ife. Thus shall you also instruct others how they
may come also to the same light. For your whole duty is discharged in
this, that you confess what God has done for you; and then let this
be your chief aim, that you may make this known openly, and call
every one to the light, whereto ye have been called. Where you see
people who are ignorant, you are to direct and teach them as you have
learned, namely, how a man may be saved through the virtue and power
of God, and pass from darkness to light.

[Footnote 2: In the German, _tugend_ or virtue.]

And here you observe that St. Peter plainly says, that there is only
one single light, and concludes that all our reason, however
sharp-sighted it is, is mere darkness; for although reason may count
one, two, three, and also discern what is black or white, great or
small, and judge outwardly of other matters, still it cannot
understand what faith is. Herein it is stark blind, and if all men
should put their shrewdness together, they could not understand a
letter of this divine wisdom. Therefore St. Peter speaks here of
another light, that is truly wonderful; and tells us earnestly, all
alike, that we are all in darkness and blindness if God hath not
called us to his true light.

Experience teaches us this, also. For when it is preached that we
cannot come before God by our works, but must have a mediator, who
may come into God's presence and may reconcile us to him, reason must
confess that she never could have known such a thing; so that if she
would understand it she must have another light and knowledge.
Therefore all that is not of God's word and faith is darkness. For
here reason gropes like a blind man,--is ever changing from this to
that, and knows not what it does. But if we speak in this manner to
the worldly, learned, or wise, they begin to cry out and bluster
against it. Therefore St. Peter is a bold Apostle indeed, in that he
dares make that darkness that all the world calls light.

So we see that the first and most eminent office which we as
Christians are to discharge is, that we should make known the praise
of God. What then are the praiseworthy things and the noble deeds
which God has put forth? They are, as we have often said, that
Christ, through the power of God, has wounded death, chained hell,
subdued sin and brought us to eternal life: these are praises so
great that by no man are they possibly to be conceived; we can only
be silent. Therefore it is of