wretched it is nor also the remedie which wee must apply too it For to the intent we may put our trust in our Lord Iesus Christ wee must vnderstand that wee be vtterly forlorne as well by reason of the sinne of Adam as by reason of the infinite number of iniquities wherein we be saped yea and wee must fully beleeue it But we should neuer perceyue that our sinnes condemne vs curse vs before God except wee knew that wee haue neede of rightuousnesse And on the otherside wee should not know Gods rightuousnesse if we should singly say that we be saued by faith and by grace For God cannot once renounce himself bycause he is the soueraine rightuousnesse and there is nothing in him but purenesse and perfection by reason whereof he must needes hate euill Now it is so that wee be full of corruption there is nothing but euill in vs and therefore God must needes hate vs. And if he hate vs wo woorth vs for then are we damned Then standeth it vs on hand to be made rightuous before we can be in Gods fauour That is to say it behoueth vs to be purged of our faults and misdeedes for else as I sayd wee shall neuer be able to conceyue that God intendeth too shewe vs mercie But in acknowledging our selues too be sinners wee perceyue by and by that God muste needes hate sinne and that although he hate sinne yet not withstāding he findeth meanes to saue vs which is by forgetting our offences and by clenzing and purging them with the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ who is our spirituall washing God then purgeth vs in that wize too the ende wee should bee receyued of him and being made parttakers of his loue bee assured of our saluation Thus yee see why the Scripture vseth the woorde Iustifie But the Papistes descant vppon it like blinde buzzardes VVhat say they shoulde wee bee iustified by fayth Fayth is no such vertue as maketh men perfect and how then shall it make vs rightuous They consider not that this rightuousnesse whereof the Scripture speaketh is Gods couering of our sinnes as I declared afore and his taking of them quyte and cleane away for the sake and by the meane of our Lord Iesus Christe and by the vertue of the Sacrifize of his death and Passion How soeuer the cace standeth it is sayd that wee be counted rightuous before God bycause he releaseth and forgiueth our sinnes And after the same maner doth Sainct Paule speake of it in the fourth to the Romanes where he sayeth that Dauid hath well declared in effect howe wee bee iustified by fayth when he sayeth Blissed is the man whose iniquities God hath forgotten and whose sinnes he hath couered And in another place he sayeth that our Lord Iesus Christe who knewe no sinne nor had any spot in him was made sinne for vs that is too say receyued all the condemnation of our faultes too the end that wee should become Gods rightuousnesse in him that is too say too the end that being greffed into his persone and made one body with him wee might be taken for rightuous bycause there was such perfectnesse in his obedience that our sinnes were buried and rid quite and cleane away Thus much concerning the woord Iustifie ▪ Now as touching the woord Fayth or beleefe S. Paule addeth for a declation that they had beleeued in Iesus Christ. If a man aske an vnlearned persone what Fayth is he will perchaunce answere that it is too beleeue but he shall not be able too tell what is ment or imported by any of them both VVill wee then haue the vnderstanding of them according too the rawe capacitie of the vnskilfullest sorte VVee must alwayes marke that our Lord Iesus Christe is set too bee the butte of our fayth and beleefe Do wee obtayne saluation by fayth It is asmuche too say as wee beleeue in our Lord Iesus Christe But let vs now cōsider why our Lord Iesus Christ is set before our eyes for our fayth too ame at and too reste wholly vppon It is bycause wee shall finde in him what soeuer belongeth too the making of vs rightuous I haue tolde you already that wee bee taken for rightuous before God when he forgiueth our sinnes and calleth thē not too account any more And how shall wee obtayne that but by the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ which was shed to wash vs withall For in asmuch as he hath made full amendes for vs by his death and passion therefore God is appeazed towardes vs condicionally that we seeke not to pay him with any other thing than with the sacrifize that was offered vp to him by his only sonne our Lord Iesus Christ who is called Gods wel beloued sonne too the ende that wee should be beloued in him and the rightuous to the end we should be made parttakers of his rightuousnesse and the holy too the end we should be made holie in him Thus then yee see why wee muste haue an eye to our Lord Iesus Christ when wee intend too know what the woorde Fayth importeth But the Papistes stande wilfully in their owne conceyt bycause they neuer tasted what it is to beleeue and that do they shew well ynough by their allegacions How is it possible say they that a man should bee iustified by beleeuing seyng that the very Diuels doo beleeue It is true and S. Iames vseth the same reason How beit in that place he mocketh at suche as pretend a vayne and fonde cloke of Christianitie and fayth and in the meane whyle shewe no frutes at all of it But the Papistes beguyle themselues yet much more grosly in saying that Fayth is too beleeue in God and that God is the marke that fayth ameth at so as it seemeth too them that too make vp beleefe there needeth no more but to imagine that there is some one certayne God that made the worlde and which gouerneth all things And so they fall faste a sleepe in their ignorance and yet ceasse not too take themselues for good Christians and Catholikes as they themselues bable although they be altogither dulled in deede But it is no woonder that they fight so agaynst the doctrine of the holy Scripture and with suche vnamendable wilfulnesse denie that a man can bee saued by fayth seyng they haue nother discretion nor vnderstāding for they wote not what the matter meeneth So muche the more therefore doth it stande vs vppon too marke well what Sainct Paule telleth vs heere that is too witte that if wee looke not vntoo Iesus Christe wee knowe not what fayth is And the reason thereof is for that we know not what it is too haue forgiuenesse of sinnes to come vnto God to be able to put our trust in him and to call vpon him nother do we know any more what it is to haue our consciences quiet and to hope for the euerlasting life All these things we want till Iesus
moste part of the world is at that poynt There are othersome which seeme too take a better way and rule but yet doo they also peruert all They desire God too send them the things which he knoweth too bee good profitable for them but in the meane whyle they looke not to the fountayne wherout of they should draw their first water that is to wit too bee reconciled to God For all is one with them so God spare them and execute not his rigour towardes them As for his loue or hatred they passe not greatly for it so he handle them after the desire and appetite of their fleshe Now although such maner of men do seeke vnto God yet doo they set the Cart before the horse For they ought to set Gods loue in the first chiefest place and then to come downe to the great number of benefites which he bestoweth vpon vs wherby he witnesseth his goodnesse towards vs. Albeit then that many men holde not themselues within the sayd measure but make more vnruly requestes vnto God than one man would doo to another so as one man craueth Riches another Honour and none is contented with that whiche God sendeth yet notwithstanding though men were well aduized in their wishes precize in desiring nothing but that which they haue neede of yet if they forget Gods fauour therein they shew themselues not to haue profited at all VVherfore let vs marke how it is not without cause that S. Paule hath heere set downe twoo things ioyntly togither that is too witte that God muste firste receyue vs into his fauour so as we also may feele him to be truely our father and to accept vs as his children and he thervppon afterward make vs too prosper Now such maner of prosperitie may as I haue sayd already be well wished for but yet in the meane while the only goodnesse of God must be our solace and when we be put too the suffering of many miseries in this world so as things fall not out as wee woulde haue them yet must we be contented with this that God accepteth vs. And therewithall he setteth downe the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ bicause it is not possible that God should fauour vs but for his owne sonnes sake in whom is his whole delight according as it is sayd as well in the. xvi chapter of S. Mathew as in the firste too the Ephesians Then if we had nothing else to set before our eyes but the maiestie of God it would make vs afrayd and we could not haue any accesse vnto him bicause we be frayle creatures yea and altogither sinfull creeping here vppon the earth and deseruing too be swallowed into the bottom of Hell Therfore it is very requisite that Christ should shew himself vnto vs and that wee should looke vpon him to taste what Gods loue is and to inioy all the benefites which he bestoweth vpon vs for they belong not to any other than to his owne onely Sonne who is the heyre of all things as the Apostle speaketh of him in the first chapter to the Hebrewes Seing then that all the good turnes whiche God doeth vs belong peculiarly too our Lord Iesus Christe it behoueth vs too communicate with him and to be made parttakers of them by his meanes Therfore it is not without chuse that S. Paule sayeth heere from God the father and from our Lord Iesus Christ. Yea and too the intent too giue vs the greater assurance that God will take vs into his fauour if we seeke him truely and vnfaynedly howbeit by the meanes of his only Sonne he sayeth that Iesus Christ gaue himselfe for our sinnes Now it is certaine that nothing putteth vs out of Gods fauour but our owne sinfulnesse For we see that his mercy extendeth it self euen to the Sparowes that flie in the ayre and vnto the brute beasts For when as God bringeth forth grasse in the mountaynes and maketh other fodder too grow for cattell it is a token that he hath a care of them And truly they be markes of his goodnesse as it is said in the Psalmes How then should he not loue those whom he hath created after his owne image and which approche much neerer too him to his nature that is to say men God therfore in respect of his creating of vs receiueth auoweth vs for his owne But for somuch as we be corrupted and our nature is become sinful it causeth God too hate vs and too take vs for his enemies so as there is as it were a deadly foade betweene him and vs till he haue taken vs again into his fauour for our Lord Iesus Christes sake VVherfore to the end we may nor haue any cause to doubt of Gods loue S. Paule doth here set downe before vs the Sacrifize whereby the rememberance of our transgressions is blotted out so that God hauing now forgotten all our wretchednesse beholdeth vs as his owne and as those on whom he hath set his marke to be short as those whom he hath created too be his children and heyres And hereby wee be warned that there is none other meanes to pacifie our consciences and to make vs able to call vpon God in full libertie but by applying too our selues the sacrifize offered by our Lorde Iesus Christ wherein he hath made full satisfaction for vs so that henceforth God receyueth vs as his owne children And here first of all we see the force of the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ how that therin we find attonement betwene God and vs so that whereas we were erst at oddes with him and he must needes haue as ye would say abhorred vs now he voutchsafeth too take vs into his fauour â–ª And why Bicause our Lord Iesus Christ hath made amendes for all our faultes misdeedes by the obedience which he yeelded in his death passion in somuch that the sacrifize which he offered was a full satisfaction for all our sinnes his bloudshed became likewise our clenzing and hath washed vs cleane from all the spottes of our sinnes Thus ye see how we may be sure that God receiueth vs. And how may we haue the boldnesse to call vpon him and to resort vnto him Euen by fastening our eyes vpon the Sacrifize which our Lord Iesus Christ hath offered For if we haue not that it is certayne that we shal alwayes be afrayd when we think vpon the maiestie of God For seyng we be wretched offenders how should we not be afrayd of our iudge who is armed to execute the vengeance that we deserue Neuerthelesse for asmuch as our Lorde Iesus Christ hath buried our faults we may come vnto God boldly and without any stop Howbeit it behoueth vs to marke therewithal that the sacrifize wherby our Lord Iesus Christ hath reconciled vs to God his father is so sufficient that it behoueth vs to lay â–ª vp all our trust therein not to seeke any other
meanes according also as S. Paules intent heere is to bring backe the Galathians to the pure truthe from the which they had bin led away seduced not that they had vtterly renounced Iesus Christ but that they had intermingled the ceremonies of the Lawe thereby to obtayne forgiuenesse of sinnes as who should say there needed other helpes therevnto according as in papistrie it wil well ynough be graunted that Iesus Christ is the redeemer of the world but yet therwithal euery man seeketh to cōpound with God to make amends by himself Now the Galathians had already bin imbured with the like errour For this cause Sainct Paule sheweth the that sinnes are none otherwize wiped out than by the sacrifize of our Lord Iesus Christ to thintent that our fayth may rest wholly there Therfore if we wil be parttakers of so great a benefite we must giue ouer al our vaine hopes all the illusiōs that the Diuell putteth in our minde when he turneth vs aside frō our Lord Iesus Christ frō his only grace by making vs to beleeue that we can come vnto God if we bring some amends with vs. To be short vntill such time as we be sure that there is none other washing wherewith to skoure out the spottes of our iniquities but the bloud which our Lord Iesus Christ hath shed wherwith we be rinced through the holy ghost it is certain that we cā neuer come freely vnto God nor rest vpon his fauour loue but shall euer be wandering in our own imaginacions that shal be a due payment for our misbelefe in that we haue not yeelded our Lord Iesus Christ the honor that he deserued Thus ye see in effect what we haue to beare in mind here where S. Paule setteth the death passion of our Lord Iesus Christ before vs telling vs that that is the thing wherein we shall finde the amends of all our faultes do as they shal not be called any more too account before God And he sayeth purposely that Iesus Christ gaue himselfe too the end wee should the more boldly take holde of his Loue. For wee see heere that when our Lord Iesus Christ did put foorth himself too make attonement betweene God and vs he spared not his owne body soule in somuch that he indured extreme anguish in his foule as he that was our borrow in the same and bare the wrath of God in our behalfe And in his body also he indured all reproch and shame and therewithall also the horriblest tormentes that could be deuized and al this as I sayd afore sheweth right wel that the loue which he bare vs was inestimable sith he forgate himself after that sort for our sakes But yet notwithstanding herewithall S. Paule bringeth vs alwayes backe too the will of God too shew that when our Lord Iesus Christ did in that wyze performe all that belonged too our saluation it was no let but that God in the meane whyle vttered his mercy in the same according as it is sayd in another text that God so loued the world that he spared not his onely sonne but deliuered him to death for vs. To the intent therfore that we should not think that the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ too pacifie God his father was after such a sort that he persuaded him to alter his purpose as men are inclined to such grosse earthly imaginacions S. Paule to shew vs that God was not reconcyled vnto vs after the maner of men telleth vs expresly that the cause why Iesus Christ was deliuered for our sinnes was for that God had so ordeyned it For if a man be angry with his childe some other man may steppe in too appease his wrath and such a one shall supply the roome of a third partie But the cace stoode not so with our Lord Iesus Christ when he offered himself in Sacrifize too do away all our sinnes to make vs way vnto God from whom we were shet out before He came not as one that stepped in of his owne head and as though God had not meddled with the matter How then God as hath bin touched not long since did both hate vs and loue vs before the reconciliation was made And why loued he vs Bicause we be his creatures And again although he saw we were so wretched and vtterly forlorne damned folke by reason of sin yet notwithstanding he had pitie vpon vs would not haue mankind to perish vtterly Thus yee see how God loued vs notwithstanding that in the persone of Adam we were fallen away frō him vtterly corrupted Therwithall he did also hate vs euen bicause he is the welspring of all rightuousnesse Therfore he abhorred the naughtinesse that was in vs by reason wherof there needed an attonemēt to be made in the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ by the sacrifize which he offered But yet must not that benefite bee fathered vppon any other than God Yee see then howe it was Gods dooing too sende his onely sonne and too giue him ouer vnto death for vs. And why To the ende that all hatred betweene him and vs shoulde bee done away This in effect is the thing that ought to be vnderstood of S. Paules woordes when he saith that Iesus Christ gaue himselfe to the death for our sinnes and yet notwithstanding that the same came not too passe without the wil of God who had determined the same aforehande in his owne euerlasting purpose Heere first of all we haue too magnifie the mercie that was shewed vs in the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ For if God had but proclaymed a pardon and tolde vs that he woulde take vs to mercie though we were vnworthie of it that had bin verie much yea and it had bin impossible for vs to magnifie such a gracious goodnesse as it deserueth But seeing he hath lent vs such a gage of his loue as his owne sonne and gyueth himselfe to vs in his person thereby shewing himselfe to be our father it so farre passeth all that we haue sayde that if all our wittes were imployed too woondering at suche a goodnesse yet should wee neuer come to the fulnesse thereof Thus ye see what we haue to marke in the first place when Saint Paule speaketh too vs of Gods will Howbeeit let vs vnderstande that euen from the time that God had iust cause to hate vs and to abhorre vs yea and euen from the time that we were his enimies as the Scripture sayth in very deede he neuer ceassed to haue some regarde of vs and to extende his pitie so farre foorth as he would not haue vs to abyde in our destruction in so much that he hath not thought it ynough to declare the same by word of mouth but also hath giuen vs such a pledge as wee see that is to wit that his owne sonne hath answered for it Now seeing it is so that God hath shewed himselfe so gracious
