Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	believe_v	faith_n	lord_n	3,568	5	3.9247	3	false

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

Iesus Christ doe continually reioyce with an vnspeakeable and glorious ioy notwithstanding that they be afflicted with diuers temptations And therefore when the holy Scripture threatneth and frayeth the Christians they must vnderstand that it speaketh to such as are so licentious that forsomuch as they keepe not the thankefulnesse and honesty that belong to Gods children they must bee handled as seruants and held in awe vntill they come to taste and feele how sweet and pleasant the Lord is and vntill such time as faith worke his effects in them and that they haue so much childly loue as may suffice to keepe and maintaine them in honesty of Christian conuersation and in following the example of our Lord Iesus Christ And when the selfe-same Scripture exhorteth Christians to the true feare it meaneth not that they should feare the iudgement and wrath of God as though it were presently ready to condemne them for as I haue said already by the record which the holy Ghost giueth to their spirit they know that God hath chosen them and called them of his owne meere mercy and not for their deserts By reason whereof they doubt not at all but that by the self-same goodnesse and mercy he will maintaine them in the happy state wherein he hath placed them And after such manner the Scripture exhorteth them not to slauish feare but to childish feare that is to wit that like good children they should bee loth to offend against the Christian Religion or to commit any thing against the dutie and honesty of Gods true children and likewise to grieue the holy Ghost that dwelleth in them to the end that knowing the corruptednesse of our nature we should alwayes be heedfull and diligent and neuer haue any trust in our selues for in our flesh and in our minds doe the appetites and affections continually dwell which as deadly enemies of the soule lay a thousand snares and baites for vs incessantly labouring to make vs proud ambitious lecherous and couetous This is the feare whereunto the whole Scripture exhorteth the Christians that haue once tasted how sweet the Lord is and which bestow all their endeauour in following Christs foot-steps who cast not from them this holy feare because they labour to put off the old man And the good Christians must neuer bereaue themselues quite and cleane of this childly feare which is the singular friend of Christian charitie like as the slauish feare is such an enemy vnto it as they can by no meanes dwell together And by the foresaid things a man may plainly perceiue that the good Christian ought neuer to doubt of the forgiuenesse of his sins nor of Gods fauour Neuerthelesse for the better satisfying of the Reader I purpose to set downe herevnder certaine authorities of the holy Doctors which confirme this foresaid truth St. Hilary in his fifth Canon vpon Matthew saith It is Gods will that we should hope without any doubting of his vnknowne will For if the beleefe be doubtfull there can be no righteousnesse obtained by beleeuing And thus we see that according to S. Hilary a man obtaineth not forgiuenesse of his sinnes at Gods hand except he beleeue vndoubtedly to obtaine it And good right it is that it should be so For he that doubteth is like a waue of the Sea which is tossed and turmoyled with the wind And therefore let not such a one thinke to obtaine any thing at Gods hand But let vs heare S. Austin who in his Manuell counselleth vs to driue away the said foolish imagination which intendeth to dispossesse vs of the foresaid good and sage assurednesse Let such foolish imagination saith he murmure as much as it listeth saying Who are thou how great is that glory by what deserts hopest thou to obtaine it I answer assuredly I know in whom I haue beleeued and I know that hee of his great loue hath made me his sonne I know he is true of his promise and able to performe his word for he can doe what he will And when I thinke vpon the Lords death the multitude of my sinnes cannot dismay me for in his death doe I put all my trust His death is my whole desert it is my refuge it is my saluation my life and resurrection and the mercy of the Lord is my desert I am not poore of desert so long as the Lord of mercy faileth me not And sith the mercies of the Lord are many many also are my deseruings The more that he is of power to saue the more am I sure to be saued The same S. Austin talking with God in another place saith that he had despaired by reason of his great sinnes and infinite negligences if the Word of God had not become flesh And anon after he saith these words All my hope all the assurance of my trust is settled in his precious bloud which was shed for vs and for our saluation In him my poore heart taketh breath and putting my whole trust in him I long to come vnto thee O Father not hauing mine owne righteousnesse but that righteousnesse of thy Sonne Iesus Christ In these two places St. Austin sheweth plainely that the Christian must not be afraid but assure himselfe of righteousnesse by grounding himselfe not vpon his owne workes but vpon the precious bloud of Iesus Christ which cleanseth vs from all our sinnes and maketh our peace with God Saint Bernard in his first Sermon vpon the Annunciation saith most euidently that it is not