of the holy water; the Protestant by going to church, frequenting the meeting, by the performance of all his moral and social virtues, by eating the bread and wine at the Communion Table: all these can never approach God. They have taken the road which leads from him instead of to him; for Christ is the way, "by him we all have access by one Spirit unto the Father';" he is the door, by him if we enter in we shall be saved *. The way of salvation is now open to us; the way into the holiest of holies is now made manifest'; so that "we have 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"." So that if like Thomas we are anxious to know the way, our Lord declares himself to be such. He is the daysman between us and God; he is our advocate and mediator, "who ever liveth to make intercession for us" " The veil, which separated the holiest of holies, was at the crucifixion rent in twain from the top to the bottom; so that by this new and living way through the veil, that is, his flesh," which was rent 66 and broken for us, we, like the high priest of old, have boldness to enter into the holiest of holies by the blood of Jesus. We approach with humility, and yet boldness; not with the blood of bulls and goats, but with the precious blood of Christ; not through the veil rent, but through his flesh broken on the cross; not into the holiest of holies, but into the heaven of heavens, into the immediate presence of Almighty God. The high priest of old but once a year entered into the holiest of holies with the blood of bulls and 1 goats, and suffered none else to enter therein; but our great High Priest Jesus, was not only the sacrificer but the sacrifice also. He not only entered for himself, "but the forerunner for us also, entered "," and rent in twain the veil which prevented our access; he made the way open to us; he removed every obstacle and cleared away every difficulty which obstructed the path, and hath made it plain and easy. He is both the victim offered, and the Priest offering the victim; and “this he did by the sacrifice of himself'." His flesh broken on the cross is the veil rent for us to draw nigh. He is the High Priest sprinkling the mercy seat, and the comers thereto; so that we can draw nigh without doubting, with a full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled by his blood from P Levit. xvi. 11-18. r Heb. ix. 26. 4 Heb. vi. 20. Levit. xvi. 15. Heb. ix. 19. an evil conscience, and ourselves washed in the water of regeneration, as the bodies of the priests were washed in pure water'. The high priest but once a year entered into the holy of holies; but once a year made intercession and sprinkled the mercy-seat "; but our High Priest has for ever entered, ever liveth to make intercession for us', is ever sprinkling the mercyseat with the blood shed on calvary, ever keeps open the way of access to the Father" through the veil, that is to say, his flesh." Sinners then, we may be assured, can draw nigh with the certainty of being accepted by God. They will meet with no difficulty as they will no refusal; for a high-way has been opened for them through Christ Jesus; and if they make him the way they will assuredly come to the Father, who refuses none who come to him in this appointed way, but who treats as thieves and robbers all who attempt any other ". As there is but one door into the sheepfold, so is there but one way to heaven, and that is Christ. If then we would be saved, we must walk in him as the way; if we have travelled on any other road, we must, like the wise traveller when warned of * Heb. x. 22. z John x. 1. " Levit. xvi. 11-18. Heb. vii. 25. a John x. 1-9. his mistake, turn back, and seek the right path. We must set out on our journey entirely anew, and lament that we have gone so far in error, and tremble that we have not become benighted. Let us bless God that the sun has not set before we were too far gone to return, and that we have not suddenly been surprised in midnight darkness, when none can recover and retrace his steps. We will now consider Christ as the truth. Christ is truth in the abstract; no lie, no falsehood, no error, no deception can proceed from the fountain of truth. "No fountain," it is written, "can send forth sweet and bitter waters "." Now b it is impossible for God to lie; and as it is equally impossible for a lie to proceed from the truth, it follows that it cannot proceed from Christ who is the truth; it is then impossible for Christ to lie. Christ then is God. He is "the truth," which can be claimed by no being but God. All truth must be derived from him; he is the centre, the focus of truth in the abstract, whence all truth, all light must emanate. He was "the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth".' "Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ "." He was the faithful and true witness, (as it is recorded of him) and as such came to bear witness of the truth'. d "We know that thou art true," was confessed to him by his enemies; and in whatever character we view him, he is essentially the truth,-he can claim it as his prerogative. "He was indeed the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world";" and he declares of himself " my record is true, my judgment is truth'." All lies, falsehood, and deception are to be traced to the creature,-to that great deceiver the devil or Satan. Our Lord tells us this in the 8th chapter and 44th verse of this Gospel, where speaking of the devil he says, "he was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him, when he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar and the father of it." As then it is true that truth must emanate from God, from Christ who is declared to be essentially the truth, and therefore God, (for I before proved that no being but God could claim it, and that it is his prerogative alone,) so it is equally true that the converse of truth which is falsehood must proceed from the creature, from Satan. For since falsehood cannot proceed from the truth, it follows that it cannot proceed from God or Christ, who is the truth, and for whom I have shewn it is impossible to lie, and who must therefore be God. It must then proceed from the creature, from Matt. xxii. 16. h John i. 9. John viii. 14-16. |