Sermons

SERMON I.

JOHN XIV. 6.

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way and the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me.

THE time was now fully come, when the Messiah having fulfilled all righteousness by his perfect obedience of the law; by finishing the work which his Father had given him to do; by bruising the head of the serpent and destroying the works of the devil; by having in the likeness of sinful flesh overcome and withstood all the temptations and suggestions of the wicked one; when the mighty conqueror was to triumph over all principalities and powers, and lead captivity captive the race of fallen Adam from the powers of darkness into his own glorious kingdom.

The drama once exhibited in Paradise was again brought out on the stage of this world, in which thé principal character was sustained by a different personage, and the plot under his auspices underwent an entire revision; for it was reversed, and

became more intricate, wonderful, and truly tragical. In the former we find Paradise was lost, but in the latter we have Paradise regained. The principal character in the first was Adam; but in the second it was the Lord of glory. The denouement of this glorious tragedy becomes more and more interesting as it approaches the important crisis; nothing foreign or extraneous is introduced, but every thing strictly bears upon the point, throws light upon the subject, and most skilfully developes and unravels the plot. Our interest is continually excited and kept alive; it never droops; true it is we are at a loss to know how it will end at the last, but this is one of its principal excellences. Dark hints are occasionally thrown out, enough to raise, but not to satisfy enquiry; and at the approaching crisis plain declarations are given concerning the issue, lest the mind should be unprepared for the too tragical event.

In the parable of the Shepherd and the sheep our Lord declares that "the good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." The attention of those Jews, who came to him that they might receive miraculous bread, he draws to himself "the true bread that came down from heaven, that they might eat thereof and not die ;" and he declares that "unless they eat his flesh and drink his blood they have

John x. 11.

b Ibid. vi. 32. 50.

no life in them;" and which he again affirms “he would give for the life of the world &."

He signifies his death and object of it under the mystical washing of his disciples' feet, when he tells Peter, "unless I wash thee, thou hast no part or lot with me." And in the 33rd verse of the preceding chapter, he declares more plainly-" Little children, yet a little while I am with you, ye shall seek me and as I said unto the Jews-whither I go, ye cannot come, so now I say unto you"-and again still plainer, "In my Father's house are many mansions, I go to prepare a place for you:" and as if to solicit a question from his disciples on this point, he then adds, and "whither I go ye know, and the way ye know." Thomas then saith unto him, "Lord we know not whither thou goest, and how can we know the way?" our Lord then says, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me." But still the disciples did not sufficiently understand him; he then speaks more plainly in the 5th verse of the sixteenth chapter, "But now I go my way unto him that sent me;" and again he says, "it is expedient for you that I go away;" and just at the close of this speech he speaks with all possible plainness in the 28th verse," I came forth from the Father and am come into the world; again I leave the world and go to the Father."

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