Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	death_n	life_n	sin_n	6,908	5	4.5162	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08833	The benefite of Christs death, or the glorious riches of Gods free grace which euery true beleeuer receiues by Iesus Christ, and him crucified. First compiled and printed in the Italian tongue: and afterwards translated and printed in the French tongue: and out of French into English, by A.G.; Beneficio di Christo. English	Benedetto, da Mantova, fl. 1534-1541.; Flaminio, Marco Antonio, 1498-1550.; Golding, Arthur, 1536-1606, attributed name.; Paleario, Aonio, 1503-1570, attributed name.	1633 (1633)	STC 19117; ESTC S107303	48,174	106

his onely begotten and deare-beloued Son to the faithfull soule which hath not any other thing peculiar of her owne saue onely sinne and yet the Sonne of God hath not disdained to take her for his wel-beloued Spouse together with her peculiar dowry which is sinne And now by reason of the vnion which is in this holy marriage looke what the one hath is also the others Iesus Christ therefore saith thus The dowry of mans soule my deare wife that is to wit her sinnes and transgressings of the Law Gods wrath against her the boldnesse of the diuell ouer her the prison of hell and all other her euils are become mine and are in my power to doe what I list with them Wherefore it is at my choice to deale with them at my pleasure and therefore I will put out the hand-writing which is against the soule my wife I will take it out of the way I will fasten it to my crosse in mine owne body and in the same will I spoile principalities and powers and make a shew of them openly and triumph ouer them and consume them vtterly vnto nothing Now when God saw his Sonne who knew no sinne neither had any sinne in him thus willingly taking on him the foulenesse of our iniquity he made him to be sinne for vs euen the very sacrifice for our sinne and did sharply punish our sinne in him putting him to death euen the death of the Crosse Howbeit forasmuch as he was his wel-beloued and obedient Sonne he would not leaue him to death nor suffer his holy One to see corruption but raised him vp from death to life giuing him all power in heauen and earth and set him at his right hand in glory Now then the wife likewise with exceeding great ioy doth say The Realmes and Kingdomes of my most deare husband and Sauiour are mine by him I am an heire of Heauen my husbands riches that is to wit his holinesse his innocency his righteousnesse and his Godhead together with all his vertue and might are mine and for me and therefore in him I am holy innocent righteous and godly and there is not any spot in me I am well-fauoured and faire inasmuch as my lawfull husband hath not any blemish in him but is altogether goodly faire And sith that he is wholly mine and so consequently all that he hath is mine and all that he hath is pure and holy it followeth that I also am pure and holy Therefore to begin at his most innocent birth he hath thereby sanctified the birth of his Spouse conceiued in sinne The godly child-hood and youth of the Bridegroome hath iustified the childish and youthfull life of his dearely beloued Bride For the loue and vnion that is betwixt the soule of a true Christian and the Bridegroome Iesus Christ maketh all the workes of either of them to be common to them both By reason whereof when a man saith Iesus Christ hath fasted Iesus Christ hath prayed Iesus Christ was heard of the Father raised the dead draue diuels out of men healed the sicke dyed rose againe and ascended into Heauen Likewise a man may say that a Christian man hath done all the selfe-same workes forsomuch as the workes of Christ are the workes of the Christian because hath done them for him Verily a man may say that the Christian hath bin nailed to the Crosse buried raised againe is gone vp into heauen become the child of God and made partaker of the Godhead On the other side all the works that a Christian man doth are Christs workes because it is his will to take them for his And forasmuch as they be vnperfect and he throughly perfect and cannot away with any vnperfect thing he hath made them perfect with his vertues to the end that his wife should be alwayes ioyfull and well contented and not be afraid of any thing assuring her selfe that although there be yet still some default in her workes yet notwithstanding they be acceptable to God in respect of his Sonne vpon whom he hath his eyes alwayes fastened O that vnmeasurable goodnesse of God! How greatly is the Christian bound vnto God there is no loue of man be it neuer so great that may be compared with the loue that God beareth to the soule of euery faithfull Christian whereof Christ is the Bridegroome Whereupon S. Paul saith that Iesus Christ hath so loued his wife the Church which is builded of liuing stones that is of the soules of the beleeuing Christians that for to sanctifie her he hath offered himselfe to the death of the Crosse cleansing her with the washing of water