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different from that of nature; namely, a spiritual union. Yet it is called being "one," because, therein the one cannot exist without the other, and if one part be taken away, it can be no longer called one thing, or 66 one."

It is thus that the term "one" is to be understood; and not as the Arians have basely perverted it, as though it signified nothing more than concord and similiarity in the same manner as when I see two men alike in person I say their appearance is one and the same; or, as I would say of two coats, the cloth is one and the same. For here it is most plainly expressed "that they may be one," one thing: in which way neither the Greek nor the Latin language ever speaks when expressing à sameness or concord. But in the modern mode of expression this term one is not so clear, but has an ambiguous signification; and therefore, we Germans are obliged to interpret it as one thing, or one body. All these observations I have made, that we may not suffer this text to be perverted or weakened by such figments of reason and crude philosophy; for it contains the greatest and strongest consolation for Christians who believe in Christ, and trust in his Word with a steady confidence: namely, that we are all members of one body, and one flesh and blood. In which state, there is this prerogative, that whatever falls on one of the members, falls on the whole body; which does not take place in that sameness or concord. For although many may be of the same mind and will, yet, the circumstances of the one, do not so much interest the other, in the same manner as the members of the body mutually feel for each other.

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From this union it is called Christianity, and a communion of the saints, (not a mere sameness,) in which all the saints or Christians are one multitude, and body," and "lump." The Christian therefore has this confidence, he is certain, that, when the devil opposes and attacks him, it is not he alone that is attacked, a finger only, but the whole body at the same time; that is, all Christians throughout the whole world, and so

God himself and Christ. Just as it is in a whole body; in which, if the least toe of the foot be touched the whole body immediately writhes, nor is there any member which does not suffer with that which is hurt. And all this is formed into that union that no part might live to itself alone, nor have that life, care, and sensibility, which are common to all the rest, that is, to the whole body.

Hence, wherever the least or weakest member of Christians suffers, the whole body immediately feels it and is put in commotion, all the other members running up to it, inquiring concerning it, and crying after it. And the cry of these Christ our head immediately hears and feels: who, although he may for a little while dissemble his grief and refrain, yet, when once he has contracted and knit his brow, he certainly will not trifle: for he speaks thus by the Prophet Zechariah, chap. ii. "He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye." Behold the greatness of the promise, for the singular consolation and confidence of Christians against their adversaries! Whereby they may know, that Christ is so affected with our afflictions, that he declares, that when we are hurt the pupil of his eye is touched; and that he will by no means pass by those injuries; even as no one can bear that the pupil of his should be touched much by another. Therefore, whenever the devil attacks any one Christian, he falls upon himself, and is his own tormentor.

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Of this the history of St. Paul furnishes us with a most beautiful example. When he was persecuting the Christians, and had consented to the death of Stephen, he thought that he had plucked off his right hand. But, what does Christ say from heaven concerning these things? He does not say, 'Saul, why hast thou hurt my right hand,' or, "why dost thou persecute my poor miserable flock.' But he says, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks," &c. Here he speaks as though he had perse cuted his person. And why? Because, no member of the body can be touched without the head feeling it: nay,

without its feeling it first: for it is from the head that all the force of the pain which the body feels proceeds and flows.

And this is the greatest and highest consolation to Christians under all their afflictions that, when they are assaulted by the devil or tormented and afflicted by the world, it is not they alone that suffer, but all the Christians in the world, yea, all the angels in heaven; and so, Christ himself and their heavenly Father, partake of, and feel and endure the pain together with them; and no evil can happen unto them, which does not happen unto them also. And he who knows and believes these things, knows how to endure and to overcome every kind of calamity; as, on the other hand, nothing makes afflictions more intolerable and heavy, than the ignorance of these things. For the mind then seems to itself to endure things intolerable, when it thinks it endures them alone, and can see no one as an example or a partaker of any suffering. And this is the way in which all Christian sufferings appear to the eyes of our flesh. Wherefore, faith ought to stay upon this Word, contrary to our own feelings and the clamours of the world: who, if they catch any Christian in their hands, imagine that he is so oppressed by them, that no one can help him either in counsel or in deed; even as they taunted Christ himself when hanging on the cross.