seuenth vpon the second Chapter 17 But if vvee that seeke to bee iustified by Christ bee founde to bee sinners is Christ therefore the minister of sinne No not so 18 For if I build vp the things again vvhich I had cast dovvne I make my selfe an offender WEe haue seene alreadie that to beate downe all the pryde and selftrust which men put in their owne workes and merites Paule alledged that the Iewes who had great preferment aboue other men could not for all that come in Gods fauour otherwise than by beleeuing the Gospell Yet notwithstanding it was a good likelyhood that the Iewes had some righteousnesse in themselues wherwith too winne Gods fauour bicause the lawe was giuen to them with promise that whosoeuer performed those things should liue in them Therefore a man would haue iudged that the Iewes euen in respect of themselues alone without Christ might after a sort haue bin iustified before God otherwise it shoulde seeme that the lawe was superfluous But when they come too our Lorde Iesus Christ there they perceyue themselues to bee wretched sinners forlorne and damned It should seeme then that Iesus Christ bringeth sinne for before his comming the Iewes were reckened for Gods children They bare the badge of holinesse in their bodies moreouer it was sayd vnto them that they were the holy and chosen people of their God Now then seeing they become fellowlike with wretched sinners and there is nothing but cursednesse to bee found in them so as they be faine to flee for refuge to the mere grace of our Lord Iesus Christ it seemeth that Iesus Christ brought sinne intoo the worlde Truly so will men iudge of him after their owne opinion howbeeit foolishly For it behoueth vs to marke that our Lord Iesus Christ doth not bring sinne but bewray sinne For although the Iewes exercised themselues in the keeping of the law yet did that serue but to proue vnto them still more and more that God would neuer shewe them mercie but by the meane of the Redemer No doubt but that in liuing chastly soberly therwithall in walking in obedience to god they had some show of righteousnesse but that came wholy of grace and we must not father that thing vpon men which belongeth vnto God for by that meanes God should be defrauded of his honour Then if the Iewes being gouerned by Gods spirite had some willingnesse and desire to lead a holy life it must not come in account as who should say that God were beholden to them for it for contrariwise they be so much the more bound vnto God But on the otherside wee haue too marke as wee shall see more fully in due time and place that there was neuer yet any man so perfect but there was alwayes much to be blamed in him Therfore we haue to conclude that the Iewes could not be so well taken and accepted at Gods hand but that they had neede of his mercie and that their saluation must needes be grounded wholy vpon the forgiuenesse of their sinnes Also as in respect of Ceremonyes they bare themselues on hande that there was great holinesse in them as whereof hypocrites haue alwayes made their cloke But howsoeuer they fared it is certaine that the Iewes were more damnable than all other men And why For as Saint Paule sayth without the lawe sinne doth not vpbrayde men insomuch that men fall asleepe and flatter themselues in their vices when they haue not that Sumner to cyte them before Gods iudgement seate Then whereas the wretched Gentiles might haue some defence and excuse at least wise that they bee not so giltie before God the Iewes in offering their sacrifizes had it witnessed too their face that all of them were worthie of eternal death and so consequently double giltie in comparison of the Gentiles And therefore in the second to the Collossians S. Paule vseth this similitude that the Ceremonies of the law were as euidences to binde a man the more Truly like as although a detter be not cōdemned by order of law nor haue bound himselfe before a notarie nor giuen assurance in wryting vnder his hande and seale yet ceasseth he not for all that to be bounde in conscience too pay his debt euen so although the Gentyles had not any authenticall matter of recorde whereby to bee condemned yet ceassed they not too bee still worthie of death But as for the man that hath passed bondes by order of lawe and entered his debt in the common recordes what shall he say more There is no shift for him he must be fayne too answere the debt out of hande Now the Iewes were in the like plight For their washing of themselues when they went intoo the Temple and in their owne houses and euery where else was a confessing that there was nothing but vncleannesse in them Againe when they killed the beastes and sawe them slain before thē surely the same was as a liuely picture of their owne death and cursed state And yet coulde not the brute beastes nor the shedding of their bloud set them cleare nor likewise the water which is a corruptible element and cannot come at the soule So then the washing which they vsed had bin a fonde thing if it had not directed them to the spirituall washing which wee haue in our Lorde Iesus Christ Likewise in baptisme at these dayes if we think our selues to be made cleane by the water what an abuse is it All these things must serue to leade vs to the bloud of our Lorde Iesus Christ VVherefore I conclude that whereas the Iewes were exercysed in the lawe the same was a greater euidence agaynst them and bounde them straightlier to subiection vnto Gods iudgement and eternall death than the Gentiles were And so wee see howe Iesus Christ was not a bringer in of sinne but a discouerer of sinne For the Iewes thought themselues well shrowded vnder the Ceremonies and made a sheelde of them to fence themselues from gods displeasure esteeming all other Nations vnholy vpon opinion that there was nothing but vncleannesse in all the worlde besydes and that all holinesse was in themselues Lo what their brauerie was Yea but when Iesus Christ came and put them in order he shewed them that they shoulde be faine too shew other men by their owne example that their saluation was too bee sought elsewhere than in their owne merites and that it behoued them to come to him with such humilitie as too confesse that they on their part brought nothing with them but vtter cursednesse And by that meanes oure Lord Iesus Christ discouered the mischief that had bin hiddē before like as diseased persons shall oftentimes not perceyue the festering of some sore that will breede some deadly disease till the Surgeon finde it out who cannot do his dutie in curing it till hee haue searched the sore to the bottome which was vnknowne before Euen so was our Lorde Iesus Christ fayne too bewray
and mercifull before we were reconciled to him what will he do now when we haue so sure a warrant and that the Gospell also is preached vnto vs to assure vs that we be knit vntoo our Lord Iesus Christ by fayth as members of his bodie Shall we now doubt of Gods loue towards vs when we haue so good a confirmation of it as Saint Paule fayth in the fift Chapter to the Romaines If so be that Iesus Christ sayth he came to put away all our sinnes at such times as there was yet deadly foad betweene god vs ought not all doubting to be troden vnder foote and we not be afrayde in any wise too call vpon our God but assure our selues of our owne saluation nowe when God hath so confirmed it vnto vs when hee hath admitted vs into his fauour when he calleth and allureth vs as gently as may be and when hee sheweth and certefieth vs that hee doth as it were hold open his armes to imbrace vs whensoeuer we will come vnto him Thus ye see what we haue to beare in minde in this streyne Furthermore let vs marke also the loue of our Lord Iesus Christ how that seeing hee hath giuen himselfe after that sort for our sinnes he will not suffer his death and passion to be vnprofitable nor the sacrifice which he hath once offered to be voyd and of none effect without bringing forth frute in vs. But as hee hath offered himselfe once for all so also will he be our continuall Mediator and Aduocate to the ende we may be partakers of the clennesse which he hath purchased for vs that beeing ridde of all our fowlenesse we may appeare cleane before God and speake vnto him with open mouth Lo how we ought to gather togither all the things that are shewed vs here for the stablishing of our faith that we may freely resort vnto our God not as straungers to him but as his owne children and familiar friendes And herewithall let vs learne also to shake off all the illusions and fancies of Satan who seeketh by all meanes too turne vs away from our Lorde Iesus Christ or else to darken the grace which we shoulde finde in him and when he can not abolish it vtterly he snarleth vs and putteth new meanes into our heades whereby to purchase fauor at Gods hande But let vs cut off all such things and so fasten all our wittes vpon our Lord Iesus Christ as he onely my suffize vs and we vtterly mislyke whatsoeuer shall come in our heade too purchase grace and fauor with assuring our selues that there is not any other thing that may cause God to receyue vs to mercie than the sacryfize whereby all righteousnesse and clennesse was purchased for vs. Furthermore vnder these woordes of Gods will it behoueth vs too comprehende a free goodnesse too exclude all that men are woont too make themselues beleeue of their owne merits for in that sence also are those wordes taken in the holy Scripture so that as I haue tolde you before the thing which is termed heere by the name of Will is termed elsewhere by the name of good pleasure Saint Paule therefore not onely sheweth that the welspring of our Redemption and Saluation consisteth in the ordinance and euerlasting purpose of God the father but also intendeth to beat down all pryde and presumption by shewing that wee must yeelde the whole prayse of our righteousnesse too the free fauour of God which had no regarde at all of our deseruings For let vs examine our selues and what shall God find in vs but vtter wretchednesse And that is the verie cause why God voutsafeth his mercie vpon vs. So then let vs assure our selues that hencefoorth wee may freely lift vp our eyes to heauen and preferre our prayers and supplications vnto God bycause he hath preuented vs according as it as sayd in S. Iohn that he had not tarried till we loued him for that was impossible bicause we be wholy bent vnto euill and are vtterly giuen ouer to it but had loued vs euen though wee were his enimies And so ye see that the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ was too the ende too reconcile vs to God his father as wee haue shewed alreadie That therefore is in effect the thing that wee haue to beare in minde Nowe Saint Paule addeth immediately that it was to deliuer vs from this wicked worlde Heere he sheweth why we bee called too the knowledge of our Lorde Iesus Christ and also why he hath set so great store by vs as to redeeme vs as he hath done namely to the ende we shoulde not abide in our filth and vncleannesse but be withdrawne away from it by him In verie deed that is not the cause of our saluation but the ende and marke wherat God loked in ordeyning vs to saluation The thing therefore which it standeth vs on hand to haue an eie vnto when our redemption is spokē of is that we must begin at the free fauor which God bare vnto vs when he determined in his euerlasting purpose that we should be brought backe againe vnto him by the meanes of our Lorde Iesus Christ And so that was the principall cause Another cause thereof is Iesus Christ in whome wee finde all that is requisite for our assurance For there we see our sinnes blotted out inasmuch as hee is ordeyned to be our borrow and hath made such amendes for vs as nothing can stop vs from comming too God That is the seconde poynt which wee haue too remember heere Now the meane whereby we be made partakers of our Lorde Iesus Christ is our imbracing of the promises of the Gospel by true faith For the faythlesse haue no profite at all by the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ but rather are so much the more damnable bicause they reiect the meane that God had ordeyned and theyr vnthankfulnesse shall be so much the more grieuously punished bicause they haue troden vnder foote the bloud of our Lorde Iesus Christ which was the ransome for their soules Therfore it standeth vs on hande to receyue the promises of the Gospell by fayth if we desire that Iesus Christ should communicate himselfe vnto vs and that he should bring vs to the possession and inioyment of the benefites which he hath purchased for vs so as they belong not too any other than such as are members of his bodie and are graffed into him and receyue him by fayth according as it is sayde in the first Chapter of Saint Iohn that God accepteth and auoucheth those for his children which beleeue in his only sonne Thus ye see what we haue to remember in the thirde place when we come too the scanning of our saluation Nowe remayneth that God bee glorified in vs as good reason is that he shoulde be And in that respect also Saint Paule in the thirde to the Romaynes sayth that wheras God hath giuen vs the meanes in our Lorde Iesus Christ
vs too the bottome of Hell And in good sooth as the wretched vnbeleeuers rack themselues they doo but double their owne condemnacion for the Diuell snarleth them so much the more in their damnation Therfore let vs acknowledge that wee haue bin rebelles too God euer since the time that wee would needes serue him so after our owne fancie and that there was nothing in all our whole lyfe but errour too make vs stray all the world ouer and too plucke vs backe rather than too set vs foreward and finally that all the deuotions whiche men deuyze are but slightes and illusions of Satan to sinke vs down too the deepest dungeons of death So then let vs returne too this obedientnesse and acknowledge that there is no way for vs too rule our life wel but by being taught in the schoole of the Sonne of God But doo wee thinke that the Superstitions that raigne now adayes in the world and haue their full scope there are better than the traditions that were in the tyme of S. Paule It is true that there were many wicked corruptions in the Churche of the Iewes For Sectes were sprung vp and the Pharisies whiche were yet the purest and soundest of all the rest had mingled many gewgawes with the seruis of God in somuche that all was corrupted among them But howsoeuer they fared yet Sainct Paule had alwayes the lawe and the holy Scripture As for the traditions whereof he speaketh he tooke them as appurtenances but yet in the meane whyle his mynde was too mayntayne the Lawe of Moyses whiche had Gods woorde in it and the vnchaungeable truthe and whiche ought too haue the same reuerence to the worldes end Yet notwithstanding he had but the letter of the lawe as wee haue seene heretofore in the Epistle too the Corinthians But now adayes as for them that bee the deuoutest in the Popedome what haue they VVhen they haue alledged all that they can it is certayne that the holy Scripture is as good as buryed among them and noman makes account of it They will not say that it ought to be cast away for that were too great a blasphemie and men would abhorre it But what soeuer they pretend the Gospell is nothing with them in comparison of that which hath bin ordeyned by their holy Councelles and by our moother holy Churche Yea and they are not ashamed too say that the Gospell al the holy Scripture is as a noze of waxe so as there is no certaintie in it but that it muste bee interpreted altogither by men Lo how Iesus Christ is mocked and skorned Thinke yee that such men may make vs beleeue all their owne inuentions when as they be so manifestly contrary to themselues Then let vs marke that if S. Paule did so condemne himselfe with his owne mouthe in the things that he did when he followed not our Lord Iesus Christ no excuse shal be auayleable nor go for payment before God when men swarue aside from the simplicitie of the Gospell This is in effect the thing that we haue to gather vpon his text But let vs marke therewithall that God vttered a singular grace in S. Paule too the end that by his example wee might know that our calling too saluation hath bin of his meere and vndeserued goodnesse And furthermore that if we haue sliddē backe and broken our promis made in Baptime to our Lord Iesus Christ yet how soeuer the cace stand we shall not fayle to be receyued to mercie so we confesse freely without hypocrisie that there was nothing in vs but confusion and that God must haue bin fayne to remedie the matter of his wōderfull goodnesse True it is as I haue touched afore that S. Paule was taken for a holy man and it might well haue bin sayd that God had accepted his deuotions and that there had bin some good preparation in him afore hand howbeit all that was but a pluckyng of him backe as I haue touched already in the thirde too the Philippians where he sayth he could not take hold of Iesus Christ and of the incomprehensible benefites that are in him vntill he had mislyked all the things that he had earst esteemed and had in reputation as his owne rightuousnesse and holinesse VVee see then after what sorte God wrought in the persone of Paule in somuch that in the first to Timothie he setteth foorth himself for an example patterne saying that Iesus Christ had shewed in him that he was come to saue all wretched sinners to the end we should not doubt too bee receyued when we keepe the right way VVhat did Frewill in S. Paule for the bringing of him to the obediēce of the Gospel nothing but God was fayne too thunder downe vpon him from heauen too driue out the pryde and presumption that was in him He was not only drawē by the hand but also God did caste so thicke scales vppon his eyes that hee was as a blynde wretche And besides that he was stricken too the ground and astonished too shewe that the knowledge and cunning whiche he thought himselfe too haue before was but starke blindnesse and that this darknesse had serued too bring him too a new light For if God had lette him still alone in his perfect plight surely there woulde alwayes haue remayned some foolish selfeweenyng in him and he would alwayes haue mingled some tricke of his owne deuyce and brayne with the doctrine of our Lord Iesus Christ therfore it behoued him to be blinded to abide so For in asmuch as he had earst bin in great reputation and bin tempted to hold his state still it was requisite that he should be brought downe and lifted vp againe and caried like a little babe or rather like a carkesse or dead body Thus yee see how it behoued S. Paule too bee corrected after a violent maner whereby wee see that nother free will nor deuotion nor holynesse stoode him in any steede but that all ought too bee attributed to the meere mercy of God And in very deede wee see how he yeeldeth a pure and vnconstrayned confession thereof Then seyng it is so let vs marke also that when God calleth vs too him it is not for that he seeth vs disposed therevnto or for that wee bee in any good readinesse too it afore hand but bycause it pleaseth him too drawe vs of his owne meere mercie as we shall see yet more at large hereafter And if we minde too be parttakers of the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christe as S. Paule was the way what wee must take is to confesse that there is nothing at all in vs but that wee must bee fayne too receyue from aboue all the things whereof wee bee destitute and too haue God woorke in vs after such a sorte as the prayse of our saluation may bee reserued too him alone without any exception And in that respect also S. Paule addeth that when it had pleazed God
