Before me.

Pretending to be leaders without Divine sanction.As turning Israel from the paths of truth and from trust in God.-Moses and the prophets came not so much before as with Christ.-Breathing deeply His spirit, and following His lead, they trusted in Him and called on men, to trust in His mercy. Are. Their essential nature belongs to, and is of the Evil One. Thieves. Ver. 1. Under the guise of religion, worldly-minded sons of earth.-Secretly they steal the strength and life of the Church's power.-Opposed to the "hirelings" or hired keepers, established orders of ministry.-There was such a ministry before Christ, in the Jewish Church, and there has been such an order since in the Christian Church." The devil was the first thief, who climbed into God's fold." Milton.-All his followers, sharing his spirit, have followed his steps.-He was the first who "before" Christ sadly succeeded in misleading our race. He enters intrusively, clandestinely, under the mask of religion.-The shepherd hired a hireling in a way open, regular and peaceable.-Thieves are labourers from mercenary motives in Christ's employ.—But they seek to feed ambition, covetousness, pleasure, ease. False Messiahs and pretending teachers mock the soul's hungering after food."Ravening wolves" expresses another phase of character. Matt. vii. 15.

Robbers. Ver. 1. Open, violent persecutors, plunderers and avaricious, ambitious pretenders "lording it over God's heritage." 1 Peter v. 3.-Pharisees boldly assumed as their own the Messianic position.-In the properly spiritual domain, there was no room left for Christ.-In utter caprice, they opened and shut the kingdom of God. Matt. xxiii. 13.-Not as servants; they bore themselves as irresponsible masters.-The Temple was the centre of the Church to them, sacrifices under them were a fraud, and their atoning virtue ignored and forgotten.-They resisted Christ as resolutely and defiantly as Rome did afterwards for centuries.The being of Christ's church was threatened, and it was a conflict of life and death.—The thief, when revealed, proves to be halfhireling, half-wolf.-"Woe unto the pastors that destroy the sheep of my pasture." Jer. xxiii. 1.-"Woe to the shepherds of Israel, that do feed themselves." Ezek. xxxiv. 2.-Pharisaism, before the Temple was destroyed, became a bare-faced robbery.— They did indeed sit in Moses' seat, but left the church to utter ruin.-Who but thieves "devoured widows' houses," changed the temple into a warehouse?-Who but thieves "robbed God of tithes and offerings?" Mal. iii. 8, 9.-No title is too sacred for these false shepherds to claim.-The sheep know them not.-In our Lord's day, they preferred the words of the carpenter of

Nazareth, to those sitting in Moses' seat, clothed in long robes and wearing phylacteries.-In our day, they prefer the earnest, sincere words of plain men to the enticing errors of rank, though in a church or cathedral, time-honored and with a gorgeous ritual.

Sheep. Ver. 2.

Not Jews in general, but the few Simeons, Annas, Elizabeths, &c. 1 Peter i. 11.—Believers with divinely taught hearts, are not often led astray.

Not hear them. Not absolutely, but did not listen, so as in the end to become disciples.-Those who hear and follow such, never belonged to the true flock.-A sad truth: In every age thieves and robbers have dared to enter the church, and call upon the children of God to follow their pernicious errors.-The nearer to heaven Capernaum was exalted, the deeper the fall. Luke x. 15. -Hophni and Phineas only increased their guilt by assuming the priestly robes.

Oov Frequentative aorist, equal to the present. Greswell. In Hebrew prophecies, the past tense constantly used for the future. Matt. xxiii., xxv. Here pò instead of avrí, used by Eurip., Arist., Esch. The sheep shall not hear them. Greswell. Came before the time of Christ. Hengst.

πрò éμоû. Omitted. Cod. Sin., Tisch. Retained. Alf., Westcott, Hort. Omitted from fear of Gnostic and Manichæan misuse of the passage against the Old Test. De Wette, Meyer, Lange. Before me, instead of me, without regard to me. Schaff. Before the Incarnation. Theoph., Mald., Schoettgen. As sent without authority. Menochius. In opposition to me. Aug. Teachers of another doctrine. Calvin.

As opposed to día époû in the next verse. Stier. An entire supplanting is implied. Lange. Those immediately before our Lord. Bengel. All pretenders to be the Messiah, or the true shepherd. Not false Messiahs, but perverters of the people. Olsh., D. Brown.