by his Word to ioyne her to himselfe a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle or other like thing but that she should be holy and vnblameable that is to wit like vnto him in holinesse and innocency and also bee the true and lawfull daughter of God who hath loued the world so well that as Iesus Christ himselfe saith hee hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne to the end that euery one which beleeued in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting For God sent not his Son into the world to condemne the world but to the end that the World might be saued by him insomuch that hee which beleeueth in him shall not be damned Some man might demand after what manner the vnion of this holy Marriage is made and how the Soule which is the Bride and her Bridegroome Iesus Christ are knit together What assurance can I haue that my soule is vnited vnto Iesus Christ and become his Spouse How can I assuredly glory that I am Queene and Mistresse of his great riches as a wife may I can easily beleeue that other folkes shall receiue this honour and glory but I cannot perswade my selfe that I am one of those same to whom God hath giuen so great grace For I know mine owne wretchednesse imperfection My deare-beloued brother I answer thee that thine assurance consisteth in true and liuely faith wherewith as S. Peter saith God cleanseth mens hearts And this faith is grounded in the beleeuing of the Gospell that is to say in the beleeuing of the glad tidings which haue bin published on Gods behalfe thorow the whole world which tidings containeth in effect that God hath vsed the rigorousnesse of his iustice against Iesus Christ chastising and punishing all our sinnes in him And whosoeuer receiueth this good tidings and beleeues it stedfastly hath the true faith and doth enioy the forgiuenesse of his sinnes and is also reconciled vnto God and of the child of wrath is become the child of Grace and recouering the Image of God entreth into the Kingdome of God and is made the Temple of God who marrieth mans soule to his onely Sonne by the meane of this faith which faith is a worke of God and the gift of God as S. Paul saith oftentimes And God giueth it vnto those whom he calleth to him

am as sure that I haue obtained it and that I haue his fauour as I am sure that hee which hath made the promises and couenants cannot lye nor deceiue and through this stedfast faith I become righteous by Christs righteousnesse where through I am saued and my conscience quieted Hath he not giuen his most innocent body into the hands of sinners for our sinnes Hath hee not shed his blood to wash away my iniquities Why then doest thou vexe thy selfe O my soule put thy trust in the Lord who beareth thee so great loue that to deliuer thee from eternall death it hath pleased him that his only Sonne should suffer death and passion who hath taken vpon himselfe our pouertie to giue vs his riches laid our weakenesse vpon himselfe to stablish vs in his strength become mortall to make vs immortall come downe vnto the earth to aduance vs vp to heauen and become the Sonne of man with vs to make vs the children of God with himselfe Who is he then that shall accuse vs God is he that iustifieth vs and who shall condemne vs Iesus Christ is dead for vs yea and risen againe for vs and he sitteth at the right hand of God making Intercession for vs. Wherefore say with Dauid Why art thou heauy O my soule and why doest thou trouble mee doest thou see nothing but the Law sinne wrath heauinesse death hell and the diuell Is there not now to be seene Grace remission of sinnes Righteousnesse Consolation Ioy Peace Life Heauen Christ and God Trouble mee no more then O my soule for what is the Law what is sinne what is death and the diuell in comparison of these things Therefore trust in God who hath not spared his owne deare Sonne but giuen him to the death of the crosse for thy sinnes and hath giuen thee victory through him This is the sweet doctrine of the Gospell which I desire that all Christians could receiue with Thanksgiuing and an assured faith for then would Christ be nothing but Ioy and sweetnesse to them then would they take heart in the victory of Christs death who indeed was made a curse for vs subiect to wrath putting vpon him our person and laid our sinnes vpon his owne shoulders and he hath made with vs this happy change that is to say hee tooke vpon him our sinfull person and gaue vnto vs his innocent and victorious person wherewith wee being now cloathed are free from the curse of the Law And therefore may euery poore sinner say with an assured confidence Thou Christ art my sinne and my curse or rather I am thy sinne and thy curse and contrariwise thou art my Righteousnesse my Blessing and my Life my Grace of God and my Heauen And thus if wee by faith doe behold this brazen Serpent Christ hanging vpon the Crosse wee shall see the Law sinne death the diuell and hell killed by his death and so may with the Apostle Paul sing that ioying heart Dittie Thankes