SERMON XIII.

ALL QUESTIONS ANSWERED.

(Fifth Sunday after Easter.)

JOHN xvi. 23 (part of).

"And in that day ye shall ask me nothing."

MANY were the questions which the disciples had put to their Lord in the pride and ignorance of their as yet imperfectly spiritualized hearts. They had asked Him, which is greatest in the kingdom of heaven 1? They had asked Him, if they should bid fire come down from heaven, and consume their adversaries 2? They had asked Him, if at this time He would restore the kingdom to Israel3? and but a few moments ago they were desirous to ask Him the meaning of that which He had spoken. But our Lord says, that in that day, when He shall have seen them again after his death and resurrec

1 Matt. xviii. 1.

2 Luke ix. 54. 3 Acts i. 6.

tion, and shall have given them his Holy Spirit the Comforter, they shall ask Him no more such questions, for that He, whom He should send, the Spirit of truth, should guide them into all truth, and they should know things to come. And they should not only ask nothing in the way of information, but they should want nothing, for whatsoever they should ask the Father in his name, He would give it them.

And this assurance, and this promise, has come down to every disciple of Christ. What question is there that we need to put to our Lord? what further promise do we need to embolden us to prayer? The grand question of all, the one question that contains and sums up every other that man can think to ask, is, "What shall I do to be saved?" And that question has long ago been distinctly answered, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."

But, for the sake of illustration, let us put this question under some of its many particulars. Shall a man ask of Christ, "Are my sins forgiven unto me? answer me, by showing me some token of it." He has been answered already. Instead of asking Christ, he has to ask his own heart and conscience before Christ, and see whether they return the answer of Christ, who has promised forgiveness unto all that truly turn unto Him. Have they been truly turned unto Him? Is the heart pure and

undefiled? is the conscience clear and undisturbed? Is the heart obedient? is the conscience watchful? Is the heart in communion with the Holy Spirit? is the conscience directed by Christ's word? Are thus sins forsaken? Then there is at once, and on the spot, a plain answer, that sins are forgiven.

Again, shall a man ask of Christ, "Wilt thou be my helper and defender?" He has been answered aiready. Does he make Christ his help and defence, his rock and his fortress? Does he put himself into his hands, in all the confidence of a living faith, content to abide the issue, whatever it may be, even as to the things seen and temporal? Does he meditate on his word, receiving it as food from his shepherd? Does he look to Him for direction, and follow it, making Him, indeed, the bishop of his soul? Does he use the means which He has furnished through his Holy Spirit, for the flock of which He is shepherd, making them the pasture of his Spirit? If his heart and conscience say yes to all this, then he has received a clear answer, and needs no other.

Does a man ask of Christ, "Shall I inherit eternal life?" He has been answered already. Is he really and earnestly seeking eternal life, striving with all his strength to enter in? Is he lifting up his heart to heavenly things, and his foot above the stumbling-block of earthly things? Is he reaching on to the things which are

before, and forgetting the things which are behind? Are his affections set on the things which are above? Is his conversation in heaven? Has he entered there in spirit through the way which Christ hath opened, through the access which Christ hath procured? Is his treasure there? Are his hopes laid up there? Is it the appointed end of the way in which he is going? Is he walking with God? Is he following Christ who hath gone up into heaven? If his heart and conscience tell him this, has he not had an answer sufficient and convincing? Will he tempt Christ by asking twice over?

And in that last hour, when men are so desirous of knowing whither they are going, and so often call upon Christ to assure them, amid their distressing doubts and painful fears, shall a man ask of Christ, whither am I going? He has been answered already most distinctly, most decidedly. Let him ask his own heart and conscience upon which road he has been travelling; where has the Lord found him, when the fear of approaching death surprised him? Was he on the narrow road of holiness, or on the broad road of sin? Was his way upward, as of one that was following Christ through a resurrection from the death of sin? or was it downward, by continuance in the death of sin? Was it the way which Christ went, and pointed out to his disciples? or was it the way of a sinful world? Would his next

step have been in the footsteps of Christ, or in the track of his own wilfulness; in the paths of obedience, or in the wanderings of disobedience? If he will ask these questions of his heart and conscience, they will tell him at once, without mistake or delusion, and may warn him to such repentance as may yet be possible. But if he decline this search, and expect an answer from any other quarter, then assuredly, instead of having it from Christ, who is the truth, he will have it from the father of lies.

These few plain examples are sufficient to show how at this day we have no question to ask of Christ. He has already given a distinct answer to every possible question that can be asked, if we will but have faith to ask where He has bidden us ask, namely, in the book of his own blessed word, and in the secret chamber of a heart instructed in that word, believing in that word, obeying that word, and daily growing in grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, by faithful use of the means of grace, and diligent application of the instruments of heavenly knowledge.

See therefore the blessedness of the Christian, he has no doubts; the words of his Master are yea and amen, and he has heard them distinctly. That is surely but an indifferent servant who requires his orders to be repeated from his Master's mouth again and again: he has no