KλÉTTαι. Those claiming Messiahship. Chrys., Cyril, Grotius. No Messiahs certainly before Christ. Lampe, Lightfoot. They broke in precipitately and prematurely before they had time to find the door. Von Gerlach. Not waiting for Me; rush before they come to the door. Luther, Stier, Besser. Verses 7 and 9 having èyí čiμi, hint at false Messiahs. Anton. Herod's pretences were to fulfil Haggai ii. 7, and set himself against the hopes of the people. Hengst. Applied to Moses and Pharisees. Manichæans. Pharisees only Meyer.

Anoraí. All that ever came at variance with me. Aug. All prophets before Him, actually were thieves, &c. Gnostics. All seeking to open a door πρò except the Lord. Lampe, Elsner. False Christs and teachers after Christ. Our Lord would not thus designate Sanhedrists. Tittmann. Discourse refers to the future of the Church. Herder. The Lord rejects all the teachers who went before Him. Marcion. Emphasize lov, a self authorised coming. Jerome, Theoph. To come before Jesus, is in their own name, after Him, is to testify of Him. Steinmeyer. True or false pastors. Jesus, the first of his time, who cared for the common people. Ebrard. The false Messiahs were not numerous enough for Távres öσol. Stier, Wolf. Those who came not as my forerunners, but as superseding me in the fold. Lange. Preferring their own person to His. Luthardt. This meaning of pò abundantly refuted. Olshausen.

ἤκουσαν. Have not heard with a relish. Doddr. People susceptible to the voice of the Lord. Lücke. Jews did not avoid Pharisees. Stier.

рóßата. Citizens of the kingdom. Rosenm. The true man in us, i. e., conscience that was ever bleating after a better shepherd; that detected the thief in the shepherd's dress. Maurice.

9. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

I am the door. Kings, priests, prophets, teachers, had led men to light, just so far as they glorified God.-Rulers, claiming to be their own masters, were the robbers and tyrants of earth.-Monarchs, witnesses to the invisible, brought strength to the nation and joy to the people.-Every monarch exalting himself, brought slavery, or superstition and ruin.-An equally grand test of all the rulers of ancient and modern empires.-Every priest, pope, king, or philosopher, so far as he went not to the Fountain of Light, has been a thief, caring for nothing but to steal.—Christ is at the same time sole shepherd of all pastors and flocks.-He would call again and again for His wandering sheep to return.-Those Pharisees not the door, though pretending to be. The door's double object to protect the enclosed flock from danger, and an opening to lead the flock out to pasture.-The great truth : NO SALVATION, BUT BY AND THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.

If any man. By ME, both the folded flock and shepherd must enter. Each under-shepherd (must, as a sheep himself, lead the flock. As he enters through THE DOOR he must go as one of the flock.

By Me. Knock at the door through faith in the blood of the Lamb of God.

Enter in. We are not born within the fold, but "children of wrath." Eph. ii. 3.-"We have access by one Spirit unto the Father." Eph. ii. 18.-Persian kings proudly kept their best friends at a distance: not so with God. Day and night the pearly gates are open. Rev. xxi. 25.

Saved. From the guilt and curse of sin.-The fence of the fold saves from destruction; so also does entrance into the church THROUGH CHRIST. Lange.

Go in and out. Each day's duties and joys, the cares and rest of life. Acts i. 21.-Live securely, feed daily and daintily while God reigns.-Freedom from the thraldrom of sin points to the only true liberty of the soul; all other promises are merely the boastings of slaves to sin.-To all earth's myriads in bondage to Satan, habit and passion, He says: "Believe in Me, continue in My flock, and the truth shall make you free."-Our Lord is the true Jehovah to His chosen ones. Num. xxvii. 16, 17.-The true David. 1 Sam. xviii. 16.-The true Solomon. 2 Chron. i. 10. Find. In dusky lane, and crowded mart," believers may find comfort of which the world knows not.

Pasture. This embraces the privileges of the tended flock of God. -It implies "they shall have life, and life more abundantly."

"I will feed them in good pasture." Ez. xxxiv. 14; Isa. xl. 11. Worldling's fare hard. Luke xv. 14.-A perpetuity of bliss is bliss. Young. The perfect security of the saints' reserved inheritance, is here pledged.-Grace on earth possessed, and glory in the world to come. The "green pastures and the still waters " shadow forth this privilege. In another state, all believers will be led by "the Lamb to fountains of living waters." Rev. vii. 17.— In Christ's flock, believers find all that enlightens, purifies, confirms, exhilarates and soothes the mind. This pasture finds its richest verdure, and virtue, from heaven's dew.-All the truth suited to the hunger and thirst of the soul is of Christ alone.— Blessed is that shepherd, who feeds in the same pasture, where he leads the flock of God.-He who goes out through the door, shall reach the true pasturage of faith, knowledge, peace.Whosoever brings not the flock to Christ's pastures, robs them of their food.-Whoso starves the soul, is a murderer before heaven. John viii. 44.—What a terrible word of warning to those who pretend to preach salvation.

