by adding to them or taking away one jot
or tittle. What did the Lord Jesus Christ say that eternal life
was?

'This is eternal life, that they may know Thee the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.'

To know God and Jesus Christ; that is eternal life. That is all the
eternal life which any of us will ever have, my friends. Unless our
Lord's words are not complete and perfect, and do not tell us the
truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, about eternal
life, that is all the eternal life any one will ever have; and we
must make up our minds to be content therewith.

To which some will answer, almost angrily, 'Of course. The way to
obtain eternal life is to know God and Jesus Christ; for if we do
not, we cannot obtain it.'

What words are these, my friends? what rash words are these, which
men thrust into Scripture out of their own carnal conceits, as if
they could improve upon the speech of the Son of Man Himself? He
says, not that to know God is the way to eternal life: but rather
that eternal life is the way to know God. He does not say, This is
to know God and Jesus Christ, _in order that_ they may have eternal
life. Whatever He says, He does not say that. Nay, more, if we are
to be very exact (and can we be too exact?) with the Lord's words,
He says, that 'This is eternal life, _in order that_ they may know
God and Jesus Christ.' Not that we are to know God that we may
obtain eternal life, but that we must have eternal life in order
that we may know God; that eternal life is the means, and the
knowledge of God the end and purpose for which eternal life is given
us. However this may be, at least He says what the noble collect
which we repeat every Sunday says, 'That our eternal life stands in
the knowledge of God,' depends on it, and will fall without it.

'That we may know God.' Not merely that we may know doctrines about
salvation, and the ways of winning God's favour, and turning away
His vengeance; not merely to know what God has done ages ago, or may
do ages hence, for us: but to know God Himself; to know His person,
His likeness, His character; and what He is, and what He does, now
and always; to know His righteousness, His goodness, His truth, His
love, His mercy, His strength, His willingness and mightiness to
save; in a word, what the Bible calls His glory; and therefore to
admire and delight in Him utterly. That is what our eternal life
stands in; that is why G