My friends, how else could it be? How can you see life, but by
seeing some one live it? You cannot see a man's life, unless you see
him live such and such a life, or hear of his living such and such a
life, and so knowing what his life, manners, character, are. And so
no one could have seen God's life, or known what life God lived, and
what character God's was, had it not been for the incarnation of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who was made flesh, and dwelt among us, that by
seeing him, the Son, we might see the Father, whose likeness he was,
and is, and ever will be.

But now, says St. John, we know what God's eternal life is; for we
know what Christ's life was on earth. And more, we know that it is a
life which men may live; for Christ lived it perfectly and utterly,
though He was a man.

What sort of life, then, is everlasting life?

Who can tell altogether and completely? And yet who cannot tell in
part? Use the common sense, my friends, which God has given to you,
and think;--If eternal life be the life of God, it must be a good
life; for God is good. That is the first, and the most certain thing
which we can say of it. It must be a righteous and just life; a
loving and merciful life; for God is righteous, just, loving,
merciful; and more, it must be an useful life, a life of good works;
for God is eternally useful, doing good to all his creatures, working
for ever for the benefit of all which he has made.

Yes--a life of good works. There is no good life without good works.
When you talk of a man's life, you mean not only what he feels and
thinks, but what he does. What is in his heart goes for nothing,