'Eyú eiue. This verse refers to the shepherds of preceding verses. Müller, Kuinoel. Only relates to the sheep. Lampe. Both shepherds and sheep. Doddr., Tittmann.

Oúpa. No safe entrance to the church, for shepherd or sheep, but Christ. Erasmus. For shepherd only. Meyer. Any pastor having authority to guard the flock, must be one of the sheep of the pasture. Maldon. We must enter by the sacrament? deriving its virtue from Christ. Wigandus.

σωθήσεται Official blessing. Lücke. In order to be saved. Tittmann. Feeling trust and security through delivery from bondage. Sylveira. Shall be fed by the bounty of His providence. Montanus. Going in and out: means the actions of life. Toletus. Shall be preserved. Pearce. Perfect safety amid life's temptations. Tittmann. Not leaving and entering the fold, but within the fold we need aid. Maldon. eioeλevσeraι Hints at prosperity in one's business. Num. xxvii. 17, Deut. xxviii. 8. Tittmann. "Go in and out." Hebraism-most perfect intimacy of the shepherd and master. Num. xxvii. 17. "Go in," i. e., in the truth of the Old Test. he shall subordinate himself to the Law. "Go out," i. e., he shall find in the fulfilment of the Old Test., in Christ, the liberty of the New Test.-faith. Lange.

10. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. The thief. A change from the plural to the singular: the thief"Satan."-As all the under-shepherds are represented by the One Good Shepherd, so the one type of many thieves and murderers, is the devil.-He stole the crown and sceptre from our first parents by guile.-Stealing, killing, destroying body and soul, his constant study and work for 6000 years.-Heretics show such zeal for error, as "to compass sea and land." Matt. xxiii. 15.— When certain tradesmen wish to get rid of a lot of bad goods, they are continually and eloquently talking them up to others.

A conscience deceived, demands these efforts of infidel zeal, otherwise it would be intolerable." Cunning craftiness," Eph. iv. 14, is the serpent stinging, without the hiss.

Steal and kill, &c. He robs Gods of His honor and glory, being at heart a thief.-He taketh the life of the soul, hence he is a murderer. He takes away all foundations for peace, hence a destroyer. He wastes the hopes, the joys, the peace, the whole treasures of grace.-Not content with the wool and milk, he will also slay and eat. "Ye kill them that are fed: but feed not the flock." Ezek. xxxiv. 3.-The wolfish mind of the thief finds pleasure in selfish gratification, and that which it cannot share it ruins. — The terrible purpose of a faithless shepherd is to secure his own gain, reckless of its issue in the ruin of the souls of his flock.-History ever reproduces this melancholy result, until the scheme of Antichrist has induced millions of our race to barter their hopes for the protection of wolves in sheeps' clothing. I am come. Our Lord's church is likened to a ship, Himself the pilot; to a vine, Himself the stay; to a flock, Himself the shepherd. In this passage to be for ever known, honoured and loved as the "GOOD SHEPHERD."-I am come in mercy and power to secure life for My people.-When Christ comes, woe to the thieves wasting His flock!-The world's history ever shows traces of His iron rod, or shepherd's staff.-Yet His main interest of grace is to give life in abundance.

Life. John i. 4. ONE only hath essential LIFE to bring or give.— "Life" and "abundantly" include all the fulness of good in Christ Jesus. Phil. iv. 19.- Implied where the Lord is shepherd: "I shall want nothing." Psa. xxiii.Our Lord claims here all-sufficiency to Himself which alone belongs to God. Abundantly. Old prophets proved their celestial birthright, by giving life for the people.-When Jesus pledges Himself to His beloved flock, He guarantees they shall not lack: "I shall not want." Psa. xxiii. I.-It has been His triumphant challenge to His trusting flock in every age: "Lacked ye anything?" Luke xxii. 35.-David answers, "My cup runneth over." Psa. xxiii. 5. -Seeking first the kingdom, all things shall be added. Matt. vi. 33.-They who seek it first shall not want for anything.-His mission was not to preserve, but impart life to the spiritually dead. What a claim! A repetition of His sermon in Capernaum, and an echo of all His teaching as to the bread and water of life.Such assertions prove Jesus to have been either the greatest impostor and most impious of men, or VERY and ETERNAL GOD.