him

of which he became the partaker. His faith in our bleffed Lord, and his noble and manly defence of the truth, in oppofition to all the power and learning of the Pharifees, were rewarded by the gifts of fpiritual, as well as corporeal, fight; his eyes were opened to fee the Saviour of the world, and bestowed upon grace to know that this his benefactor was the true messiah, who would fhew him ftill greater things: bleffings defired in vain by many kings and prophets: as we may read in the tenth chapter of St. Luke, verfe 23.-" And he turned him unto his difciples and faid privately, Bleffed are "the eyes which fee the things that ye fee: " for I tell you, That many prophets and

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kings have defired to fee thofe things " which ye fee, and have not seen them; ❝ and to hear those things which ye hear, " and have not heard them."

Little indeed had he to regret that he was expelled from the Jewish Synagogue, when he was in confequence admitted into the community of our Lord and his difciples. "40. And

40. And fome of the Pharifees which were with him heard thefe words, and "faid unto him, Are we blind alfo ?

41. Jefus faid unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no fin: but "now ye fay, We see; therefore

"remaineth."

your fin

The Pharifees, perceiving that their hypocrify would not avail with Chrift, applied what he said, respecting the cause of his coming into the world, to themfelves. To accuse them of being fpiritually blind, was to wound them in the tenderest part; as they held themselves out as the greatest lights of the Jewish church, and would have had it believed that all their pretended fanctity and zeal proceeded from the heart, and was therefore acceptable with God. Well, therefore, might their pride take the alarm, when they found themfelves exposed to their followers, in their true colors. By afferting their thorough knowledge of the Scriptures, they condemned themselves,

and

and proved their own spiritual blindness ; fince to know and pervert their meaning is much more criminal, as well as dangerous, than total ignorance: the latter may be remedied, by application and study; the former, generally, proves inSix

veterate.

Let us, from the example of these selfconceited and hypocritical Pharifees, learn to avoid all spiritual pride! Let us search the holy Scriptures, with a fincere and pious purpose, to make ourselves acquainted with their facred truths; begging God's bleffing that, through the influence of his holy fpirit, our endeavors may be successful; and that they may fink fo deeply into our hearts, as to bring forth the fruits of eternal life; through the merits and sufferings of Jesus Christ, our only Lord and Saviour. Amen,

CHAPTER

CHAPTER THE FOURTEENTH.

"1.

ST. JOHN, CHAP. X,

VERILY, verily, I fay unto you,

He that entereth not by the

"door into the fheep-fold, but climbeth 66 up fome other way, the fame is a thief " and a robber.

2. But he that entereth in by the door "is the fhepherd of the fheep.

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

"them out.

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4. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and "the fheep follow him: for they know

、 his voice.

"5. And a stranger will they not fol

low, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of ftrangers."

How beautiful, as well as juft, is the comparison here drawn, of the care and attention of our Saviour to helpless mortals, with that of a fhepherd to his flock! Ever attentive to their wants, he, like the fhepherd, is constantly at hand, to guide and conduct them through life, and to guard them against all dangers.

The fheep-fold' means, the church of God: the door by which we are to enter,' is Chrift himself. The outward and visible fign of our admiffion, is water; wherein we are baptized, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft.

"6. This parable fpake Jefus unto them: "but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.

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66 7. Then faid Jefus unto them again,

Verily, verily, I fay unto you, I am "the door of the sheep.

"8. All