or make himself distinct from the Divine essence; (which is guarded against with sufficient caution by other words,) but, more especially, that he might join himself with the Father, and make the Father to be one in union with himself; against all those who form out to themselves another God, or seek God some where else than in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let it suffice to have spoken thus concerning the manner in which the Evangelist has firmly established this article, the divinity of Christ. Now let us more at large speak of that knowledge in which eternal life consists what it is, and how it avails; that we may learn to-understand this text rightly and thoroughly, as being the sum and substance of the New Testament.

Our old teachers have referred these and the like sayings to the life to come, as though they did not all concern us as to this life. We, however, will dwell upon these and the like sayings here below, and will endeavour to make them profitable unto us: seeing that, they are written for the doctrine of faith, and pertain most especially above all other unto this life. For that which we are to inherit and to possess in the life to come, must be known and apprehended here by faith. Now this knowledge is knowing how we are to think of the Father and of Christ concerning which Peter speaks, 2 Epis. iii. where he says, "Grow in grace, and the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." That is, give all diligence, that this may be your only concern, your only care and thoughts,-to learn and know rightly this Man Christ and let no one of you seek after any thing as better than this. For this only is our wisdom and our knowledge; which is called the Christian knowledge and doctrine; and whatever is taught or learnt besides this, is not to be considered the Christian doctrine.

And now, if any one should ask, What ought Christians to know and teach?' no other answer is to be given than this- that Christ is to be known as sent by the Father:' and let not him, who neither knows, nor has learnt, nor taught this by any means, glory in being a Christian. For although a person should know

all things under the sun-how God made the heavens and the earth, and how he wrought all his signs and wonders; moreover, although he should know and keep the Ten Commandments; and, in a word, although he should be endued with the knowledge and power of all the angels; yet all this together would not make him a Christian! Wherefore, all things that can be preached or known, commanded or performed, concerning all the good teaching and lives of men, must be kept exclusively separate, and no other knowledge whatever must be left to remain and to avail unto the constituting of a Christian, than that only which is here spoken of— "that they might know thee, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." Concerning this knowledge and the effective power of it, the holy prophets have also spoken gloriously and clearly; as Isaiah liii. " By the knowledge of him, shall my righteous servant justify many." That is, he shall deliver them from their sins, and rescue them from the jaws of the devil, by this only-the understanding and knowing who and what he is! To the same effect are the words of Jeremiah also, chap. ix. “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth." And it is the same thing that this text also is intended to set forth- If thou wilt have eternal life, there is no other way whatever for thee to attain unto it, than in knowing the one true God the Father, through Jesus Christ his Son whom he has sent. And if any man shall set before thee any thing else whatever out of Christ he will deceive thee.

Therefore, the old teachers before-mentioned have done injury and violence to this most beautiful text; yea rather, have taken from it all its virtue and marrow; by separating it from the doctrine of faith, and taking it only as a prophesy concerning the life to come. cause of which error was, their not understanding what that is which is called the knowledge of Christ: for they

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never went any deeper, nor taught any farther than that we must live so and so, and must become good people, so that we might by our works obtain eternal life. And hereby they drew us into a vain confidence in our own works, by which we utterly lost Christ and wandered wholly out of the way of eternal life. For thou must most carefully separate all things else that can be mentioned from this knowledge. Whatever is not called the knowledge of Christ, cannot lead unto eternal life, nor deliver from sin and death. For as this is true-that he alone gives eternal life through the knowledge of himsef; so, on the contrary, this must be true also-that whatever is not this knowledge, must remain under death and damnation.

AND NOW, what is this which is called knowing the Father and Christ? Or how is such a knowledge obtained? The whole stands in these words-" whom thou hast sent." He that understands and undoubtingly believes this, hath, most certainly, eternal life. But what is to be understood by "whom thou hast sent?” Consider thou and fully weigh the reason why Christ came, and what he did here in the world.-.He came down from heaven, and was made man, that he might finish the work which the Father gave him to do, (as you will find he himself hereafter saith ;) that is, that he might take the sins of the whole world upon himself, and might die to blot them out, and to appease the wrath of the Father; and that he might in his own per-. son overcome death and the devil, and redeem us unto himself.

For, as he was "sent" of God, it could not be a light or trifling undertaking, but must be so great and so necessary, that no one of the saints or of the angels could do it, nor any one but the Son of God. That which was to be accomplished by such a person only, must, without doubt, be of some eternal moment between us men and God. Therefore, the whole treasure lies couched in these words" whom thou hast sent." For these words reveal and open up to us the mind, the

heart, and the will of God; and comprehend every thing that Christ accomplished by preaching and by suffering, or that he brought unto us and bestowed upon us. And this also proves and confirms that these words were not spoken concerning the life to come. For to know that Christ was sent by the Father, is nothing less than knowing and believing, how Christ came into the world; and that he died for our sins, that he rose again, and obtained for us, and gave unto us the forgiveness of sins; all which things pertain unto this life.

These things therefore are most diligently to be exercised, and deeply pondered and laid up in our hearts and minds, in order to draw out and establish our faith, and not, as they have been hitherto, to be removed from our eyes. For in these things, most truly, our salvation stands, and our surest consolation in all our afflictionsour knowing, that there is no other counsel nor help either in heaven or in earth against sins and temptations, than this knowledge and this faith. For do thou only for a moment consider a little attentively, what there is that such a faith cannot effect and attain unto. For if I know that Christ was sent down from heaven of the Father for my sake, and given unto me, I conclude with a cheerful and gladdened mind, that the Father in heaven is merciful and favourably inclined towards me, and knows no farther any wrath or indignation. Because, in sending his own Son, he has abundantly manifested his mind and will, (as I have before observed,) so as to leave nothing for us to behold but an immeasurable and inexhaustible ocean of love and mercy. And then, if I have the heart of the Father, I have him altogether, with all his divine power and grace, What then shall I fear or dread? And even if sin, death, and the devil assail me, and ply all their power to take my confidence from me, and to drive me to despair, still I know that the merciful and Almighty Father is mine through Christ, each of whom stands for my help and supports me. Staying myself in these, I can with great boldness and liberty resist the devil, and hold him up to ridicule

and laughter.-Behold, therefore, what an omnipotent and efficacious thing faith is against all power that opposes us.

But however, only make an attempt in this matter, and thou wilt soon find by experience, how arduous and difficult a thing this knowledge of Christ is. For here, every one will feel how little faith he has, how weak he is in this life, and how ignorant of this doctrine all those teachers of works are who thus lightly esteem faith, and also all those satiated spirits, who in so short a time thoroughly learn all things, and go on to seek still higher and higher things to search into. This is the school, as I have deeply experienced to my own sorrow, where we have to sweat and toil; and wherein I still feel by experience, how vain all our human works and powers are to overcome sin, death, and other temptations. And therefore it is, that the devil, knowing this, rages against this doctrine with so much fury, raising up all his sects, his papists, and his heretics; who, although they hear and preach much about faith, yet know and experience nothing of it whatever, for they know and teach nothing else than good works, and man's own righteousness, which alone they understand and preach.

That it is indeed true I cannot deny, and have myself always taught, that God will have men to live well, to walk honestly in this life, and to be saints and blameless before the world. But this honest conversation cannot make a man a Christian before God: that is, it cannot bring him eternal life. This glory I give to no works nor external righteousness whatever of men: it must be set above all human works, and all life, how honestly and uprightly soever it may be passed. Let our works and life remain here beneath in this world, that they may be called human honesty, or civil righteousness, and that they may enjoy this life, (as the scripture saith, 'he that performed them let him live in them,') and let them end with it. But this, concerning which we speak, is a heavenly and divine righteousness, which procureth eternal life; for it was not founded on human strength and transitory works, but it has another and an eternal