CHRIST THE TRUTH.

JOHN, xiv. 6.

"I am the truth."

It was the object, my brethren, of a former address, to overcome that carelessness and indifference with respect to religious truth which appear so prevalent in these days of liberality. That liberality is not content with allowing full toleration to conscientious difference; but deems it uncharitable to contend for any prescribed form of doctrine. It is argued, that amidst such various sects, and such discordant tenets, the truth with respect to doctrine must be so difficult to ascertain, that we had better confine ourselves to practice. If we do our duty to all around us, and fill our respective stations properly, we may be assured of finding acceptance with a God of mercy.

Such is the language of what the world calls liberality. Now, my brethren, if there were no means of ascertaining truth-if it were quite certain that God had vouchsafed to us no revelation of his will-then doubtless we could not be censurable for adopting the best standard that reason could discover. Even in that case, how few could pretend to have reached, or even endeavoured to reach, that standard! how few could prove

that they had sincerely striven to know their duty, and improved to the utmost the measure of light which they enjoy!

But should it indeed appear that light exists, of which they have not availed themselves-that a revelation has been given, supported by the clearest evidence, and possessing the strongest claims to regard-evidence, however, which they have refused to examine, and claims which they have wilfully disregarded,-would not such persons be without excuse? Such a question cannot safely be left undetermined. If God has indeed afforded us means of knowing his will, it must be our duty both to know and to obey it.

He who possesses all truth in himself must be able to communicate it to his intelligent creatures. That He has done so in that series of writings called the Bible, has been already maintained; but, as the time did not permit me to do justice to the subject, I shall now present to you some of the arguments by which that assertion may be supported: I shall also endeavour to illustrate the important declaration of the text (the declaration of Him whom Christians yenerate as the Author and Finisher of their faith), in which he claims to be himself the truth in the highest sense.

I. It may be proper, before I attempt to establish the position that Christ is the truth, to prove that he is true; or, according to his own assertion, "the faithful and true witness," the "teacher sent from God,”—that he is the revealer of the Divine will, as well as the channel of the Divine mercy, to those who, but for him, must be lost and ruined sinners.

This argument has been so often and so ably handled, that it would be scarcely possible to place it in a new light. Were I sure that you would read some of the many admirable and unanswerable volumes which have been written on the subject, I should gladly refer you to them; because, in one short head of a discourse like this, the utmost that can be done, is to afford a glance at some of the leading topics. Yet even such a glance may shew that we are provided with abundant evidence, and have only to claim for it serious and candid examination. That there was such a person as Christ, who taught doctrines of high importance, which soon gained strong empire over the minds of men, and have in every succeeding age possessed considerable influence, will not be disputed. An account of his life and character has been transmitted to us by four writers, who profess to have been personally acquainted with the facts which they record, or to have received them from eye-witnesses.

These writers describe Christ as an eminently wise and holy character, who spake as never man before spake, and wrought such miracles as none before attempted. For though Moses displayed miraculous powers in the presence of Pharaoh-commanded the waves of the sea to divide for the passage of the Israelites, and brought them "water out of the flinty rock;" though Elijah and others performed miracles; yet they avowedly did so by a delegated power. But the miracles of Christ claimed to be wrought by his own. He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, cleansed the leper, walked upon the waves of the sea, and recalled the dead from the

grave. His miracles were not only proofs of his authority, but also manifestations of his unspeakable benevolence. Their reality was never disputed by his adversaries, who could only allege that they were performed by the assistance of evil spirits, with whom they represented Christ to be in league. Of all his miracles, the most stupendous, and, at the same time, the most fully attested, was his own resurrection from the grave. That resurrection, and the time of its taking place, had been previously foretold by himself: the care which his opponents in consequence took to prevent any delusion on the subject, proves such delusion to have been impossible. The ponderous stone, the high priest's seal, the guard of Roman soldiers, must have prevented all attempts of his disciples; but nothing could restrain his own power: at the appointed time he rose, and shewed himself alive by many infallible proofs-eating and drinking with his disciples-and, upon one occasion, being seen by more than five hundred witnesses-he ascended to heaven in the presence of many, and appeared from thence to Stephen and to Saul-to Saul, whom he thus converted from a furious persecutor into a zealous champion of the faith which he had been so anxious to destroy. The fact of our Lord's resurrection, with all its circumstances, and the miraculous conversion of St. Paul, have been discussed in admirable treatises, which have carried conviction to the minds of many, and which none have ever refuted.

The more the miracles of Jesus have been examined, the more fully has their reality been established;-the more his character and doctrines have been discussed,

the more apparent has become their claim to universal admiration. If no miraculous attestation had been given to Christianity, its own unspeakable excellence, and perfect suitableness to what we may well believe the character of God, and what we know to be the wants of man-its unspeakable superiority to every system of human invention,-must dispose every candid inquirer to wish and to expect that it may be proved to be of Divine origin.

What other origin can be assigned to it? Could human wisdom have devised so admirable a provision for reconciling the mercy with the justice of God in the pardon of sinners? Does not human wisdom rather revolt from a plan of salvation which requires so much self-abasement, such complete renunciation of that pride and independence of spirit which we all naturally indulge? Yet, what system of doctrines can be more suited to promote the highest attainments in virtue; what more suited to promote purity, justice, truth, generosity, and the tenderest charity? What better calculated to fill the soul with the sublimest devotion, the most entire self-consecration to God, the most kind and beneficent dispositions towards man?

Were it possible that Christianity could be an imposture, it would be the most astonishing and beneficial imposture that ever was devised. But could such sublime and holy sentiments proceed from any mind capable of falsehood? Impossible. Every principle, every precept of Christianity, carries with it evidence that it originated with that "King of saints," all whose ways are "just and true."