of vncircumcision it meaneth the vnclennesse wherewith wee be compassed about in Adam in so muche as there is not any man which is not damned alreadie from his mothers wombe But the Iewes thought that God had set them free from that coÌ„mon curse and they made their boast therof Surely Gods chosing of them after that sort for his own people heritage was a great dignitie and worthy too bee esteemed aboue all worldly goodes But yet neuerthelesse it became them to haue acknowledged with all humblenesse that there was not any excellencie at all in their owne persons For according to our wonted maner of drawing Gods gracious giftes too muche to vayne ouerweening the Iewes did commonly ouershoote them selues by bearing them selues in hand that they were aboue all the rest of the worlde Verily as who should say that God had founde any thing in them why he should preferre them before those whom he had forsaken Therefore that dooing of theirs was a great pride whiche caried with it a shamefull thanklesnesse in that they imputed not to Gods meere goodnesse the things which they had of his free gifte but were puffed vp with ouerweening as thoughe God had knowne them to be better or worthyer of euerlasting saluation than the Gentiles But nowe S. Paule to dispatche all ouerweening sayth Go too wee be Iewes by nature As if he had sayde It is true that wee haue some fauour aboue the Gentiles whome God hath not vouchsafed to receiue into his Church VVhen he speaketh after that fashion it is not to giue the Iewes occasion to waxe proude but to lay before them the things which they had receiued frely of God wherin they had no cause at all to brag of them selues according as we see how that in the Epistle to the Romanes he vttereth two sayings whiche at the first â—lushe might seeme contrarie For on the one side Haue wee then sayth hee no priuiledge aboue the Gentiles Yes verily for God hath chosen vs for hys people he hathe giuen vs the seale of Circumcision too shewe that hee auoweth vs for his children hee hathe alyed him selfe vntoo vs hee hathe promised vs the Redeemer of the worlde and too bee shorte he hath sanctified vs in suche wyse that if wee consider the fauour whiche he hathe vttered towards vs there hath beene well wherwith to aduance and exalte vs aboue the residue of the whole worlde Thus on the one side Paule dothe there magnifie the goodnesse of God and afterwarde he falleth too questioning agayne and asketh what aduauntage haue wee then None at all sayth he for all men are shutte vp vnder Gods curse If the Gentiles bee too bee condemned wee bee too bee condemned double for there may be yet some likelyhoode that ignorance shall serue to excuse them But yet can they make no defence of that before God but shall perishe althoughe they neuer had any instruction or teaching Needes then must wee bee condemned by the lawe sayth he seeing that God hathe taughte vs and yet for all that wee cease not too sinne still and too transgresse his commaundements in so muche that we be plunged in greater and deeper cursednesse than the Heathen folk and vnbeleeuers Now then he sayth that the Iewes are in deede separated after a sort from the Gentiles not that the Iewes are of more worthinesse or that they haue any righteousnesse in them selues â–ª but bicause God of his own meere goodnesse voutsafed to chose them â–ª like as at this day the children that are borne of beleeuing pareÌ„ts are not better than the children that are borne of Paynims Turkes if a man coÌ„sider them both in their owne nature For we be all of a corrupted and cursed lumpe and God hathe so condemned vs as no man can iustly set vp his bristles to thinke him selfe of more value than his fellowes But yet neuerthelesse S. Paule sheweth that they be sanctified and that they be not vncleane as those are which are borne of vnbeleeuers or Heathen folke Heere shoulde seeme to be some contrarietie neuerthelesse all agreeth very well togither For there is nothing but vncleannesse and filthinesse in vs all without exception and that commeth of nature Howbeit there is a supernaturall gifte that is to say a remedie that God giueth whiche is that the children of the faythfull are dedicated vnto him and he acknowledgeth auoweth them for his Then like as now a dayes the children that are borne of the Churche are reckned too bee of the number of Gods people and of the companie of the chosen euen so vnder the lawe the Iewes were separated from the rest of the world And that is the cause why S. Paule sayth Wee bee Iâ—wes and not sinners of the Gentiles VVhereas he speaketh of Sinners he meaneth suche as continue in their filthynesse and are not clensed by the grace of God For Circumcision was a token and witnesse that God accepted Abrahams issue and ofspring for hys owne housholde and peculiar people The thing then wherein the Iewes differed in olde tyme from the vnbeleeuers was that althoughe they were all of one sute for as muche as they were all indifferently the children of Adam yet notwythstandyng God had chosen the one sort and left the other sort still straungers from his house If a man aske why he dyd so there was none other cause than his owne meere grace and yet were not the Iewes in the meane whyle the more excellent But nowe let vs followe the matter that S. Paule handleth heere Wee knowe sayth he that wee can not bee iustified by the deedes of the Lawe but by beleefe in Iesus Christ. In so saying he sheweth that the Iewes them selues what grace soeuer they had receyued coulde not grounde them selues vpon other men nor vpon them selues as thoughe they had deserued aught at Gods hande but must bee fayne to flee to his free goodnesse acknowledging that there is no saluation but in Iesus Christe who is come to finde out the thing that was alreadie loste And herein is fulfilled that which he sayth in another place howe that aswel they which were nere hande as they that were farre off were all gathered togither into one Iesus Christ is the peacemaker to cause God to loue vs and to receyue vs too mercy not onely those that were earst farre of as the Gentiles but also the children of Abraham what noblenesse or dignitie soeuer were in them for that came not of their owne nature And let vs marke that when S. Paule saythe that the Iewes whiche were conuerted to the Christen fayth knewe they coulde not bee iustified by the works of the lawe but by beleefe in Iesus Christ he maketh a comparison betweene fayth and the Lawe to shewe that wee can not bee iustified by grace excepte wee forsake all our owne merites and that is a thing well worthy too bee marked For the Papistes will well inoughe confesse that wee bee iustifyed by faythe howebeit they
draweth vs to him and are mortifyed to liue vnto him Let vs go forwarde with a chearefull heart And althoughe there bee neuer so many infirmities in our nature yet notwithstanding let vs not doubt but God accepteth vs for all our imperfections But the Papists cannot haue so muche as one good purpose to serue God sauing that they be vtterly bewitched to beleeue so through vayne selftrust And why For they ground themselues vpon their owne merites and to their seeming that is the meane to purchace grace But now what is it that they can do Put the cace that they brought a hundred times more with them than they haue to bring and that God gouerned them by his holy spirit so as they had some manner of feeling of the Gospel though it were but halfe a feeling yet should they come farre short of discharging their dutie yea or of the hundred parte of it towardes God But in the meane season it is well knowen that all that euer they do is but pelting trash and as for the law of God it is nought worth with them and yet in the meane while they busie theyr heads about their owne inuentions Howbeit let vs still put the cace that they indeuored to walke in the feare of God and that they had learned aright to do the things that God commaundeth them yet for all that they coulde not make their boast that they were come to the perfection of that righteousnesse which God requireth of vs. And when they had tormented themselues neuer so much how should they be able to serue God with a cheereful courage vnlesse they knew themselues to be in his fauour notwithstāding that they be so blameworthy before him But as for vs we on our side are able to serue God with a free hart notwithstanding that our consciences find fault with vs and we know that there are many sinnes in vs. And why For we ground not ourselues vppon our owne merites but vpon Goddes meere mercie and thereby we be taught that God receiueth our workes though there bee muche faultinesse in them and that we be in his fauoure although there be many vices and blemishes in vs. And that is the cause why he saith by his prophet that he will accept the seruis which we do vnto him as a father accepteth the seruis of his child Yee see that a child is willing to obey his father and when his father sayth too him do this his father taketh his doing in good worth though the child know not what he doth yea and sometimes though he marre a thing yet his father is contented to lose the thing when he seeth that the child was willing and desirous to serue him But if a man take a seruant for wages hee will looke to haue him do his taske And why For he looketh for his wages and a man will not abide to haue him marre the worke that is put into his hands yea and if it be not well done he wil not be contented with it Now our Lord speaking of the grace of the Gospell sayth he wil receiue our seruices as a father receiueth the obedience of his child though all that euer he doth be nothing worth that is to say he passeth not awhit for the perfection that is in them for he shall find none at all in thē but he beareth with vs of his goodnesse He sheweth himselfe so kind and freeharted towards vs that whatsoeuer we do he taketh it in good part although it be not worthy ne do deserue it Ye see then that the way for vs to haue a free courage to serue God is too assure ourselues that he blisseth all our works bycause that whatsoeuer spottinesse is in them is clenzed away by the bloud of oure Lord Iesus Christ To be short whereas God sheweth himselfe pitifull towards vs and vseth inestimable mercie let vs vnderstand that he doth it not to the end that euery of vs should runne a scoterloping and take the bridle in his teeth and play the horse that is brokē looce no no but contrariwise it is to the end that the sword of Gods word shoulde strike vs to the hart and make such a serch there as we might be rightly humbled to craue pardon at Goddes hand Not that we should haue the hartbiting whiche the Papists haue which would plucke vs backe and hinder vs from comming vnto God making vs to say wretched creature what dost thou VVhat canst thou tell whither God loue thee or no Let vs haue no such nippes but let vs be fully resolued that God beholdeth vs with pitie and taketh our works in good woorth not for any desert or worthinesse that he findeth in them but bycause we bee ioyned to our Lord Iesus Christ Now therefore we see what Saint Paule meant to say Also we see how that doctrine serued not for that tyme only but that the same is as profitable and needefull for vs at this day as euer it was for any heeretofore For in asmuch as Gods enimies sight against the Gospell and spew out their blasphemies it standeth vs on hand to haue wherewith to resist them and not only them but also Satan who hath at all tymes had the slight to make vs beleeue men that they coulde liue of themselues and by their owne deseruings but that is but to lulle vs asleepe in death And therefore let vs assure ourselues that it is better for vs to die to the law than to liue to it that is to say let vs assure ourselues that if God should enter into account with vs we should be vtterly vndone and damned And being so dismayed let vs suffer ourselues to be crucifyed with our Lord Iesus Christ and sith we know that he hath reconcyled vs to God his father by the sacrifise which he offered let vs also suffer ourselues to be gouerned by his holy spirit and to be renued by him in such wise as being dead in ourselues we may liue truly vnto God giuing ouer all ouerweening of our owne righteousnesse and fighting agaynst all the lusts of our flesh and withdrawing ourselues from the world And now let vs cast ourselues downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our sinnes praying him too make vs so to feele them as it may be to plucke vs backe from the filthinesse wherein we be plunged and to ioyne vs so vnto oure Lord Iesus Christ as he may draw vs to God his father and make vs come still neerer and neerer vnto him till we bee fully ioyned vntoo him And so let vs all say Almightye God heauenly father c. The .xiiij. Sermon which is the eyght vpon the second Chapter 20. So I liue yet not I novve but Christ lyueth in me and vvhereas I liue novv in the flesh I lyue by the faith of the sonne of God vvho loued mee and gaue himselfe for me 21. I refuse not the grace of God for if righteousnesse come by the
vs expressely that the Sonne of God gaue himselfe And hee contenteth not himselfe too say that Christ gaue himselfe for the worlde in common for that had bin but a slender saying but sheweth that euerie of vs must applie too himselfe particularly the vertue of the death and passion of oure Lorde Iesus Christ VVhereas it is sayde that the Sonne of God was crucified we must not onely thinke that the same was done for the Redemption of the worlde but also euerie of vs must on his owne behalfe ioyne himselfe too our Lorde Iesus Christ and conclude It is for me that hee hath suffered Likewise when wee bee baptized as it is not for any one man alone so is not the water sprinckled vppon all men in common but euerie man is baptized seuerally in his owne behalfe too the ende that euerie of vs may applie it particularly too himselfe too saye that wee bee all members of our Lorde Iesus Christ Also when wee receyue the holy Supper euery man taketh his owne portion too shewe vs that oure Lorde Iesus Christ is communicated vntoo vs yea euen to euerie one of vs. S. Paule therefore dooth purposely vse that maner of speech too the ende wee shoulde not haue any colde imagination after the maner of diuerse ignorant persons which take themselues too bee Christians and yet in the meane while are as wretched beastes But when we once knowe that the thing which was done for the redemption of the whole worlde perteyneth to euery of vs seuerally it behoueth euery of vs to say also on his owne behalfe The sonne of God hath loued me so deerly that he hath giuen himself to death for me Furthermore the worde Loue is not superfluous here for Saint Paules intent is too magnifie the gracious goodnesse of our Lorde Iesus Christ as if he shoulde say that we be verie wretches if we accept not such a benefite when it is offered vs seeing that God in sending vs his sonne had none other respect but to our miseries which hee intended too relieue Also our Lord Iesus Christ did so neglect himselfe that he spared not his life for our welfare And what was the cause of it The loue that he bare vs. Seeing it is so must wee not needes be worse than out of our wittes if we accept not such a benefite But it is a verie common doctrine in the holy Scripture that God so loued the worlde that hee spared not his onely sonne but gaue him too death for vs and also that our Lorde Iesus Christ at such time as wee were his deadly enimies as sayth Saint Paule did confirme a maruellous loue towardes vs in that he offered himself in sacrifice to make attonement betweene God and vs and too doo away all our sinnes so as they might no more come to account Lo heere a warrant of our saluation so as wee ought to thinke our selues throughly assured of it Howbeit S. Paule ment purposely here too rebuke mens vnthankefulnesse in that they accept not the benefite which God graunteth them so bountifully yea and of hys owne free goodnesse For it behoueth vs too call to minde howe Saint Iohn in his Canonicall Epistle sayeth that we loued not God first as if shoulde saye wee did not preuent him as those thinke they doo which say I haue done him suche seruice and such For alas what is it that wee can do too him but that he loued vs yea euen at such time as we were his deadly enimies and came euen then to seeke vs out in the verie deepest of the bottomlesse Dungeons And therevppon Saint Paule addeth that hee dooth not dispize or shake off the grace of God This is the knitting vppe of the things that wee haue hythertoo seene For heere he ment too shewe that the Diuell must needes possesse those that make none accounte of Gods mercie that is vttered in our Lorde Iesus Christ and dayly offered vs in his Gospell For looke howe oft the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ is preached vntoo vs and the infinite goodnesse of our God talked of so oft is this message renued vntoo vs that our Lorde Iesus Christ calleth vs vntoo hym to the ende we should forsake the worlde and being out of all hope in our selues fasten and settle our whole trust in him Sith it is so it is good reason that we should not reiect the grace of God And S. Paule in saying so ment to call backe suche as had gone astray before and too shewe them the way as if he had sayde whereas the poore ignorant soules that neuer heard worde of the Gospel might be excuzed we must needes be worse than damnable seeing we refuze the grace of God when it is offered vs for it smelleth of such an vnthankefulnesse as can by no meanes be excused Saint Paule therefore dooth heere make mention of those whome our Lorde Iesus Christ calleth too the hope of saluation by his Gospell and yet doo still welter in their owne wretchednesse and become brutishe not knowing whither there bee a better lyfe or no◠or else of suche as are sufficiently tormented wyth inwarde heartbyting and yet seeke no remedie nor cōfort Yet notwithstanding all they too whome our Lorde Iesus Christ hath not preached his Gospell shall not fayle to perishe without mercie They cannot defende themselues by ignorance I say that all the heathen folke and Idolaters that euer were must haue their mouthes stopped And what shal become of vs then which haue had our eares beaten dayly with the message that God sendeth vs which is that hee requireth nothing but that we should be drawne vnto him wherevnto he incourageth yea and beseecheth vs as we haue seene in the second to the Corinthians It is not a great shame for vs that God should so farre abace himselfe in the person of his onely sonne that he should beseech vs Let vs fall to attonement sayth he And what hath he done on hys side VVhat hath hee offended vs Nay contrariwise wee ceasse not to prouoke him dayly agaynst vs and yet he commeth too say vnto vs I will fall too attonement with you whereas notwithstanding there is nothing but spitefulnesse in vs we be like little feends and to be short we bee damned and forlorne and yet commeth he to seeke vnto vs and desireth nothing but too haue th◠attonement made After that maner speaketh Saint Paule woorde for woorde But nowe what will become of vs if wee reiect such grace seing that God offereth it vs so freely This is it which is ment by that saying And therevppon hee concludeth in the ende that if wee seeke rightuousnesse in the Lawe Iesus Chryst dyed in vayne As if hee shoulde say that if wee iutende to inioy the grace that is conteyned in the Gospell wee muste vtterly gyue ouer the fonde opinion of our owne merites For men are deceyued by bearing themselues in hand that there is euer somwhat of value in