be to God who hath giuen vs victory through our Lord Iesus Christ And so with these Thankesgiuings with these or such other like thoughts must wee receiue the Sacrament of the body and blood of our Lord Iesus Christ After this manner is all fearefulnesse driuen out of the soule of the Christian and charitie is increased faith strengthened the conscience quieted and the tongue neuer ceaseth to praise God and to yeeld him infinite thanks for so great a benefit This is the vertue efficacie and only trust of our soule This is the Rocke whereupon if the conscience bee builded it feareth neither tempest nor the gates of hell nor Gods wrath nor the Law nor sinne nor death nor the diuels nor any other thing And forasmuch as the substance of the Lords Supper and Table consisteth in this diuine Sacrament When the Christian is at it he must hold his eyes fastened continually vpon the passion of our gracious Sauiour beholding him on the one side vpon the crosse loden with all our sinnes and GOD on the other side punishing chastising and whipping his owne onely begotten and deare beloued Sonne in stead of vs. O happy is that man that shutteth his eyes from all other sights and will neither heare nor see any other thing then Iesus Christ crucified in whom are laid vp and bestowed all the treasures of Gods wisedome and diuine knowledge Blessed say I is he that feedeth his minde with so heauenly a food and maketh himselfe drunken in the loue of God with so sweet and singular a liquor But before I make an end of this matter I will first aduertise the Christian that Saint Austin hath ordinarily beene wont to terme this holy Sacrament the bond of charitie and the mystery of vnitie And hee saith that whosoeuer receiueth the mystery of vnitie and regardeth not the bond of peace receiueth not the Sacrament to his owne behoofe but as a witnesse against himselfe Therefore wee must vnderstand that the Lord hath ordained this holy Sacrament not only to make vs sure of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes but also to inflame vs to peace vnitie and brotherly charitie For in this Sacrament the Lord doth after such a manner make vs partakers of his body as hee becommeth all one thing with vs and wee with him By reason whereof forasmuch as hee hath but one body whereof hee maketh vs partakers it is meet that we also should by such partaking become all one body together among our selues And this vnion is represented by the bread of the Sacrament which as it is made of many graines mingled and kneaded together in such wise as one of them cannot bee discerned from another So also must we bee ioyned together after such a sort and so vnited together into one agreement of minde as no diuision may creepe in And this doth Saint Paul shew vs when he saith Is not the cup of blessing which wee blesse the communion of the blood of Iesus Christ is not the bread that wee breake the communion of the body of Iesus Christ whereas we be many yet are wee but one bread and one body forsomuch as we be all partakers of one bread By these things we vnderstand that when we receiue his most holy communion wee must consider that wee are all of vs ingrafted into Christ and are all become members of one selfe-same body that is to wit of Iesus Christ in such wise as we cannot offend defame or despise any of our brethren but we must therewithall offend defame and despise our said head Iesus Christ neither can we be at variance with any of our brethren but in like wise we must be at oddes with him Also we cannot loue him except wee loue him in our brethren Looke how much care we haue of our owne body so much must we haue of our Christian brethren who are the members of our body And like as no part of our body feeleth any griefe which spreadeth not it selfe into

all the other parts so ought wee to determine with our selues that our brother feeleth not any inconuenience which should not mooue vs to compassion With such manner of thoughts must we prepare our selues to this holy Sacrament quickning vp our spirits with a feruent loue to our neighbourward For what greater spurre can we haue to pricke vs to loue one another then to see that Iesus Christ by giuing himselfe vnto vs not only allureth vs to giue our selues one to another but also by making himselfe common to vs all maketh vs also to be all one selfe-same thing in him In respect whereof we ought to couet and procure that in all of vs there may be but one minde one heart and one tongue accorded and vnited together in thoughts words and deeds And wee must marke well that as oft as wee receiue this holy and worthy Sacrament wee bind our selues to all the duties of charitie as not to offend any of our brethren nor to leaue any thing vndone that may bee profitable and helpefull in their necessitie But if there come any to this heauenly Table of the Lord that are diuided at variance with their brethren the same must assure themselues that they eate vnworthily and are guiltie of the body and blood of the Lord and that they eate