ynough to beleeue that a man can haue forgiuenesse of his sinnes but by Gods mercy nor any one good desire or ability to doe so much as one good worke except God giue it him no nor that a man cannot deserue eternall life by his workes but if God giue him the gift so to beleeue But besides all these things saith Saint Bernard which ought rather to be counted a certaine entrance and foundation of our faith it is needfull that thou beleeue also that thy sinnes are forgiuen thee for the Loue of Iesus Christ See how this holy man confesseth that it is not ynough to beleeue generally the forgiuenesse of sinnes but he must also beleeue particularly that his owne sinnes are forgiuen him by Iesus Christ and the reason is ready at hand namely that forasmuch as God hath promised thee to accept thee for righteous through the merits of Iesus Christ if thou beleeue not that thou art become righteous through him thou makest God a lyer and consequently thou makest thy selfe vnworthy of his grace and liberality But thou wilt say to me I beleeue well the forgiuenesse of sinnes and I know that God is true but I am afraid that I am not worthy to haue so great a gift I answer that the forgiuenesse of thy sinnes shall not be a gift or free grace but a wages if God should giue it thee for the worthynesse of thy workes But I reply vpon thee that God accepteth thee

man to deserue so great a gift and treasure as Iesus Christ is This treasure is giuen only through the grace fauour and mercifulnesse of God and onely faith is the thing that receiueth such a gift as to make vs inioy the forgiuenesse of our sinnes And therefore when S. Paul and other Doctors say that onely faith maketh men righteous without works they meane that it maketh vs to enioy the generall forgiuenesse of our sinnes and to receiue Iesus Christ who as saith S. Paul dwelleth in our hearts by faith and ouercomming and pacifying the troubles of our consciences satisfieth Gods iustice for our sinnes Furthermore it appeaseth Gods wrath iustly moued against vs quencheth the fire of hell whereinto our naturall corruption did throw vs headlong and cheerefully destroyeth and ouerthroweth the diuell together with all his power and tyranny Which things all the workes that all the men in the world can lay together are not able to deserue nor to bring to passe That glory and that prerogatiue is reserued all onely to the Sonne of God that is to wit to the blessed Iesus Christ who hath power aboue all the powers that are in Heauen in Earth and in Hell and giueth himselfe and his merits to all such as distrusting in themselues doe set their whole hope of being saued in him and in his merits And therefore let no man beguile himselfe when he heareth it said that onely faith iustifieth without workes and thinke as false Christians doe who draw all things to liue fleshly that the true faith consisteth in beleeuing the bare story of Iesus Christ after the same manner as men beleeue the story of Caesar or Alexander Such manner of beleefe is but an historicall beleefe grounded meerely vpon the report of men and vpon their writings and lightly imprinted in our conceit by a certaine custome and is like to the faith of the Turks who for the like reasons beleeue the fables of their Alcoran And such a faith is but an imagination of man which neuer renueth the heart of man nor warmeth it with the loue of God neither do any good workes insue or any change of life which faith should bring forth And therefore they falsly hold opinion against the holy Scripture and against the holy Doctors of the Church that onely faith maketh not men righteous but that they must also haue workes Vnto whom I answer That this historicall and fond beliefe and all the workes that insue thereof are not onely vnable to make a man righteous but also doe cast the parties headlong to the bottome of hell like vnto those that haue no oyle in their lamps that is to say no liuely faith in their hearts The faith that maketh men righteous is a worke of God in vs whereby our old man is crucified and we being transformed in Iesus Christ become new creatures and the deare beloued children of God This heauenly faith is it that graffeth vs into the death and resurrection of Iesus Christ and consequently mortifieth our flesh with the effects and lusts thereof For when we by the operation of faith doe know our selues to be dead with Iesus Christ wee are at a full point with our selues and with the world and are throughly resolued how it is meet that they which are dead with Iesus Christ should mortifie their earthly members that is to wit the sinfull affections of their minde and the lusts of the flesh and forasmuch as wee know wee bee raised againe with Christ we bend our selues to the leading of a spirituall and holy life like vnto that which we shall liue in heauen after the last resurrection This holy faith making vs to inioy the generall pardon that is published by the Gospell bringeth vs into the kingdome of our good God and pacifieth our consciences maintaining vs in continuall ioy and holy and spirituall sweetnesse This selfe-same faith knitteth vs vnto God and maketh him to dwell in our hearts and clotheth our soule with himselfe so as thenceforth the holy Ghost mooueth vs to doe the same things whereunto hee mooued Iesus Christ while he was in the world and was conuersant among men that is to wit vnto lowlinesse