Collected Sermons, good shepherd

Collected Sermons · good shepherd

p. 79A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER OF THE GOOD SHEPEHEARD.

Iohn 10.

Verſe 11. IEſus ſayde vntounto the Iewes: I am that good ſhepeheard: that good ſhepeheard giueth his life for his ſheepe.

12. But an hyreling, & he which is not the ſhepeheard, neither the ſheepe are his owne, ſeeth the woulfe comming, and leaueth the ſheepe, and fleeth, and the woulfe catcheth them, and ſcattereth the ſheepe.

13. So the hyerling fleeth, becauſe he is an hyerling, and careth not for the ſheepe.

p. 8014. I am that good ſhepeheard, and know myne, and am knowne of myne.

15. As the Father knoweth me, ſo know I the Father: and I lay downe my life for my ſheepe.

16. Other ſheepe I hauehave alſo which are not of this folde: them alſo muſt I bring, and they ſhall heare my voice, and there ſhall be one ſheepefold, and one ſhepeheard.

THis text is full of conſolation, which in a goodly parable ſetteth forth Chriſt our Lord, & teacheth what maner of perſon he is, what be his workes, and of what affection he is toward men. Neuertheles it can not be vnderſtood, but by comparing togither light and darkenes, day and night, that is, a good and an euill ſhepeheard, as the Lord alſo doth in this place.

Ye hauehave nowe oftentimes heard, that God hath inſtituted and ordeined in the worlde two maner of preachings:The preaching of the law. One is, when the word of God is preached, which ſayth Exod. 20: Thou shalt hauehave none other gods before me. Alſo: Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adulterie, Thou shalt not ſteale, & doth alſo threaten, that he which doth not keepe thoſe precepts ſhall dye. But that preaching doth iuſtifie no man. For although a man be thereby compelled to ſhew him ſelfe godly outwardly before men, notwithſtanding inwardly his hart is offended at the law,The preaching of the Goſpell. and had leuer there were no lawe. The other miniſterie of the word is the Goſpell, which ſheweth where that is to be receiued, which the lawe requireth, it neither vrgeth nor threatneth, but allureth men gentlely, it ſayth not: doe this or that, but it ſayth thus: Goe too, I will ſhew where thou mayſt receiue and take, whereby thou mayſt become righteous: Behold, here is Ieſus Chriſt, he will giuegive it thee. Wherfore theſe two diſagree one with an other, as much as to receiue and giuegive, to exact and reward. And this difference is to be well vnderſtood and marked. To hardened and vntractable men,To whom the law muſt be preached which feele not the Goſpell, the lawe is to be preached, and they are ſo long to be vrged, till they begin to be mollified and humbled, and doe acknowledge their diſeaſe, which when it is done, there is then place to begin p. 81to preach the Goſpell. Theſe two ſortes of preachinges were inſtituted and ordayned of God, beſides theſe there are other which were not ordayned of God, but are traditions inuented by men, ordained of the Pope and his Prelats, wherewith they hauehave peruerted the Goſpell. Theſe are not worthy to be called either ſhepeherds or hirelings, but they are thoſe which Chriſt calleth theeues, robbers and wolues. For if we will rule and guide men rightly and well, that muſt needes be done by the worde of God: whereby if it be not done, we ſurely labour in vaine. Furthermore Chriſt entreateth here of that ſecond miniſterie of y^e word, and deſcribeth of what ſorte it is: he maketh him ſelfe the chiefe, yea the onelyonly ſhepeheard, for that which he doth not feede, doth ſurely remayne vnfed.

