ath redeemed them by his blood, out of every
kindred and tongue, and people and nation, saying, blessing, honour,
glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the
Lamb for ever and ever," Rev. v. 9, 13.

4. Hence we may see the cause of the leanness of believers, of their
wanderings, of their shortcomings, of their many defilements, &c. viz.
their not constant making use of Christ as the way in all things,
according to the tenor of the gospel. Oh I if this were laid to heart
and mourned for, and if grace were sought to help it!

This one point of truth, that Christ is the way, well understood and
rightly put into practice, would do all our business, both as to
justification and sanctification, and were poor sinners once entered
into this way, and had they grace from this way to walk in it, it would
prove their life and salvation: For it is the marrow and substance of
the whole gospel. So that there needeth little more to be said: Yet we
shall speak a little to the other particulars in the text.

CHAPTER X.

"THE TRUTH." SOME GENERALS PROPOSED.

That what we are to speak to for the clearing and improving this noble
piece of truth, that Christ is the Truth, may be the more clearly
understood and edifying, we shall first take notice of some generals,
and then show particularly how or in what respects Christ is called the
Truth; and finally speak to some cases wherein we are to make use of
Christ as the Truth.

As to the first. There are four general things here to be noticed.

1. This supposeth what our case by nature is, and what we are all
without Christ, who is the Truth: as,

_First._ It supposeth that without Christ we are in darkness, mistakes,
errors: yea, we are said to be darkness itself. Eph. v. 8, "Ye were
sometimes darkness," &c. John i. 5, and of darkness; 1 Thess. v. 5, yea,
under the "power of darkness;" Col. i. 13. John xii. 35. 1 John ii. 11,
"walking in darkness;" 1 John i. 6, and "abiding in darkness." 1 Pet.
ii. 9. 1 Thess. v. 4. John xii. 46, "We wander and go astray as soon as
we are born, speaking lies," Psal. lviii. 3. Yea, we "go astray in the
greatness of our folly," Prov. v. 22. We are "all gone astray," Isa.
liii. 6. Psal. cxix. 67-176; so far are we from any knowledge of, or
acquaintance with truth, or with the way of truth.

_Secondly._ It supposeth that we cannot turn into the right way. A
spirit of error and untruth leadeth us continually wrong; like