and drinke their owne damnation for that there wanted nothing on their behalfe but that the body of Iesus Christ was rent and plucked in pieces againe whilest they by hatred are diuided from their brethren that is to wit from the members of Iesus Christ and haue not any part with him and yet neuerthelesse in receiuing this holy communion pretended to beleeue that their whole saluation consisteth in the participation and vnion with Iesus Christ Then let vs goe my brethren to the receiuing of this heauenly bread to celebrate the remembrance of our Lords passion and to strengthen and fortifie the beliefe and assurance of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes with the remembrance thereof and to quicken vp our minds and tongues to praise and exalt the infinite goodnesse of our God and finally to cherrish brotherly loue and to witnesse the same one to another by the straight vnion which all of vs haue in the body of our Lord Iesus Christ Besides prayer and the remembring of Baptisme and the often resorting to the most holy communion there is one other very good remedy against distrust and fearefulnesse which is no lesse friend to Christian charity namely the remembrance of our predestination and election to eternall life grounded vpon the Word of God which is the Sword of the H. Ghost wherewith we may beat backe our enemies Reioyce ye in this saith the Lord that your names are written in heauen There is no greater ioy in this life nor any thing that more comforteth the Christian that is afflicted tempted or falne into any sinne then the remembrance of predestination and the assuring of our selues that we be of the number of them whose names are written in the Booke of life and which are chosen to be fashioned like vnto the Image of Iesus Christ O how vnspeakeable is the comfort of him that hath this faith and museth continually in his heart vpon this exceeding sweet predestination whereby he knoweth that although he fall often yet notwithstanding God his Father who hath fore-ordained him to euerlasting life holdeth him vp and reacheth out his hand vnto him continually And he saith continually in himselfe If God haue chosen me and predestinated me to the glory of his children who can hinder me If God bee with vs saith S. Paul who can be against vs Nay rather to the end that the Predestination may be accomplished in vs he hath sent his deare-beloued Sonne who is a most sure earnest penny and pledge vnto vs that we which haue receiued the Grace of the Gospell are Gods Children chosen to eternall life This holy Predestination maintaineth the true Christian in a continuall spirituall ioy increaseth in him the indeauour of good workes and inflameth him with the loue of God and maketh him enemy to the world and to sinne Who is so fierce and hard-hearted which knowing that God of his mercy hath made him his child from euerlasting will not by and by be inflamed to loue God Who is of so vile and base courage that hee will not esteeme all the pleasures all the honours and all the riches of the world as filthy mire when he knowes that God hath made him a Citizen of heauen yea these are they that worship God rightly in spirit and truth receiuing all things as well in prosperity as in aduersity at the hand of God their Father and euermore praising and thanking him for all as their good Father who is righteous and holy in all his workes These being inflamed with the Loue of God and armed with the knowledge of their predestination feare neither death nor sin nor the diuell nor hell neither know they what the wrath of God is for they see none other thing in God but loue and fatherly kindnesse towards them And if they fall into any troubles they accept them as tokens of Gods fauour crying out with S. Paul Who is it that shall separate vs from Gods loue shall tribulations shall anguish shall persecution or hunger or nakednesse or perill or sword as it is written For thy sake are we killed all the day long and counted as sheepe appointed to the slaughter But in all these things we get the vpper hand through him that hath loued vs. Wherefore it is not for nought that Saint Iohn saith how the true Christians know right well that they must be saued and glorified and that by reason of the same affiance they make themselues holy as Iesus Christ is holy And when Saint Paul exhorteth his Disciples to a good and holy life he is wont to put them in remembrance of their election and predestination as of a thing of very great force to stirre vp the minds of the true Christians to the louing of God and to the performance of good workes And for the same cause our good Lord Iesus Christ speaketh openly of this holy predestination as one that knew of how great importance the knowledge thereof is to the edifying of his elect But perchance thou wilt say to me I know well that they whose names are written in heauen haue cause to liue in continuall ioy and glorifie God both in word and deed but I know not whether I am of that number or no and therefore I liue in continuall feare specially because I know my selfe to be an exceeding weake and fraile sinner from the violence whereof I am not able to defend my selfe but that I am ouercome of it daily And furthermore forasmuch as I see my selfe continually afflicted and troubled with diuers temptations mee thinkes I doe as it were behold with mine eyes the wrath of God scourging