them and to be short they cannot finde in their heartes to come as poore beggers before God but wyll alwayes bring some present with them And yet notwithstanding all that euer wee thinke our selues too haue is but abhomination Therefore Saint Paule sheweth vs that there is none other meanes for vs too receyue lyfe at our Lorde Iesus Christes hande and too bee made partakers of his death and resurrection and so to attaine too the heritage of heauen by his meanes than to be vtterly voyded of all the foolishe ouerweenings which the children of this world conceyue when they imagin with themselues ô as for mee I haue some vertue in mee I haue some towardnesse and to lay it all downe and cast it quite away For vntill wee haue forgotten our owne desertes surely wee shall neuer be able to conceyue the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ Do wee then come vntoo him Let vs come vtterly emptie For if wee make any countenaunce of hauing aught it is nothing else but winde Truely whensoeuer men are puffed vp with pryde they become so full that they are readie too burst howbeeit all of it is but wynde But yet howe so euer wee fare that wynde holdeth vs backe from receyuing the benefites that are purchaced and brought vntoo vs by the Sonne of God and which he communicateth to vs by his Gospell Thus ye see wherevnto the conclusion tendeth which Saint Paule maketh heere Now the Papistes will graunt well inough that wee bee not able to purchase saluation except we bee helped by our Lorde Iesus Christ howbeeit they imagin that men may halfe saue themselues and that looke what wanteth is supplied by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ c so they suppose thēselues to haue a good auailable startinghole But in saying so they shew thēselues deadly enimies of the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and vpholders of the cace and quarell of the false Apostles and deceyuers that had corrupted defloured and falsfied the pure truth in the Church of Galatia For those sort of men coulde well inough confesse that Iesus Christ was the Sauour of the world and they would haue bin ashamed too say that Iesus Christ was nothing nay rather they professed Christianitie And what deemed they of Iesus Christ That he came too help mens infirmities bycause they were not able to discharge the lawe too the full and that for asmuch as they could not haue so great and large perfection as was requisite therefore it behoued them too bee helped by Iesus Christ and euen as much doo the Papistes say at this day But S. Paule concludeth on the contrarie part that then Iesus Christ had died in vayne If any man replie no not so for there should come some frute of his death and passion by helping vs too the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and although we haue meanes to satisfie God withall yet would not the same suffyze vnlesse Iesus Christ should worke therewith I say if any man make such replie let vs marke that S. Paule hild this for a certaine and vndeceyuable principle that doo the best we can there is nothing but cursednesse in vs till God haue receyued vs of his meere grace Lo wherein the Papists beguile themselues and not they onely for it hath bin a common errour among the Turkes and among all the Heathen men that euer were The Turkes can confesse well ynough that they haue neede of Gods mercie that hath alwayes bin an opinion through the whole world but they haue intermingled their own satisfactions with Gods grace as if they should say although God be pitifull towardes vs yet muste we procure fauour in his sight by our owne deseruings After that maner were the Heathen folke woont too speake And what say the Papistes now adayes All one thing For after they haue once graunted themselues too be wretched sinners and to haue neede to be succored by our Lord Iesus Christ and that his death and passion are auayleable to make them way vnto God they interlace their owne freewill and their preparations and thervnto say that they deserue on their side and that although Iesus Christ help them yet he dooth not all himselfe And in very deede that is the flat doctrine of the Papistes woord for woord For they say wee cannot deserue aught except Iesus Christ go before vs and shewe vs the way for they say that he hath purchaced vs the firste grace and that it lieth in vs to follow on and too attayne to the second And if a man aske them what is ment by that first grace they say it is the occasiō of meriting or deseruing for that is their terming of it and their maner of speache And this occasion of meriting is nothing else with them but that men are able of themselues too binde God too them by their owne satisfactions But S. Paule telleth vs that it is to outrageous yea and too Diuelish a trayterousnesse too haue such pride and therefore he cōcludeth that Iesus Christ should haue died in vayne if wee should seeke rightuousnesse in the lawe VVill wee then possesse our Lord Iesus Christ It behoueth vs too know wherefore wee come vnto him namely bycause that by the Lawe we are already condemned cursed of God cut off from hope of life and full of all corruption so as God must be fayne too clenze vs by his holy spirit and for asmuch as there are many infirmities in vs we must alwayes come to our Lord Iesus Christe and to confesse that there is nothing in vs but all cursednesse and miserie wee must needes come too this conclusion of S. Paules that Christ had died in vaine if it behoued vs to obtayne rightuousnesse by the law whither it were wholly or partly VVee must needes confesse that and the veriest idiotes are able to perceyue it in so much that if we receyue not Iesus Christ with that condition it is certayne that his comming shall profite vs nothing at all It will be but as a winde to blow vs away together so as wee shall be no more able to take hold of Gods mercie that is offered vs in Iesus Christ Now seyng it is so let vs learne to leaue such maner of mingling and acknowledge our selues beholden too our Lord Iesus Christe for all things for when we go about too interlace our owne merites with the free remission of our sinnes it is but a falsifying of Gods truth Besides this when we haue learned to rest our selues after that maner vppon him let vs bee taken in loue with the spirituall benefites which he bringeth vs and let not the afflictions and aduersities of this world hinder vs from holding on our course and from the ouer comming of all temptations and distresses but that we may haue full ioy in the middes of all our sorrowes and troubles assuring our selues that al that euer wee can suffer in this world is nothing in comparison of that which is prepared
there is none of vs but he shall finde that he prouoketh God too vse suche sharpenesse towardes him as if a father bee as kinde harted as is possible to be wished yet if he haue vnruly children so as they be â—eude and froward he shall bee prouoked after suche a fashion that he shall as it were chaunge his nature bycause he knoweth not at what end too begin with them and is fayne after a sort too transforme himselfe Euen so is it with vs. For we haue a father which in goodnesse surmounteth all that can bee seene among men but we on our side as I sayd afore in steede of yeelding obediently vnto him as we ought to do and in steede of offering our selues redily to walke as he commaundeth so soone as he doth but speake the woord do nothing but stray VVe haue our lustes alwayes inordinate and boyling wee haue our replies alwayes readie coyned and although our mouth speake not yet it appeereth that there is no such calmnesse in our hartes as too be contented to submit our selues to God as we ought to do Seyng then that we be conuicted to our faces by experience that God had neede to be so rough and sharp towardes vs let vs suffer him to do whatsoeuer he knoweth too be for our welfare And no doubt but the Galathians were as nyce as wee and had as itching eares as wee haue and yet were they fayne too be rebuked so sharply by reason of their vnthankfulnesse As for S. Paule we know he indeuered by all humilitie and meeldnesse too drawe all such to the obedience of our Lord Iesus Christ as were committed and appoynted too his Apostleship He likeneth himself and not without cause too a nurce which will beare with hir nurse childe and not spare any thing too shew the loue that shee beareth it VVee shall see hereafter that he will say Be yee as I am for I am as you bee I seeke nothing but too fashion my selfe vnto you and to bring to passe that wee may agree in one And yet notwithstanding necessitie hath constreyned him too crie out as you heare now Yee vnwize yee fooles yee vndiscreete or witlesse as beasts who hath bewitched you after that sorte must you not needes bee possessed with the Diuell Here are very harde woordes and no doubt but the Galathians were greeued at them at the firste sight Yet neuerthelesse it was meete for them to feele that S. Paule vsed not that maner of speach and language without cause Therefore whensoeuer we bee rebuked let vs blame our owne faultes for it and yeeld our selues giltie for wee shall gayne nothing by checking againe VVhen we haue disputed what we can wee may peraduenture iustifie our cace afore men but wee shall alwayes be giltie before God Moreouer it behoueth vs too marke well the reason that is added heere by S. Paule when he sayeth yee muste needes bee bewitched if yee obey not the truth seyng that our Lorde Iesus Christe hath bin as it were peynted out liuely before you yea and euen crucified among you In speaking after that fashion S. Paule sheweth with what force and effectualnesse he had preached the Gospell Therfore he likneth the doctrine which he had brought vnto a picture therevnto inlargeth it yet better saying that the matter which hee had preached among the Galathians ought too auayle asmuch as if they had seene the Sonne of God crucified among them and his bloud sheaded out for the spirituall washing of their soules For so much then as they had bin taught so faythfully they could no more excuse themselues of their backesliding But first of all we see here whiche is the true maner of preaching the Gospell namely to giue knowledge of Gods loue towardes vs in that he spared not his onely Sonne but gaue him too the death for vs according as in very deede all the treasures of wisedome and vnderstanding are layed vp in our Lord Iesus Christ as it is sayd in another place too the Colossians Sith it is so if we bee desirous to profite well in the Gospell lette vs learne too acknowledge the grace that is purchaced for vs by our Lorde Iesus Christe for without that all that wee haue is nothing Many will brag that they bee well learned in Gods word but the true triall too knowe whither it bee so or no is if wee perceyue howe greate neede wee haue that God shoulde poure out his mercie vpon vs too succour vs by drawing vs out of the gulf of Hell and therevpon coÌ„clude that wee cannot be clenzed and washed from any of all our spottes but by the bloud of Gods sonne nor obtayne rightuousnesse but by the obedience that he hath yeelded nor haue any satisfaction for vs but by the sacrifize that he hath offered nor come in Gods fauour but by his meanes nor open our mouthes too call vppon him but by his intercession Therefore when wee bee throughly persuaded of the gracious benefites that are brought vs by the sonne of God then may wee say wee haue some vnderstanding in the Gospell but without that wee haue nothing but imagination and follie Marke that for one poynt And therewith let vs marke that it is not ynough for vs too know slightly that our Lord Iesus Christ hath bought vs so deerely but that we must continue still in the doctrine of the Gospell till it bee throughly printed in our hartes as though his bloud gushed downe too apply the frute that commeth of it too our vse and that is too the end to waken vs out of our drowsinesse For we shal see many that take themselues too bee very great Clerkes if they vnderstande but three or foure woordes of the Gospell at a glaunce And yet the same shall soone bee defaced and put out of rememberance bycause that whereas wee ought too seeke too bee filled with the benefites that our Lord Iesus Christ hath brought vs they holde themselues contented with a tast of them God then punisheth the vnthankfulnesse of such folke and their despizing of his goodnesse And therfore it standeth vs so much the more on hand to put forth apply all our indeuer to be well settled in the foresayd doctrine that is too wit of knowing whervnto the death and passioÌ„ of Gods sonne and the inestimable benefites which we haue receyued do auayle vs. Again on the other side we be warned that our sins are the heynouser before God if after wee haue bin taught his will wee turne head backe againe and sin not through ignoraÌ„ce but through contempt and wilfulnesse For if we shake off his yoke it is a sure proofe that wee bee loth to be subiect to him and play the wilde beasts True it is that euen the ignorantest folk in the world are reproued by their own sinfulnesse for asmuch as hypocrisie reigneth in all men but yet if coÌ„parison bee made betweene those that neuer heard one woord of the truth and vs
there was nothing but sin in vs God maketh vs parteners of the rightuousnesse of our Lorde Iesus Christ and all the obedience that hee yeelded is conueyed ouer vnto vs. As for example If I owe a summe of money and another pay it for me although I lay out nothing out of mine owne purse yet am I quitte I had not wherewith to pay but I found one that discharged me Euen so is it with vs who beeing destitute of rightuousnesse haue Iesus Christ for our suretie and he hath satisfied God his father for vs. By meanes whereof our sinnes are quite wyped out so as they come not any more to account or remembrance before God and therefore wee be iustified or blessed that is to say where as God must heeretofore haue hilde vs as accursed and damnable now he holdeth vs for his children And herein also we see the fondnesse of the Papistes who cannot finde in their heartes to be perswaded that we be iustified by fayth bycause that too their seeming fayth is not so excellent a vertue as some other are For a man shall not bee perceyued to doo much in holding himselfe too Gods promises and in resting vpon them Men will say verie well such a one is a wretched sinner and knoweth that hee had neede in deed to bee succoured by Gods goodnesse and that is the cause why he resteth therevpon But the man whose cōuersation beares a goodly show is magnified euery where shall be counted the rightuouser As for example if a man be liberall and deale freely of his goods and also shewe himselfe well dispozed in all other partes of his life such a one shall be counted more excellent than a beleeuer Besides this they doo also alledge S. Paules saying in another place howe that Charitie is aboue Fayth and Hope Yea truly but the question is not here whether of them is the greater higher or nobler vertue VVhen we say we be iustified by fayth it is not ment that there is any worthinesse or desert in our fayth as who shoulde say that God were bounde vnto vs and therefore receyued vs for it but that bicause God hath shewed himselfe mercifull towardes vs and promised to bee our Sauiour wee beeing first bereft of all trust in our vertues doo come vnto him by fayth knowing well that if hee consider vs in our selues he must needes curse and abhorre vs. Seing then that fayth bringeth not any thing on mans behalfe but receyueth all things of Gods mere and free goodnesse there is no questioning what woorthinesse is in vs. And so wee see that fayth not onely helpeth vs too the attainment of our saluation but also bringeth vs all perfection Nowe after that Saint Paule hath sayde that all the heathen are blessed in Abraham he addeth that it is togither with the faythfull Abraham As if he should say there is none other meanes to make vs finde fauour in Gods sight than onely fayth There is no seeking of helpe else where in that behalfe For that is yet too grosse an error wherewith the Papists are intangled For although they wote not what fayth meaneth nor what it is to be iustified yet are they inforced to say that fayth helpeth to saluatiō Howbeit they adde that it is but partly and that charitie and al other vertues worke together with it and that if men purpose to be allowed of God they muste deserue well at his hand so that all is nought worth without obedience and holinesse of lyfe It is true that fayth cannot be separated from the feare of God but the matter heere is nothing else but too knowe by what meanes God acknowledgeth vs for his children But if hee haue respect too oure woorkes wo bee to vs. Therefore he must bee fayne to turne away his countenance from the considering of our persons and to receiue vs alonely in our Lorde Iesus Christ or else in his looking vpon vs to marke nothing but our miseries that he may be moued and prouoked to mercie Ye see then that God hath a double respect in iustifying vs. The one is that he beholdeth our miseries for in asmuch as he seeth vs so plunged in all confusiō he is moued to pitie Again to the intent he may no more be an enimie and take part agaynst vs which are sinners he must be faine to looke vpon our Lorde Iesus Christ and vpon his rightuousnesse that the same may doo away all our offences Now S. Paule sayth heere that we can not be blessed but with faythfull Abraham As if he shoulde saye that Abraham though he were neuer so holy a man brought nothing of his owne with him when he obteyned righteousnesse before God Fayth as I haue saide alreadie doth vtterly bereeue a man of all the worthinesse which he supposeth himself to haue Seeing that Abraham had none other helpe than fayth it followeth that he renounced al his own works as which in very deede were nothing worth Then sith it is so let vs learne to leaue such mingling which bringeth nothing but corruption before God and let vs be contented that we be allowed at Gods hand if he finde vs faythfull If a man poze vs and say had Abrahams vertues no fauour in Gods sight It is easie too answere that Abraham of his owne nature had nothing but all maner of iniquitie He had bin a castaway if God had not plucked him out of the dungeon wherein he was sunken according as he him selfe sheweth in the last chapter of Iosua Consider sayth he to the Iewes from whence I tooke your father Abraham Did not his fathers serue Idols Then dyd I plucke him out of the bottome of hell So Abraham had not aughte whereof to boast For he coulde not haue done any good if God had not preuented him with his grace But nowe after that God had giuen Abraham so great and excellent vertues that he is become as a patterne of all holynesse yet were not those vertues able too iustifie him for there was alwayes some faulte too be founde in him eyther more or lesse Let a man inforce him selfe as muche as in possible too obey God and yet shall he always go limping Now there can not be so little a fault nor so small a blemish in our works but the same is inoughe to make them foule and lothsome before God Thus all Abrahams vertues if they had bin examined strayghtly coulde not haue brought him ought but damnation As muche is too bee sayde of Dauid and of all others Besides this when wee fall too scanning whether God loue vs and acknowledge vs for his children it must not bee thought he dooth it for two or three good deedes but for such a perfect obedience as we faile not in any one iote But surely although Abraham had some perfection in parte of his life yet could he not be iustified by it For he was continually a man that is to say a sinner and God hild him so at the
than angelicall conformitie too all his commaundementes Howbeit although he holde vs in awe although he chaunge vs and fashion vs newe agayne althoughe he reyne vs backe to the obedience of his will yet is there no full perfection in vs. And why For he intendeth to holde vs still vnder the bridle of humilitie he wil haue vs to know our owne weaknesse and to grone for it before him and he will haue vs to passe iudgement and to know that wee be alwayes inâ—etted vnto him Forasmuche then as God doth not in this present life giue vs such perfection as were requisit to the ful performance of his whole law therfore we can neuer do throughly the things that he coÌ„maÌ„deth vs. And forasmuch as we be not able to performe theÌ„ therfore this iudgement is huÌ„dred down vpon our heads that he is cursed which fulfilleth not al the things It behoueth vs to marke well that saying for it is not sayd Cursed bee he that reiecteth the Lawe or which keepeth no poynt at all of it but Cursed be he that dischargeth not himselfe of it poynt by poynt and through stitche as I sayd afore And for that cause also S. Iames too the ende too beate downe mens pride sayth that he which fayleth in any one poynt is giltie of the whole VVee will think this to be very rough dealing at the first sight VVhat say we will God forget al the good that a man hath done for the committing of some one onely fault That would be counted crueltie among men Yea but S. Iames addeth a reason saying He that forbad to murther forbad also to coÌ„mit whordome and he that forbad to steale forbad al the residue too Then if I thinke my selfe to haue satisfied God in forbearing thefte and in the meane while am a whoremaster haue I not offended the maiestie of God And therfore wee must leaue all these peecings for if wee bring God some one peece let all the rest alone what a dealing wil that be â–ª VVe see that one man is giuen to one vice another to another and so euery man would bee priuiledged and dispenst with vnder colour that he had done this or that notwithstaÌ„ding that he missed in some other poynt But God hathe not separated his commaundements asunder He hath not sayde too one man thou shalte not steale and to another Thou shalte not commit aduoutry but he sayth to al men without exception Absteyne yee from whordome absteyne ye from theft absteyne yee from murther Therefore wee must examine our life not by any one commaundement alone but by all the whole law togither But now let vs see if we can find any man that is faultlesse Yee see then that wee must needes bee confounded so long as we stande to be iudged by the law For if Abraham who was the excellentest that euer could be picked out amoÌ„g men should be driuen to enter into account by that it is certayne that he shoulde not misse too bee damned Seeing it is so let vs beare well in minde that it is not for vs too dispute any more for when the Papistes speake of the righteousnesse of faythe they doo but dally and skoffe with God as if he were a lyttle babe Let vs keepe our selues from suche scornfulnesse and when God pronounceth this horrible sentence that all they bee cursed which fulfill not all that is written let vs conceiue such a terrour of it as we may quake before his maiestie yea and euery of vs become his owne iudge and willingly yeeld himselfe giltie and beeing so conuicted of our wretchednesse bewayle our vtter fayling in all things and therevpon imbrace the rightuousnesse that is offered vs in our Lord Iesus Christ taking all our contentment and rest there Now let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults praying him to make vs so to feele them as we may not only aske him forgiuenesse with true repentance but also pray him to hold vs vp all the tyme of our lyfe till he haue taken vs hence into his owne kingdome and in the meane while to reforme vs more and more by his holy spirit to the end we may haue sure record that we be of the number of his children by gouerning ourselues after that manner in feare and seeke nothing else but to giue ourselues wholly vnto him And so let vs all say Almighty God heauenly father c. The. 18. Sermon which is the fourth vpon the third Chapter 11. That no man is iustifyed by the lavve before God it is manifest for the rightuous shall liue by faith 12. And the lavve is not of saith but the man that doeth those things shall liue in them 13. Christ hath raunsomed vs froÌ„ the curse of the lawe in that he became accursed for vs for it is vvritteÌ„ cursed is he that hangeth on tree 14. That the blissednesse of Abraham myght come vppon the Gentils through Iesus Christ to the end that vve myght receyue the promis of the spirite by fayth WE haue seene that if men be not worse than mad they must needes for all that euer they haue seeke their saluation in our Lord Iesus Christ For if they sticke to the law they shall find nothing there but damnation as hathe bin shewed alreadye and that doth euery man fynde sufficiently by hys owne experience And certesse when as Sainct Paule goeth about in the Epistle to the Romanes to shew that men beguile themselues too grosly by trusting in their owne merites he fayth that the law can worke nothing but Gods wrath and vengeance For although wee bee already sufficiently condemned ere God open his mouth to gyue sentence againste vs yet notwithstanding our naughtinesse is yet deeper ingrauen by the law when he saith that if wee transgresse but some any one point we become enimies to God and his wrath must needes be kindled against vs. VVhat shall we gaine by disputing when the determinate sentence is pronounced by the heauenly iudge There is nother appeale nor pleading that will stande vs in sted So then let vs vnderstand that to haue the true knowledge of the Gospell we must hold vs wholly to our Lorde Iesus Christe that we put not our hope of saluation in any other thyng than in his only mercie and for the performance thereof let euery of vs haue an eye to his owne life For if men sift themselues thoroughly without hipocrisie or feyning surely all cause of pleading will soone be rid away The Papistes will not in any wise graunte that only fayth should make vs acceptable to God and that is bycause they neuer felt throughly what it is to come before Goddes iudgement seate but haue alwayes as it were played with the shadow of it And therefore no maruell though they pardon themselues in all things But the very way to bring vs to the truth and to the pure and right religion is for euery of vs to