Ye hauehave heard that our Lorde Ieſus Chriſt after his paſſion and death was rayſed from the dead, is entred into, and placed in immortalitie, not that he might ſit idle in heauen, and reioyce with him ſelfe, but that he might receiue a kingdom, might execute the function of a gouernour and king, of whom all the Prophets, yea & the whole Scripture doe ſpeake very much. Wherfore he is to be acknowledged to be vntounto vsus continually a preſent gouernour and ruler, neither muſt we thinke that he is idle in heauen, but that he doth from aboue both fill and gouerne all thinges as Paule ſayth Epheſ. 4. who hath an eſpeciall care of his kingdome, which is the Chriſtian faith, hereupon it muſt needes be, that his kingdom doe floriſh amonge vsus here in earth. Of this kingdom we hauehave elſewhere ſayd, that it is ſo ordeyned,The kingdō of Chriſt increaſeth, not by force and power, but by preaching of the Goſpell. that we all encreaſe eueryevery day and become purer, and that it is not gouerned at all by any force or power, but by outward preaching alone, that is, by the Goſpell. And this Goſpell commeth not from man, but Ieſus Chriſt him ſelfe brought it, and afterward put it into the hartes of the Apoſtles, and their ſucceſſors, that they might comprehend it, and into their mouthes that they might ſpeake and publiſh it. Hereby is his kingdom gouerned, wherein he ſo reigneth, that all the power thereof conſiſteth in the word of God. Now whoſoeuer ſhall heare & beleeue this,The force & efficacie of the word of God. doe pertaine to this kingdome. Moreouer this worde is afterward made ſo effectuall, that it giueth all thinges which are neceſſary to man, & bringeth a certain abundance of all good things which may be had. For it is the power of God which is able to ſaue eueryevery p. 82one that beleeueth, as Paul witneſſeth Rom. 1: When thou beleueſt that Chriſt died for thee, to deliuer thee from all euill, & ſo cleaueſt vntounto the worde, it is ſure and certaine that no creature is able to ouerthrow thee. For as none is able to ouerthrow the word, ſo none is able to hurt thee, when thou ſtickeſt vntounto it. By the word therefore thou dooſt ouercome ſinne, death, Satan, hell, and thither thou muſt reſort and flie, where the word is, that is, to eternall peace, ioy, and life, and briefly, thou ſhalt be made partaker of all ſuch good things as are promiſed in y^e word. Wherfore the gouernment of this kingdom is maruelous: the word is publiſhed & preached through the whole world, but the power thereof is very ſecret, neither doth any man marke that it is ſo effectual, & that it ſo much profiteth them that beleue: howbeit it muſt be felt and taſted in the hart. We therfore of the miniſterie are able to performe no more, then that we are the mouth of our Lorde Chriſt, and the inſtrument whereby he openly preacheth y^e word. For he ſuffereth the word to be publiſhed abroad, that eueryevery one may heare it. But faith maketh that it is felt inwardly in y^e hart, yea and it is the ſecret worke of Chriſt, whenſoeuer any knoweth that it is his duety, and is alſo willing to doe according to his diuine will and good pleaſure.

But that this may be the better perceiued, we wil now intreat of our text, wherein Chriſt firſt ſayth: I am the good shepeherd. And what is a good ſhepeheard? A good ſhepeherd, ſayth Chriſt, giueth his life for his ſheepe. And I leaue my life for my ſheepe. Here the Lord declareth what his kingdom is, bringing a goodly parable of the ſheepe. Ye knowe that it is a beaſt of all liuing creatures moſt fooliſh and moſt ſimple, ſo that thereupon it is commonly ſpoken as a prouerb, if we hauehave to ſpeake of a ſimple one: He is a ſheepe. Neuertheles it is of that nature more then other liuing creatures, that it quickly knoweth the voyce of his ſhepeheard, neither followeth it any beſide his owne ſhepeheard, being alwaies of that qualitie that it cleaueth to him, and ſeeketh for helpe of him alone, being not able to helpe it ſelfe, neither to feede it ſelfe, neither to heale it ſelfe, nor keepe it ſelfe from the wolues, but doth wholy conſiſt in the helpe of an other. Chriſt therefore bringeth the qualitie and nature of the ſheepe in maner of a parable, and transformeth him ſelfe into a ſheepeheard, whereby he doth very well ſhewe, what his kingdome is, and p. 83wherein it conſiſteth, and his meaning is this: My kingdom is nothing els, but that I may feede ſheepe, that is, miſerable, needy, and wretched men in the earth, which doe well perceiue and feele, that they hauehave no helpe or counſell any other where, but in me alone.

