suffered, was crucified, and died, that by all means he might set forth himself plainly before our eyes, and fasten the eyes of our hearts upon himself, that he thereby might keep us from climbing up into heaven, and from the curious searching of the divine majesty.

Whensoever thou hast to do therefore in the matter of justification, and disputest with thyself how God is to be found that justifieth and accepteth sinners; where, and in what sort he is to be sought; then know thou that there is no other God besides this man, Christ Jesus. Embrace him, and cleave to him with thy whole heart, setting aside all curious speculations of the divine majesty: "For he that is a searcher of God's majesty, shall be overwhelmed of his glory." (Prov. xvii. 15. xxv. 27.) I know by experience what I say. But these vain spirits which so deal with God, that they exclude the mediator, do not believe me. Christ himself saith, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father but by me." (John xiv. 6.) Therefore besides this way Christ, thou shalt find no way to the Father, but wandering: no verity, but hypocrisy and lying: no life, but eternal death. Wherefore mark this well in the matter of justification, that when any of us all shall have to wrestle with the law, sin, and death, and all other evils, we must look upon no other God, but only this God, incarnate and clothed with man's nature.

But out of the matter of justification, when thou must dispute with Jews, Turks, Papists, Heretics, &c. concerning the power, wisdom, and majesty of God, then employ all thy wit and industry to that end, and be as profound and as subtle a disputer as thou canst: for then thou art in another vein. But in the case of conscience, of righteousness and life (which I wish here diligently to be marked) against the law, sin, death, and the devil, or in the matter of satisfaction, of remission of sins, of reconciliation, and of everlasting life, thou must withdraw thy mind wholly from all cogitations and searching of the majesty of God, and look only upon this man Jesus Christ, who setteth himself forth unto us to be a mediator, and saith, "Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you." (Matt. xi. 28.) Thus doing, thou shalt perceive the love, goodness, and sweetness of God: thou shalt see his wisdom, power, and majesty sweetened and tempered to thy capacity: yea, and thou shalt find it, this mirror and pleasant contemplation, all things according to that saying of Paul to the Colossians: "In Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." And in ch. ii. "For in him dwelleth the fulness of the godhead bodily." (Col. ii. 3. and 9.) The world is ignorant of this, and therefore it searcheth out the will of God, setting aside the promise in Christ, to his great destruction. "For no man knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him." (Matt. xi. 27. John x. 15.)

And this is the cause why Paul is wont so often to couple Jesus Christ with God the Father, even to teach us what true Christian religion is, which beginneth not at the highest, as other religions do, but at the lowest. It will have us to climb up by Jacob's ladder, whereupon God himself leaneth, whose feet touch the very earth, hard by the head of Jacob. (Gen. xxviii. 12.) Wherefore, whensoever thou art occupied in the matter of thy salvation, setting aside all curious speculations of God's unsearchable majesty, all cogitations of works, of traditions, of philosophy, yea, and of God's law too, run straight to the manger, and embrace this infant, and the Virgin's little babe in thine arms, and behold him as he was born, sucking, growing up, conversant among men, teaching, dying, rising again, ascending up above all the heavens, and having power above all things. By this means shalt thou be able to shake off all terrors and errors, like as the sun driveth away the clouds. And this sight and contemplation will keep thee in the right way, that thou mayest follow whither Christ is gone. Therefore, Paul, in wishing grace and peace not only from God the Father, but also from Jesus Christ, teacheth, first, that we should abstain from the curious searching of the divine majesty (for God no man knoweth), and to hear Christ, who is in the bosom of the Father, and uttereth to us his will, who also is appointed of the Father to be our teacher, to the end that we should all hear him. (John viii. 18.)

Christ is God by Nature.