of purpose to iustifie them and to glorifie them and to giue them euerlasting life according as our Lord Iesus Christ witnesseth saying This is the will of him that sent mee euen that euery one which seeth the Sonne and beleeueth in him should haue euerlasting life and I will raise him vp againe at the latter day And like as Moses lifted vp the Serpent in the Wildernesse so must the Sonne of man bee lifted vp to the end that euery one which beleeueth in him might not perish but haue life euerlasting Also he saith to Martha He that beleeueth in me shall liue although he were dead and euery one that liueth and beleeueth in mee shall not dye for euer And to a company of the Iewes he saith I am come a light into the world to the end that euery man which beleeueth in me should not abide in darkenesse And S. Iohn in his Epistle saith Herein appeared the loue of God towards vs for that God is loue and sent his onely begotten Son into this world that we might liue through him And herein is loue knowne not in that we loued God but in that he loued vs and sent his Son to make atonement for our sinnes And moreouer he sent him to destroy our enemies For the bringing whereof to passe he made him partaker of our flesh and of our blood as saith Saint Paul to the end that by his death hee might destroy him that had the dominion of death that is to wit the diuell and set all such at liberty as were subiect to bondage all their life long for feare of death Seeing then that we haue records of the holy Scripture concerning the promises whereof we haue spoken heretofore and concerning many other promises that are dispersed in diuers places of the same wee cannot doubt of it And forsomuch as the holy Scripture speaketh to all in generall none of vs ought to distrust in himselfe that the selfe-same thing which the Scripture saith should not belong particularly to himselfe And to the end that this point wherein lyeth and consisteth the whole mistery of our holy faith may be vnderstood the better let vs put the case that some good and holy King cause the Proclamation to be made thorow his whole Realme by the sound of a Trumpet that all Rebels and banished men shall safely returne home to their houses because that at the suite and desert of some deare friend of theirs it hath pleased him to pardon them certainly none of those Rebels ought to doubt of the obtaining of true pardon of his rebellion but rather ought assuredly to returne home to his house to liue vnder the shadow of that holy King And if he will not returne he shall beare the penaltie of it because that through his owne vnbeleefe hee dyeth in exile and in the displeasure of his Prince But this good King is the Lord of Heauen and Earth who for the obedience and desert of our good brother Iesus Christ hath pardoned vs all our sins and as we haue said afore hath made open Proclamation thorow the whold world that all of vs may safely returne into his kingdome Wherefore he that beleeueth this proclamation doth straight-wayes returne into Gods kingdome whereout we were driuen by the offence of our first parents and blessedly gouerned by Gods holy Spirit And he that giueth no credit to the said proclamation shall neuer inioy the said generall pardon but for his vnbeliefes fake shall abide in banishment vnder the tyranny of the diuell and liue and dye in extreme misery liuing and dying in the displeasure of the King of heauen and earth and that iustly For we cannot commit a greater offence against this good God then to account him as a lyer and deceiuer which verily wee doe in not giuing credit to his promises O how passing heauy is this deadly sinne of vnbeliefe which so farre forth as is possible bereaueth God of his glory and perfection besides the great harme that it doth to a mans selfe which is his owne damnation and the endlesse torment of his soule which the miserable conscience feeleth euen in this life But on the contrary hee that commeth vnto GOD with assurednesse of this faith beleeuing him without any mistrust or doubt of his promises and warranting himselfe for a certaintie that God will performe all that euer hee hath promised him giueth all the glory vnto God and liueth continually in rest and endlesse ioy euermore praising and thanking the Lord God for choosing him to the glory of the eternall life And hereof they haue an assured earnest penny and gage that is to wit the Sonne of God whom they take for their most louing Bridegroome the blood of whom hath made their hearts so drunken that through this passing holy beliefe there is in the Christian heart ingendred so liuely a hope and so certaine a trust of Gods mercy towards