n by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. The sheep
hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them
out. He goeth before them, and the sheep follow him; for they know his
voice. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to
destroy. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own
the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and
fleeth. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of
mine; and I lay down my life for the sheep."[1] The idea that the
crisis of humanity was close at hand frequently recurred to him.
"Now," said he, "learn a parable of the fig-tree: When his branch is
yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh.
Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already
to harvest."[2]

[Footnote 1: John x. 1-16.]

[Footnote 2: Matt. xxiv. 32; Mark xiii. 28; Luke xxi. 30; John iv.
35.]

His powerful eloquence always burst forth when contending with
hypocrisy. "The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. All,
therefore, whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but
do not ye after their works: for they say and do not. For they bind
heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's
shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their
fingers.

"But all their works they do to be seen of men; they make broad their
phylacteries,[1] enlarge the borders of their garments,[2] and love
the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
Woe unto them!...

[Footnote 1: _Totafoth_ or _tefillin_, plates of metal or strips of
parchment, containing passages of the Law; which the devout Jews wore
attached to the forehead and left arm, in literal fulfilment of the
passages (_Ex._ xiii. 9; _Deut._ vi. 8, xi. 18.)]

[Footnote 2: _Zizith_, red borders or fringes which the Jews wore at
the corner of their cloaks to distinguish them from the pagans (_Num._
xv. 38, 39; _Deut._ xxii. 12.)]

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye have taken
away the key of knowledge, shut up the kingdom of heaven against
men![1] for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that
are entering to go in. Woe unto you, for ye devour widows' houses,
and, for a pretense, make long prayers: therefore ye shall receive the
greater damnation. Woe unto you, for ye compass sea and land