But that we may declare this more plainely, we will adde hereunto a place out of Ezechiel chap. 34. which ſpeaketh of euill ſhepeheards that doe contrary vntounto Chriſt, & ſayth: Ought not the flockes ſuffer them ſelues to be fed of the shepeheards? VVhy therefore doe you feede yourſelues? Euill shepeheards how they behaue them ſelues and gouerne their flocke.Ye hauehave eaten the milke of the sheepe, ye hauehave clothed your ſelues with the woll, the beſt fed ye hauehave ſlaine, but my flocke hauehave ye not fed. The weake hauehave ye not ſtrengthned, the ſicke hauehave ye not healed, the broken hauehave ye not bound together, the driuen away hauehave ye not brought againe, the loſt hauehave ye not ſought, but with force and crueltie hauehave ye ruled them. And now my sheepe are ſcattered, for that they are deſtitute of shepeheards, yea all the beaſtes of the field deuour them, and they are diſperſed ouer all mountaines, and ouer the whole earth. That which he here ſayth is well to be marked: his very meaning in this place is, that he will hauehave the weake, ſicke, broken, abiects, and loſt, to be ſtrengthned, healed, cured, ſought, not ſpoyled and deſtroyed. Theſe thinges ye ought to doe, ſayth he to the ſhepeheards, but ye hauehave do… none of them. Wherefore I my ſelfe (as he afterward ſayth) will deale thus with my ſheepe: That which is loſt will I ſeeke againe, that which is driuen away will I bringe againe, and to that which is not well will I giuegive a remedie and heale it. Here thou ſeeſt that the kingdom of Chriſt is ſuch as hath to doe with thoſe that be weake, diſeaſed and broken, & hath care of them to helpe them. The preaching whereof in deede is very full of comfort, but this is wanting in vsus, that we doe not throughly feele our miſerie and weakenes, which if we felt, we would forthwith runne vntounto him. But how did thoſe ſhepeheards behaue them ſelues? They ruled in rigour and ſtraightly exacted obedience of the lawe. Moreouer, they added their owne traditions, as they doe alſo at this day, which if they be not kept, they cry out, and condemne him that tranſgreſſeth them, ſo that they doe nothing elſe, but vrge more and more and commaund their owne inuentions. But this is not to feede wel or to gouerne p. 84a ſoule, as Chriſt ſayth, who him ſelf is not ſuch a ſhepeheard, for by ſuch maner of feeding none is holpen, but the ſheepe are vtterly loſt as we ſhall vnderſtand.

Now we will handle the place of the Prophet in order. Firſt he ſayth that the weake ſheepe are to be ſtrengthned,Weake conſciences how they muſt be handled. that is, the conſciences which are weake in faith, and hauehave a ſorrowfull ſpirit, and are of a faint courage, are not to be enforced, that it ſhould be ſayd vntounto them: This thou muſt doe, thou muſt be ſtrong. For if thou be ſo weake, thou art ordayned to eternall puniſhment: This is not to ſtrengthen y^e weake. Thus ſaith Paule Rom. 14: Him that is weake in the faith receiue vntounto you, & entangle not conſciences. And by & by after he addeth Rom. 15: VVe which are ſtronge ought to beare the infirmities of the weake. Wherfore they are not to be ſeuerely compelled, but to be comforted, that although they be weake, they may not therefore deſpeire, for after…ards they ſhall become ſtronger. Eſaias the Prophet did thus foreſpeake of Chriſt cap. 42: A brooſed reede shall he not breake, & the ſmoking flax shall he not quenche. The brooſed reede ſignifieth miſerable, weake, and brooſed conſciences, which are eaſily ſo ſhaken, that they tremble, and loſe hope and truſt in God. With theſe God doth not forthwith deale rigorouſly and after a violent maner, but he dealeth gentely with them, leſt he breake them. Moreouer the ſmoking flax, which doth as yet burne a litle, & nouriſheth more ſmoke then fire, …e the ſame conſciences, which ought not againe to deſpeire, for he wil not vtterly extinguiſh them, but alwayes kindle them, and more and more ſtrengthen them. Which truely to him that knoweth it, is a great comfort. Wherefore he which doth not gentlely handle weake conſciences after this ſort, doth not without dout execute the office of a true ſhepeheard.

