Sermons on John 17

Sermon III

By Thomas Manton

Here our Lord declareth the way, means, and order how he would give eternal life to the elect; and so it is added as an amplification of the former argument. The words must be expounded by a metonymy. Such kind of predications are frequent in scripture: John iii. 19, 'This is the condemnation,' etc. ; that is, the cause of it. Sometimes it signifies the outward means: John xii. 50. 'His commandment is life everlasting;' that is, his word is the most assured means of it. Sometimes the principal cause: 'Jesus Christ is the true God and eternal life,' 1 John v. 20; that is, the author of it.

'This is life eternal.'

- Some understand these words formally, as if they were a description of eternal life, which consisteth in a sight of God. But I suppose it rather layeth down the way and means, and showeth rather what is the beginning and original of eternal life, than the formality and essence of it. It is not in this eternal life consisteth, but by this means it is gotten and obtained.

1. Partly because the word ginoskein, which is here used, is proper to the light of faith; and so it is used ver. 7, 'They have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee;' and ver. 8, 'They have known surely that I came out from thee.' Vision is proper to the light of glory. It is more usually expressed by seeing than knowing: ver. 24, 'Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, ina theorosi, that they may behold my glory.'

2. Christ is proving the reason, that unless he were glorified, he could not bestow eternal life; for there could be no knowledge without his ascension into heaven, and effusion of the gifts of the Holy Ghost, and so by consequence no eternal life. So that the words must be explained, 'This is life eternal ;' that is, this is the way to life eternal, or life eternal begun, and in the root and foundation.

'That they may know thee.'

- That must be understood by way of apposition; this is life eternal to know thee: and knowledge is here put for faith or saving knowledge; It is a known rule that words of knowledge do imply suitable affections; as 1 Thes. v. 12, 'We beseech you to know them which labour among you;' that is, reverence them. Or, more clearly to the present case; 1 John ii. 4, 'He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.' Our Saviour understandeth not naked and unactive speculations concerning God and Christ, or a naked map or model of divine truths. Bare knowledge cannot be sufficient to salvation, but a lively and effectual light. Faith is intended, as is clear by the mention of the double object - God and Christ. He that knoweth God in Christ knoweth him for his reconciled Father, and so leaneth on him. And affections and motions of grace are intended; for it must be such a knowledge of God as discerneth him to be the chiefest good and only happiness. They know not God that do not choose him for their portion: 'They that know thy name will put their trust in thee,' Ps. ix. 10. Again, suitable practice and conversation is implied; for surely St John knew Christ's meaning: 1 John ii. 3, 'Hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.' So that in knowledge all the genuine effects of it are included - assent, affiance, practice, choice, necessary respect to God and Christ. Literal instruction is not enough to eternal life. A carnal man may know much of God and Christ, and yet be miserable. In point of the object, I know no difference between godly and carnal persons; all the difference is in the force and efficacy; as fair water and strong water differ not in colour, but only in strength and operation. I confess, in matters evangelical, nature is most blind; but by reason of common gifts they may have a great proportion of knowledge, as to the letter, more than many of God's children. But of this elsewhere.

'The only true God: 'ton monon aleithinon theon.

- Much ado there hath been about this clause, I shall endeavour to bring all to a short decision. The doubt is, How can the Father be said to be the only true God, since the Spirit and the Son do also communicate in the divine essence?

1. Some to solve the matter, invert the order of the words thus, 'To know thee and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent, to be the only true God.' But if the construction would bear it, what provision is there then made for the godhead of the Holy Spirit, which is also a fundamental article?

2. Some say that the Father is not to be taken strictly and personally for the first person, but essentially for the whole godhead. But this seemeth not so plausible an answer, for then Christ must pray to himself. He prayeth here as God-man, and all along to the Father. For my part, I think the expression is used for a twofold reason - (1.) To exclude the idols and false gods; (2.) To note the order and economy of salvation.

