e. If he only believes, as too many do without
knowing it, in a dead Christ, a Christ who bore his sins on the
cross eighteen hundred years ago, but since then has had nothing to
do with him to speak of, as far as he knows--then he will lie. And
that is the God and the Christ which most people believe in: and
therefore when the time of trial comes, they fall away, and do and
say things of which they ought to be ashamed, because their trust is
not in God, but in man.

But if that man believes in the living God, and believes that he
lives, and moves, and has his being in God, he cannot lie. As it is
written, 'he that is born of God, sinneth not, for his seed
remaineth in him, and that wicked one toucheth him not.' He will
say, Whatever happens, I must obey God, and not man. The Lord is on
my side, therefore I will not fear what man can do to me.

And what is the seed which remains in that man, and keeps him from
playing the coward? Christ himself, the seed and Son of God. If he
believes in the living Christ; if he believes that Christ is really
his master, his teacher, who is watching over him, training him,
from his cradle to his grave;--if he believes that Christ is
dwelling in him, that whatever wish to do right he has comes from
Christ, whatever sense of honour and honesty he has comes from
Christ; then it will seem to him a dreadful thing to lie, to play
the hypocrite, or the coward; to sin against his own better
feelings. It will be sinning against Christ himself.

Remember the great Martin Luther, when he stood on one side, a poor
monk standing up for the Bible and the Gospel, and against him were
arrayed the Pope and the Emperor, cardinals, bishops, and almost all
the princes in Europe; and his friends wanted him to hold his
tongue, or to say Yes and No at once; in short, to smooth over the
matter in some way.--What conceit, said many, of one poor monk
standing up against all the world; and what folly, too! He would
certainly be burnt alive. But Luther could not hold his tongue. He
was afraid enough, no doubt. He disliked being burnt as much as
other men. But he felt he must speak God's truth then or never. He
must bear witness for Christ's free gospel, against Pope, Emperor,
all the devils in hell, if need be, or else hereafter for ever hold
his peace. He must play the honest man that day, or be a hypocrite
and a rogue for ever. His friends said to him, 'If you go to the
Council, Duke George