vs and such an operation is wrought in vs as we rest our selues wholly vpon God leauing the whole care of vs vnto him in such wise that being throughly assured of Gods good will wee are not afraid neither of the diuell nor of his ministers nor of death Which holy and stedfast trust of Gods mercy inlargeth our heart cheereth it vp and with certaine marueilous sweet affections directeth it vnto GOD filling it and setting it on fire with an exceeding feruent loue And therefore Paul incourageth vs to go with all boldnesse to the Throne of grace and hee counselleth vs that wee should not shake it off nor make light of our trust which hath great recompence reward But this so holy and diuine affiance is gendred in our hearts by the working of the H. Ghost who is cōmunicated vnto vs by faith which neuer goeth without the loue of God And hereof it cōmeth that we be prouoked to do good works with a certaine liuelinesse effectuall cheerefulnesse whereby we gather such a strength inclination to do them as we be throughly ready forward to do suffer all intolerable things for the loue glory of our most gracious mercifull Father who hath inriched vs with so abundant grace through Iesus Christ and of his enemies made vs his most deare children This true faith is no sooner giuen a man but hee is by and by indued and imprinted with a certaine violent loue of good works to yeeld right sweet and amiable fruits both vnto God likewise to his neighbour as a very good and fruitfull tree And it is no more possible that he should be otherwise then it is possible that a fagot should be set on fire not cast light immediatly This is the holy faith without the which it is vnpossible that any man should please God whereby all the holy men as well of the old Testament as of the New haue bin saued according as S. Paul witnesseth of Abraham concerning whom the Scripture saith That

Also he affirmeth the same thing in an Epistle which he writeth to Irenaeus saying Let no man boast of his owne workes for no man becommeth righteous by his owne workes but he that hath righteousnesse hath it of free gift forsomuch as he is made righteous by Iesus Christ Then is it faith that deliuereth by Christs blood for happy is he whose sinne is forgiuen and pardoned And S. Bernard in his threescore and seuenteenth Sermon vpon the Ballet of Ballets confirmeth the same saying that our owne merits beare no sway at all in making vs righteous which thing must be attributed wholly vnto grace which maketh vs righteous freely and likewise dischargeth vs from the bondage of sinne And he addeth that Iesus Christ marrieth the soule and coupleth it vnto himselfe by faith without that any desert of our workes ought or can come betweene But because I will not be too long I will make an end of mine allegations when I haue vttered one very notable and good saying of Saint Ambrose in his booke intituled of Iacob concerning the blessed life The said holy man saith that like as Iacoh hauing not on his own behalfe deserued the birth-right shrowded himselfe vnder the apparell of his brother and clothed himselfe with his garment which yeelded a very sweet sent and in that wise presented himselfe to his father to receiue the blessing vnder another mans person to his owne behoofe euen so is it requisit for vs to clothe our selues with the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ by faith and to shrowd ourselues vnder the diuine purenesse of our eldest brother if we will be receiued for righteous afore God And certainely this is true For if we appeare before God vnclothed of the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ out of all doubt we shall be iudged worthy of euerlasting damnation But contrariwise if God see vs apparelled with the righteousnesse of his Sonne Christ then will he surely take vs for righteous and holy and worthy of eternall life And verily it is a great rashnesse in such as pretend to attaine to righteousnesse by the keeping of Gods Commandements which are all comprehended in louing God with all our heart with all our soule and with all our strength and our neighbour as our selfe But who is so arrogant or so mad as to presume that he is able to performe those Commandements to the full Or who seeth not that Gods Law requireth perfect loue and condemneth all vnperfectnesse Let euery man consider well his owne workes which partly shall seeme good vnto him and he shall find that they ought rather to be called transgressions of that most holy Law according also as they be altogether vncleane and vnperfit so that he must be faine to vtter this saying of Dauids Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for no man liuing shall be found righteous in thy sight And Salomon saith Who is he that may say My heart is cleane And Iob cryeth out What man is he that can be vndefiled and what man borne of woman can shew himselfe righteous Behold he found no stedfastnesse among his Saints yea the heauens are not cleane in his sight How much more abominable and filthy is man