John 10

An ordinary lawyer will have his fee, and sometimes a bribe too; but Christ is not mercenary: How many causes does he plead every day in Heaven, and will take nothing. As Christ laid down his life freely (John 10:15, 18), so he intercedes freely. 2. Feelingly; He is sensible of…

1. God has asserted it (1 John 3:9): His Seed remains in him (1 John 2:27): The anointing you have received of him abides in you. 2. As God has asserted it, so he has promised it: The Truth of God, the most brilliant Pearl of his Crown, is laid a pawn in the promise (John 10:28)…

What can make us love God more than the fixedness of his love to us? He is not only the author of grace, but finisher; his love is perpetuated and carried on to our salvation (John 10:27). My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

Oh! in this be wise as serpents, stop your ear to the charming of false teachers. God has given his people this wisdom to stop their ears to heretics: John 10:5: a stranger will they not follow, but flee from him. 3. The serpent has a chief care to defend his head; a blow there…

And so he shall be a head without a body, but be assured a believer's union with Christ cannot be broken, and so long he cannot be hindered of the kingdom (John 17:12). What was said of Christ's natural body is as true of his mystical body (John 10:39): A bone of him shall not b…

So that it was nothing but pure love for Christ to lay out his blood to redeem such as he could not expect to be really bettered by. 5. That Christ should die so willingly (John 10:17). I lay down my life.

It is said, not only Christ was with God before the beginning, but he was God (John 1:1), and (1 Timothy 3:16), God manifest in the flesh. The title of Lord so often given to Christ in the New Testament does answer to the title of Jehovah in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 6:5; M…

In a word, all that is written in law or gospel, tends to this, that we should be doers of God's will, Your Will be done. 3. By doing the will of God we evidence sincerity; as Christ said in another sense, (John 10:25) The works which I do, bear witness of me: So it is not all o…

Thirdly, they are distinct in their actions or operations; which though they go together inseparably in the work of redemption: yet they must in no wise be confounded but distinguished as the natures themselves are. Christ says of himself, I have power to lay down my life, and I…

That which secures His decree and makes it infrustratably to take effect, is, that He has effectual means to bring about His decree. Second, if we consider the covenant of redemption, between Jehovah and the Mediator, we will find that upon the one side the Mediator particularly…

For 1. We are to expound this universal with respect to God's purpose and Covenant, the contrivance of the Elect's Redemption, and to the death of Christ, the execution of it, and so these words our, us, we, all are, and must be restricted to these, and in them we are to find ou…

He will not suffer his disciples to draw a sword in his defense (Matthew 26), but when Peter drew his sword, he bade him put it up again, for he could have commanded more than twelve legions of angels; but it behooves him now to suffer — he came for another end than to oppose hi…

He answers, it is true that he was cut off out of the land of the living, but for no offence in himself, but for the transgression of God's elect was he stricken, or as the word is, The stroke was upon him; Indeed this (as we conceive) is given as a reason of his exaltation. Bec…

And therefore, by my people here is not meant, 1. All the world, or all that ever lived and had a being. We find not anywhere in Scripture that these are called my people, or God's people, but whenever my people is spoken of, it is used to mark boundaries between his people and…

There are several things implied here concerning the efficacy of the price of Christ's death, and concerning the extent of it, as it's laid down as a price for the sins of the Elect, which I shall first passingly touch upon, and then come to these doctrines that are more directl…

What is rendered death here in our translation, is deaths in the plural number in the Hebrew; to show the greatness and terribleness of the death which he underwent, and the sore spiritual as well as bodily exercise that he was put to, at, and in, his death, so that it was a com…

And will, or can, folks expect that for which they have no promise? The Scripture is plain and peremptory in this, as namely (Acts 4:12), there is no other name under heaven whereby a sinner can be saved, but by the name of Jesus; he is the door (John 10), the way, the truth, an…

And 4. All this was according to God's prescription and appointment, in the covenant of redemption. This commandment, says he (John 10:18), have I received of my Father, to wit, that I should lay down my life for my sheep. And most emphatically he says (John 14:13): as my Father…

Such a high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners: a priest, who is the Son, and is set over the house, as the heir; and though the human nature was the sacrifice, yet (as was said before) not as abstracted from the divine nature, the person b…

(1 Timothy 1:15) This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation; and what is it? That Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners: and that (John 10:10) I came that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. There are two things that we wou…

If we could rightly discern His sufferings, and the benefits that we have by them, it would say, that there is good reason, that He should have a kindly meeting, who has done, and suffered so much to obtain these to us. 4. Consider the cheerful way of His suffering, and of His l…

And it cannot be but these many shall be justified, because He did bear their sins, as to the punishment, and curse due to them; and whoever sins are borne by Christ, these are, and shall be justified. And therefore He must be victorious, and have a glorious triumph and out-gate…

Thirdly, from the connection, because He has poured out His soul to death, observe: that our Lord Jesus His willing condescending to die, is most acceptable to the Father; therefore He says, I will give him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,…

If the Lord's will that Christ should die be nothing, but his mere decree, it could not oblige us in the like case to be willing, as John says, to lay down our life for the brothers. Indeed (John 10:18), Christ has a commandment of God, and the revealed will of God, to die for u…

4. It is but little drawing possibly that will do the business, some gentle blast or air of golden words, some moral suasion, some breathings and spiration of fine reasonings, from men or angel, can do much. No, but it is not so, no less (says Christ) can draw a sinner to me tha…