Afterward the Prophet ſayth: That which was diſeaſed, ye ought to hauehave ſuccoured. Who are thoſe diſeaſed ones? They which in their maner of liuing, and in their outward works hauehave certain diſeaſes, and vices. The firſt pertaineth to the conſcience when as it is weake: the other to the maners or conditions of life, when as any being caried with a wilfull mind and wayward braine, doth offend here and there, to wit by wrath & other fooliſh doings, as euen the Apoſtles fel ſometimes grieuouſly. Such as are ſo vitious in the ſight of men, that they are an offence to others, p. 85and are iudged obſtinate and wayward, God will not hauehave to be reiected and deſpeired of. For his kingdom is not ordered after ſuch a maner, that the ſtronge and whole onelyonly ſhould liue therein (which pertaineth to the life to come) but Chriſt is therfore ſet in it, that he may hauehave a care of ſuch & helpe them. Wherfore albeit we are ſo weake and ſicke, notwithſtanding we muſt not ſo deſpeire, that we ſhould ſay, that we are not in the kingdom of Chriſt, but y^e more we feele our diſeaſe,The more we feele our ſelues diſeaſed, the greater cauſe we hauehave to flie vntounto Chriſt. ſo much the more we muſt come vntounto him, for he therefore is at hande that he may remedie and heale vsus. Now if thou be weake and oppreſſed with faintnes, feeling great affliction, hereby thou haſt gotten a greater occaſion to goe vntounto him, & to ſay on this maner: Moſt ſweete Chriſt, I therefore come vntounto thee becauſe I am a ſinner, that thou maiſt helpe and iuſtifie me: yea very neceſſitie doth compell thee hereunto. For the greater thy diſeaſe is, ſo much more needfull is it for thee to be healed. And Chriſt him ſelfe requireth the ſame of vsus, and doth allure vsus to come vntounto him boldly and cherefully. But others which are not ſuch ſhepeheards, do thinke that they ſhall make men righteous, if they exact much of them and vrge them much, whereby they onelyonly make that which is euill worſe, as we ſee it to be done at this day, whereas it is come to that diſorder, that all thinges are moſt miſerably brought out of courſe, as in this place the Prophet ſayth.

The broken hauehave ye not bound togither. To be broken is, as when ones legge is broken, or a wound ſome where elſe giuen him. That is, when as a Chriſtian is not onelyonly weake and diſeaſed, that he ſtumbleth ſometime, but alſo runneth into ſo great tentations, that he breaketh ſome part,They which fall ſo grieuouſly that they euen deny the Goſpel, muſt not be vtterly deſpeired of. and ſo is brought to that paſſe, that he falleth and denieth the Goſpell, after the maner of Peter, who did forſweare Chriſt. Now if any ſhould ſo ſtumble, that he ſhould be compelled to goe backe, & be vtterly caſt downe in minde, neuertheles we muſt not as yet caſt him of, as though he did neuer any more pertaine to the kingdom of Chriſt: for we muſt leaue Chriſtes propertie to him ſelf, that his kingdom may remayne vntounto him ſelfe meere grace and mercy, whoſe deſire is to helpe them onelyonly, which are grieued with their calamitie and miſerie, and doe greatly deſire to be deliuered from it. That his kingdom may altogither abound with comfort, and he him ſelfe be the comfortable and gentle ſhepeheard, which prouoketh and p. 86allureth eueryevery one to come vntounto him. And all this is done by the Goſpell, whereby the weake are to be ſtrengthned, the ſicke to be healed. For it is ſuch a word as is fit for all diſtres of conſciences, giuing aboundant comfort to all, that none diſpeire although he be a great ſinner. Chriſt therfore alone is y^t good ſhepeheard, which healeth all ſortes of diſeaſes, and helpeth them that are fallen: which he that doth not, is not a ſhepeheard.

