teaching is prophecy; and all teachers of Divine Truth are prophets.  And as the spirit and meaning of all the words God has ever declared to man in their most exalted sense bear witness of Jesus and set him forth as the very life and truth and way, this, therefore, is what is meant in what the angel said to John.  “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.”  This Word made flesh was none other than our Lord Jesus Christ.  To abide in his Word is to live in him as the way, the truth and the life.  In this state we are truly his disciples.  We will now turn our thoughts to the

SECOND PROMISE.—­“And ye shall know the truth.”  This promise will surely be realized by every one, without exception, who abides in the words of the Lord.  It is a promise very much like that other in these words:  “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.”  Books have been written in defense of the truth of Divine Revelation.  I have read several.  They are ably written, and with good intentions.  But I doubt if any unbeliever has ever been converted by any of them.  In the first place, unbelievers are not likely to read books on such subjects; and in the second place, without a heartfelt desire to know the truth, they would not be persuaded though one should arise from the dead.  To one who loves the truth, the truth bears witness of itself.  It is self-evidencing in its own light.  It bears its own testimony.

I not long since read what purported to be a true story of a man by the name of Casper Hauser, who had been intentionally brought up in a dark cave from his very infancy.  Up to mature manhood he had never seen a ray of light, except what proceeded from the dim lantern which his keeper used in supplying him with food and other things.  Had this man been told, while in the cave, of the wonderful light of the sun and the beauties of the outside world, he would not have been able to understand what was told him.  But if he would have been willing to take the hand of some true friend and be led out into the light, he would not have needed any argument to convince him that what he had heard was true.  Like the queen of Sheba, when she visited King Solomon, he might have said:  “It was a true report I heard, but now mine eyes have seen it, and the half had not been told me.”

Let me say to you, friends, that right here in this Divine Word is one greater than Solomon, whose eyes are as a flame of fire to illuminate the sinner’s dark understanding, and whose countenance is as the sun shining in his strength to warm and cheer the sinner’s cold and cheerless heart.  That one is Jesus.  As the Divine Word, he revealed his glory on the mount, and Peter in the joyfulness of his heart said:  “Lord, it is good to be here.”  How often does the true disciple, when the Word is revealed to his heart, in the warmth of its love and light of its truth, feel like exclaiming