Behold, this is that union of Christians to which Christ alludes in these words. But unto this we can arrive by no other means, than, (as has been before shewn,) by God's keeping us through his own name; that is, by our abiding in the Word which we have received of Christ. And, by the bond of this Word, we are constrained to remain all under one head, and to cleave unto him only, and to seek no other holiness, nor any thing whereby to please God, but in him. And, finally, by the Word we are so intimately united to Christ, that whatever he has is ours, nor can we look upon him otherwise than as our own body. And so, on the other hand, he considers whatever happens unto us as happening unto him; and he holds that watchful

care over us, that neither the world nor the devil can overcome us, nor injure us by any evil however great. Nor is there any force or power in the world, which can at all prevail against this union.

Of this, however, we are not to be ignorant-that all the devils ply their whole powers and devices to destroy this union in us, and, by every wickedness and craft, to tear us away from the Word; for when they have gained that point, they have gotten the victory. Because, apart from the Word, no union is to be formed, but scisms, contentions, and divisions; which the devil by his traps and snares, that is, by human doctrines, so confounds together, that each one seeks out, in his own way, a peculiar holiness to himself, &c. While I was with them in the world I kept them in thy name.

That is, as long as they heard and saw me, and conversed corporally with me, I kept them in thy Word, by teaching, by admonishing, by urging, by comforting, by exhorting, and by instructing them in every way, that they might not by any means be drawn aside from the knowledge of the Word. And now, as I am no more in the world, that is, as they will hereafter have no more conversation with me corporally, and will neither see nor hear me more, it remains, that thou take the care of preserving them upon thyself, that they may persevere in the Word as they have begun; for they have thy Word and are thine; as now again follows,

Those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

I have kept them, that they might not be shaken or deceived by any false doctrine or holiness; and with such watchfulness have I kept them, that not one of them has perished but Judas, that son of perdition. And wherefore? Because, he never clave to me from his heart, nor embraced my word seriously; but followed

me only that he might, under the cover of my name, and by being with me, heap to himself riches; and with such a deceptive and fair show of uprightness did he manage the whole, that no one of the disciples per-. ceived his iniquity. But such a child of the devil as this, was to be borne with in the presence and intimate society of Christ, that the scripture (as he saith) might be fulfilled by which it had been before predicted, that it should be, that there should always be such Judases to be borne with by his disciples: even as he himself also cites these words from the 41st Psalm, "He that eateth bread with me, hath lifted up his heel against me," John xiii. 18.

Judas, therefore, is a type of all those who by the Gospel seek their own gain; of which kind, there are not a few at this day; who boast themselves indeed in the Gospel, and yet, seek nothing but the glory of their own name, ease, and speculation; thinking, that the Gospel is a matter of business or trade, whereby honours and riches may be obtained; as Paul testifies of them 1 Tim. vi., and as the Pope has hitherto, under the name of Christ, reduced under his power all the kingdoms and empires of the world, and has gathered all the riches and wealth of them unto himself.

Of such, therefore, Christ takes an eternal farewell, denying that they are his disciples. And therefore, (saith he,) I cannot preserve them, but must permit them to abuse the sanction of my name in which they thus boast themselves, although they have no desire to be Christians, but become at last my most violent and bitter enemies, and do every injury to Christianity that lies in their power.

Here again, to those who have a willing mind to cleave unto the Gospel, and for its sake, hesitate not to jeopard their lives and all their fortunes, this consolation is proposed that Christ will not forsake them, but will be preserved by this prayer, even as he preserved his disciples. But the rest are to seek nothing here, nor are they to arrogate to themselves such a consolation. For it cannot by any means be, that any one

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