great is his malice, that he will flee from them rather than hear him; leaving no means untried, whereby he' might pour out his bitter and more than maddened rage against the Word, and all who love and desire it.

Of this we see abundant proofs in his children and ministers at this day;-how they become more and more driven on and maddened day by day in their rage and fury, and know not how to blaspheme our Gospel enough, nor how to persecute us enough so as to satisfy the lust, cruelty, and atrocity of their minds. And, if they can do nothing farther, they will as least stop their ears, and flee from the Word as they would from the devil.

Behold, such a signal and notable fruit is the world, that, from the child you may at once know the father! What else then are we here to do or to pray for? but that, God would bring help to "his own," and that he would leave nothing for them to behold in the Gospel and his Christians, but that which they can the least bear and which galls them the most? To the end that, they might the sooner come to destruction, since they will not bear to hear of grace, nor of prayers on their behalf. And where goodness and loving-kindness are refused, there wrath and indignation must prevail. For, by the grace of God, we are superior to all such in this respect, that we can trust in this prayer, and be assured, that our doctrine will stand and overcome, even though they should rage against it more fiercely and atrociously than they now do, and that, with all their. power and with the aid even of devils; and that they themselves will shortly come to destruction how firmly soever they may now sit. For they are included in this prayer, which will hurl them down, if Christ in heaven has any power to stand in safety against such giants. They will sit in their high seat for a little time longer, resting confident in their firmness, as though no one could ever cast them down; but they are on the very brink of destruction, although they have determined in themselves to oppress all others. Wherefore, in

this matter, there is need of faith, for if we needed not that, neither should we need prayer.

But for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine.

Here he again repeats the fore-cited words, that he might impress this the more forcibly upon us. I cannot (saith he) pray for the world, for they are not thine, but persecute with hatred and bitterness those whom thou hast given me. But, I pray for these, because they are thine inheritance and possession. These are my care and my concern. I have already abundantly shewn why he thus expresses himself in these words, "them which thou hast given me." For, he that is Christ's is the Father's also. And they are Christ's, as he himself declares, who receive the Word from him and keep it. And this is the most certain evidence of the Father also being merciful and appeased. For no one, as I have often repeated, embraces the Word, nor will keep it, who is not a child of God, and given unto Christ by the Father.

I have given these admonitions, even as it is necessary to be done again and again, because I see that Christ himself does not so often repeat these words for nothing; for he therein plainly shews, how highly important it is above all things to endeavour to remain under the power of the Word. May God rather permit us to fall (if we must in something fall and sin) into every kind of folly, so that we make not shipwreck of this treasure; that is, Christ hidden in his Word. What turpitude and shame soever shall come upon us, the whole of its evil, be it as much as it may, will easily be compensated by the excellence of this treasure. For this it is that bruises the head of the devil; that is, which subverts his kingdom and all his power. And therefore, he can be patient under every thing else, and can bear all things else; and he knows also how to yield and concede; but, this one thing he cannot endure. For where there is no exercising of the Word, there he knows how to make impressions according to his own will.

And, in a word, no sanctity of life, no moral goodness nor wisdom, can stand against his power and influence, -nothing but the Word only! Therefore, our greatest care ought to be, that we suffer him not to pluck us away from the Word. And against this Word, the devil watches with all his thoughts and powers. Hence, he who desires to hold fast this, and whose whole care and prayers are directed to that one thing-for him is this consolation contained in the prayer of Christ, that he shall hold it fast, and that all the attempts of the devil shall be frustrated and in vain.

And all mine are thine, and thine are mine.

This is indeed speaking plainly and copiously. But it would not have been sufficient, had he only said " all mine are thine." For this any one can say, that all that we have is God's. But this is far greater when Christ inverts it, and says again, "and all thine are mine." This no creature can say before God. And these words are not only to be understood concerning that which the Father gave him in the world, but concerning that one divine essence which is common to himself with the Father. He does not speak with respect to his disciples and Christians only, but he embraces at once all things that the Father possesses,-his eternal and omnipotent essence, life, truth, righteousness, &c. That is, he openly confesses, that he is the true God. For these words, "all thine," leave nothing not included. And if all things are his, then eternal divinity is his, or he could not have dared to use the word "all."

