pilate's inquiry about truth. John xviii. 38. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth ?
THE rich and powerful are for the most part under great disadvantages for the attainment of religious knowledge. Their appointed teachers too often " prophesy smooth things to them ;" and those who would deal faithfully with their consciences, are kept at a distance from them. Their dispositions and habits also are generally unfavourable for the recep- tion of truth : and hence it is, that if they have an opportunity of gaining instruction, they rarely avail themselves of it, so as to derive any essential benefit to their souls a. Herod heard John the Baptist; but " knew not how to use the price put into his hand." Festus, and Agrippa, and Felix were variously affected with the preaching of Paul ; but no one of them was savingly converted unto God. Pilate, as governor of Judaea, had Christ himself brought before him, for the express purpose of inquiring into his pretensions to the kingdom of Israel : and when our Lord had informed him what kind of a kingdom it was that he claimed, and that he came into the world to bear witness to the truth, Pilate asked him, " What is truth?" Happy man, who made such an inquiry; and who had One before him so capable of giving him instruction respecting it ! Surely this man could not fail of being saved. But, alas ! he waited not for an answer. We do not apprehend that he put the question contemptuously, as though he had said, " Why do you talk to me about truth?" The notice which the Evangelist takes of his question, gives us reason to think that it was intended seriously; though the event shewed, that he was not sufficiently anxious to obtain the information which he had professed to desire. However, the question was important ; and, had his mind been duly impressed with its impor- tance, we should have had to number him among the
a 1 Cor. i. 26.
1720.1 pilate's inquiry about truth. 163
followers, rather than the enemies, of that despised Nazarene.
For our present improvement, we shall endeavour to state, I. The importance of the inquiry —
Truth is of various kinds, physical, moral, and religious. By physical truth, we mean that which comprehends all the phenomena of nature : and by moral truth, that which relates to the whole system of morals, independent of religion. That an inquiry into these is important, appears from its having been the employment of all wise men from the beginning of the world ; and from the value that has been set even on the smallest measures of truth which have, by means of the most patient and laborious investi- gations, been at any time brought to light. But religious truth, and that especially of which our Lord came to testify, is, beyond all comparison, more im- portant than any other. What that truth is, we will state in few words. The point upon which our blessed Lord was examined before the Jewish council, was, "Art thou the Christ?" and that before Pilate, was, " Art thou the King of the Jews ?" To both of these he answered in the affirmative, " I am." Now these two points comprise all that truth, respecting which our blessed Lord came to testify : first, He is the anointed Saviour of the world; and, secondly, He is the King and Governor of all whom he saves. This is truth : this is the sum and substance of the Gospel b : there is nothing connected with the justification, the sanctification, or the com- plete and everlasting salvation of mankind, which is not comprehended in this. Consequently, an inquiry into this must be of the very first importance.
It is important,
1. For the forming of our principles — [Man without a principle is like a ship without a rudder, driven by every wave of temptation, and every gust of passion.