[1.] To exclude the idols of the Gentiles, foreign and false gods, such as are extra-essential to the Father; and to note that that godhead is only true that is in the Father; se ton monon aleithinon theon - 'Thee the only, thee the true God.' The Son and the Holy Ghost are not excluded, who are of the same essence with the Father. Christ and the Spirit are true God, not without, but in the Father: John x. 30, 'I and my Father are one:' John xiv. 30, 'I am in the Father, and the Father in me;' not divided in essence, though distinguished in personality. Such kind of expressions are usual in the scriptures, when any of the persons are spoken of singly; as Rom. ix. 5, where Christ is said to be 'God over all, blessed for ever.' And more expressly, he is said to be theos aleithinos, 'the only true God,' 1 John v. 20; by which neither the Father nor the Spirit are excluded from the godhead. Many such exclusive particles there are in scripture, which must be expounded by the analogy of faith; as Mat. xi. 27, 'None knoweth the Son but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, but the Son;' where the Spirit is not excluded, 'who searcheth the depths of God,' 1 Cor. ii. 10. One person of the Trinity doth not exclude the rest. So see Isa. xliii. 11, 'I, even I, am the Lord; and besides me there is no Saviour;' which is applied to Christ: Acts iv. 12, 'Neither is there salvation in any other ; for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved;' it only excludeth legomenous theous, those that are called gods, 1 Cor. viii. 5. There is no God but one. Many are called gods, 'but to us there is but one God, the Father.' As also it is the scope of Christ; he would lay down the summary of christian doctrine; the one member being opposed to the vanity of the Gentiles, the other to the blindness of the Jews.

[2.] To note the order and economy of salvation, in which the Father is represented as supreme, in whom the sovereign majesty of the deity resideth, and the Son sustaineth the office of mediator and servant: John xiv. 28, 'My Father is greater than I;' not in respect of nature or essential glory, for therein they are both equal: PhiL ii. 6, 'Who, being in the form of God, thought it no robbery to be equal with God;' but in the order of redemption, in which the Father is the principal party representing the whole deity, because he is the original and fountain of it. So 1 Cor. viii. 6, 'But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.' God the Father is to be conceived as the supreme person, or ultimate object of worship, and the Son as lord and mediator.

'And Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent;'

that is, Jesus Christ, not as the second person in the Trinity, but as mediator. Sent, implieth -

1. Christ's divine original: he came forth from God; he is legatus a latere: John xvi. 30, 'By this we know that thou camest forth from God.' He was a person truly existing before he was sent into the world, and a distinct person from the Father; for he that sendeth and he that is sent are distinguished.

2. His incarnation: Gal iv. 4, 'When the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son made of a woman.'

3. It implieth his whole office of mediator and redeemer; wherefore he is called 'the apostle and high priest of our profession,' Heb. iii. 1.

Apostle implieth one that was sent. Christ was the chief apostle and messenger of heaven; 'the high priest and apostle.' The high priesthood was the highest calling in the Jewish church, and the apostleship the highest calling in the christian church; to note that the whole office of saving all the church, the elect of all ages, is originally in Christ. He is the great ambassador to treat with us from God, and the high priest to treat with God and appease his wrath for us.

Jesus signifieth a saviour, as it is explained Mat. i. 21, 'Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.' This is a part of our belief, to acknowledge Christ a saviour. Then Christ siguifieth anointed.

We shall draw out the sum of all in a few points.

First, Observe, the beginning, increase, and perfection of eternal life lieth in knowledge.

[1.] The beginning of it is in knowledge. Knowledge is the first step to eternal life. In paradise Adam's two symbols were the tree of knowledge and the tree of life. As light was the first creature that God made, so it is in the new creation: Col. iii. 10, 'Put on the new man, who is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.' By the enlightening of the Holy Ghost, the work of grace is begun, and the seed of glory is laid in the heart. The Holy Ghost representeth the pattern, and then conformeth us to it. Regeneration is nothing but a transforming light, or such an illumination as changes the heart: 2 Cor. iii. 18, 'We all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of our God;' Eph. iv. 23, 'Be renewed in the spirit of your minds.' It maketh our notions of God and Christ to be active and effectual. The force of the new nature is first upon the mind; it taketh sin out of the throne. God, in the order of grace, followeth the order which he hath established in nature. Reason and judgment is to go before the will.

