The scene commences with a large accession of disciples to Christ. We read, that as he spoke these words many believed on him, and the scene ends with many of those very believers taking up stones to cast at him. First they believed on him, shortly after they seek to take his life; and after this is over, we read how his own disciples came to him again, and said to him, “Master, tell us.” Now, brethren, we Christians believe that in this scene was a prophecy of the whole history of Christ’s life upon earth in his Church; the story of those who come and those who go, of those who believe in him at first, and of those who cease to believe in him, and also the inner history of those that never forsake him. We believe that when the noisy strife of things has passed away, and the execrations of those that hated him have ceased to ring upon the ear, there still will be heard the voice of the Church, saying “Master, tell us,” that which others will not, or cannot listen to; “Master, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.” But it is not on those who thus stay with Christ that I ask you to fix your attention. I ask you to-night to contemplate with me, not those who remain with him, but those who leave him. I ask you to understand a little of that mental history that is here shown us, telling us how they passed from belief to doubt, and from doubt to rejection of Christ. It will be profitable to us, I think, both to those who believe and to those who unhappily disbelieve in Christ, that we should study a little this early instance of Freethought and disbelief. It will be good for those who do not believe in Christ to look at this scene, because it will show this fact, that there were those who disbelieved in Christ. It will show this fact, that this is not a religion whose origin is lost in the dim distance of time; it is not a legendary faith of which no one can say when it began or who first taught it, as it arose in historical times; a faith continuing from the very first, not without question or dispute, but in spite of the question and notwithstanding the dispute. It will show that Freethought is as old as Christianity itself, and when we read how long it is since men had the same doubts and difficulties, it will occur to us that after all there must be a wonderful power in this faith that struggles into acceptance in spite of those doubts and difficulties, and that there must be some marvellous vitality in the faith that has survived 1800 years, something that is worth inquiring into. This bush that is burning and never burned, is worth turning aside to look at. It will be good for us to look at those early unbelievers, because it strengthens our faith to be reminded that unbelief is no new thing,