whereoutof God hath deliuered me once twice or thrice before and that if God haue pitied me in some affliction to day so as I haue felt his fauor he afflicteth me to morrow with some other affliction what were my life if I rested vpon the worlde So then the Prophet mēt to declare that although the faithful be miserable and do but pyne away in this worlde yet notwithstanding they be blessed of God euen in this worlde and all the miserie which they indure here shall turne to their welfare for why they rest themselues vpon their God VVherfore we must vnderstand that there is a better heritage than this and that we seeke the true and euerlasting happines so as we may haue a stedfast continuance of our state But the woorde Rightuousnesse ought also to be well marked For if Abacucke had sayde the wretched sinners shall liue by fayth it would haue seemed that hee had spoken but to a fewe folke For it wil well ynough bee graunted that wretched sinners shoulde flee for refuge vnto God but as for those that excell in vertue ought they not to be exempted from the common aray and to be exalted too a higher degree at Gods hande and finally too bee iustified by prerogatiue Accordingly as we see nowadayes that although there bee nothing but al maner of filth in the Popish Ceremonies and Clergie as they tearme it so as they ought to be abhorred both of God and man yet notwithstanding vnder colour of their Coules and all other their trumperie they ceasse not to chalenge God too bee greatly in their det And besides this when these dotardes haue made muche babling and trotted and scudded vp and downe from altar too altar and from Chappell to Chappell and gadded on pilgrimage to their seeming God ought not to forget any of these doings but all of it ought to passe for good payment in their account besides an hundred thousande other Items which they haue too set downe before him And that is the cause why our Lorde Iesus Christ sayth that the wretched loce liuers yea euen the verie whooremongers shall much sooner come too the kingdome of heauen than 〈◊〉 any of all these foule toades that are so puffed vp with the vaine trust of their own deserts that although their whole life be wicked and they thēselues are full of all lothsomnesse yet they will nedes bind God vnto thē vnder the shadow of their hypocisie Now to the entēt to cut off all occasion of such imaginations the Prophet saith purposely that the rightuous shall liue by faith At the first sight there should seeme to be some contrarietie in these two sayings How so Must we to the intēt to be rightuous liue by faith yea for if we liue not by faith we be not rightuous For what is the rightuousnesse of the Gospell It is Gods free giuing vs a cōuenient remedie whereby to come vnto him and to be in his fauor through our Lord Iesus Christ bicause we cannot obteyne rightuousnesse by the law Therfore whosoeuer liueth by fayth is out of doubt not rightuous of himselfe But the Prophet saith that those notwithstanding are rightuous which are saued by Gods only and free mercie Therfore it is as much as if he had sayd that although God giue vs the grace to imploy our selues to his seruice and haue by his holy spirit imprinted in our harts the true feare and honor which we owe vnto him so as we fight against the lusts of our flesh to the vttermost of our power striue against the sin that is in vs and in our nature yet must we shet our eies at all the things which wee woulde fayne find in our selues too please God with and rest wholy vpon our Lord Iesus Christ If the rightuous must be faine to be iustified by fayth who shall bee iustified by his owne deseruings None will take vpon them but Diuels wicked wightes and enimies of God Ye see then that the Papistes euen at this day coulde not deuize to shewe betten that they intende not to be rightuous than by theyr stryuing for the rightuousnesse of their owne woorkes and desertes as they doo For it is an vtter fighting euen with a spyte agaynst God and nature You Papists say you seeke too bee rightuous and howe euen by your selues and by your owne workes and deseruings VVell let vs consider what the Prophete sayth he sayth not that the rightuous shall liue by their workes but that they shall bee saued by the onely grace of God Now if the righteous giue ouer all selfe trust of their owne merites as of force they must needes do it is certaine that such as thinke to make God indetted vnto thē by bringing any vertue of their own vnto him do wipē raze thēselues quite cleane out of the register of rightuousnesse Thus ye see that the Papists so long as they dwell in theyr errour are reiected of God according to the sentence which hee gyueth vpon them heere by his Prophete And vndoubtedly when as Saint Paule alledgeth this saying of Dauid Happie is he to whome God imputeth not his sinnes hee sheweth well therby that those men are most righteous which do most condemne themselues and are most striken downe yea and are vtterly out of all hope of themselues till God haue succoured them by his goodnesse Now when Dauid cryed out happie is the man to whom God imputeth not his sinnes he was not a naughtipacke nor an vnthrifte nor a dispiser of God that had neuer tasted what it was too enter into his owne conscience and too ransacke his sinnes too the quicke but contrariwise God had chosen him and annoynted him by Samuell he was an excellent Prophete his reigne was a figure of our Lorde Iesus Christ and finally God wrought so in him that he was as an Angell dwelling among men And yet for all this he confesseth and acknowledgeth his sinnes and in confessing of thē doth sorrow and mourne and is in such vnquietnesse as if hee were tormented vpon a racke or torture till God was so gracious to him as to make him taste of his goodnesse and he knewe no ease till God had receyued him to mercie Then if God vouchsafe too forbeare the examining of our workes that is all our happinesse the onely way for vs to become happie is to haue our sinnes couered and too be in Gods fauour howbeeit not in respect of aught that is in our selues but by his turning away of his countenance frō vs damned wretches so as he consider vs not as of our selues but accept vs for his onely sonnes sake accordingly as wee see howe Dauid speaketh of it in another text saying Lorde enter not intoo iudgement with thy seruant for I knowe that no man liuing shall bee found righteous in thy sight VVherefore let vs marke well that according as eche man shall haue profited in the feare of God so also will he be the more
that the free promis was giuen afore the law and therefore it followeth that the law came not in to diminish or alter any whit of it but that it continueth still in his owne fulnesse nature and force True it is that our Lord Iesus Christ had not yet shewed himselfe to the worlde when the free promis was made to our father Abraham neuerthelesse it suffiseth that he was ordeyned to be our mediator that by hys meanes men might be reconciled to God Now if any man alledge that it should seeme then that the law was more than needed or else that there was some change and variablenesse in Gods purpose seeing the law came in Sainct Paule discusseth the same in place conuenient and wee must not huddle vp thynges togyther for all cannot be vttered at once nother in an houre nor in a day Therefore it is ynough for vs at this tyme too haue thys poynt made playne and cleere that the promis whereby God hath chosen vs intoo the number of his chyldren was before the lawe and also that the same promis had not any respect to our deseruings nor too any woorthinesse that was in our persons but too Gods meere goodnesse and mercie whych moued hym therevnto without looking for any thing in vs bycause hee saw welynough there was nothyng in vs but vtter miserie And finallye that the sayde promis was grounded in our Lorde Iesus Chryste who had alreadye done the â—â—ffice of a mediator to make vs way vnto God his father This being graunted wee must needes conclude that the promis hath abidden and shall abyde for euer euen to the worlds end And that is sayd expresly bycause the Iewes gloried of their auncetrie But Sainct Paule telleth them that their father Abraham had not the lawe but was contented though he vsed sacrifises and such other like thinges And although he was circumcised in the end yet when he receiued the promis there was not as yet theÌ„ any law writteÌ„ no nor any circumcision at all For Abraham was vncircumcised when he receiued the promis and yet neuerthelesse was iustifyed before he was circumcised and all that was by fayth Sainct Paule therefore sheweth that the Iewes were greatly ouerseene too shole out themselues after that manner from the rest of the whole woâ—ld and to rest continually vpon the figures of the law seeing that Abraham their father and the cheefe patriarch of the Church was iustifyed the sefsame way that we must be at this day that is to saye by Gods meere mercie bycause hee knew himselfe to be a wretched sinner and therefore accursed and damned in Adam and that there was no blissednesse to be hoped for other than that which was promised hym for our Lord Iesus Christs sake Thus yee see what wee haue too beare in mind And for the same cause Sainct Paule exhorteth vs heere too wey well these words when it was sayd vnto Abraham that all nations of the earth should be blissed in his seede Now there are heere two principall poyntes The one is that the blissednesse is promised not only to Abrahams fleshly ofspring as I haue told you already but also to all the world in generall VVe therefore are made partakers thereof wee I say that are issued of the Gentiles that is to say of suche as were heathenfolke and banished from the kingdome of heauen Although then that we were not of that holy linage whiche God had chosen at the beginning yet notwithstanding it behoued saluation to be extended vnto vs. And why so â–ª For it had hin promised before that all Nations shoulde be blissed Seeing it is so shall we say that God hath cut off the greatest parte of his bounteousnesse and will haue no more but the sayde linage of Abraham considering that hee hath alreadye tolde vs that he woulde bee the sauiour of the whole worlde and shewe himselfe a father in time conuenient Yee see then howe the firste poynt is that the making of the sayde promis vnto Abraham was not for his linage alone but for all men howbeit that it were not fulfilled at the first dash For the time of fulnesse was not yet come as we shall see in the Chapter following The second point is that the blissednesse which was promised to Abraham was for his seedes sake For Sainct Paule sayth that God spake not of seedes in the plurall number as of mo than one but of one onely seede whiche must be concluded to be Iesus Christ Heere it myght be supposed that Sainct Paule buzied his head about a needelesse matter For the word Seede importeth a linage or ofspring that is to witte not some one man or ten or fortie but a whole people Therefore the Seede of Abraham is the people that came of hym whyche were so many in number that it was iustly sayde of them that they shoulde bee as it were twelue Nations For when mention is made of a people it will bee thought ynough to haue a hundred thousand of them togither and there were many mo in the onely tribe of Iuda So then it should seeme that Sainct Paule dyd not sufficiently consider what God meant by the word seede when he sayd that it is but one only man But wee must wey well the thyngs that Sainct Paule presupposeth heere as fully certaine and resolute and then shall wee perceyue his argumentes to be vtterly infallible Abraham had not one sonne alone but after Ismaell he had Isaac also And what became of his eldest sonne Hee was cut off from hys house as we shall see within a whyle that is to say in the Chapter following Beholde then Ismaell whiche had the birthright in Abrahams house is neuerthelesse put out and made an vtter straunger yea and as a rotten member in somuch that it is sayd of hym Cast out the sonne of the handseruante for hee shall not inherit in my house Afterwarde Abraham had other children but euery of them had their portions giuen vnto them and were sent away Thus was onely Isaac left at home vntoo hym Anon after Isaac had a cupple of children and they were twinnes of one wombe Esau the firstborne whiche ought too haue hadde the prefermente was lykewise cast off so as hee was not counted for the linage of Abraham nor yet was made partaker of the promised blissing There was no mo left but Iacob Yea and although the father blissed his sonne Iacob through ignorance and mistaking yet he declareth that it was not in him to reuoke or chaunge the thing that hee had vttered with his mouth bycause he was the instrument of the holy Ghost Now then if we take the seede of Abraham for all those that came of his race The Ismaelites or Agarenes as they be called and such other lyke and moreouer the Edomites also should be of his houshold But the heritage is taken quite and cleane from them Therefore the seede of Abraham must be considered after a peculiar
fashion Let vs go forward with the whole processe VVe see that without faith there should be no bond to knit any Church togither nor any assurance whereby to know which is the seede of Abraham or to discerne it from the rest of the world but by resorting to the head that is too wit to our Lord Iesus Christ Ye see then that the vnion of the body dependeth vpon the head that is to wit vppon the Redeemer Seeing it doth so not without cause doth Sainct Paule say that it was not spoken of many seedes but that wee must come too one man if we will haue the spirituall people that is to say if wee will haue the Churche of God our Lorde Iesus Christ must bee the marke that we must begin to looke at and wee must bee gathered vnto him and those that are of his body and cleaue vntoo him by fayth are the folke that are reckened for Gods children and houshold and are verily the seede of Abraham as he discourseth more at large in the Epistle to the Romanes where he sayth that all they which come of the seede of Israell after the flesh are not therefore Israelites And why For there was but one promised chylde which was Isaac So then wee must come to our Lorde Iesus Christe in whome all Gods promises are Yea and Amen and in whome they haue theyr substance For without him there is nothing else but soattering And therefore it is said in the first Chapter to the Colossians that our Lorde Iesus Christs office is to gather togither all things that were scattered as well in heauen as in earthe and that without him al should go to wrecke But now we see more cleerely how Sainct Paules meening is that before the law was published to the world wherevpâ—â— was put and added this condition that it behoued vs to fulfill all that is conteined therein God had yeelded a record of his will before hand whiche was that bycause hee saw mankind damned and forlorne he inteÌ„ded to draw out a chosen sort to hymselfe and to be mercifull to them And that was not for one linage alone but for all nations as the scripture expresseth And there of the foundation was layd in our Lord Iesus Christ For asmuch then as our Lord Iesus Christe was already in the tyme of Abraham ordeyned to be a mediator to make attonemeÌ„t betweene God and vs so that if we go in his name to seeke fauour it is ready for vs and we cannot be disappointed of our hope seeing it is so stablished there is no chaunge but wee must assure ourselues that God accepteth vs at this day so we rest wholly vpoÌ„ our Lord Iesus Christ knowing that it was no vncerteine couenant whiche was so ratifyed in his name but that it shall endure for euer and be always of force Ye see then that we may come freely before God and call vpon him as our father bycause he hath adopted vs for his chidreÌ„ whiche thing he hath not done in respect of any worthinesse that was in vs but of his owne meere mercie and bycause we bee made one with our Lord Iesus Christ by faith And by the way like as we must reiect all opinion and imagination of obteyning fauour at Gods hand by our owne deseruings and of assuring our owne saluation so must we looke wel to that which is told vs heere namely that we cannot be partakers of such a benefite but by faith Now as I haue sayd afore faith importeth an imbracing of Gods mercy whiche thing cannot bee done except wee bee touched earnestly with our own wretchednesse for it is not for naught that our Lord Iesus Christ setteth our cursednesse before vs as it were in a glasse by taking vpon him to be accursed for vs. Faith therefore cannot be without repentance for it is vnpossible that we shoulde seeke our welfare in God or desire mercie at his hand till miserie touch vs to the quicke and make vs to mislike of it And so these skoffers whiche mocke God weltring still in their vyces and beeing as it were sotted in them must not looke that euer Iesus Christ shoulde recken them in the number of hys for they cannot by any meanes come at him nother doth he call any other than suche as are so ouerloden and forweeryed as they can no longer hold out and lye groning vnder the burthen of their sinnes Thus ye see how it behoueth vs to resort to our Lord Iesus Christe and that although we cannot bring any desert vnto him and that all the Ceremonies of the law and all the profers that we can make vnto him do nothing at all further our saluation yet we must be prepared to suche lowlinesse as we may perceiue our state to be right miserable till God haue taken vs to his mercy and we must be so beaten downe in ourselues as wee may feele the curse that should light vpon vs if we were not raunsomed with so high and excellent a price as I haue declared heeretofore Yee see then that by faythe wee receiue the promis of the spirite and thereby are linked to oure Lord Iesus Christ and too the spirituall seede of Abraham For although we be not borne of his linage yet is it ynough that wee be made atone with him by faith For then are wee begotten againe of that incorruptible seed wherof S. Peter speaketh that is to wit of Gods word such as it is conteyned in the Gospell And beeing so begotten agayne we know that God auoweth vs too be of the body of his only sonne And although wee come of the Gentiles yet fayle we not for all that to be ioyned to the Church whervntoo there needeth no more but only fayth and as for all merites and vertues of men they must vtterly ceasse in that behalfe and men must acknowledge that they cannot bring any thing but confusion so as they must be faine to seeke all at Gods hande and that by the meanes whiche hee hymselfe hath appointed Now sith it is so let vs learne to leaue our wandering heere and there as we see lightheaded men do whiche are neuer contented with that which God telleth them but are euer adding somewhat of theyr owne deuice Let vs beware of such mingling as shall be treated of more at large after dinner by Gods will And let Iesus Chryste alone suffise vs seeyng that our welfare dependeth wholly vppon hym alone and wee shall want nothing if wee bee partakers of hym as we see how Sainct Paule bringeth vs backe too that poynte Furthermore let vs learne also too holde vs too Gods truth assuring ourselues that hee cannot abyde too haue any adding vntoo it bycause that were a marring reuersing and falsifying of his couenant wherein oure welfare consisteth But when we haue once imbraced our Lorde Iesus Christ let vs abyde fast in him and let hym suffise vs for all and then maye wee call vppon GOD with full mouth
