Page:TheYoungMansGuide.djvu/52

 proofs, of  such  credentials. Let us  examine this matter  somewhat  more  closely.

3. He  who  asserts  that  He  is  the  Son  of God,  that  He  is  truly  God,  must  in  the  first place lead  a  life  absolutely  free  from  sin. When Christ  stood  before  His  mortal  foes  and asked, "Which  of  you  shall  convince  me  of sin?" they were  silent. Thus we  see  that Christ fulfilled  the  primary  condition,  that He should  be  without  sin. In order  to  furnish a  proof  of  His  divinity  it  was  necessary that He  should  do  works  which  only  God could accomplish. He must  be  Lord  of  the winds and  waves,  of  the  devil,  of  the  powers of nature,  of  the  living  and  the  dead. Did Christ perform  such  essentially  divine  works, which could  not  possibly  be  the  result,  either of natural  causes  or  of  the  agency  of  the devil?

4. Unbelievers  have  objected  that  in  order to judge  whether  we  have  before  us  a  work which is  a  miracle,  and  essentially  divine,  we need  to  be  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the powers of  nature,  and  also  of  the  devil. To this we  make  reply  that  it  is  only  necessary to know  what  the  forces  of  nature  are  not able to  accomplish. For example,  if  you, dear reader,  are  in  a  room,  it  is  plain  that you can  not  leave  that  room  if  every  opening to it  is  closed. Equally true  it  is,  that ordinary mud,  if  rubbed  upon  the  eye,  will not cure  blindness;  that  the  devil  influences no soul  for  good,  and  so  on. Therefore