And we are not to forget this, the reason why Christ uses this word "6 all," and what he intends thereby. By this word "all," he would address himself to those who cleave unto his Word. And therefore, he admonishes us to abide by him, and to know that God speaks, works, and bestows all things by him, and that all the words and all the works of God are to be sought in him. Hence, in whatever way Christ carries himself towards thee and deals with thee by promising, by alluring, by comforting, by bearing, by giving, all the

same things does the Father also. In a word, thou canst see and hear nothing in Christ without seeing and hearing the Father at the same time.

Behold, this is what John enforces in almost all the words of his Gospel; that, laying aside all those high towering imaginations in which reason and wise men are occupied, and by which they attempt to seek God in his Majesty out of Christ, we might seek him in Christ. For God will lie in Christ in the cradle, cry in the bosom of the mother, and hang upon the cross. But these wise ones, will ascend into heaven and curiously inquire, how he sits there and governs the world. These, however, are most perilous thoughts, if not rightly used: for they are all destined to remain here below, that we might not feel out nor see any higher. And if thou hast a mind to reach unto and to apprehend all things, what God is, what he is doing, and what he is revolving in his mind, then seek them no where but where he has placed and fixed them; and that, thou hearest in these words, "all thine are mine." Therefore, a Christian ought to know that God is to be sought after and found no where but in the bosom of the Virgin, and upon the cross, or as, and where, Christ shews himself in the Word.

To the same effect also speaketh Paul, 1 Cor. ii. "And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom. For I did not judge myself to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified." Here behold this chief of the apostles, who had been favoured with such wonderful revelations, knew not how to boast of any thing greater and more excellent against the false apostles, nor to preach any thing greater, than that (as the world consider him) miserable God, and him crucified. But, what do those arrogant and high-soaring spirits, who hunt after great and wonderful revelations, thinking that they must soar yet higher, and lift up their spirits?

The Apostle writes in the same way also, Coloss. ii; that in Christ "are held all the treasures of his wisdom and knowledge." By which words he would say, Dost thou

wish to soar on high and to know something great and wonderful, to become famous in knowledge, yea, to search into all the divine mysteries and wisdom; then, diligently search this book, and thou wilt therein find all things worthy and necessary to be known.-But those things (saith he) lie concealed and hidden; nor can any one see them, nor attain unto the knowledge of them but by faith. For, with the eyes, thou wilt see nothing but a poor infirm man, as though forsaken both of God and men. But if thou believe the Word, then, under that weakness and foolishness, thou wilt behold all the counsel of God, together with his wisdom and power. But, if not, then thou mayest indeed soar on high and enter upon the abyss of the divine Majesty, but thou wilt dash thy head against it, and wilt precipitate thyself headlong. For the devil is delighted with those wonderful cogitations on sublime things, and knows well how to put the mask upon the mind, and make it appear as if it were God himself; in order that he might present him to the mind to be beheld arrayed in all his glory and majesty; as he presented him to Christ himself, Matt. iv. In a word, when the dispute is concerning great wisdom, holiness, and majesty, there the devil is a master and a god in the world. And once, he soared so high that he could not go higher, when he set his mind upon making himself equal with God, and sitting in the place of God: and in this he continues his determination to this day, always desiring to be worshipped, for majesty, as a god. And God condemned him in his iniquity, when he humbled himself down to the lowest of all conditions, and took upon him the meanest form, and under that concealed himself; namely, he placed himself in the bosom of a Virgin, and will be found no where else. And there the devil cannot For he is a proud and arrogant spirit, although he pretends to the greatest humility. Wherefore, no one can more effectually deceive him, than by nailing himself to that cross where God nailed himself. For if he find thee any where else, then all is over with thy salvation; for he will snatch thee away to destruction, just as

ceme.