Such questions as these, "Is there any thing
unreasonable in this? Would not this be a welcome tenet, if true?" well
became the lips of Socrates in his defence before his judges, but are in
the strict sense of the word preposterous in a Christian. With the
Christian the first question is, What is the truth? What is revealed?
What has God promised? What has He taught man to hope for? What has He
commanded man to do? By his own words, by the words and by the example
of his inspired messengers, by the doctrine and practice of his Church,
the witness and interpreter of the truth, how has He directed us to sue
for his mercy and all its blessings? On what foundation, sure and
certain, can we build our hopes that "He will favourably with mercy hear
our prayers?" For in this matter, a matter of spiritual life and death,
we can anchor our hope on no other rock than his sure word of promise.
That sure word of promise, if I am a faithful believer, I have; but it
is exclusive of any invocation by me of saint, or angel, or virgin. The
pledge of heaven is most solemnly and repeatedly given; God, who cannot
lie, has, in language so plain, that he may run who readeth it, assured
me that if I come to HIMSELF by HIS SON, my prayer shall not be cast
out, my suit shall {397} not be denied, I shall not be sent empty away.
In every variety of form which language can assume, this assurance is
ratified and confirmed.
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