2.  He only can secure the soul from destructive ruinous courses, which will undo the soul.  All other ways will fail here; none of them can give the least security to the soul, that they shall not bring him, in end, to destruction and everlasting perdition.

3.  He only can bring the soul safe through all opposition and difficulties in the way.  No other way can do this; but will leave us in the mire, ere ever we come to the end of our journey.

4.  He will not deceive nor disappoint the soul.  All other ways in end will prove treacherous, and give the traveller a doleful and sad disappointment.

O what a warning should this be to us all, to take heed that we embrace not a lie, instead of him who is the truth; and sit not down with a shadow instead of the substance.  How ready are we to put other things in his place?  But whatever it be that gets his room in the soul, though good and worthy in itself, will prove a lie.  Even, (1.) All our outward holiness and duties.  Yea, (2.) All our experiences and great attainments.  Yea, (3.) All our gifts and endowments.  Aye, (4.) Our very graces.  None of these are Christ’s; and if we place that hope and confidence in them, which we should place on him, they will not prove the truth to us,—­he alone is the truth.

How sure then should we labour to be, that we do not die with a lie in our right hand.  And how carefully should we guard against the trusting in, or leaning to any thing that is not Christ, and whole Christ, and only Christ, and Christ as offered in the gospel; seeing this way is only the truth, and no other way will be found so in end, though at present we may find in it,

(1.) Some inward peace and quietness of heart, as if all were right.

(2.) Some satisfaction of mind, things being right, as we apprehend, but falsely, through the deceitfulness of the heart.

(3.) Something like assurance and confidence, that all will be right with us.

(4.) And hope founded thereupon, which may help to ride through some storms, and yet fail us at length.

III.  The third general is this, Christ Jesus is not only the truth in himself, but also in reference to us.  The scope of the place cleareth this, as he is the way and the life for our use, so he is the truth.  Not only as God equal with the Father, but also as Mediator, and our Immanuel.

As God, he is, 1.  Essentially truth, being God equal with the Father in power and glory.

2.  In respect of veracity, he is the God of truth, Deut. xxxii. 4; faithful in all his sayings, Ps. xxxi. 5; keeping truth for ever, Ps. cxlvi. 6.

3.  He is the fountain and spring-head of all created truth, for he is the first truth.

As Mediator, and in reference to us, “he is full of grace and truth,” John i. 14; “he received not the Spirit in measure,” John iii. 34; and this Spirit is a Spirit of truth.  But of this more, when we come to shew more particularly, how and in what respects he is called the truth, as Mediator.