[2.] The increase of it is by knowledge: 2 Peter iii. 18, 'But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.' The more thou growest in knowledge, the more thou growest in life. All the gradual progress and increase of the spiritual life is by the increase of light: 2 Peter i. 2, 'Grace be multiplied unto you by the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ our Lord.' Heat doth increase by light, as a room is warmer at high noon than in a chill morning. I confess through corruption and literary airy knowledge, men grow more carnal and careless, as new light quencheth old heat; but by the light of the Spirit the heart is more quickened and enlivened; and as the judgment is made solid, so the heart is more gracious.

[3.] The perfection of it is by knowledge: Ps. xvii. 15, 'When I awake, I shall be satisfied with thy likeness.' The heaven of heavens is to satisfy the understanding with the knowledge of God. One great end of our going to heaven is to better our notions and apprehensions. While the soul is prisoner in the body, we have but low and dark thoughts; but there we are illuminated on a sudden. One glimpse of God in glory will inform us more than the study of a thousand years.

Use 1. Is to show us the sad estate -

1. Of men without knowledge: Prov. xix. 2, 'Also that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good.' Fruit that hath but little sun can never be ripe. Men will say we are ignorant, but we hope we have a good heart. You can as well be without the sun in the world, as without knowledge and light in the heart. In all the communications of grace, God beginneth with the understanding; as strength to bear afflictions: Jer. xxxi. 19, 'After I was instructed, I smote on my thigh, and was ashamed, yea even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth;' James i. 5, 'If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask it of God.' It is the perfection of the present life, and the foundation of the next. It is the perfection of the present life, the excellency of a man above the beasts; the more knowledge, the more a man; and the more ignorant, the more brutish: Ps. xlix. 20, 'Man that is in honour and understandeth not is like the beasts that perish;' Job xxv. 11, 'Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven.' If a man would glory in anything, it should be in the knowledge of God: Jer. ix. 24, 'Let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me.

2. Of those that have only a washy weak knowledge, not a living light and knowledge, that is rooted in their own hearts; they talk like parrots: like the moon, they are dark themselves, though from others they shine to others; like vintners that keep wine, not for use, but for sale: the cellar maybe better stored, but it is for others: 2 Peter 1. 8, 'For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.' It is a disparagement to know Christ and never be the better for him. These are like the nobleman of Samaria, that saw the plenty of Samaria, but could not taste of it. Surely there are not greater atheists in the world than carnal scholars that have a great deal of light, but no grace. It is sad to hear of such a Christ and feel nothing: John xvii. 17, 'Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth. They who are able to understand the word, but to no purpose, must needs doubt of the truth of it.

Use. 2. To press Christians to grow in knowledge, that they may enter upon eternal life by degrees: Hos. vi. 3, 'Follow on to know the Lord.' There is a growth in knowledge as well as grace. It is not so sensible in the very increase and progress as that of grace is; because growth in grace is always cum luctu, with some strife, but the work upon the understanding is more still and silent. Draw away the curtain, and the light cometh in, and our ignorance vanisheth silently, and without such strife as goeth to the taming of lusts and vile affections; yet afterwards it is sensible that we have grown: 'Ye were darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord,' Eph. v. 8; as a plant increaseth in length and stature, though we do not see the progress. We read of Jesus Christ that he grew in knowledge; we do not read that he grew in grace: he received the Spirit without measure, and nothing could be added to the perfection of his innocence. Yet it is said, Luke ii. 40, 'The child grew;' and ver. 52, 'Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favour with God and man.' The Godhead made out itself to him by degrees. Oh! let us increase. It is notable that Moses his first request to God was 'Tell me thy name;' and afterward, 'Show me thy glory,' a more full manifestation of God. We should not always keep to our milk, our infant notions and apprehensions, but go on to a greater increase; it much advanceth your spiritual life, and will be an advantage to your eternal life. They have the highest visions of God hereafter, that know most of him here upon earth. They are vessels of a larger capacity; and though all be perfect, yet with a difference.