meekenesse obedientnesse vnto God louingnesse and other perfections where-through wee recouer the image of God For these selfe-same causes Iesus Christ did rightly attribute blessednesse vnto this inspired faith which blessednesse cannot bee without good workes and holinesse of life And how can it be that a Christian should not become holy seeing that Iesus Christ is become his holinesse through faith Therefore by faith we be iustified and saued and therefore S. Paul doth in a manner alwaies call those Saints whom we call now Christians who if they haue not Christs Spirit are none of Christs and consequently no Christians at all But if they haue the Spirit of Iesus Christ to rule and gouerne them we must not doubt but that although they know well that they bee made righteous through faith onely yet for all that they will become neuer the more slothfull to do good works For Christs Spirit is the Spirit of loue and loue cannot be idle nor cease from the doing of good works But if wee will say the truth a man can doe no good works except he first know himselfe to be become righteous by faith for before he knoweth that his doing of good works is rather to make himselfe righteous then for the loue and glory of God and so he defileth all his works with selfe-loue for the loue of himselfe and for his owne profit But hee that knoweth himselfe to be become righteous by the merits and righteousnesse of Christ which hee maketh his owne by faith laboureth happily and doth good works all only for the loue and glory of Christ and not for loue of himselfe nor to make himselfe righteous And thereupon it commeth that the true Christian that is to wit he that accounteth himselfe righteous by reason of Christs righteousnesse asketh not whether good works be commanded or not but being wholly moued and prouoked with a certaine violence of godly loue he offereth himselfe willingly to doe all the works that are holy and Christian-like and neuer ceaseth to doe well Hee therefore which feeleth not the marueilous effects by his faith which we haue heretofore declared that the inspired faith works in the heart of the Christian Let him assure himselfe that he hath not the Christian faith and let him pray earnestly vnto God to giue it him saying Lord helpe mine vnbeliefe And when he heareth it said that only faith maketh men righteous let him not deceiue himselfe and say What need I to weary my selfe in doing good works faith is inough to send mee to Paradise To such an one I answer that only faith sendeth vs to Paradise but yet let him take good heed for the diuels doe also beleeue and tremble as saith Saint Iames O miserable man wilt thou goe with them

And therefore after that S. Paul hath said that as touching the righteousnesse of the law he had liued vnblameable he addeth And yet whatsoeuer I haue gained by it I haue accounted it in all respects to bee but losse for the loue of Christ And specially I esteeme all things to be losse for the excellent knowledge of Iesus Christ my Lord for whom I haue counted all things to be losse and deeme them but as dung so I may win Christ and be found in him not hauing mine owne righteousnesse which is of the law but the righteousnes which is by the faith of Iesus Christ which righteousnesse is giuen of God I meane the righteousnesse of faith that I may come to the knowledge of Iesus Christ O most notable words which all Christians ought to haue ingrauen in their hearts praying God to make them to taste it perfectly Loe how S. Paul sheweth plainely that whosoeuer knoweth Christ aright esteemeth all the works of the law to be hurtfull forsomuch as they make vs to swarue from our trust in Iesus Christ to whom euery man ought to impute his saluation and to trust only vnto him alone And to inforce this sentence the more he addeth further that he esteemeth all things but as dung so hee may gaine Christ and be found incorporated in him declaring thereby that whosoeuer trusteth in his owne works and pretendeth to iustifie himselfe by them getteth not Iesus Christ neither is ingrafted into him And forasmuch as the whole mystery of our faith consisteth in the truth hereof to the end we might the better vnderstand what he meant to say he addeth and repeateth oftentimes that he had nothing to doe with all the outward iustification and all the righteousnesse that is grounded vpon the keeping of the law but that he would clothe himselfe with the righteousnesse which God giueth by faith to all them that beleeue that all our sins are fully chastised and punished in Iesus Christ and that Iesus Christ as S. Paul saith is made our wisedome righteousnesse holinesse and redemption to the end as it is written that he which will glory should glory in the Lord and not in his own works Very true it is that in the holy Scriptures there are some texts to be found which being misunderstood seeme to gainesay this holy doctrine of S. Pauls and to attribute iustification and remission of sinnes vnto workes and to charity But those authorities haue already beene well expounded by some who haue shewed plainely that such as haue vnderstood them in the sense aforesaid vnderstood them not aright Wherefore my deare-beloued brethren let vs not follow the fond opinion of the bewitched Galatians but rather let vs follow the truth which St. Paul teacheth vs and let vs giue the whole glory of our iustification vnto Gods