who drinketh iniquity as it were water And Saint Iohn saith If we say we be without sinne wee deceiue our selnes And specially our Sauiour Iesus Christ teacheth vs to say as often as we pray Forgiue vs all our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. And hereby may well be gathered the folly of those that make marchandise of their workes presuming to saue by them not onely themselues but also their neighbours as though our Lord Iesus Christ had not said vnto them When ye haue done all that euer is commanded you say ye We be vnprofitable seruants we haue done but as we ought to doe Ye see that although we had performed Gods Law to the full yet neuerthelesse we should esteeme and call our selues vnprofitable seruants Now then seeing that men are so farre off from this full performance who is he that dareth be so bold as to glorifie himselfe that he hath added so great an ouerplus of deseruings aboue the full measure as he may haue to deale abroad vnto others But to returne to our purpose I would that the proud sinner which beareth himselfe in hand that he maketh himselfe righteous before God by doing some works which are allowable to the world would consider that all the workes which proceed out of an vncleane and foule heart are also vncleane and filthy and consequently cannot be acceptable vnto God nor haue any power to make the party righteous Therefore we must first of all cleanse the heart if we mind that our workes should please God The cleansing of the heart proceedeth of faith as the holy Ghost affirmeth by the mouth of St. Peter Then must we not say that the vnrighteous person and the sinner becommeth righteous good and acceptable vnto God by his owne workes but we must of necessity conclude that faith cleanseth our hearts and maketh vs good righteous and acceptable before God and furthermore causeth our workes to please him notwithstanding that they be altogether vnprofitable and vnperfit For inasmuch as we be become the children of God through faith he considereth our workes not as a seuere and rigorous Iudge but as a most mercifull Father hauing pitty of our frailenesse and regarding vs as the members of his eldest sonne whose perfection and righteousnesse doth supply all our vncleannesse and imperfection which are not layed to our charge forsomuch as they be couered vnder the purenesse and innocency of Iesus Christ and come not to iudgement before God And hereupon it commeth to passe that all our workes which proceed of true faith notwithstanding that they be wholly sinfull and corrupt of themselues shall neuerthelesse be praised and allowed by Iesus Christ in the generall iudgement because they be the fruits and testimonies of our faith whereby we be saued For insomuch as we haue loued the brethren of Iesus Christ we shall shew euidently that we haue also beene faithfull and brethren of Christ and therefore by faith we shall be put in full possession of the euerlasting Kingdome which our Soueraigne Lord God hath prepared for vs before the creating of the world not for our merits sake but through his mercy whereby he hath chosen vs and called vs to the Grace of his Gospell and made vs righteous to the intent to glorifie vs euerlastingly with his onely begotten Son Iesus Christ who is the holinesse and righteousnesse of vs but not of them which will not confesse that faith is sufficient of it selfe to make a man righteous and acceptable to the Lord God who through his Fatherly goodnesse and louing kindnesse offereth and giueth vs Iesus Christ with his righteousnes without any desert of our owne workes What thing can worke or cause a

to Paradise By this false conclusion thou mayest know my brother in what an errour thou art for thou weenest to haue the faith that maketh men righteous and thou hast it not Thou sayest thou art rich and hast no need of any thing and thou seest not how thou art poore wretched blind and naked I counsell to buy gold of God that is throughly fixed with fire that is to say true faith set on fire with good works to the intent thou mayest become rich and to cloath thy selfe with white rayment that is to wit with Christs innocency to the end that the shame of thy nakednesse which is the great filthinesse of thy sins be not seene to the whole world Then is the iustifying faith as it were a flame of fire which cannot but cast forth brightnesse And like as the flame burneth the wood without the helpe of the light and yet the flame cannot be without the light so is it assuredly true that faith alone consumeth and burneth away sinne without the helpe of workes and yet that the same faith cannot be without good workes Wherefore like as if we see a flame of fire that giueth no light we know by and by that it is but vaine and painted euen so when we see not some light of good workes in a man it is a token that he hath not the true inspired faith which God giueth to his chosen to iustifie and glorifie them withall And hold it for certaine that S. Iames meant so when hee said Shew me thy faith by thy