Now for means and directions, take these : -

1. Wait upon the preaching of the word. God appointed it, and hath given gifts to the church for this end and purpose. We should quicken one another: Isa. ii. 3, 'Come and let us go up to the house of the Lord, and he will teach us his ways.' God's grace is given in his own way. When men neglect and despise God's solemn institutions, they either grow brutish or fanatical, as we see by daily experience. Light as well as flame is kept in by the breath of preaching. By long attention you grow skilful in the word of righteousness. Men that despise the word may be more full of crotchets and curiosities, but that light is darkness. It is disputed which is the sense of learning, hearing or seeing. By the eye we see things, but must, by reason of innate ignorance, be taught how to judge of them.

2. You must read the word with diligence; that is every man's work that hath a soul to be saved. They that busy themselves in other books will not have such lively impressions: Ps. i. 2, 'His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night;' that must be our exercise, not play-books, stories, and idle sonnets. How many sacrilegious hours do many spend this way! Castae deliciae meae sunt scripturae tuae - Augustine. Nay, good books should not keep from the scriptures. Luther in Gen. chap. xix. saith, Ego odi libros meos, et saepe opto eos interire, ne morentur lectores, et abducant a lectione ipsius scripturae. We should go to the fountain: 2 Tim. iii. 15, 'And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation.' We put a disparagement upon the word when we savour and relish human writings, though never so good and excellent, better than the word of God itself. This is the standing rule by which all doctrines must be confirmed; and you do not know what sweet, fresh, and savoury thoughts the Spirit of God may stir up in your own minds; for word-representations are not so taking as our own inward thoughts and discourses; these, like a draught of wine from the tap, are more fresh and lively. It is necessary, as I said before, to wait upon preaching, to hear what others can say out of the scriptures; but it is good to read too, that we may preach to ourselves. Every man is fittest to commune with his own heart; and that conviction which doth immediately arise out of the word is more prevalent. A man can be angry with any preacher but conscience. In another, when a matter is expressed to our case, we are apt to suspect the mixture of passion and private aims; but read thyself, and what thoughts are stirred up upon thy reading will be most advantageous to thee. Besides, those that are studious of the word have this sensible advantage, that they have the promises, the doctrines, the examples of the word more familiar and ready with them upon all cases. It is said of one, that he was a living bible and a walking library, biblos empsuchos, kai mousaion peripatoun; such a Christian is a walking concordance. And whereas other Christians are weak, unsettled in comfort or opinion, these have always scriptures ready. And let me tell you, in the whole work of grace you will find no weapon so effectual as the sword of the Spirit, as scriptures readily and seasonably urged. Therefore no diligence here is too much. If you would not be barren and sapless in discourse with others, if you would not be weak and comfortless in yourself, read the scriptures, that you may bring sic scriptum est upon every temptation, and urge the solid grounds of our comfort. I speak the more in so plain a point, because I would make men more conscionable, both in their closets and families, in this point, that they may not only have recourse to learned helps, and books of a human original, but to the word itself.

3. The scriptures must be read with prayer. We must plough with God's heifer if we would understand his riddle; we must beg the Spirit's help. The Spirit is the best interpreter: bene orasse, est bene studuisse. Every minister findeth prayer to be his best comment. So should you pray before and after reading the scriptures, as you do before and after you receive your bodily food. You do not know how prayer will clear up the eyes: Ps. cxix. 18, 'Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.' There is some excellency in the letter of the scriptures; but this is nothing to what we see by the Spirit; it will make a man wonder at the excellency, efficacy, consonancy of these truths; a man seeth far more than ever he saw before. The Spirit is needful both to open the heart and to open the scriptures: Luke xxiv. 32, 'Did not our hearts burn when he opened to us the scriptures? compared with ver. 45, 'Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures. To understand the truth, and to give us an active and certain persuasion of it; to open the heart, Acts xvi. 14, inclining it to obedience, giving in light, that works a ready assent and firm persuasion, bringing forward the heart with power to obedience. In dark places and difficult cases, when you have no certainty, you should 'cry for knowledge, and lift up your voice for understanding;' as the blind man that cried to Jesus, 'Lord! that I might receive my sight,' Mark x. 52.