they be both one thing as I haue sayde afore But in this text the word Faith hath yet a more peculiar signification which is the reuelation or discouerie which wee haue by the Gospell For it is very certaine that the forefathers had the spirit of faith or beleefe according as I haue shewed you alreadye that Abraham was iustifyed bycause he beleeued God that wee also must be fashioned like to his example in that behalfe as whereby we be made his children to come to the kingdom of heauē Then had faith his full strength at all times and there neuer was any other meanes to set God and men at one but yet was not the fayth reueled in Abrahams time bycause our Lorde Iesus Christe who is the very pledge and substance therof was not yet come intoo the world Thus ye see how we be iustifyed freely at this day and without any desert of our owne And why is that For he that beleeueth that Iesus Christ died for our sinnes and is risen againe for our iustification hath all the whole And as it is sayd in another place our beleeuing with our hart maketh vs ryghtuouse and our confessing with our mouth maketh vs safe But now had Abraham had oure Lord Iesus Christ discouered vnto him as we haue him at this day in somuch that he is as good as crucified among vs as Sainct Paule hath sayd heeretofore his fayth had bin all one with ours But it was yet after a sort ouercouered that is to say although Abraham trusted in Iesus Christ hoping for saluation at his hande and although he vtterly distrusted himselfe knowing that there was vertue in him that might go for payment before God yet was he hild still vnder shadowes was fayne to looke at Iesus Christ a far off For he was not yet named the day sunne of rightuousenesse as hee is called in Malachie Now then we see what Sainct Paul meant by saying that faith was not yet come namely that the cōuenient time of the reueling of it to the world as it is nowadayes by the Gospel was not yet come so that the fathers were shet vp vnder the lawe So therefore heere is some peece of difference and some peece of likenesse in somuch that if it bee demaunded what the state of the fathers wer that liued vnder the law it is to be answered that partly it differed from ours and partly was al one How were they both one In this that God had shewed himselfe mercifull to our father howbeit for our Lord Iesus Christs sake and that Abraham perceyuing how it stoode him on hand to put his whole trust in the meere grace of God gaue ouer himself and so his beleeuing was reckened to him for rightuousnesse as we haue seene afore In lyke cace was it with all the Patriarks and Prophets So then their taking was all one with ours in that they grounded themselues vppon our Lord Iesus Christ and boasted not of any thing saue onely Gods mercy and had the promises of the inheritance of the heauenly life as we haue Yet was there also a diuersitie bycause they were fayne to haue Sacrifises washings and such other like thinges till the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ And when the law was giuen so as there was a Preest that entered into the Sanctuarie to be an intercessor and the people stoode aloofe a great way of and a veyle or Curtayne was drawen in the middes of the Tabernacle to make a darkening of things ye see they were thinges wherein the state of the fathers differed from ours for during the absence of our Lord Iesus Christ they had Ceremonies figures whereas we haue the very body substance of them as saith S. Paule to the Colossians For God biddeth not vs to offer any mo Calues Sheepe or Oxem to wipe out the spots of our sinnes But he telleth vs that we must be sprinkled with the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ through the power of the holy Ghost that in our Lord Iesus Christ we shall find all that is requisite for our saluatiō Ye see thē that as now faith reigneth in ful power that is to say whereas the fathers had but a little tast of it according to their mesure it is fully opēly reueled vnto vs. And for this cause S. Paul saith that the fathers were after a sort restreined or shut vp so that he likeneth the law to a bōdage in very deede so was it he will hereafter shew what maner of bōdage it is It is not ment that the fathers obteined not the euerlasting life which we hope for or that we shal not be crowned all togither at the last day but that God was fain for a time to weeld thē like little babes And for that cause also doth he vse the similitude of a scholemaster wil againe set down a third similitude of Tutors gouerners Howbeit for asmuch as this shal be handled in his due place let it suffise vs as now to vnderstād that whereas S. Paul likeneth the law vnto a bōdage it is to shew far greater fauor to vs thā he did to the fathers that died before the cōming of our Lord Iesus Christ bicause he vseth vs now after a freer fashiō And the secōd similitude doth yet better expresse that the Iewes were as children we now are as mē growē For this word Scolemaster betokeneth a master of childrē he saith thē that the law executed the office of a Scolemaster to traine vp the childhood of the people in old time And herevpon it may be cōcluded that the faithfull which beleued in Iesus Christ before he was manifested to the worlde were Gods children as wel as we And if they were children then were they also heirs Herin we see that we must not make thē like brute beasts as some fantasticall heads do which thinke that the Iewes contēted themselues with the possession of the plentifull land that was promised thē cared for no more but to be wel nurrished sed ther for that is too cursed a blasphemie But Iesus Christe serueth not to fil mēs bellies to feede their paunches he serueth to bring vs to the heauenly life It is said that Abraham saw his day that then was the thing wheron he rested his cōscience And wee see how Dauid did always looke vp higher thā the world Iacob at his death euē though he was giuing vp the last gasp and looked not to liue any longer in the world said he would trust in the saluatiō of God The aunciēt fathers thē were not little childrē after such a sort that they were not marked with Gods holy spirite nor called by him to the inheritance of the endlesse life but onely in the measure of faythe which was the differēce betwene thē vs. And how was that Euē bicause the law whiche they had was yet wrapped in figures shadowes whereas now Iesus Christ
sayd perfection without swaruing asyde at any time And so let vs all say Almightie God our heauenly father c. The. 30. Sermon which is the seuenth vpon the fourth Chapter 26 But the Ierusalem vvhiche is from aboue is free vvhich is the mother of vs all 27 For it is vvritten be glad thou barrein vvhich bearest no children breake forth and crie thou that trauellest not for the desolate hath many mo children than she that hath a husband 28 And vve my brethren vve be children of promise after the maner of Isaac 29 But like as then hee that vvas borne after the flesh persecuted him that vvas borne after the spirit euen so is it novv 30 Neuerthelesse vvhat sayth the scripture Cast out the bondvvoman and hir sonne for the sonne of the bondwoman shal not be heire with the sonne of the free vvoman 31 So then brethren vve be not children of the bondvvoman but of the free vvoman WE haue seene this morning that many do boast themselues to be faithfull pretending falsly to be Gods childrē are so taken to the worldwarde who notwithstanding are but bastards and God disclaymeth them bicause they haue corrupted the good seede whiche is the pure doctrine wherby we be begotten new again to be made partakers of the free adoption wherto God calleth vs. Thē all that we haue to do is not to be counted too bee of the Church except we be of the pure sound seed that is to say except we follow Gods worde without any corruption or mingling And for this cause doth S. Paule bring vs backe too the heauenly Ierusalem that we might know who is our mother Truly to speake properly such as peruert the naturall sense of the scripture are not the children of God and all their crying and calling vpon him as their father is but starke lying and hypocrisie Howbeit forasmuch as they be taken to be of that degree S. Paule discerneth them out by their mother too the end we might know which are Gods true and lawfull children and allowed of him For the 〈◊〉 of the Church is oftentimes pretended at al aduenture and in these dayes the Papists make a buckler of it to sheeld their errours withall And bicause the holy scripture is against them they thinke it may serue them for a couert that they as they wene haue the Church on their side Yea but S. Paule telleth vs that we must be wise to discern which is the true Church For the Iewes had colour ynough to shew that God had his abiding place in Ierusalem bicause hee had chosen it out with assurance that he woulde rest there for euer as we haue seene this morning And yet notwithstanding the very same Ierusalem became as a denne of theeues bicause our Lord Iesus Christ was crucified there and the Iewes were for their vnfaythfulnesse cut vtterly off from the house of God bicause they had indeuered to the vttermost of their power to abolish his truth Though the name of Ierusalē had earst bin honorable yet was it then had in reproch and disdein both before the Angels and before all the faithfull Euen so at this day wee ought to consider well which is the Church to the ende that we be not children of a bastarde seede and so God shake vs off and banishe vs out of his house for pretēding his name so falsly through hypocrisie before men In deede it is a verie excellent honor that God giueth to his Church in saying that she is the mother of all the faythfull and it agreeth with S. Paules report in another place where he sayeth that shee is as it were the piller that vpholdeth Gods truth in thys worlde Not that the truth hath any neede to be mainteyned by vs which are inclined to all lightnesse and inconstancie and which haue nothing in vs by nature but vntruth for what stedinesse is there to be found in vs to say that Gods truth shoulde stay vpon men But bicause that of his infinite goodnesse it is his will to haue his worde preached here beneath and hee hath committed the charge thereof to such as he calleth therto in respect where of the Church is called the mother of vs all For as our lord Iesus Christ telleth vs we haue but one father which is God yea and he is the father as well of our bodies as of our soules Howbeit God is our spirituall father without hauing any make yet notwithstāding he begetteth vs into the hope of eternall life and that is by the meanes of his Church wherinto he hath put the said incorruptible seed according as he saith by the Prophete Esay My worde sayth he shall be in thy mouth and continue with thy children from time too time and with all those that shall come of thy race Thus ye see how God intendeth to gouerne his faithfull ones namely by his worde which he maketh to bee as a pledge and inestimable treasure of saluation in his Church to the ende that we should be begotten and nurrished with it Therfore as I haue touched alreadie we had neede too bee so much the more skilfuller in discerning the Church For seeing it is the mother of Gods childrē the name of it ought not to be dishonored and trampled vnder foote nor yet defiled as it is seene to be nowadayes There is not a more common treacherie than to put forth the name of the Church to deface and darkē Gods truth For whereat do the Papists ame nowadayes in vaunting with full mouth and full throte that they be the Church but to stoppe Gods mouth and to thrust his worde vnder foote that it might no more be spoken of and that in the meane while the things that men haue forged after their own lyking should be receyued without any gainsaying and sticked to and obeyed VVe see then that men which are but earthwormes and rottennesse are put into the balance agaynst God and all vnder pretence of the Church But here Saint Paule warneth vs to seeke the Church which hath the pure doctrine whereby wee were adopted of God to be his children Nowe I haue tolde you heretofore that the whole matter lyeth in our being ingreffed into the bodie of our Lorde Iesus Christ and also in our acknowledging that wee be accursed by nature that all our workes are but filthinesse that the Diuell holdeth vs subiect to his tyrannie and that there is none other helpe for vs but that God should receyue vs to mercie and pitie Therefore let vs go into Gods house by the sayde gate that is to wit by acknowledging that there is none other way for vs to get in but by the onely mere grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ Thus ye see howe the Church doth breede vs and beare vs verely euen by the foresayde incorruptible seede Nowe that we may sore the better by this text wee haue two poyntes too marke The one is that we must not be like these
Beholde I Paule doo tell you that if yee be circumcised Christ shall profite you nothing at all 3 And agayne I protest to euery man that is circuÌ„cised that he is bounde to keepe the vvhole lavve WE haue seene heeretofore that to haue a state of continuance in the Churche wee muste bee grounded vpon our Lord Iesus Christ For many doo boast themselues to be Gods children who notwithstanding are not begotten of the true seede which maketh the differeÌ„ce wherby God auoweth and acknowledgeth vs for his children Therfore if we wil be truly knit to our Lord Iesus Christ we must hold fast the doctrine of the Gospell that he as our heade and mediator may ioyne vs to God his father Therwithall I haue declared that the cause why S. Paul speaketh so of boÌ„d free seed is for that they which seeke their righteousnesse in their owne vertues do alienate theÌ„selues froÌ„ our lord Iesus Christ froÌ„ his grace For by that meanes they bind theÌ„selues to an impossibilitie that is to say to satisfie God in keeping his coÌ„maundements But there is such weaknes in vs as none of vs is able to perform the least point of the law and therfore much lesse can we attaine to the perfectioÌ„ that is shewed vs heere And for that cause S. Paul coÌ„cludeth now â–ª that we must stand fast in the freedome which our Lord Iesus Christ hath purchased for vs. It is certayn that he treateth heere of the ceremonies of the law but yet must we always resort to the welhead and cheefe poynt For if the matter concerned no further than the keeping of a holyday or the forbearing of some kinde of meate it were not of so great weighâ— that suche strife should bee moued for it in the Church But Sainct Paule pored not vppon a matter so slight and of so small importance He had an eye to the doctrine he considered that if meÌ„ should be tyde to do this thing or that thing of necessitie it were an excluding of them from the hope of saluation For if I must needes performe a thing vnder peine of deadly sinne then if I fayle I am become a transgresser and there is no shift for me bycause God is my iudge and I must be fayne to come too account and there is no meanes to redeeme me Now it is certaine that al of vs are subiect to the keeping of the law but yet notwithstanding there is a remedie for it which is to runne vnto our Lord Iesus Christ in all our needes who was made subiect to the law to purchace vs freedome and bare our curse to discharge vs of it Now if any necessitie be layd vpon vs againe too say that the doing of this or that is sinne then cannot our Lord Iesus Christ stand vs in any more stead as I sayde afore by reason whereof we must needes bee plunged in our owne cursednesse without any manner of releefe Therefore it is not without cause that Sainct Paule exhorteth the Galathians to hold their owne and not too suffer themselues to be brought into bondage For by that meanes he faith that they shall be bereft of inestimable benefyte euen so farre foorth as they shall be falne quite away from Gods grace or fauour and vtterly separated from our Lord Iesus Christ in whome lieth all our welfare and happinesse Now that wee may the better conceiue S. Paules meening and also reape the frute that is offered vs in thys text Let vs marke that by this word Libertie oâ— freedome it is meant that we may walke with full confidence before God and that hee will alwayes be fauorable so that although wee bee giltie of many offences yet we shall be quit of them for our Lord Iesus Christes sake and moreouer that it is not in mans power to bridle vs or too hold vs in bondage but that it ought to suffise vs to yeld ourselues obedient vnto God howbeit not after a slauish and constreyned fashion but as children yeeld themselues subiect too their father knowing well that their father will not handle them roughly Thus ye see what is meant by the worde libertie or freedome whiche S. Paule vseth Neuerthelesse to the end that this shortnesse bee not darksome I will declare it more aâ—â—â—ge So long as we be in doubt whither God do loue vs or hate vs there will always bee trouble and vnquietnesse in our consciences and we shall be as it were locked vp in prison So then there will be no freedome in our mindes till we know and be throughly perswaded that God is at one wyth vs and that he receiueth vs into his fauoure grace though we be not worthy of it But it is impossible for vs to haue any certeintie of it except we haue our quittance alwayes before our eyes which was made vs in the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Chryste VVhy so For as I said afore we be indetted vnto God many wais yea infinite wayes For we be bouÌ„d to keepe the law and we breake it a hundred times a day yea euen or euer we thinke of it Again we offend euen in grosse faultes But howsoeuer we deale we cannot assure ourselues of Gods loue vnlesse wee bee discharged againste him of the obligation of euerlasting death wherein we staÌ„d bound Now we atteine that benefyte when we be perswaded by the Gospel that the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ was shed to wash away al our spottes and that his death is a sufficient sacrifise too appease Gods wrath and to wipe out the remembrance of al our offences iniquities Ye see then that the way to set vs free is to know that God receiueth vs to mercie for our Lord Iesus Christs sake that our faults sins shal not hinder vs to find fauor alwais in his sight or to haue familiar accesse vnto him as children haue vntoo theyr fathers SecoÌ„dly we must not be wauering too fro to make coÌ„science of euery thing that meÌ„ deuise of their owne heads but walke stedfastly according to gods word knowing moreouer that our coÌ„scieÌ„ces are free that whither men coÌ„mand or forbid any thing it is nothing to vs I meene as in respect of the spirituall regiment of our soules For we talke not heere of ciuil policie nor of the common life of men but of our saluation So then all things ought too bee free vntoo vs when they bee not forbidden vs by Gods owne mouth Yet is it not ynough that we haue Gods word for our guide without mingling any thing at all with it but as I haue touched alreadye we must therewithall know that God accepteth our affection when he seeth vs willing to obey him and that although there be much faultinesse and ouer many infirmities in vs and that we come halting vnto him and 〈◊〉 that all that euer wee doo were trifling toyes if he listed to examin them with rigorâ— yet neuerthelesse he taketh al in good woorth And
