r away; ascend into heaven or go
beyond the sea, but it is near thee, even in thy mouth and in thy
heart." It is indeed soon spoken and heard. But if it enters our
hearts it cannot die or perish, and will not suffer you to perish; as
long as you cleave to it, it will cleave to you.

As when I hear that Jesus Christ died to take away my sins, and has
purchased heaven for me, and bestows upon me all that He has, then I
hear the Gospel; the word quickly is gone if some one preaches it,
but if it falls into the heart and is apprehended by faith, it can
never pass away. This truth no creature can overthrow; the clearest
reasoning avails nothing against it; and if I too would strike the
devil while I am in his jaws, and am able to lay hold on this, I must
oppose him from this and abide fast by the word. Therefore he well
says, ye must look for no other Gospel than that which we have
preached to you.

So St. Paul also says, in the first part of the Epistle to the
Romans: "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God
which saves all that believe in it." The word is a divine and eternal
power; for although the voice or speech is soon gone, yet the
substance remains,--that is, the sense, the truth, which is conveyed
by the voice. As when I put a cup to my mouth in which wine is
contained, I swallow the wine, although I do not thrust the cup down
my throat.

So likewise is the word which the voice conveys; it falls into our
hearts and lives, while the voice remains without and passes away.
Therefore it is indeed a divine power; yea, it is God Himself. For
thus He speaks to Moses, Exodus iv.: "I will be in thy mouth;" and
Ps. lxxx.: "Open thy mouth wide, proclaim glad tidings; say thou art
hungry, I will satisfy thee, I will presently speak to thee
comfortable things."

So, also, in John xiv., Christ says: "I am the way, the truth, and
the life." Whoever confides in this is born of God; so that this seed
of our Lord is itself divine. All this goes to teach us that we
cannot be helped by works. Although the word is a small matter, and
seems as nothing while it proceeds out of the mouth, yet is there
such an immense power in it that it makes those who confide in it the
children of God. John i. Thus does our salvation raise us to an
exalted blessedness.

This is the first chapter of this Epistle, wherein you perceive in
what a masterly manner St. Peter preaches and treats of faith, whence
we easily see that thi