4. Study the creatures. God is known out of his word, but his works give us a sensible demonstration of him. You have David's night and day meditation. His night meditation: Ps. viii. 3, 'When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy hands, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained.' Not a word of the sun, the most noble creature: Ps. xix. 5, he speaks of the 'going forth of the sun like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoicing as a strong man to run a race;' that is his morning meditation. When we walk out in the night or morning, we may think of God, view his stupendous works. The heathens had no other bible. Consider that the huge weight of the earth hangeth on nothing, like a ball in the air: Job xxiii. 7, 'He stretcheth out the north upon the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.' Consider the beauty of the heavens, with their ornaments; the bounding of the sea; the artifice in the frame of the smallest creatures, the excellent ministries, and subordination of the services of the creatures one to another, etc.

5. Spiritualise every outward advantage, so as to raise your hearts in the contemplation of God. As when we observe the wisdom of a father, or the bowels of a mother, let us take occasion to exalt the love and care of God. As from a mother's bowels: Isa. xlix. 15, 'Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget; yet will I not forget thee.' From the wisdom of a father: Mat. vii. 11, 'If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?' Tam pater nemo, tam pius nemo. So the centurion mentions his own command and government when he desires Christ to put forth his power: Mat. viii. 8,9, 'Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me; and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.' As if he should say, All sicknesses are at thy beck, as well as these soldiers at mine. In your carriage to your children, and theirs to you, you may sublimate your thoughts to consider of that commerce between you and God. So in the work of your callings; a little is useful for bringing great matters to pass; think of providence. I press this, because it will be a double advantage; it will keep the heart heavenly, and you will serve faith out of common experiences, and so it will help us in our notions of God; for if limited creatures go thus far, how much more excellent is God !

6. Purge your heart more and more from carnal affections; these are the clouds of the mind, as in fenny countries the air is seldom clear: 'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God,' Mat. v. 8. We usually look upon God through the glass of our own humours. Carnal men fancy the eternal essence as one of their society, and misfigure God in their thoughts.

7. The last is, in the progress of knowledge, or search of truth, beware of novelism: 2 Tim. iii. 14, 'Continue thou in the things thou hast learnt and been assured of, knowing from whom thou hast learned them.' There is as great care to keep what we have, as to gain more knowledge. The devil taketh advantage of our changes; when we renounce old errors, he bringeth man to question truth; as in public changes, when men shake off the ordinances of men, he stirreth up others to question the ordinances of God. And I have observed that some, out of a pretence of growing in knowledge, put themselves upon a flat scepticism and wary reservation, holding nothing certain for the present, but waiting for new light; such as these the apostle intendeth, 2 Tim. iii. 7, 'Ever learning, and never coming to the knowledge of the truth;' they make profession of being studious in sacred things, but never come to any settlement, and are loath to hold to any punciples, lest they should shut the door upon new light. New light is become a dangerous word, especially now in the latter times; now we have a promise that 'knowledge shall be increased,' Dan. xii. 4. Aims at knowledge is the dangerous snare of these times, as the Gnostics pretended to more knowledge. This is a great snare. Satan promised more knowledge to our first parents: Gen. iii. 5, ' God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil;' which example the apostle setteth before our eyes, 2 Cor. xi. 3, 'But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.' And he telleth us, 'Satan turneth himself into an angel of light,' ver. 13. 14.

Now for your direction know: -

1. Progress in knowledge is rather in degrees than parts; not in new truths, but greater proportions of light. Light respecteth the medium, truth the object. I say, it is rather, not altogether. A man may walk in present practices which future light may disprove and retract; but usually the increase of a Christian is rather in the measure of knowledge than difference of objects. Our old principles are improved and perfected: Prov. iv. 18, 'The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more to the perfect day.' To know God more, and Christ more, to be more practically skilful in the word of righteousness: Heb. v. 14, 'Strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.'