mercy and to the merits of his Sonne who by his owne bloodshed hath set vs free from the Soueraignty of the Law and from the tyranny of sinne and death and hath brought vs into the Kingdom of God to giue vs life and endlesse felicity I say yet further that he hath deliuered vs from the dominion of the law insomuch as he hath giuen vs his holy Spirit who teacheth vs all truth and that he hath satisfied the Law to the full and giuen the same satisfaction vnto all his members that is to wit to all true Christians so as they may safely appeare at Gods Throne because they be cloathed with the righteousnesse of his Christ and by him deliuered from the curse of the Law Then can not the law any more accuse vs or condemne vs nor mooue our affections or appetites nor increase sinne in vs. And therefore S. Paul saith that the obligation which was against vs is cancelled by Iesus Christ and discharged vpon the tree of the Crosse insomuch as he hath set vs free from the subiection of the Law and consequently from the tyranny of sinne and death which can no more hold vs oppressed because it is ouercome by Iesus Christ in his resurrection and so consequently by vs which are his members in such manner that wee may say with Saint Paul and with the Prophet Osee Death is quite vanquished and destroyed O death where is thy sting O Hell where is thy victory The sting of Death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law But God be praised who hath granted vs victory by our Lord Iesus Christ Hee is the blessed Seede that hath crushed the head of the venemous Serpent that is to wit of the diuell insomuch that all those which beleeue in Iesus Christ reposing their whole trust in his grace doe ouercome sinne death the Diuell and hell as Christ hath done He is that blessed Seede of Abraham in the which God hath promised blessednesse to all Nations It behooued euery particular person to fight with the said horrible Serpent and to deliuer himselfe from that curse But that enterprize was so great that all the force of the whole World knit together was not able to goe thorow with it Wherefore our God the Father of mercy being mooued with compassion of our miseries hath giuen vs his onely begotten Sonne who hath deliuered vs from the venime of the Serpent and is himselfe become our Blessednesse and Righteousnesse conditionally that we accept the same renouncing all our owne outward iustifications Then my deare brethren let vs imbrace the righteousnesse of our Lord Iesus Christ and let vs make it ours by meanes of faith let vs assure our selues that we bee righteous not for our owne workes but through the merits of Iesus Christ and let vs liue merrily and assured that the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ hath vtterly done away all our vnrighteousnesse and made vs good righteous and holy before God who beholding vs ingrafted into his Sonne by faith esteemeth vs not now any more as the children of Adam but as his owne children and hath made vs heires of all his riches with his owne begotten Sonne CHAP. IIII. Of the effects of liuely faith and of the vnion of mans Soule with Iesus Christ THis holy faith worketh after such a sort in vs that he which beleeueth that Iesus Christ hath taken all his sinnes vpon him becommeth like vnto Christ and ouercommeth sinne the diuell death and hell And the reason thereof is this namely that the Church that is to wit euery faithfull soule is Christs wife and Christ is her husband For we know how the law of marriage is that of two they become one selfe-same thing being two in one flesh and that the goods substance of either of them become common to them both by means wherof the husband saith that the dowry of the wife is his and likewise the wife saith that her husbands house and all his riches are hers and of a truth so they are for otherwise they should not be one flesh as the Scripture saith After the same manner hath God married

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

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

who cannot lye saith that his Spirit is vnknowne to the world and that they onely doe know him within whom hee dwelleth Then let them begin to become good Christians and put away their Iewish minds and imbrace the grace of the holy Gospell in good earnest and then shall they know that the good and true Christians both haue the holy Ghost and also acknowledge themselues to haue him But some may say to mee That the Christian cannot by any meanes know that he is in Gods fauour without some speciall reuelation and so consequently that he cannot know whether he be predestinated or no. And hee may specially alleadge these words of Salomon A man knoweth not whether he be worthy of hatred or of loue and also these words of the Apostle S. Paul to the Corinthians I feele not my selfe guilty of any thing and yet feele I not my selfe iustified for all that It seemeth to bee sufficiently declared by the texts of holy Scripture that the said opinion is false and now remaineth onely to be shewed briefely that these two texts whereupon the same opinion is chiefely grounded ought not to bee taken in that sense As touching Salomons sentence although it bee scarse well and faithfully translated in the common translation yet is there not any man so dull who in reading Salomons whole discourse may not plainely perceiue that by saying so hee meant