Christ ; nor any means of being interested in his atonement but by faith.
That we may see this truth in its just light, we will go back to the preceding chapter. Our Lord had told his unbelieving hearers, that he should soon be with- drawn from them ; and that, in consequence of their rejecting the light, " they would never be able to come where he wasa." They, not able to compre- hend his meaning, supposed that he intended " to go among the Gentiles:" whither they, on account of their religion, could not follow himb. The next day he renewed to them the same solemn warning ; say- ing, " I go my way; and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins. Whither I go, ye cannot come0." On this, instead of humbly inquiring into his mean- ing, they scoffingly and impiously asked, " Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye can- not comed." ' No,' says our Lord, ' your sins will be a very sufficient barrier to keep you from me. You are altogether, in every disposition of your hearts, directly contrary to me : and in this state you will be left till death: and so dying, it will be impossible you should ever come where I am going, that is, into the beatific presence of my Father : " Ye are from be- neath ; I am from above : ve are of this world ; I am not of this world. 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 sins6."'
Now, this solemn warning is as applicable to us as to those to whom it was more immediately delivered : and, that we may not slight it as they did, I will pro- ceed to shew,
1. What is comprehended in the faith here spoken of — At first sight, it appears as if nothing more were required than to acknowledge Jesus as the promised Messiah ; and that, consequently, all who bear his name may be considered as possessed of the faith here spoken of. But if we go back to the time of our
a John vii. 33, 34. b John vii. 35, 36. c ver. 21.
11 John viii. 22. e ver. 23, 24.