north and. from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.”4a In the full assured belief of these declarations, with a clear apprehension of the vast extent of official saving care committed to him, we find him saying. "Many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven." "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" His object was, to 'gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad"" in all the countries of the world, throughout all the ages of time. This is the charge committed to him, and he will be "faithful to him that appointed him."" "Of all whom the Father hath given to him, not one of them," not anything, "shall be lost." They shall all be "raised up again at the last day." In reference to them all, the Gospel shall be brought to them, or they brought to the Gospel. Every one of them shall be brought into the fold, and kept there; for it is his purpose that there shall be "one flock-one Shepherd." 7745 It is generally supposed, and justly, that these words have a direct reference to the termination of the exclusive, preparatory, economy, and the introduction of that better order of things, where there should be neither circumcision nor uncircumcision, Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female; but all one in Christ Jesus. In this view of the subject, the best commentary on the text is to be found in the words of the apostle: "Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: but now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ" [through the great Shepherd giving his life for the sheep]. "For 42 Isa. xlix. 6-12. 44 Heb. iii. 2. 43 Matt. viii. 11. John xii. 32; xi. 52. 45 John vi. 39. he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby; and came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers nor foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundations of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone; in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." "The great Shepherd of the sheep," very soon after he had been raised from the dead by the God of peace, began, by his apostles, to "bring" those other sheep not of the Israelitish fold. He spoke to them, and they heard his voice. His Gospel was "preached with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven;" and Gentiles, in vast numbers, had granted to them that repentance unto life, that salutary change of mind, which is implied in the faith of the truth. Since that age, the gathering of the sheep has gone forward; and though now on earth there is still a fearful preponderance in numbers of those who are not of Christ's sheep, yet even now there is on the earth a multitude which could not easily be numbered, out of many a kindred, people, and nation, who were "as sheep going astray, but have been brought back to the Shepherd and Bishop of souls." But it may be said, 'Here, indeed, are many sheep, but where is "the one flock," the one fold? Even the genuine followers of Jesus Christ are far from forming anything like that visibly separated and united body-separated from the world "lying under the wicked one,"-united among themselves-that the image of a flock in a fold naturally brings before the mind. They are found in pens, jealously separated from one another; while, in too many instances, these pens are constructed on such a prin ciple as by no means to exclude the world, though they do effectually shut out Christians who differ, it may be, even on a very minor point of doctrine, or worship, or order, from their occupants. Instead of one fold, there seem to be innumerable pens of this kind.' Alas! it is even so. It is with shame and sorrow we make the admission. But still, in the eye of the great Shepherd, his sheep are one flock; and nothing is necessary to their appearing to be so to themselves and the world, but their pulling down those middle walls of partition, and repairing the great wall of separation between the church and the world. A time is coming-we have no doubt, notwithstanding many unfavorable appearances, that it is hastening onward, rapidly ap 46 Eph. ii. 11-22. proaching when the really existing union among genuine Chris tians shall become apparent,-when Christ's church shall appear one glorious temple, the house of the Lord, from which no "Is raelite indeed" shall be excluded, and in which the "Canaanite shall no more be found,""-when, in answer to the prayer of the Saviour, all his people shall be one, and shall so appear to be one, as that the world will be constrained to believe that "the Father hath sent him."48 To this glorious consummation these words look forward; but I mistake if they look not beyond it, to a more glorious consummation still. When the end cometh, "the Son of Man," the good Shepherd, "shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." As the glorious results of his pastoral care, he will present them whom the Father gave him, not one amissing, "a beautiful flock,” -"a glorious church,"-"redeemed from among men, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing,"-" before the presence of the divine Majesty with exceeding joy.' On the high mountains of the heavenly Canaan shall their fold henceforth forever be. "There they shall lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed," upon the hills of paradise; while "the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne," their great Shepherd, feeds them, and leads them to the fountains of the river of life. "They shall hunger no more, neither shall they thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat." "He that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.""" This is the one flock-the one Shepherd. Glorious shepherd! -happy flock! Then will the full meaning of our text be understood, "I am the good Shepherd." "The nations of the saved," with one voice, will then gladly acknowledge, He has done as he said,"He is the good Shepherd." "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever." 47 Zech. xiv. 21. Isa. xlix. 10. 48 John xvii. 21. EXPOSITION XIV. THE SON, IN ACCOMPLISHING THE WORK COMMITTED TO HIM, THE OBJECT OF THE FATHER'S DELIGHT. JOHN x. 17, 18.-"Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." THESE words immediately follow our Lord's instructive representation of his own saving character and work, under the emblem of a shepherd-a good shepherd-the good shepherd. The connecting particle, "therefore," for this reason,' 'on this account,'-usually looks backward, and indicates, that what is about to be stated is the result or consequence of what has been stated in the previous context. Sometimes, however, it looks forward, and indicates, that the reason of the statement which follows the particle is just about to be assigned. In the case before us, it does not much matter whether you consider the word as looking backward or forward. If the particle look backward, it refers to the whole of what our Lord had stated respecting his conduct to "the sheep." He comes, not like the thief, to steal, and kill, and destroy them, but he comes to preserve them alive, and secure for them abun dance of every blessing. He cares for them. He does not flee at the approach of danger, but lays down his life to save theirs. He exercises a most intimate and endearing superintendence of them. He gathers them together, and finally lodges them all in the one fold above-in a state of absolute security-perfect happiness. "Therefore," for being all this, and doing all this, for and to the sheep, "the Father loves the Son." If the particle look forward, it refers to the words that immediately follow, which, when viewed in their connection, obviously contain in them a summary of what he had already said of himself as the good Shepherd. For this reason, the Father loveth me,' ,"because I lay down my life for the sheep," 'in their room, and for their deliverance; and I lay it down, not that I should permanently remain dead--that would prevent me from doing the duty of the good shepherd to those rescued by my death,but that I may live again, and devote my restored life to their 1 διὰ τοῦτο. |