The other thing that Paul teacheth here, is a confirmation of our faith, "that Christ is very God." And such like sentences as this is, concerning the godhead of Christ, are to be gathered together and marked diligently, not only against the Arians, and other heretics, which either have been, or shall be hereafter, but also for the confirmation of our faith: for Satan will not fail to impugn in us all the articles of our faith ere we die. He is a most deadly enemy to faith, because he knoweth that it is the victory which overcometh the world, (1 John, v. 4.) Wherefore, it standeth us in hand to labour that our faith may be certain, and may increase and be strengthened by diligent and continual exercise of the word, and fervent prayer, that we may be able to withstand Satan.

Now, that Christ is the very God, it is manifestly declared, in that Paul attributeth the same things equally unto him which he doth unto the Father, namely, divine power, as the giving of grace, the forgiveness of sins, peace of conscience, life, victory over sin, death, the devil, and hell. This were by no means lawful for him to do, nay, it were sacrilege this to do, except he were very God, according to this saying, "I will not give my glory unto another," (Isa. xlii. 8.) Again: No man giveth that

to others which he himself hath not. But seeing Christ giveth grace, peace, and the Holy Ghost, delivereth from the power of the devil, from sin, and death, it is certain that he hath an infinite and divine power, equal in all points to the power of the Father.

Neither doth Christ give grace and peace, as the apostle gave, and brought the same unto men by preaching of the gospel: but he giveth it as the author and Creator. The Father createth and giveth life, grace, peace, and all other good things. The self-same things also the Son createth and giveth. Now, to give grace, peace, everlasting life, to forgive sins, to make righteous, to quicken, to deliver from death and the devil, are not the works of any creature, but of the Divine Majesty alone. The angels can neither create nor give these things; therefore these works pertain only to the glory of the sovereign Majesty, the Maker of all things: and seeing Paul doth attribute the self-same power of creating, and giving all these things, unto Christ equally with the Father, it must needs follow that Christ is verily and naturally God.

Many such arguments are in John, where it is proved and concluded by the works which are attributed to the Son as well as to the Father, that the divinity of the Father, and of the Son, is all one. Therefore, the gifts which we receive of the Father, and which we receive of the Son, are all one. For else Paul would have spoken otherwise after this manner: Grace from God the Father, and peace from our Lord Jesus Christ; but, in knitting them both together, he attributeth them equally, as well to the Son as to the Father. I do therefore so diligently admonish you of this thing, because it is dangerous; lest, among so many errors, and in so great variety and confusion of sects, there might step up some Arians, Eunomians, Macedonians, and such other heretics, that might do harm to the churches with their subtilty.

Indeed, the Arians were sharp and subtle fellows. They granted that Christ hath two natures, and that he is called "very God of very God," howbeit, in name only, Christ (said they) is a most noble and perfect creature, above the angels, whereby God afterward created Heaven and earth, and all other things. So Mahomet also speaketh honourably of Christ. But all this is nothing else but goodly imaginations, and words pleasant and plausible to man's reason, whereby the fantastical spirits do deceive men, except they take good heed. But Paul speaketh otherwise of Christ. "Ye (saith he) are rooted and established in this belief, namely, that Christ is not only a perfect creature, but very God, who doth the self-same things that God the Father doth." He hath the divine works not of a creature, but of the Creator, because he giveth grace and peace: and to give them, is to condemn sin, to vanquish death, and to tread the devil under foot. These things

no angel can give. But seeing they are attributed unto Christ, it must needs follow, that he is " very God by nature."

VERSE 4. Which gave himself for our sins,

Paul in a manner, in every word, handleth the argument of this epistle. He hath nothing in his mouth but Christ; and therefore in every word there is a fervency of spirit and life. And mark how well and to the purpose he speaketh. He saith not, which hath received our works at our hands, nor which hath received the sacrifice of Moses's law, worshipping, religions, masses, vows, and pilgrimages; but hath given-What? Not gold, nor silver, nor beasts, nor paschal lambs, nor an angel, but himself! For what? Not for a crown, not for a kingdom, not for our holiness and righteousness, but "for our sins." These words are very thunder-claps from Heaven against all kinds of righteousness. Like as is also this sentence of John: "Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world." Therefore, we must with diligent attention mark every word of Paul, and not slenderly consider them, or lightly pass them over; for they are full of consolation, and confirm fearful consciences exceedingly.