2. That fundamentals in the scripture are clear and certain. God hath not left us in the dark, but pointed out a clear way to heaven, of faith and good works: Eph. ii. 10, 'We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that we should walk in them.' It is a disparagement to the word to make it an uncertain rule. The way to heaven is beaten, and we may observe the track and footprints of the flock. It is a good observation of Chrysostom, that the saints do not complain of the darkness of the scripture, but of their own hearts: 'Open thou mine eyes,' not, 'Make a new law.'

3. These necessary doctrines must be entertained without doubt and hesitancy. It is dangerous when foundation-stones lie loose. We are pressed to 'stand fast in the faith,' 1 Cor. xvi. 13, and to hold the profession of it without wavering, Heb. x. 23; not to inquire after the gods of the nations, Deut. xii. 30; and Gal. i. 8, 'Though an angel from heaven should preach any other doctrine to you than that which ye have heard, let him be accursed.' The notion of new light chiefly aimeth at undermining the old doctrine of the scriptures. For the main of religion, a man should be settled above doubt and contradiction. Till we have certainty there cannot be grace. The soul is not brought under the power of truth; for things that are controversial have no efficacy and force. The great hindrance of saving knowledge is that natural atheism, and those habituated doubts which are found in the heart.

4. We must be zealous for lesser truths when we have received them upon certain grounds. Every piece and parcel of truth is precious; a little leaven of error is dangerous: Gal. v. 9, 'A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.' Error fretteth like a gangrene, and grows still higher and higher. Men think it is enough to be careful of fundamentals; all other knowledge is but scientia oblectans, for delight, not safety. Oh! it is dangerous to stain the understanding, though you do not wound it. There are maculae and vulnera intellectus. It is dangerous to be wanton in opinions that seem to be of smaller concernment. Men that play with truth leave themselves open to more dangerous errors. Some say, Fundamentals are few; believe them, and live well, and you are saved. This is as if a man in building should be only careful to lay a good foundation, no matter for roof, windows, or walls. If a man should untile your house, and tell you the foundation, the main buttresses are safe, you would not be pleased. Why should we be more careless in spiritual things?

5. Take up no practices nor principles but upon full conviction. This imposeth a necessity of often change, or at least of frequent doubting. Men do not search, but act out of blind obedience, and then they are liable to seduction: 1 Thes. v. 21, 'Prove all things, hold fast that which is good.' It is a pertinacy, not a constancy, when I have no clear warrant. A christian should be able to give an answer to every man that asketh him a reason of the hope that is in him, with meekness and fear, 1 Peter iii. 15; otherwise we shall never be able to secure our practices and opinions against the objections in our own hearts, and answer the sophister in our own bosoms.

Secondly, Observe that no knowledge is sufficient to life eternal but the knowledge of God and Christ.

I am to prove -(1.) No other knowledge is sufficient; (2.) How far this is enough for such an end and purpose.

The scripture asserts both, for the words are exclusive and assertive; there is no other knowledge, and this is sufficient.

1. No other knowledge is sufficient to life eternal.
2. I shall prove it by two arguments

[1.] Out of Christ we cannot know God.

The Gentiles had to gnoston, something that was known of God, Rom. i. 19, 20, which served to leave them without excuse, but not to save their souls. The apostle instanceth in such attributes as are obvious, but more terrible than comfortable, as eternity, power, etc. They had some loose thoughts of his Godhead and power, but no distinct view of his essence; that is reserved for the scriptures. The scriptures are the picture of Christ, and Christ is the image of the Father: 2 Cor. iv. 4, 'Lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine upon them. God never made out himself to the world in that latitude and greatness as he hath done to the world in Christ. In Christ's person and kingdom the majesty of God is known; in the divine power of his operations, the strength of God; in the excellency of his benefits, the love of God. The wisest heathens, that hath no other glass than the book of the creatures whereby to dress up their apprehensions, could only see a first cause, a first mover, a being of beings, some great lord and governor of the order of the world, whom they mightily transformed and misfigured in their thoughts; they knew nothing distinctly of creation and providence, of the nature of worship, which is necessary; for whosoever is saved must not only know God's essence, but his will, for otherwise we shall but grope as the heathens did: Acts xvii. 27, 'That they should seek the Lord, if haply they should feel after him, and find him. We cannot seek him to satisfaction.