It cannot be denied, but that the Gospel both charges or awes us to believe in Christ, and to bring forth good fruits, worthy of Christ, except we would be hewn down, and cast into the fire; and also that Grace works Faith, and to will, and to do; and so voluntary obedience and…

Christ told down a definite and certain ransom, as a told sum of money, every penny reckoned and laid, and he knew who was his own, and whom, and how many, by the head and name, he bought; there is no hazard that one come in, in the lieu and room of another. John 10:14: I am the…

Romans 8:3: 'God sent his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh.' Mark that phrase 'for sin' — [reconstructed: the Greek word] there is put for 'on account of,' as in John 10:33 'not for a good work' — that is, not because of a good work or…

What holy confidence may this breed in us? He is at God's right hand, and we are in his hands (John 10:28), and all his enemies are under his feet, who then can pull us out? (Revelation 1:18) says Christ, I have the keys of hell and death.

Christ's Father will not displease him, nor go against him in anything. Now that you may see a reason of this, and have all cavils and exceptions taken away, that may arise against this; and how that there is an impossibility that it should be otherwise: know, that this Father a…

And this lies now still upon him now he is in heaven, as much as ever: for his will also is (says he, verses 39-40) that I should raise them up at the last day, so as it must needs continue the same till then. And compare with this John 10, from verse 15 to 18, where having disc…

Meaning principally that the prophecies, and figures, and types which prefigured his death were all now accomplished. 2. His voluntary submission which he should accomplish, notes his active and voluntary concurrence; it is an active word not passive, not to be fulfilled upon hi…

Likeness is another loadstone of [reconstructed: affection] (Hebrews 1:3). He is the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, such as the Father is so is Christ. 2. As Mediator, so God loves him on the account of his obedience (John 10:17). Therefore does my…

The Father has loved him, and put all things into his hands; the elect and all things else; all power that conduces to their salvation. Afterwards loved him as mediator (John 10:17). Therefore does my Father love me, because I lay down my life that I might take it again. Now suc…

Their second propertie is, that they crept into the Church, which I conceiue on this manner. The Church of God is as a sheepefold, or house, Ioh. 10. 1. Christ is the onely dore.

The first is, the spirit of grace and supplications (Zechariah 12:10), that is, the spirit of regeneration, causing men to turn to God, and with that to make instant prayer and supplication for mercy and forgiveness of sins past. The second, is to hear and obey the voice of God…

Act 2:23. And thus is he said to be sealed of thefather, Ioh. 6. 27. and to be sanctified, and sent into the world, Ioh. 10. 36. And therefore this sending implies no alteration or change of place.

Again, hence I gather, that in the prime of the Church in the Apostles' days, when the Church of the New Testament was but in founding, the ministry was in contempt: and (as it may appear out of other places) the ministers were not only neglected, or contemned, but reviled, pers…

From here let us observe, that we cannot be gathered to the Lord, unless we come under this ensign, and be united to him by faith. For he will not acknowledge us for any of his sheep, if we be not gathered in from our scattering, and that all of us do assemble ourselves under th…

These then rather lead and conduct others to Christ, who is the only safe keeper and protector of his people: who indeed gathers together the remnant that is scattered. Thus then he brings the faithful back to Christ: as if he should say, You know what God you serve: he has prom…

And in the same sense he says (2 Timothy 1:12), I know whom I have believed; God is able to keep that which I have committed to him. To this belongs the saying of Christ, My father which gave them me is greater than all (John 10:19). Seeing then that we have continually to wrest…

But we have said heretofore, (Isaiah 43:1) that by these words the Prophet meant another thing, namely, that God calls those by name whom he chooses and ordains to execute some special work, in which respect he separates them from the common multitude, for this signifies a neare…

The Prophet therefore says; that albeit human helps should fail, yet God of himself is rich enough to supply all their wants. This is the reason why the Spirit of God delights so much in comparing the faithful to sheep; that feeling their own weakness, they might willingly and w…

But all, says Saint Augustine, shall be taught of God. His disciples therefore are taught with efficacy, and follow his calling (John 10:27). He also alleges that sixth of John by us cited before, from which it manifestly appears that it proceeds not from any free election that…

Yet will I gather upon him.] I willingly retain the propriety of the Prophet's words: Gnal, that is, to, or upon: for (as I think) he has an eye to that which he said in the former verse, namely, that the Temple should be set open to all people: and here signifies, that God shal…

To this purpose also is that saying of Christ: “The sheep hear the voice of the shepherd; and a stranger they do not follow, but flee from him,” (John 10:3, 5) Hence too we infer, that there is no reason why believers should be discouraged or alarmed, when wolves creep into the…

For they have not sufficient energy to resist the attacks of Satan, unless in consequence of their being the sheep of Christ, which none can pluck out of his hand, (John 10:28.) It must therefore be observed, that the permanency of our salvation does not depend on us, but on the…

So it is called of the Lord the Spirit of truth, of that effect, of which he spoke in that place (John 14:17). Moreover, a celestial power is said to have appeared in the resurrection of Christ, because he rose again by his own strength, as he testified many times, saying, destr…

But when he says, that God raised up Christ by his spirit, which he has also given to you, nothing can be brought against it, seeing thereby he does put us in sure hope of the resurrection. And for all this there is nothing derogated from that sentence of John: namely, I have po…

Christ underwent death in obedience to the command of the Father: 'Sacrifice and offering you did not desire: then said I, Behold, I come; in the volume of the book it is written of me: I delight to do your will, O my God, and your law is within my heart' (Psalm 40:6-8). John 10…