The Prophet thus goeth forward: That which was driuen away, ye hauehave not brought againe. What is that that is driuen away? The deſpiſed ſoule, which is ſo ſcorned and contemned, that it is thought to be done in vaine, whatſoeuer Chriſtian doctrine is beſtowed vponupon it. Notwithſtanding Chriſt doth not yet ſuffer, that it ſhould be dealt roughly with. His kingdom is not compaſſed with ſo ſtraight boundes, that onelyonly the ſtronge, whole and perfect doe floriſh therein, for this pertaineth to the heauenly life to come, now in this his kingdom onelyonly grace and ſweetnes muſt abound. As God promiſed to y^e children of Iſraell Exod. 3. that y^t appointed land of Canaan ſhould flow only w^t milk & hony, euen as Paule 1. Cor. 12. affirmeth, that vponupon thoſe members of the body, which we thinke more vnhoneſt, we put more honeſtie on.

He concludeth: The loſt hauehave ye not ſought. That is loſt which ſeemeth to be condemned,They which ſeeme euen paſt hope muſt not be quite caſt of. of the returne whereof there is ſcarce any hope. Of which ſort in the Goſpell were Publicanes & harlots, and at this day they, who hauehave not ſo much as a ſparke of godlines, but are vntractable and vnruly. Neither are they notwithſtanding to be left, but all meanes are to be aſſayed that at the laſt they may be reclaimed and brought againe into the right way. Which S. Paule eftſoones did, as when he deliuered two of this ſort vntounto Satan, 1. Tim. 1. I hauehave deliuered them vntounto Satan that they might learne not to blaſpheme. And 1. Cor. 5. I hauehave determined, ſayth he, to deliuer them to Satan for the deſtruction of the flesh, that the ſpirit may be ſaued in the day of the Lorde Ieſus. Them he caſt of as condemned, and yet notwithſtanding did not deſpeire of them. Chriſt therefore is ſo to be preached, that he reiecteth no mā although he be weake, but that he willingly receiueth, comforteth and ſtrengthneth eueryevery man, ſo that he alwayes appeareth to be the good ſhepeheard. Hereupon it commeth to paſſe, that men willingly reſort vntounto him, and that it is no neede any more to compell them. The Goſpell p. 87ſo allureth, and maketh them willing,The Goſpel allureth vsus with louelove & pleaſure to come vntounto Chriſt. that they come with a certaine louelove and pleaſure, and with all boldnes, Whereupon a deſire and louelove vntounto Chriſt is increaſed in them, ſo that they doe any thing willingly, who before were to be vrged and compelled. If we be conſtrayned, we doe grudgingly & vnwillingly, which God plainly abhorreth. But when as I ſhall perceiue that God dealeth ſo louingly and gentlely with me, my hart is as it were rauiſhed, ſo that I can not ſtay my ſelfe, but I muſt euen runne vntounto him, leauing all other things, wherupon afterward all pleaſure and ioy enſueth vntounto me.

