nay more; there are few of these professed believers of the Gospel, who, knowing that he is "a teacher come from God," and admitting that "never man spake like this man," would hesitate to address Jesus in the language of David, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life." Constrained to acknowledge the sublimity of Christ's moral code, they have marked in himself the perfect personification of even his most exalted doctrines; they have seen him 66 holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners;" they have watched him as he went about doing good; they have listened to that touching prayer, which he breathed for his murderers in spite of all the agonies of his cross, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do;" and believing that, in the admirable purity and self-denying activity of his life, and in the patient obedience and unshaken constancy of his death, he was "leaving us an example that we should follow his steps," they can cordially make to him the two-fold confession, 66 Master, we know that thou art true, and that thou teachest the way of God in truth." Moreover, they "remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, being raised from the dead, "h hath "brought life and immortality to light a John iii. 2. b John vii. 46. c Ps. xvi. 11. d Heb. vii. 26. e Luke xxiii. 34. f 1 Peter ii 21, g Matt. xxii. 16, h 2 Tim. ii, 8, through the Gospel," and, therefore, they can borrow with all sincerity the declaration of Simon Peter to his Lord, "Thou hast the words of eternal life." But, whilst we admit with them, that Jesus is "the way," as the bright ensample, who exhibits to us in his whole walk and conversation, the will of God concerning us; that Jesus is "the truth," as "the faithful and true witness," who testified the verity of his doctrines even with his blood; and that Jesus is "the life," as the "first begotten of the dead," who, by "the power of his resurrection," can animate his disciples with the sublime assurance, "because I live, ye shall live also""-yet do we maintain that "no man cometh unto the Father but by" him, on grounds far higher, infinitely more wonderful, unspeakably more glorious, than any of those at which I have just glanced. "JESUS SAITH UNTO HIM, I AM THE WAY." Now, though doubtless this word does imply the course to be followed in pursuing a given point, yet certainly, in its primary signification, it denotes the PRECISE MEANS, by which that point is to be gained and THE WAY, on which we travel, as the actual communication between two places, otherwise separated by an impervious forest of unlimited extent, surely is not to be i 2 Tim. i. 10. j John vi. 68. m Phil. iii. 10. k Rev. iii. 14. 1 Rev. i. 5. C confounded with the DIRECTION indicated for our guidance by the index of the road. As, therefore, our Lord says, "I AM the way," and not merely, I point the way, we conclude that he is here speaking of himself, not only figuratively, as respects his doctrines and example, but also literally, as regards his person and offices. The context appears naturally to lead to this conclusion; and in accordance with it, and with none other, can we understand or explain that emphatic declaration of the good Shepherd, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the DOOR of the sheep," and that striking language of the Apostle to the Hebrews and to the Ephesian church, "Having, therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and having an high priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith," "for THROUGH HIM we, both" Jews and Gentiles, "have access, by one Spirit unto the Father." But, again, "JESUS SAITH UNTO HIM, I AM THE TRUTH:" now, unquestionably, this declaration is to be regarded as comprehending, both a reference to the character which he bore as the true Messiah of God, the substance of all the shadows of the Jewish Dispensation, even him, o John x. 7 p Heb. x. 19-22. q Eph. ii. 18. "to whom give all the prophets witness," and a reference likewise to the doctrine, which, as the true "Word of God," he promulged, even that "through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." But this clause of the text must also be viewed as the solemn and distinct asseveration of our Lord, that in Him PERSONALLY, was embodied the truth of God, which was to be, and which has been, so wonderfully secured and so gloriously vindicated, "through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." It is written, that the voice of Jehovah in old time, pealing from the cloud on Sinai, "proclaimed the name of the Lord" to Moses, thus, "The Lord, The Lord God,... ...that will by no means clear the guilty." Now, through the confession of David and of St. Paul that "there is none righteous, no, not one, "the whole world" has "become guilty before God;"" and, to the prophet's inquiry, "Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" To this anxious r Rev. xix. 13. s Acts x. 43. t Heb. x. 10. u Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. v Rom. iii, 10. w Rom. iii, 19. x Micah vi. 6, 7. and most interesting inquiry, the Lord himself has thus replied by the mouth of the Psalmist, "I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he-goats out of thy folds, for every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills;" and no man "can by ANY MEANS REDEEM his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him"z Thus saith the Lord, "The soul that sinneth it shall die," for "the wages of sin is death;" but -"the gift of God is eternal life"-"what shall we say then, is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid !" "with Him is no variableness neither shadow of turning:" "the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man that he should repent.' But, "the gift of God is eternal life THROUGH Jesus Christ our Lord;" because, "he hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in HIM," "who, his own self, bare our sins in his own body on the tree;" "for it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he saith, sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a BODY hast thou prepared ME: in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the y Ps. 1. 9, 10. z Ps. xlix. 7. a Ezek. xviii. 4. b Rom. vi. 23. d James i. 17. e 1 Sam. xv. 29. g1 Peter ii. 24. c Rom. ix. 14. * |