cutors, to a man, fell by a base and ignominious death: so that now, nothing is more disgustful, impure, detestable, and contemptible, than the sound of their names; whereas, the names of the holy martyrs shine and are held in honour. And why?-This prayer is heard, and has weight and power with God, breaking in pieces all the rage and power of the whole world. And, in a word, as this glorifying or magnifying began, the same power and effects does it still shew forth in Christendom, through the influence and efficacy of this prayer.

This also is to be observed from this passage-that Christ hereby declares of himself, that he alone is that Man through whom the Father is to be glorified. By this, he wishes to take from the Jews, his people, who had the law and the worship of God, their glory, and their boasting in their own righteousness; that they might know, that neither of these things contain that whereby the Father can be glorified, or whereby any one can attain unto the knowledge of grace, and unto that righteousness which will avail before God. For if the glorifying and knowledge of God could have been known and revealed by the law, there would have been no need of the coming, the preaching, the suffering, and the death of Christ, much less would they have been necessary that he might glorify the Father. And by this same saying, he also benefits us; that we might learn, in what way God must be sought and apprehended by us, if we would do it aright, and how we are to hold communication with him.-For to glorify the Father, (as I have already observed,) is to know and to apprehend who he is, and how his will is inclined towards us. Unto this knowledge, no one can attain or arrive, but through Christ; for he will manifest himself no where but through and in him, so as for us to discover his heart and will.-In Christ we see nothing but ineffable love, and inexhaustable grace; and, on the contrary, out of him, nothing but wrath and indignation, or that in which there is no mercy. And, to sum the whole in a few words, whoever seeks God, or de

up

sires to serve him, otherwise than in Christ,-that man will not find God, nor serve the true God!

Wherefore, I have continually protested and declared, that whoever desires to walk safely, must beware of all those high imaginations and contemplations, whereby we attempt to seek God in the divine majesty without any medium, and wish to search into his works, will, and counsel, and then run away with some very deep and especial revelations; because, by such we are not only deceived and seduced, but carried away and precipitated headlong into an abyss. And, it is upon this account that all other doctrines and faith throughout the whole world are damnable, of what kind soever they may be, whether of Jews, Turks, monks, popes, bishops, and all the rest of them, who serve God for the sake of obtaining grace, and wiping out their sins through some other medium than through Christ; that is to say, through their own works, or their singular devotion and their spiritual thoughts. For it is irrevocably decreed of God, that he will not be known nor found, out of the one Mediator, Christ. Therefore. where Christ is not, there the true God is not, nor the true worship of God.-But of this we shall say more hereafter.

As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given

him.

In these words he embraces the second and third parts of his prayer: for he both gives thanks unto the Father, and shews what the Father had given him, as the reason why he extended his prayer over the whole world. For you plainly hear, that he did not pray for himself that he might have all the glory to himself, but that he might benefit and serve us unto our attainment of eternal life. And it is on this account that he glories, that power is given unto him of the Father over all flesh; that is, over all who are in the earth, the great, the mighty, the possessors of wealth, and the highest in honour; and that his design is, and that he is able, to

honour his miserable followers who cleave unto him and who are loaded with shame and ignominy, so highly, as to bring them to the enjoyment of an eternal and immortal life. I have (saith he) all kings, and princes, and whatsoever liveth in the flesh, in my hand, that I might have it in, my power to deliver my Christians from sin, death, and all evils; nor is any thing wanting, except that this is not yet made manifest while I thus remain in this infirmity and ignominy; wherefore, I pray, that thou wouldst glorify me, that I might be able to make this plain and openly manifest.

Here, then, centres all our hope, consolation, and trust-that we, who believe in Christ and cleave to his word, are his own, whom the Father gave unto him as his peculiar portion. And Christ has undertaken the care of us to defend and keep us; that, how high soever the world may be above us in honour, in dignity, in glory, and in power, yet, it might still be compelled to remain in the powerful hand of Christ, that it might not be able to hurt us, and that the more determinately and deeply it may oppress us, he might with the greater display of power bring us forth into eternal life.

Therefore, our hands should be lifted up without intermission, and God be unceasingly praised, and thanks be rendered unto him, that he has condescended to make us of that number of those who are "his own:" since we know, that we have his Word, and for its sake suffer persecution and have the world our enemy: for he that is certain and persuaded of this, ought to entertain no doubt that he is of that flock for whom eternal life is prepared and ordained.

And finally, you may draw this inference and conclusion that, since it is the work and gift of Christ that we should be brought unto eternal life, it will certainly so be, that the whole world, with all their wisdom, power, dignity, and honours, will, for our sakes, fall into everlasting shame, and that our weakness and helplessness will be exalted to inestimable glory, And this, Christ made abunbantly manifest in his enemies when he arose from the deepest ignominy to the highest glory.

boasting in their

rom their reliance on everlasting shame and

Just certain that he alone is m and of eternal life, it the world who persecute as, cannot attain unto it, Aroolish presumption of mind

y great efforts, and by their And where Christ freely gives recessity, must be eternal greata the contrary, where Christ there can be nothing else but eter...and contempt.-Wherefore, knowas suffer our enemies to blaspheme as they can, since the rage and fury Shortly come to an end: for neither or sixty years, are to be compared to he twinkling of an eye is not to be whole of this life which we live upon

ve what words John here uses, who has a ...er of confirming this article above the Evangelists,-that Christ is truly God Je Father. For these words, "As thou power over all flesh that he should give &c. will not admit of the conclusion that na: for such power, even of ruling over all

giving eternal life, can be given to no creacature can receive and lay hold of eternal life, ve eternal life unto others, is the work and God alone. For the angels, although they mortality, yet cannot communicate the same to e. When therefore Christ confesses that he has wc of giving eternal life unto his own, and that eceived the same from the Father, he indicates. icient clearness, that he is of the same power cuce with the Father, though their persons are

And that he might set this still more clearly eyes, he adds,

e

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou must sent.

In these words, Christ shews what everua' it i and what the nature of it is. For suce e tenim tuz he has received the power to give eterna e BE THE may ask, in what eterna e consists of Low me t receive it. To this objecting ingurg Cont

tain anticipation, gives an answer gut e

life is thus, and my distes que recene to -“that they might know thee the one true Jesus Christ who thor at

powerfuly brought forward