Now conſider how great an euill it is, when one iudgeth an other. The kingdom of Chriſt, as we hauehave heard, is ſo ordeined, that it healeth and iuſtifieth onelyonly ſicke and miſerable conſciences, wherefore all they are farre deceiued, which hauehave regard only to the ſtronge and whole. It is great therefore and very effectuall knowledge whereby Chriſt is well knowne. It is graffed in vsus by nature to be altogither euill and wicked, & yet notwithſtanding we would hauehave eueryevery one to be honeſt, we earneſtly regard ſtronge Chriſtians, not looking therewithall to the ſicke and weake, thinking them not to be Chriſtians, if they are not ſtronge, and iudge others euill, if they be not altogither holy, when as we our ſelues in the meane ſeaſon exceede the reſt in naughtines. Now the cauſe hereof is our moſt corrupt nature,Our corrupt nature and blind reaſon cauſe vsus to erre & iudge amiſſe. & our blind reaſon, which will meaſure the kingdom of God according to her owne opinion, whereby it thinketh that thoſe things are vncleane before God, which ſeeme vncleane vntounto it ſelf, wherfore that opinion muſt be remoued out of our minde. For if thou haſt very much regard thereunto, thou ſhalt at the laſt come into the mind to thinke: alas, what ſhal become of me, if all Chriſtians muſt be ſuch, namely, ſtronge, whole, and godly? When ſhal I once attayne ſo farre? And ſo thou ſhalt bringe thy ſelfe into ſuch a perplexitie, that thou ſhalt hardely euer attayne vntounto true comfort and ioye. Thou therefore muſt be ſo affected, that thou ſay: Moſt gracious Ieſu, although I finde my ſelfe altogether weake, diſeaſed, and in a wretched ſtate, yet I will not therefore caſt of all hope, but wil flie vntounto thee, that thou mayſt ſuccour me, For thou onelyonly art the ſhepeheard, & the good ſhepeheard, ſuch a one I am perſwaded that thou art, wherfore I will not deſpeire or be diſcouraged, although I come vntounto thee being voyde of p. 88workes. We muſt therefore beſtow our diligence that we may wiſely & well know Chriſt, that in his kingdom onelyonly the weake and diſeaſed are conuerſant, and that it is nothing elſe, but as it were an hoſpitall, wherein onelyonly the ſicke and feeble doe lie, of whom a care muſt be had. But few men hauehave this knowledge, for this wiſedom is exceeding hard to be attayned vntounto, ſo that it is wanting euen vntounto them ſometime, who hauehave the Goſpel and the ſpirite, neither can any wiſedome come vntounto men which is greater then it. Wherfore, albeit men looke into the Scripture, which ſetteth forth the kingdome of Chriſt, affirming it to be moſt precious, neuertheles they hauehave not ſuch a care what the wordes ſignifie, neither doe they marke that true wiſedom is hidden therein, which excelleth our wiſedom by many degrees. For it is not Chriſtian wiſedom to hauehave to doe with men which are accounted wiſe, and ſkilfull, and to make mention, and talke of them,Chriſtian wiſedom is occupied among the vnwiſe. but to be occupied among the vnwiſe and them that lack vnderſtanding, not that delight & pleaſure ſhould be taken thereof, but that they may come from ſinne and fooliſhnes to righteouſnes and ſound vnderſtanding. Hereof it appeareth that Chriſtian wiſedom doth conſiſt in this, not that we looke aloft, & conſider thoſe thinges which are high and wiſe, and behold and ſee our ſelues in thē as it were in a glaſſe, but that we looke to thoſe things that are belowe, & marke that which is humble & fooliſh. He which knoweth this, let him giuegive thankes vntounto God. For by this knowledge he becommeth ſuch a one as is able to prepare and apply him ſelfe to eueryevery thing which is in the world. But ye ſhall finde many, yea euen among them that preach the Goſpell, which are not yet come thus farre. Hitherto we hauehave bene ſo inſtructed & accuſtomed, that none muſt come vntounto Chriſt, before he be altogether cleane, thou muſt therefore forſake that opinion, that thou maiſt attaine to true vnderſtanding, that thou maiſt knowe Chriſt aright, howe he is the true and good ſhepeheard, whereof we hauehave heard ſufficient.

Nowe he compareth the good ſhepeheard with the euill, or hireling, and ſayth: A good shepeheard giueth his life for the sheepe: but an hireling, & he which is not the shepeheard, neither the sheepe are his owne, ſeeth the wolfe comming, & leaueth the sheepe, & the wolfe catcheth & ſcattereth the sheepe. So the hireling fleeth becauſe he is an hireling, & careth not for p. 89the sheepe. It is true in deede that Chriſt is properly the onelyonly ſhepeheard, euen as y^e name of Chriſt doth belong to him alone. yet he communicateth the ſame vntounto vsus, that we alſo may be called Chriſtians. So although he be the onelyonly ſhepeheard, yet he imparteth the ſame name to them that be of the miniſterie. After the ſame maner Matth. 23. he forbiddeth, that we call no man father vponupon the earth, foraſmuch as there is one onelyonly our father, which is in heauen, notwithſtanding Paule calleth him ſelfe the father of the Corinthians 1. Cor. 4. when he ſayth: In Chriſt Ieſus I hauehave begotten you through the Goſpell. So therefore it ſeemeth as though God alone would hauehave the name of a father, and in the meane ſeaſon notwithſtanding he graunteth the ſame name to men, that they alſo may be fathers, howbeit that they hauehave not of them ſelues but by Chriſt. Euen as we are called Chriſtians, becauſe we hauehave nothing of our ſelues, but for that all thinges are giuen vntounto vsus through Chriſt.