that if any man will take vpon him to iudge by the casualties that happen in this life who is loued or hated of God hee laboureth in vaine considering that the selfe-same chances which light vpon the righteous light also vpon the vnrighteous vpon him that sacrificeth as well as vpon him that sacrificeth not and as soone vpon the good man as vpon the sinner Whereof it may bee gathered that God doth not alwayes shew his loue towards those whom hee indueth with outward prosperities and contrariwise that hee sheweth not his displeasure towards those whom hee punisheth Then my right deare brethren in Christ Iesus our Lord doe you thinke it reason to conclude that a man cannot be sure of Gods fauour because the same surenesse cannot bee perceiued by the sundry chances that happen euery day in these transitory and temporall things A little afore Salomon saith That a man cannot discerne any difference betweene the soule of man and the life of a beast for it is seene that both man and beast dye after one manner Shall we then conclude by this outward accident that the perswasion which wee haue conceiued of the immortalitie of the soule is grounded but onely vpon coniecture No surely and it were a great folly to stand vpon a thing so notably knowne And as for S. Pauls words I say that forasmuch as hee was speaking of the administration of the Gospell hee meant that his heart mis-giues him not of any mis-dealing therein and yet for all that that hee is not sure hee hath done his whole duty to the full and therein obtained the praise of righteousnesse to Godward as if hee had done all that pertained and was conuenient to be done by a faithfull Steward and therefore in speaking of his office like a iust and discreet person hee durst not iustifie himselfe nor auow that hee had discharged his duty to the vttermost and satisfied his Lords will but referred all things to the only iudgement of his Lord. And verily whosoeuer readeth these words of the Apostle Saint Paul and considereth the words going afore them with some iudgement and likewise the words that follow will not doubt but this is the true sense of them I know well that some men in expounding these words of the Apostle S. Paul say that although he knew himselfe to bee without sinne yet he knew not whether hee were righteous to Godward or no according as Dauid affirmeth that no man can perfectly know his owne sinnes But these men perceiue not that S. Paul groundeth not righteousnesse vpon workes but vpon faith and that he vtterly refuseth his owne righteousnesse to imbrace onely the righteousnesse which God hath giuen vs through our Lord Iesus Christ Also they consider not that he was most certaine to be accepted for righteous in maintaining the soundnesse and purenesse of the Christian faith and that he knew well how the Crowne of that righteousnesse was laid vp for him in Heauen and also that he was fully assured that no creature in heauen earth nor hell was able to separate him from the Loue of God and that he longed to dye because he knew for a truth that after his death he should be with Iesus Christ All which things should be false if he had not beene well assured that he was righteous I meane by faith and not by workes Therefore my deare beloued brethren let vs cease to speake that thing of the Apostle S. Paul which he neuer once thought of himselfe but fiercely fought against it continually in answering such as measured righteousnesse by workes and not by faith in our Lord Iesus Christ But besides these two authorities of Salomon and S. Paul a man might alledge some other places of holy Scripture which whereas they warne and encourage men to feare God seeme to be contrary to the assurance of this our predestination And if I would declare them all particularly I should be ouer-long But I say generally that the feare of punishment was proper to the Old Testament and childly loue to the New Testament according as S. Paul witnesseth when he saith to the Romanes Ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare but yee haue receiued the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Father Father And likewise vnto Timothy he saith that God hath not giuen vs the spirit of fearefulnesse but rather of power and loue which spirit Iesus Christ hath giuen vs according to the promise made by the mouth of the holy Prophets and brought to passe that we being deliuered out of our enemies hands may serue him without feare before his holy presence in all holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life By these and many other places of the holy Scripture a man may plainely gather that the painefull and slauish fearefulnesse agreeth not with a Christian and this is already confirmed by this that such manner of fearefulnesse is vtterly contrary to the spirituall cheerefulnesse and ioy which is peculiar to the Christian as the Apostle S. Paul sheweth openly to the Romanes saying that the Kingdome of God is righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost that is to say that euery man which entereth into the Kingdome of the grace of the Gospell is become righteous through faith and afterward addeth peace of conscience which consequently breedeth such a spirituall and holy rest and gladnesse in respect whereof the same S. Paul doth oftentimes incourage the Christians to liue merrily And S. Peter saith that all they which beleeue in