Page:TheYoungMansGuide.djvu/47

 To teach  and  tell  this  single  truth, How happy  should  I  be  ! O had  I  but  an  angel's  voice, I would  proclaim  so  loud, — Jesus, the  good,  the  beautiful, Is everlasting  God!

— Oratory  Hymns

E KNOW  that  Jesus  Christ  lived upon this  earth,  not  because  we have  seen  Him  with  our  eyes  or  heard  Him  with our ears,  but  because  the  holy  Gospels  relate  the story of  His  life,  because  those  who  saw  and heard Him  tell  us  about  Him.

In the  first  place,  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance to  perceive  in  a  clear  and  convincing  manner that  everything  we  are  told  concerning  the life of  Our  Lord  is  the  truth,  and  nothing  but the truth. This life  of  Christ,  as  contained  in  the Gospel, forms  a  portion  of  Holy  Scripture,  and is inspired  by  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God;  it  rests, therefore, upon  divine  authority,  and  is  worthy of absolute  belief. But even  apart  from  its divine character,  this  history  is  as  worthy  of  belief as  the  most  trustworthy  of  the  earliest  records. And why  is  this? When do  you,  dear  reader, believe that  any  history  which  you  read  is  true? Only when  you  are  quite  convinced  as  to  its authorship, and  the  trustworthiness  of  the  author; in particular,  when  you  are  able  to  persuade  yourself that  the  writer  knew  the  truth,  and  desired to tell  it. Well, then,  the  four  evangelists,  who related the  life  of  Christ,  can  come  forward  and bear witness  to  its  truth.