Moreouer, the hireling, ſayth Chriſt, which is not the shepeheard, neither the sheepe are his owne, when he ſeeth the wolfe comming, leaueth the sheepe & fleth, &c. The hireling when the wolfe commeth leaueth the ſheepe.This ſurely is a hard ſaying, that they which truely preach the Goſpel, and ſtrengthen & heale the ſheepe, neuertheles at the laſt doe ſuffer the ſheepe to be caught and torne in peeces, and doe then flie away, when the ſheepe hauehave neede of greateſt helpe. As long as the wolues doe not appeare, they do their dutie carefully & diligētly, but as ſoone as they ſee the wolfe breake in, they forthwith leaue the ſheepe. If they then hauehave fed them well, that they be fat, ſtrong, & whole, they are the better liked of the wolues, for whome they hauehave fed them. But what is the hiddē meaning of this parable? The meaning of Chriſt is this: In my kingdome (which conſiſteth in nothing elſe, but that the weake be ſtrengthned, the ſicke healed, the faynt harted encouraged) the holy croſſe ſhall not be wanting.The croſſe accompanieth the preaching of the Goſpell. For when it is preached, that Chriſt only, whoſe ſilly ſheepe we are, hath care of vsus, ſtrengthneth, healeth, and helpeth vsus, & that our owne ſtrength and our owne workes are of no importance at all, (whereby all workes of the world, and the diuerſe ſortes of worſhipping God which it inuenteth are vtterly diſallowed) the world cā not abide ſuch maner of preaching, ſo that it is a natural propertie of y^e Goſpel, to bring y^e croſſe w^t it as vnſeparably accō panying it, & he that will vnfeinedly profes it before the world, p. 90muſt needes yeld him ſelfe to beare perſecution. Foraſmuch as the caſe ſtandeth thus, it is not hard to perceiue how great difference there is betwene the true ſhepeheards and the hirelinges. He that is an hireling preacheth the Goſpell as long as he is reported among men to be a learned,The hireling how he behaueth him ſelfe. godly & holy man. But when as he is reproued or ſet vponupon as an heretike and wicked fellow, or moued to make a recantation, then he either recanteth, or taketh him ſelfe to his feete, leauing the miſerable ſheepe alone without a ſhepeheard, then their caſe becommeth worſe then it was before. What doth it then auaile the ſheepe if they were wel fed before?What the true shepeheard doth, If they were true ſhepeheardes, they would ſpend their life before they woulde ſo leaue the ſheepe to the iawes of the wolues, and would be ready alwayes to offer their necke to the axe for the Goſpells ſake. They therefore are neuer good ſhepeheards, which ſo preach the Goſpell, that they may thereby get vntounto them ſelues honour, riches, and profit, without all dout they are hirelings, who ſeeke after their owne thinges euen in ſound doctrine, yea and in the word of God. Wherefore they abide no longer, then while they may hauehave honour, praiſe & commiditie thereby, but as ſoone as the wolfe commeth, goe backe, denye the worde, and get them ſelues away, leauing the ſheepe, which very earneſtly ſeeke for paſture and their ſhepeheard, who may keepe them from the iniurie of the wolues, but that good ſhepeheard can no where be found, who flieth away euen at that time, when the ſheepe hauehave moſt neede of a defender and ſtrengthner.