But how may we obtain remission of our sins? Paul answereth, "that the man which is called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, hath given himself for them." These are excellent and comfortable words, and are promises of the old law, that our sins are taken away by none other means than by the Son of God delivered unto death. With such gun-shot and such artillery must the papacy be destroyed, and all the religions of the heathen, all works, all merits and superstitious ceremonies. For if our sins may be taken away by our own works, merits, and satisfaction, what needed the Son of God to be given for them? But seeing he was given for them, it followeth that we cannot put them away by our own works.

Again, by this sentence it is declared, that our sins are so great, so infinite and invincible, that it is impossible for the whole world to satisfy for one of them. And surely the greatness of the ransom (namely, Christ the Son of God, who gave himself for our sins) declareth sufficiently, that we can neither satisfy for sin, nor have dominion over it. The force and power of sin is set forth and amplified exceedingly by these words: "Which gave himself for our sins." Therefore here is to be marked the infinite greatness of the price bestowed for it, and then it will appear evidently that the power of it is so great, that by no means it could be put away, but that the Son of God must be given for it. He that considereth these things well, understandeth that this one word sin comprehendeth God's everlasting wrath and the whole kingdom of Satan, and that it is a thing more horrible than can be expressed; which ought to move us and make us afraid

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indeed. But we are careless, yea, we make light of sin, and a matter of nothing: which although it bring with it the sting and remorse of conscience, yet notwithstanding we think it not to be of such weight and force, but that, by some little work or merit, we may put it away.

This sentence therefore witnesseth, "that all men are servants and bond-slaves to sin, and (as Paul saith in another place) are sold under sin," (Rom. vii. 14.) And again, "that sin is a most cruel and mighty tyrant over all men;" which cannot be vanquished by the power of any creatures, whether they be angels or men, but by the sovereign and infinite power of Jesus Christ, who hath given himself for the same.

Furthermore, this sentence setteth out to the consciences of all men which are terrified with the greatness of their sins, a singular comfort. For, albeit sin be never so invincible a tyrant, yet, notwithstanding, forasmuch as Christ hath overcome it through his death, it cannot hurt them that believe in him. Moreover, if we arm ourselves with this belief, and cleave with all our hearts unto this man Christ Jesus, then is there a light opened, and a sound judgment given unto us, so as we may most certainly and freely judge of all kinds of life. For when we hear that sin is such an invincible tyrant, thus incontinent by a necessary consequence we infer; then what do the Papists, Monks, Nuns, Priests, Mahometists, Anabaptists, and all such as trust in their works, which will abolish and overcome sin by their own traditions, works preparative, satisfactions, &c. Here forthwith we judge all those sects to be wicked and pernicious, whereby the glory of God and of Christ is not only defaced, but also utterly taken away, and our own advanced and established.

But weigh diligently every word of Paul, and specially mark well this pronoun, our; for the effect altogether consisteth in the well applying of the pronouns, which we find very often in the scriptures; wherein also there is ever some vehemency and power. Thou wilt easily say and believe that Christ the Son of God was given for the sins of Peter, of Paul, and of other saints, whom we account to have been worthy of this grace; but it is a very hard thing, that thou, which judgest thyself unworthy of this grace, shouldst from thy heart say and believe, that Christ was given for thine invincible, infinite, and horrible sins. Therefore, generally, and without the pronoun, it is an easy matter to magnify and amplify the benefit of Christ, namely, that Christ was given for sins, but for other men's sins, which are worthy. But when it cometh to the putting to of this pronoun our, there our weak nature and reason starteth back, and dare not come nigh unto God, nor promise to herself, that so great a treasure shall be freely given unto her, and therefore she will not have to do with God, except first she be pure and without sin; wherefore, although she read or hear this sentence: