last will "give up the kingdom to the Father, that God may be all, and in all; and the Son himself shall be subject to this end." (1 Cor. xv. 24. 28.) The end of Christ's sacrifice and intercession is to reconcile God and man. The end of his doctrine is to teach us to know God. The end of his government is to reduce us to the perfect obedience of our Maker. It is therefore the greatest duty of a Christian to know God as revealed by his Son; and it is such a duty about our ultimate end as is also our greatest mercy and felicity. Therefore doth the Lord Jesus here in the text describe that life eternal which he was to give to those whom the Father had given him, to consist in "knowing the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he had sent." My purpose is in this treatise to speak only of the first part of the text, 'The knowledge of God.' And first I shall very briefly explain the text.

THIS-That is, This which I am describing.

LIFE-Life is taken sometimes for the soul's abode in the body, which is the natural life of man: or the soul's continuation in its separated state, which is the natural life of the soul and sometimes for the perfections of natural life. And that either its natural perfection, that is, its health and vivacity; or its moral perfection or rectitude; and that is either in the cause, and so God is our life, Christ is our life, the Holy Spirit is our life; or in itself; and so holiness is our life in the principle, seed or habit. Sometimes life is taken for the work, employment and exercise of life; and so a holy conversation, is our moral, spiritual or holy life. And sometimes it is taken for the felicity of the living: and so it containeth all the former in their highest perfection, that is, both natural life, and moral spiritual life, and the holy exercise thereof, together with the full attainment and fruition of God in glory, the End of all.

ETERNAL-That is, simply eternal, objectively, as to God the principal object: and Eternal ' ex parte post,' subjectively; that is, Everlasting.

THIS IS LIFE ETERNAL-Not natural life in itself considered, as the devils and wicked men shall have it. But 1. It is the same moral spiritual life which shall have no end, but endure to eternity. It is a living to God in love; but only initial, and very imperfect here, in comparison of what it will be in heaven. 2. It is the eternal felicity, (1.) Se

minally; for grace is as it were the seed of glory. (2.) As it is the necessary way or means of attaining it; and that preparation which infallibly procureth it. The perfect holiness of the saints in heaven, will be one part of their perfect happiness and this holiness imperfect they have here in this life. It is the same God that we know and love, here and there; and with a knowledge and love that is of the same nature seminally: as the egg is of the nature of the bird. (Whether it may be properly said to be formally and specifically the same 'quoad actum,' as well as 'quoad objectum; yea, whether the objectum clare visum,' and the ' objectum in speculo vel ænigmate visum,' make not the act specifically differ, I shall not trouble you to dispute.) And this imperfect holiness hath the promise of perfect holiness and happiness in the full fruition of God hereafter. So it is the seed, and prognostic of life eternal.

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TO KNOW Non semper et ubique eodem modo vel gradu;' Not to know God here and hereafter in the same manner or degree. But to know him here as in a glass, and hereafter in his glory, as face to face. To know him by an affective, practical knowledge: there is no text of Scripture of which the rule is more clearly true and necessary than of this, that words of knowledge do imply affection. It is the closure of the whole soul with God, which is here called the knowing of God. And because it is not meet to name every particular act of the soul, whenever this duty is mentioned, it is all denominated from knowledge, as the first act, which inferreth all the rest. 1. Knowledge of God in the habit, is 4 spiritual life, as a principle. 2. Knowledge of God in the exercise, is spiritual life, as an employment. 3. The knowledge of God in perfection, with its effects, is life eternal, as it signifieth full felicity. What it containeth, I shall further shew anon.

THEE That is, the Father, called by some divines, 'Fons vel fundamentum Trinitatis: The fountain, or foundation of the Trinity: and oft used in the same sense as the word God, to signify the pure Deity.

THE ONLY-He that believeth that there is more gods than one, believeth not in any. For though he may give many the name, yet the description of the true God can agree to none of them. He is not God indeed, if he be not one only.

This doth not at all exclude Jesus Christ, as the second person in Trinity; but only distinguisheth the pure Deity, or the only true God, as such, from Jesus Christ, as Mediator between God and man.

TRUE-There are many that falsely and metaphorically are called gods. If we think of God but as one of these, it is not to know him, but deny him.

GOD-The word God doth not only signify the Divine perfections in himself but also his relation to the creatures. To be a God to us, is to be one to whom we must ascribe all that we are or have; and one whom we must love, and obey, and honour, with all the powers of soul and body: and one on whom we totally depend, and from whom we expect our judgment and reward, in whom alone we can be perfectly blessed.

AND JESUS CHRIST-That is, as Mediator, in his natures (God and man), and in his office and grace.

WHOM THOU HAST SENT-That is, whom thy love and wisdom designed and commissioned to this undertaking and performance.

The knowledge of the Holy Ghost seemeth here left out, as if it were no part of life eternal. But 1. At that time the Holy Ghost in that eminent sort, as sent by the Father and Son on the apostles, after the resurrection and ascension of Christ, was not yet so manifested as afterwards, and therefore not so necessarily to be distinctly known and believed in as after. The having of the Spirit being of more necessity than the distinct knowledge of him. Certain it is that the disciples were at first very dark in this article of faith: and Scripture more fully revealeth the necessity to salvation of believing in the Father and Son, than in the Holy Ghost distinctly; yet telling us, that "if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, the same is none of his." (Rom. viii. 9.) 2. But presently after, when the Spirit was to be sent, the necessity of believing in him is expressed; especially in the apostle's commission to baptize all nations (that were made disciples) in "the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost."

Doct. 'The knowledge of the only true God, and of Jesus Christ the Mediator, is the life of grace, and the necessary way to the life of glory.'

As James distinguisheth between such a dead faith as devils and wicked men had, and such a living and working faith as was proper to the justified; so must we here of the knowledge of God. "Many profess that they know God, but in works they deny him, being abominable and disobedient, and to every good work reprobate." (Titus i. 16.) There is a form of knowledge which the unbelievers had, (Rom. ii. 22,) and a knowledge which puffeth up, and is void of love, which hypocrites have. (1 Cor. viii. 1. 13.) But no man (spiritually) knoweth the things of God, but by the Spirit. And they that rightly "know his name will put their trust in him." (Psal.ix. 10.) Thus he giveth the regenerate“ a heart to know him;" (Jer. xxiv. 7;) and the new creature "is renewed in knowledge." (Col. iii. 10.) And "vengeance shall be poured out on them that know not God." (2 Thess. i. 8.)

This saving knowledge of God which is eternal life, containeth and implieth in it all these acts: 1. The understanding's apprehension of God according to the necessary articles of faith. 2. A belief of the truth of these articles: that God is, and is such as he is therein described. 3. An high estimation of God accordingly. 4. A volition, complacency, or love to him as God, the chiefest good. 5. A desiring after him. 6. A choosing him, with the rejection of all competitors. 7. A consent that he be our God, and a giving up ourselves to him as his people. 8. An intending him as our ultimate end in the use of means, in the course of our conversations. 9. A seeking him in the choice and use of means. 10. An obeying him as our Sovereign Governor. 11. An honouring, and praising him as God. 12. And an enjoying him and delighting in him (in some small foretaste here, as he is seen by faith; but perfectly hereafter, as beheld in glory). The effective practical knowing of God, which is life eternal, containeth or implieth all these parts.

And every Christian that hath any of this knowledge, ́desireth more: it is his great desire to know more of God, and to know him with a more affecting powerful knowledge. He that groweth in grace, doth accordingly grow in this knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ. The vigour and alacrity of our souls liveth in it: the rectitude of our actions, and the holiness of them, floweth from it: God is the xcellency of our hearts and lives our advan cement and

our joy is here only to be found. All other knowledge is so far desirable, as it conduceth to the knowledge of God, or to the several duties which that knowledge doth require. All knowledge of words or things, of causes and effects, of any creatures, actions, customs, laws, or whatsoever may be known, is so far valuable as it is useful; and so far useful as it is holy, subserving the knowledge of God in Christ. What the sun is to all men's eyes, that God is to their souls, and more. It is to know him that we have understandings given us; and our understandings enjoy him but so far as they know him; as the eye enjoyeth the light of the sun, by seeing it. The ignorance of God, is the blindness and part of the atheism of the soul, and inferreth the rest. They that know him not, desire not heartily to know him; nor can they love him, trust him, fear him, serve him, or call upon him, whom they do not know. "How shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed?" Rom. x. 14. The heart of the ungodly saith to God, "Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways: What is the Almighty, that we should serve him; and what profit shall we have if we pray unto him?" (Job xxi. 14, 15. xxii, 17.) All wickedness hath admission into that heart or land where the knowledge of God is not the watch to keep it out. Abraham inferred that the men of Gerar would kill him for his wife, when he saw that "the fear of God was not in that place." (Gen. xx. 11.) It was "God's controversy with Israel, because there was no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land; but by swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, they brake out, and blood touched blood." (Hosea iv. 1, 2.) They are called by God, "a foolish people, sottish children, of no understanding, that knew not God; though they were wise to do evil." (Jer. iv. 22.) He will "pour out his fury upon the heathen that know him not, and the families that call not on his name." (Jer. x. 25.) As the day differeth from the night, by the light of the sun, so the church differeth from the world, by the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ; "In Judah is God known; his name is great in Israel: in Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling-place in Sion." (Psal. lxxvi. 1, 2.) The love, and unity, and peace, which shall succeed persecution and malice in the blessed times, shall be "because the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." (Isa. xi. 6-9.) Hypo