The ſame ſhall happen to vsus in time to come, when we ſhall once begin to be touched in deede. Then the Preachers will ſhut their mouthes, and prouide for their ſafetie by flying, and the ſheepe ſhall be miſerably diſperſed, ſo that one ſhall be caried this way, an other that way. God graunt that ſome of them may ſtand valiantly in defenſe of the Goſpell, and ſpende their blood, if the caſe ſo require in deliuering their ſheepe. Thus Chriſt hath painted forth y^e hirelings in their colours, who thus ſayth moreouer: I am that good shepeheard, and knowe mine, and am knowne of mine. Theſe wordes doe containe much, I ſhoulde ſpend ouer much time, if I ſhould handle them ſeuerally. He ſpeaketh here of the peculiar dutie that belongeth to him ſelfe. I know my ſheepe, ſayth he, and they againe know me. Nowe the p. 91ſumme is this: Chriſt knoweth vsus to be his ſheepe, & we againe know him to be our ſhepeheard. He knoweth vsus to be ſuch ſheepe as are weake and diſeaſed, which he doth not caſt of, but hath a care of them, and healeth them, although they be ſo diſeaſed, that all the worlde thinketh that they are not his ſheepe, and this in deede is the knowledge of y^e world. But Chriſt doth not ſo know them, neither doth he greatly regard what maner of ones they be, but conſidereth whether they be ſheepe. They therefore are the true ſhepeheards, who following Chriſt, doe ſo know their ſheepe, that they looke vntounto the perſons, not to the diſeaſe.

My father knoweth me, ſayth Chriſt,The world knoweth not Chriſt. but the world knoweth me not. When as therefore the howre ſhall come, that I ſhal die an ignominious death vponupon the croſſe, all with one voice will cry out: was this the ſonne of God? he muſt needes be a condemned man, and giuen vp vntounto Satan, both in ſoule and alſo in body. So the world will conſider and know me. But my father will ſay in this ſort: this is my welbeloued ſonne, my king and Sauiour. He beholdeth not my affliction, my woundes, my croſſe & death, but he conſidereth my perſon, that is, me very ſelfe. Wherefore if I were in the middeſt of hell, or in the iawes of Satan, yet I ſhould come out againe, for the father will not forſake me. Likewiſe I know my ſheepe, and they knowe me. They are certaine that I am a good ſhepeheard, they know me, therefore they come to me for ſuccour, and cleaue vntounto me, neither doth it any thinge feare them, that they are ſubiect to manifold infirmities and diſeaſes, they knowe very well that I would hauehave ſuch maner of ſheepe to reſort vntounto me. Other sheepe I hauehave alſo, which are not of this folde: them alſo muſt I bringe and they shall heare my voice, and there shall be one shepefold, & one shepeheard. Some hauehave ſo handled this place, that they affirme it ſhall be fulfilled before the latter day, when Antichriſt, Iohn, and Helias ſhall come. Which is flatly againſt the truth, and forged of Satan, that men might beleue, that the whole world ſhall at the laſt become Chriſtian. Which Satan therefore did that he might darken the ſound doctrine, that we might neuer rightly vnderſtand it. Beware therefore of this deluſion. For by and by after the aſcenſion of Chriſt this was done and fulfilled, and is yet at this day fulfilled. As ſoone as the Goſpell was publiſhed, it was preached to the Iewes, and this people was the ſhepefold. Now p. 92he ſayth, that he hath certaine other ſheepe alſo, which are not of this fold, which alſo he muſt gather together, whereby he ſheweth, that the Goſpell muſt be preached to the Gentiles that they alſo may beleue in Chriſt, that of the Iewes and Gentiles may be made one Church. Which he performed afterward by the Apoſtles, who preached the Goſpell to the Gentiles, and brought them to the faith. So there is now one body, one Church, one faith, one hope, one louelove, one baptiſme, and ſo of the like, which continueth at this day, and ſhal ſo continue euen to the ende of the world. Wherfore doe not ſo vnderſtand it as though all men ſhall beleue in Chriſt, for the croſſe muſt alwayes be borne of vsus, foraſmuch as the greateſt parte is alwayes of that faction, which perſecuteth Chriſtians. The Goſpell alſo muſt be continually preached, that alwayes ſome may be brought to Chriſtianitie. And thus much for a compendious expoſition of this text.