21 Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.
22 Then said tho Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come.
23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.
24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
25 Then said they unto him, Who art thou ? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.
26 I have many things to say a:ad to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.
27 They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.
28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
29 And he that sent me is with me: tho Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.
30 As he spake theso words, many believed on him.
This passage contains deep things, so deep that we have no line to fathom them. As we read it we should call to mind the Psalmist's words, — " Thy thoughts are very deep." (Psalm xeii. 5.) But it also contains, in the opening verses, some things which are clear, plain, and unmistakable. To these let us give our attention and root them firmly in our hearts.
We learn, for one thing, that it is possible to seek Christ in vain. Our Lord says to the unbelieving Jews, " Ye shall seek Me, and shall die in your sins." He meant, by these words, that the Jews would one day seek Him in vain.
The lesson before us is a very painful one. That such a Saviour as the Lord Jesus, so full of love, so willing to save, should ever be sought " in vain," is a sor- rowful thought. Yet so it is ! A man may have many religious feelings about Christ, without any saving religion Sickness, sudden affliction, the fear of death, the failure of usual sources of comfort — all these causes may draw out of a man a good deal of " religiousness." Under the immediate pressure of these he may say his prayers fer