workes and I will shew thee my faith by my workes For his meaning was that he which is plunged in ambitiousnesse and worldly pleasures beleeueth not though he say he beleeue forasmuch as he sheweth not in himselfe the effects of faith Also we may liken this holy faith to the Godhead which is in Iesus Christ who being very man but without sin did wonderfull things healing the sicke giuing sight to the blind walking vpon the water and raising vp the dead vnto life againe and yet these marueilous workes were not the cause that he was God For before he did any of those things he was God and the lawfull and onely begotten Son of God and he need not to worke those miracles to make himselfe God by them but forasmuch as he was God therefore he did them And so the miracles that Christ wrought made him not to be God but shewed openly that he was God In like wise true faith is as it were a Godhead in the soule of a Christian which doth wondrous workes and is neuer weary of well-doing and yet those workes are not the cause that a Christian is a Christian that is to wit that he is righteous good holy and acceptable vnto God neither needeth he to worke all those good workes to become such a one But forasmuch as hee is a Christian by faith like as Iesus Christ being a man was also God by his Godhead he doth all those good workes which make not the Christian to be righteous and good but shew him to bee good righteous and holy So then like as Christs Godhead was the cause that he wrought miracies euen so faith working through loue is the cause of the good workes that a Christian man doth And like as a man may say of Iesus Christ that he hath done this miracle or that and that those miracles besides that they glorified God were also a great honor vnto Iesus Christ as he was man who for his obedience euen vnto death was recompenced at Gods hand in his resurrection and had giuen vnto him all power both in heauen and earth which he had not afore as in respect of his manhood but deserued it by the vnion which is betwixt the Word of God and the manhood of Christ So doth faith in a Christian which faith by reason of the vnion that it hath with the soule attributeth that thing to the one which is proper to the other whereupon it commeth that the holy Scripture promiseth the Christian euerlasting life for his good works because good works are the fruits and testimonies of liuely faith and proceed of it as light proceedeth from a flame of fire according as I haue said heretofore And by this holy faith which imbraceth Iesus Christ it comes to passe that our soule is ioyned with Christ and is so vnited and knit to him that whatsoeuer Christ hath merited and deserued the same is imputed vnto the soule as though it had merited and deserued it And therefore S. Austin saith that God crowneth his owne gifts in vs. Of this vnion of the soule with Iesus Christ Christ himselfe beareth good record where hee prayeth to his Father for his Apostles and for such as should beleeue in him by their preaching I pray not saith he for them onely but also for all those that shall beleeue in me through their word to the end they may be all one thing that like as thou my Father art in me and I in thee so they also may be one in vs and that the world may beleeue that thou hast sent me and that I haue giuen them the glory which thou hast giuen me so as they should be one selfe-fame thing like as thou and I are one Whereby it appeareth euidently that if we beleeue the word of the Apostles who preached that Iesus Christ dyed for our sins rose againe for our iustification we become all one thing with him and forasmuch as he is all one with God we also become all one with God by the meane of Iesus Christ O wonderfull glory of the Christian to whom it is granted through faith to possesse the vnspeakeable benefits which the Angels long to behold By this present discourse a man may plainely perceiue the difference that is betwixt vs them that defend the iustification by faith and workes together Herein we agree with thē that we stablish works affirming that the faith which iustifieth cannot be without good workes and that those which are become righteous are they that doe the good workes that may rightly be called good workes But we differ from them in this that we say that faith maketh men righteous without the helpe of workes And the reason is ready namely because that by faith we put on Christ make his holinesse and righteousnesse to be ours And seeing the case so standeth that Christs righteousnesse is giuen vs by faith We cannot be so thanklesse blind and vnhappy as not to beleeue that he is of sufficient ability to make vs acceptable and right before God Let vs say with the Apostle If the bloud of Oxen and Goats and the Ashes of a Cow sprinkled cleanseth the vncleane as touching the cleansing of the flesh how much more shall that bloud of Iesus Christ who by the euerlasting spirit offered himselfe vndefiled vnto God to cleanse our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God