therfore the shadowes are not requisite any more If a man were present before mine eyes would I seeke too knowe him by his shadow That were to darksome a dealing and if I might behold him in the face what a doltishnesse were it for mee too turne away from him and to go seeke some tracinges too know him by Euen so is it now adayes with such as turne backe agayne to the old figures They turne their backes vpon Iesus Christ knowing not that the rending asunder of the veyle of the Temple at his death betokened that all the auncient figures were abolished and that wee at this day may enter intoo the heauenly Sanctuarie from the which wee were as good as straungers before To bee short S. Paule ment heere too declare that his condemning of the Ceremonies of the Lawe is not to condemne the fathers that vsed them nor God that was the author of them but to shewe that wee in these dayes haue the truth and substance of them and coÌ„sequently that the things which were shadowed heeretofore are no more so and therefore that wee must content our selues with Iesus Christ who hath brought all perfectioÌ„ with him Thus muche concerning the Ceremonies of the Lawe Now whereas S. Paule sayeth that wee wayte for the hope of rightuousnesse in spirite he vseth a kinde of speache that may seeme straunge for what is ment by wayting for the hope of rightuousnesse Let vs marke that heere S. Paule intended to drawe vs away from all things that are to bee seene in this worlde For bycause wee bee too muche inclyned and subiect too sticking fast heere by lowe when wee haue any thing for our senses too rest vppon so as wee cannot lift vp our mindes aloft and bycause that men are too fleshly they euer couet too haue alâ—â—â—ings open afore their eyes But God purposeth to trie our obedience by referring vs too his pure and single woord And we do then honour him aright when we shet our eyes at all these outwarde things and holde our selues satisfied with Gods will whiche he hath shewed too vs thinking our selues to want nothing when wee haue that For this woord wayt betokeneth that we perceyue not by eyesight the thing that wee wayt for according as it is sayd in the eight too the Romanes and so much the more bycause the woord Hope is added to it Therefore it is as much as if S. Paule had sayd Verely my freendes if a man would go about to know the rightuousnesse of Christians that is too wit that they be Gods children that they be heyres of the heaueÌ„ly life and that God accepteth them as if they were Angelles without spot or blemish I say if a man woulde know this after a worldly maner he should deceyue himself For wee see that the faythfull are despized folke men vouchsafe not too looke vpon them but a skew they beare a lowe sayle to the worldward and to be short there is nother pompe nor outward shewe in the rightuousnesse that wee obteyne by our Lord Iesus Christe For wee seeke not estimation when wee say that before God wee cannot rest vpon any thing but his meere mercie and that all our deseruings hang vpon his meere grace and that we must go out of our selues to haue Iesus Christ as the ful perfection of all goodnesse and welfare VVhen wee speake after that fashion it is not to vaunt our selues but too confesse our selues to be full of all reproche so as all our worthinesse is but dung and filth and all our woorkes vnclennesse and that wee should bee lothely in Gods sight lyke wretched Lazermen that are full of sores and botches if wee were not so washed and clenzed by the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ that God did like well of vs by his meanes Now then the rightuousnesse whiche ought too reigne among the faythfull is not a thing full of pompe nor a thing that is greatly gazed at and commended of the world no but it is vtter wretchednesse And therefore S. Paule sayeth heere that when the world laugheth at our simplicitie bycause they see vs hope after that fashion in our Lord Iesus Christ and euery of vs humbly abace himself euen to the dungeon of hell too the end wee may bee lifted vp by the grace of God too the kingdome of heauâ—â— although the worldlings doo mocke and skorne vs for it yet must wee holde on stedfastly assuring our selues that wee shall not be disappoynted For wee knowe with whom we haue left our gage in keeping namely euen with him that hath promised too call vs too saluation Therefore let vs walke on in the sayde fayth and imbrace Iesus Christ and when wee haue him let vs set light by all the rest Let vs not do him the dishonour and wrong too shrink away from him into a corner and too make him serue our turne but in part but let vs acknowledge that we be iustified throughly and in all poyntes by his meanes Now herevpon a man might yet make a question and say VVhat I pray you were the Ceremonies commaunded in the Lawe without cause why Truely Sainct Paule hath answered this matter sufficiently already Howbeit for asmuch as men are slowe in resoluing of matters that concerne the holding fast of Gods pure truth therefore he sheweth newe againe that there is difference betweene vs and those that liued before the comming of our Lord Iesus Christe Also he had a consideration too stoppe the mouthes of many raylers for if a man preache Gods meere mercie in Iesus Christe by and by some Mastife curres or other fall too barking and caste foorth store of slaunders as is to be seene yet still at this day For if wee condemne the Diuelish selftrust wherewith men beguyle themselues in weening too obtaine saluation by their owne desertes ô how so say they that were a condemning of all good woorkes And after that maner doo the hypocrites now adayes slaunder the doctrine of the Gospell whiche we beare abrode as though wee ment to giue leaue and licence too doo euill that there might bee no more difference betwixt vice and vertue Againe if wee tell them that their Ceremonies are but pelting baggage and that the more they take pryde in them the more abhominable they be before God ô how should that bee say they Behold these fellowes would abolish all religion and what a thing were that Shall God be no more serued and honored such is the speach and talke that is vsed now adayes by those curredogges which cannot abide that our Lord Iesus Christ should be the only foundacion whereon to settle the trust of our saluation nor also abide that wee should bee gouerned by the pure and alonly woord of God And for that cauâ—â— S. Paule sayeth here that in Iesus Christ there is nother Circumcizion nor vncircumcizion but fayth that worketh through charitie In saying that there is nother Circumcizion nor vncircumcizioÌ„ in Iesus Christ he meeneth that Gods
vnlesse our Lorde Iesus doo dwell in vs and reygne in vs and that wee bee inflamed with the loue of hym too gyue ourselues wholly vntoo him The Papists therfore neuer wist what faith meaneth notwithstanding that they chatter of it not altogither so well as Pyes in a Cage which doo yet vnderstande some woordes heere and there but they shewe so shamefull a beastlinesse as they may bee gazingstockes of Gods horrible vengeance in that they haue so forgotten the whole Phrase of the holy Ghost and haue no more skill of the holy scripture than a Paynim or a Turke that hath bin alwayes in â—â—â—athennesse and neuer herde of God the father of our Lorde Iesus Christe Lo in what taking the Papists are Now then let vs marke well that S. Paule hath not here imagined a shapelesse or vnfashioned fayth as they doe nor ment too set downe charitie as the cause of our righteousnesse but onely intended to shew that we haue inough to serue God with without snarling of our selues in a sort of pelting trifles Howbeit that wee may fare the better by this texte for wee must nowe come too an ende and the tyme wyll not suffer vs too proceede any further if the Papistes nowe adayes doo make their bragges that they haue a more apparant seruice of God than wee and a seruice that hath a gayer glosse let vs on our side bee well aduised that we despyse euerywhit of it For why God will not bee serued after meÌ„â— lykings Marke that for one poynt Besydes this the things which the Papistes call Gods seruice are pelting trifles imagined and forged in their owne brayne so that it is all reiected notwithstanding that men doo greatly delight in them and lyke well of them And therefore let vs haue an eye too serue God as he commaundeth VVherin wil he haue vs to be occupyed Not in needelesse things but he will haue a true tryall of vs which deceyueth not And what shall that bee To walke vprightly and faithfully with our neyghbors euery of vs to helpe where neede is according to his abilitie that no man be giuen wholly to himselfe that wee be trustie that we deale soundly and faithfully that wee liue peasably and that if wee see any man destitute of succor and too stand in neede of our helpe wee in that case doe as it were offer a sacrifice vntoo God knowing that he calleth vs too it to shew what loue we beare towardes him For if we loue not our neybours which are as it were visible groundes too worke kyndnesse vpon howe shall wee loue God sayth S. Iohn in his Epistle whom wee see not and which is absent from vs and hath no neede of any thing Therefore if wee wyll serue God well let vs learne too yeelde him such obedience as he lyketh of that is too saye let vs walke in suche faythfulnesse and freendlinesse as none of vs beguyle fleece or ouerreach hys neyghbour and moreouer that wee not onely absteyne from all wrongfull or wicked dealing but also that all suche as are called Christians do well bethinke them of our Lord Iesus Christs saying which is Cursed bee you that haue your seuerall deuotions alone by your selues and occupy your heads about small trifles making conscience of euery thing and yet in the meane whyle leaue the principall poynts of the lawe vndone that is too wit faithfulnesse Iustice rightuousnesse and mercie As if he should say Is it not a straunge thing that meÌ„ should so mocke with God making a countenance to honour him as though they tooke him but for a babe God wil haue meÌ„ to walk faithfully and vprightly he wil haue euery maÌ„ to pitie to succor the needie he wil haue no man to do his brother wrong and behold they on the contrary part will needes buzie themselues about Mooneshine in the water and things of no valew They will bee full of crueltie craft and maliciousnesse and yet thinke to pacifie God with things of nothing Therefore let vs learne to serue God with charitie that is to say let vs learne to giue ourselues to the things that he calleth vs to to hold ourselues as it were at a stay too the rule which he giueth vs by his woord Furthermore wheÌ„ we walk vprightly after that fashion we must not for mens sakes forget God For as I said afore that is the thing wherin he trieth our charitie and by that meanes we shew the reuerence loue that we beare towards him And therfore we ceasse not to call vpon God when we loue our neyghbors nother intend we to displease God vnder colour of doyng them seruice but he is alwayes our marke on whom we haue our eyes fastened Neuerthelesse too conclude like as wee indeuer to liue as God commaundeth by his word and passe not for the gawdies gewgawes and Ceremonies of the hypocrites but walke rightly in purenesse of life and in al faithfulnesse and vpright dealing as I said erst knowing neuerthelesse that when we haue done all it serueth not to iustifie vs or too purchace vs fauor in his sight and that although wee be sure that he taketh in good worth the willingnesse which we haue to honor hym yet his so dooing is but bicause he accepteth vs in our Lord Iesus Christ as I haue declared heretofore bicause we repose the trust of our saluatioÌ„ in him Euen so also shal we walk in charitie labor to discharge our duetie knowing that by reason of our feeblenesse we be not able to come neere that which God pointeth vs to but yet that we be in the way thitherward that he must be faine too take vs to mercy wherupon we doubt not but that all our workes do like him wel when they be so dedicated too him by the blud of our Lord Iesus Christ for he is the true preest that offereth vp our oblations maketh theÌ„ acceptable to God he must be faine to step in to make our works pleasant to God his father specially seing that eueÌ„ our prayers the very prayses which we yeeld vntoo him should be but filthinesse if they were not purified by our Lord Iesus Christ according also as the Apostle sayth that it is he by whoÌ„ we offer vp vnto God the Calues of our lippes that is to say the sacrifices of praise wherby he is glorified But now let vs fall downe before the Maiestie of our good God with acknowledgment of our faultes praying him to make vs perceiue theÌ„ more and more that we may be so touched with theÌ„ as it may bring vs to true repentance and that wee may seeke all our wants in our Lord Iesus Christ that there may be such humilitie in vs that being vtterly brought downe hauing put away al false presumptuousnesse wherewith wee may bee deceiued wee may not tend to any other end than to be receiued through the mere mercie of our God so as we may come
that which S. Paule tolde vs heretofore that is to wit to beware that wee deceyue not our selues wilfully when we would shew our selues hardie and bolde in correcting rebuking and amending one man or other Let vs not bee so foolish as to iustifie our selues by comparison as who should say that God ought to hold himselfe contented with our rebuking of others after that maner and for that there is some shewe of vertue in vs. Let vs not stay vpon any of these things as is told vs vs heere but let vs marke also by the way that whereas it is sayde that euery man shal beare his own burthen we haue right great need of our Lord Iesus Christs helpe and that he should take all our burthens vpon him according as in very deed hee hath borne all our sinnes vpon the crosse as sayth S. Peter in his first Epistle True it is that the matter which S. Paule handleth here is none other than the same that I haue declared alreadie that is to wit that we must not imagin that men are able to warrant vs for the rightuousest man aliue is combered ynough with himself And furthermore that if our Lord had not regard to hold vs vp wee shoulde be oppressed vnder our burthen Yet notwithstanding euery man must answer for himselfe and Gods word must haue the maistrie as I said afore Thus ye see what S. Paule intended to tell vs. But yet further let vs thinke a little vpon our selues If euery man should be faine to beare his own burthen who were able to indure it VVe should needes be borne downe For if a man had but some one sinne in him behold hel were readie too swallowe him vp Surely the weight of one sinne is heauier than a stone that were able to crush all our limmes and bones a peeces Nowe it is no talking of any one nor of a hundred the multitude of them is infinite How then shall we stande in iudgement before God when he bringeth vs to account VVho can say that hee commeth franke and free To be short we see that if there were not a remedie in the matter that S. Paule telleth vs heere we shouâ—◠〈…〉 we must repayre to our Lorde Iesus Christ for it is hee that hath borne all our burthens as I haue alledged alreadie Truly the redeeming of vs did cost him deere and if we seeke heauen and earth throughout for the price of a ransome we shall not finde any other than him that is able too pacifie God Then had we neuer bin sanctified except the sonne of God had giuen himselfe for vs. And in very deed the prophete Esay sheweth how hee bare our burthens Namely that he felt the paynes of death and that the father was faine to wreake himselfe vpon him as though hee had bin an offender and giltie of all the sinnes of the worlde Now therefore we must resort vnto him according also as he allureth vs to him And by the way if any man alledge that here seemeth to be some contrarietie considering how Saint Paule saith that euery man shall beare his owne burthen the answere thereto is easie VVhen the Scripture speaketh too vs of Gods iustice it sayth that euery man shall bee recompenced according to his owne workes After which maner Saint Paule speaketh in the .xiiij. to the Romanes According as euerie man shall haue walked in his conuersation in this world sayeth he and according as hee shall haue wrought in his bodie so must he receyue his rewarde That is the order which the scripture keepeth in speaking of Gods iustice Yea but in the meane while it excludeth not the remedie that is giuen vs in our Lorde Iesus Christ whereby men are succoured Lo how God succoureth his elect and such as hee hath reserued too saluation that is to wit after he hath chastized them he reacheth them his hande and lyfteth them vp againe when hee hathe cast them downe And truly we shoulde not knowe of what value the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ is neyther coulde wee taste of it neyther coulde wee euer bee partakers of it vnlesse wee were vtterly confounded in our selues Therefore let vs learne to feele our burthen in such wise as too bowe vnder it as hathe bin declared this morning and let the same leade vs too true humilitie And afterwarde when wee haue felt the burthen more than wee are able too beare let vs repayre too oure Lorde Iesus Christ who promiseth too ease vs so wee seeke oure whole rest in hym So then wee see that Gods grace is not excluded when hys iustice is spoken of For it standeth vs in 〈…〉 â—â—ayes too his mercie VVhereas it is sayde that hee whiche shall haue beene a cruell and mercilesse persone shall haue iustice withoute mercie thereby Saint Iames dooth vs too vnderstande that oure Lorde hath his iudgement against the wicked and the reprobates to recompende them according to their misdeedes and againe that he measureth his owne otherwise that is to wit that after he hath condemned them in themselues and made them to feele their diseases thereby to bring them to true lowlinesse then he setteth them vp againe Then must we first be striken downe with Gods hande and afterwarde be lifted vp againe by his gracious promises in that hee telleth vs that in our Lorde Iesus Christ wee shall find all that wee want Thus ye see in summe after what maner we must practize this text namely that in admonishing our neighbours with a gentle and meeld spirit and being also humble mâ—ke our selues without presuming any thing vpon our selues wee must examin well our owne liues so as we may dayly bewayle our sinnes and be sorie for them to the ende that we be no more deceyued with hipocrisie but labor to withdraw our selues from the worlde to the intent we surmize not that we shall scape Gods iudgement by our shiftes So then let vs beare all these things in minde that we may submit our selues to the pure worde of God And whatsoeuer men do to turne vs away from it let vs not suffer our selues too be seduced And for the bringing hereof to passe let vs flee to our Lorde Iesus Christ knowing that howe desirous so euer we bee to giue our selues wholly to the seruing of God yet wee be so ouerloden with sinnes and imperfections that they were able to sinke vs downe to the bottome of hell if wee had not one to holde vs backe that is to wit our Lorde Iesus Christ who hath borne all our sinnes and set vs vtterly free from them too the intent wee might hereafter come before God with our faces vpright Now let vs acknowledge our sinnes with such humilitie as euerie of vs may confesse yea euen vnfeynedly that we are all forlorne and paste hope except this oure good God haue pitie vppon vs praying him neuerthelesse too make the fruite and vertue of the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ
should recouer their saluation according as we know that we be blessed of God for our Lord Iesus Christs sake And therefore Circumcision serued too humble the Iewes and too make them mislyke of themselues and to be ashamed when they sawe there was nothing but cursednesse in their nature That say I was the true and lawfull vse of circumcision Nowe what do they agaynst whom S. Paule speaketh They knowe that Circumcizion is no longer in vse that is to witte that Baptisme suffizeth euer since the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ but bicause the Iewes called all them Apostates or backsliders which were not circumcized therefore these rascalles will needes hold still the signe without the truth or substance VVe see then that they were verie falsaries and wrested the doctrine cleane contrarie too Gods meening when he ordeyned that spirituall Sacrament bicause their desire was nothing else but to please the worlde As much is done at this day And they that labour to ouerthrowe Gods truth are much worse than Saint Paules aduersaries For they had yet some cloke of honestie mainteyne Circumcizion and the figures of the Law bicause they were al ordeyned and stablished by God But as for these hypocrites which crie out vpō vs nowadayes with full throte saying ye must keepe the olde custome without chaunging of any thing whereon are they grounded They cannot say that God is Author of any of their stuffe Men haue contriued them after their owne fancie or rather Satan hath blowne them into their eares so that at a word all that is termed Gods seruice in Poperie is nothing else but a confuzed maze all is but dreames of mens setting forth and the diuell is euer the cheefe Authour of them And yet these naughtipacks say that nothing must be taken from them And wherevnto haue they respect Truly they will alledge that men muste purchase Gods grace by them and that they stirre folke vp to greater deuotion Againe they giue the title of Sacrament too all the foolish deuices of their owne heades saying such a thing must bee kept for it is a Sacrament But when all is iustly reckened a man shall see that theyr intent is to please the worlde and to mainteyne themselues stil For they be inforced spite of their teeth to confesse that it maketh neyther here nor there as in respect of God and that he passeth not for their kinde of seruice but vtterly dislyketh it bicause he will be serued with obedience But what There will bee horrible confusion say they if men cut off all after that fashion and speake plainly of things See I pray you how they woulde faine disguise themselues and in suche wise corrupt and falsifie religion as there shoulde bee made a mingled confusion of all or else that there shoulde no more be taken away but the grossest and fondest things and in the meane while such Ceremonies be let alone as may be any whit sufferable It is certaine say I that all they whiche speake so desire nothing else but to haue fayre winde and weather to the worldwarde Seing it is so let vs take warning at the holy Ghostes hande to flee suche plagues And although we cannot triumph in this worlde although we be nothing set by although men rayle vpon vs with opē mouth yet let vs not ceasse too holde oure owne for Gods truth and let it suffice vs to be allowed of the heauenly iudge though all the world abhorre vs. Although then that we see all these things yet let vs be pacient and tarie till our Lorde Iesus Christ shewe himselfe to bee our warrant and therewithall giue 〈◊〉 victorie in the behalfe of his truth so that all his enemies may bee put to shame and haue they◠mouthes stopped vp Nowe let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God with acknowledgement of our faults praying him too touche vs with suche true repentance by his holy spirite that beeing vtterly cast downe in ourselues and quite cleane rid of all presumption we may be hartily sory for them and that moreouer it may please him so to increase the giftes of his holy spirite in vs as wee may no more be giuen to our flesh and the world to be hindred and hilde downe by them but that we may go forwarde to serue him and indeuer that his name may be glorified more and more and we beare suche a marke of his adoption as wee may bee so confirmed with it in our selues that other men may haue occasion to glorifie the name of this our good God for working so in vs. That it may please him to graunt this grace not only to vs but also to all people and nations of the earth c. The. 43. Sermon which is the sixth and last vpon the sixth and last Chapter 14 God forbid that euer I should glory in any thing sauing in the Crosse of our Lorde Iesus Christ vvhereby the vvorld is crvcified vnto mee and I vnto the vvorld 15 For in Iesus Christ neither Circumcision nor Vncircumcision auayleth any thyng but the nevv creature 16 And as many as vvalke according to this rule peace bee vpon them and mercy and vpon Israell that perteyneth to God 17 From hencefoorth let no man put mee to payne for I beare in my body the markes of the Lorde Iesu 18 Brethren the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ bee vvith your spirite Amen WE haue seene heeretofore howe Sainct Paule condemned such as sought altogither to row betweene two streames thereby too please the worlde and in the meane while to eschue persecution And that made them to disguise the Gospell whereof wee see too many examples yet still at this day For suche as see that the pure doctrine and truth of God can not be brucked of the world but that the wicked sort doo rage agaynst it they I say would fayne finde some meane way that they might not bee hated nor incurre any displeasure And that it is so if nowe a dayes yee aske it of such as haue but some little vnderstanding ye shal scarse finde one of them among a hundred whiche will not graunte that there are many abuses in Poperie but yet they will say that all must not be cut off by the quicke but that it is inoughe if some of the ouergrosse and excessiue superstitions bee taken away and so they would fayne still nourishe a great sorte of infections And why For as I haue sayde they woulde fayne bee in credite and estimation and it is no matter at all with them to betray the purenesse of the Gospell so they may saue themselues from persecutiō yea and euen among vs a man shall finde inowe that woulde haue bothe And what moueth them but that they would aduance them selues and get some reputation Forasmuche then as wee see that the Diuell which raysed those broyles in the time of Sainct Paule continueth the same vnto this day we ought to be armed with this doctrine And the
leaue to do what they list and harden themselues in such wise ageinst Gods word Although then that they be had in reputatation to the worldward and be in a maner drunken in their owne pride and presumption and set more by themselues than reaâ—â—â— would they should yet wee see that God doth alwayes holde them as accursed So then the thing that wee haue to remember in effect is that we haue but one only rule which is conteyned in the Gospell And whither doth that rule leade vs Euen to this that we bring not to God what we our selues think good or what we haue deuized of our own head but that we submit ourselues wholly vnto him to his woord and coÌ„sider also that seing we haue all perfection in our Lord Iesus Christ we must be coÌ„tented with him alone specially for asmuch as we see God to be pitifull in hauing mercie vpon vs and that our life shall be happie and blissed of him so we go on foorth whither soeuer he calleth vs Lyke as on the contrarie parte what soeuer opinion the worlde haue of vs and how much so euer it fauour vs we must needes be accursed if we haue not the rule that Sainct Paule speaketh of heere And hee addeth Israell that belongeth too God too shewe that they whiche serue God after that spirituall maner shall alwayes bee acknowledged of him for his people For Sainct Paules enemies agaynst whom he disputed in all this Epistle woulde needes haue all the Ceremonies kept and that they shoulde bee the markes of the Churche as they surmyzed Likewise in these dayes the Papistes woulde haue men too keepe Oyle and Creame and diuers other things But Sainct Paules enemies had much more colour than the Papistes haue and their cace was much better in comparison Neuerthelesse Sainct Paule reiecteth all those things and sayeth that God muzeth not vppon any of those small toyes True it is that he had ordeyned the figures of the Lawe for a tyme and they had also some profite in them bycause they serued too leade the people too our Lord Iesus Christe But nowe that wee haue the substance and pithe of them in him wee muste gyue them quyte ouer Then of muche more lykelyhood they bee not the Israell of God that set foorth themselues with greate pompe before men but they that haue the true marke of God For when the Papistes speake too vs of the Churche the Pope muste needes bee there with his tryple Crowne the Bishoppes muste bee disguyzed too playe their enterlude there muste bee a sorte of horned beastes all muste glister the Priestes and Monkes muste bee present and the eyes of the simple soules muste bee dazeled Yee see then wherein the Churche of God consisteth after the opinion of the Papistes that is too wit in pompe and in tryfling and vnprofitable gewgawes And what say they too the Sacramentes They must haue this and that and to bee shorte they haue their maâ—kes whych they take to bee good stuffe But in the meane whyle let vs come too the Gospell VVhat shall a man fynde there Nothing but plaine simplicitie God will not haue the preachers of his word and the ministers of his sacramentes too bee disguised nor too make so many murlimewes neither is it his will that his sacramentes should bee defyled with mennes inuentions for all that is nothing before God Therefore let vs beare well in mynde the definition of the true Churche whiche Sainct Paule setteth downe heere too the end we bee not shaken when men say too vs. How nowe See I pray you how goodly things they bee They bee so in deede according too our naturall vnderstandyng For after as a man is fleshly and earthly so will he be alwayes inclined to followe the thing that caryeth a fayre shewe to his senses But it is not for vs too iudge of Gods seruice we must sticke too that which he hath determined for his sentence cannot bee repealed which is that wee must seeke al our whole wysedome in Iesus Christ which thing wee then doo when wee obey him and not else Furthermore let vs vnderstand that he will not haue vs any longer tyed too the outward things which he ordeined in the time of the Law but he will haue vs to be contented with Iesus Christ alone with the perfection that is in him And therevpon wee haue also too marke how he wisheth the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ too bee with their spirit For it sheweth that the worlde by reason of his vnthankefulnesse is not worthie too see the benefites that are offered it in Iesus Chryst The Gospell shall perchaunce bee preached ynoughe but yet in the meane whyle we see how euery man shrinkes back and wrytheth aside as thoughe wee had conspyred too forsake the good way of saluation too cast our selues intoo ruine and destruction And what is the cause thereof It is for that wee haue oure myndes emptie and the Diuel fynds always entrance into vs and thervpon tempteth and prouoketh vs too flitter in the ayre Too bee short vntill 〈◊〉 grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ bee with our spirit it is certeyn that wee shall alwayes bee as wayeryug reedes so as there shall bee neither holde nor stay in vs. Yee see then that the point wheretoo wee must come is not onely that God should poure out his grace vppon vs but that wee also shoulde so receiue it in harte and minde as it may take roote not to hold vs downe heere beneath but to lift vp our affections all our senses vnto God And bicause this doctrine can neuer passe vnspoken ageinst S. Paule doth heere defie all such as lift vp theÌ„selues ageinst it and saith Hereafter let no man trouble mee for I beare the markes of our Lord Iesus Christ in my body VVhen he speaketh of the markes of our Lord Iesus Christ he setteth them ageinst all the cotes armours of Princes ageinst all their Crownes and scepters ageinst all the cognisances or badges which they haue too honour theÌ„selues withal or to purchase theÌ„selues any maiestie or reuerence to the worldward VVhen a Prince intendeth to keepe his estate he will furnish and apparell himself in such sort as men shal not bee able to looke vpon him without dazeling of their eyes And they do it oftentimes bicause they haue not in themselues wherwith to win estimation but are faine to borrow it else where and so yee see it is the fashion of worldlings to set out themselues with pomp and brauerie and to vse many things to get themselues reputation To be short the world doth alwayes borrow of others bicause it hath nothing but vanitie in it selfe But S. Paule telleth vs that the marks of our Lord Iesus Christ are much better preciouser and of farre greater Maiestie than all the things wherwith the world is so rauished as wee see But by the way wee must see what he ment by these markes He hath
the wretchednesse that was in the Iewes to the intent they shoulde returne vnto him and confesse that they had not any thing in them worthie of Gods fauour nor any other refuge than vnto his mere mercie Thus ye see in effect what wee haue to consider for the solution of the question and doubt which Saint Paule putteth forth heere Likewise in these dayes if a man speake of the Gospell too such as thinke they serue God and hope to winne heauen by their owne desertes they be greeued at it bicause that that gate is shet agaynst them by the presumptuousnesse which they haue conceyued afore hande saying VVhat I pray Shall I haue lost my time when I haue bin so deuout all my life long As for the man that shall haue heard a Masse or twaine or mumbled vp a sort of prayers or gone on pilgrimage or lashed out his money and substance without sparing vpon pardons indulgences and such other things if one tell him that wee bee all wretched and that there is none other thing for vs too leane vnto but the mere grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ and that all that euer we are able to bring vnto God is but filthie and lothly he will storme and replie Is it possible that God should haue no regarde of so greate paynes as I take to serue him Muste not all of it passe in myne accounte and bee allowed mee too my saluation They woulde faine accuze God yea and wee shall see many that will not sticke to rayle vpon him with open mouth bycause they bee lothe to lose that which they haue done Although the Hypocrites perceyue much lewdnesse in themselues yet woulde they fayne hyde all vnder theyr cowles For they breake out after this maner One sayes I haue gone woolwarde another I haue risen at midnight to serue God the thirde I haue forborne the eating of fleshe and another I haue bin shette vp in a Cloyster as in a pryson and finally I haue bin dead to the worldwarde and shall all this be vnprofitable too mee so as God will haue no regarde of it Such murmurings as these we shall heare dayly But let vs see if they can make their cace the better for all their replying For when they haue wel examined what is in them they shall finde that all their doings are but as a paynting to ouercast things withall like as a man that in-intendeth not too repayre his house leaueth the holes vnmended within and doth but dawb them ouer on the outside too the ende they be not seene and afterwarde whytelymes them so that finally it is nothing else but a pargetting or whitelyming according also as our Lorde Iesus Christ vseth the same similitude agaynst the hypocrites that did no more but blaunche things Howbeeit in the meane while God regardeth not the outwarde appearance as it is sayde in the first of Samuell but searcheth mens heartes and the truth and layeth open the things that were hidden afore according also as it is sayd in Ieremie Sith it is so then all such as alledge or set foorth their owne deuotions may peraduenture haue some fayre shew before men but surely before God all is but leasing And assoone as God doth but blowe vppon their painting and starche it shall scale off lyke the painting of harlots that take great paine too starch their faces and yet the Sunne doth no sooner shine vppon them but a man shall see the filthie scales fal off and their foulnesse is discouered to their shame In like taking are all hypocrites when they will needes colour things after that maner before God their shamefull leudnesse must needes bee brought too light VVherefore let vs marke that our Lorde Iesus Chryste in condemning the whole worlde by shewing that none can bee saued but by the free goodnesse of God his father the which hee offereth and imparteth vntoo vs bringeth not sinne for wee haue that alreadie in vs but vttereth and bewrayeth it too the ende wee should bee conuicted of it and all the pryde wherewith wee were made drunken afore be layde downe and nothing remayne in vs but lowlynesse too confesse vnfeynedly that wee bee vndoone and that there is none other shifte for vs but that God vtter the infinite treasures of hys mercy vpon vs. Yee see then that all mouthes shall bee stopped and men must not beguile themselues any more by surmyzing to find any rightuousnesse in themselues And furthermore S. Paule vseth heere a dubble answere too shew that it is nothing so Howbeit before he answer he setteth downe a precyze woord saying God forbid As if he should say it is an horrible blasphemie too intend to lay the blame of our sinnes vpon our Lord Iesus Christ Eor sayth he if I pull downe the thing that I haue buylded vp there shal be contrarietie in mee And in speaking so he bringeth vs backe to the common doctrine of the Gospell For our preaching of the end wherevnto God hath sent his onely sonne is too shew that he hath brought vs rightuousnesse and is come too put away sinne which holds vs as it were vnder Tyrannie till wee bee deliuered and set free from it by the grace whiche was purchaced for vs in the death and passion of the Sonne of God Now then seing it is so wee see that our Lord Iesus Christ is not the bringer in of sinne but is come too destroy sinne as S. Iohn sayeth in his Canonicall Epistle and we also do see it to bee so For what else dothe the Gospell teach vs but that wee bee full of all wickednesse and must bee fayne to bee made cleane by him that is made the Lambe without spot and also that he hath brought vs the spirit of holinesse For asmuch then as mē so long as they be cut off frō Christ haue nothing in thē but cursednesse so as they be vtterly rottē saped in their sins that Iesus Christ is the partie that maketh thē pure and cleane by the sheading of his bloud to wash thē withall and by bringing vs the spirit of regeneration to renue vs with that we might giue our selues too the seruing of God haue his Image repayred in vs and walke in truth and vprightnesse forasmuch say I as it is sayde so we see that our Lorde Iesus Christ is not the bringer in of sinne And why so For let vs consider what we bee and wee shall finde that there is a gulfe of all maner of wickednesse in euery one of vs and in all mankinde But our Lorde Iesus Christ commeth to remedie it Ye see then that the sinne was in vs before but our Lorde Iesus Christ is faine to vncouer it VVhat harme doth a Phisition by letting bloud Beholde a wretched man hath a disease that is not perceyued his bloud is altogither corrupted and yet it is not seene to be so as long as it lieth within the veynes But be he once let bloud it will appeare
God with his owne mouth sayd determinately that who soeuer hung vppon tree should be accursed and yet for all that that it was his will therewithall that his owne Sonne should bee hanged on tree And why so Too the end he shoulde beare our burthen according as he is our pledge ordeyned to be the principall detter in our behalf To the end then that wee might bee set free from the curse of the Lawe Iesus Christe became accursed Nowe at the first fight it might seeme hard and straunge that the Lord of glorie he that hath all soueraine dominion and before whose maiestie the verie Angelles of heauen do tremble and are abashed should be subiect too cursing But wee muste go backe too that whiche S. Paule hath treated of in the first to the Corinthians namely that the doctrine of the Gospell is foolishnesse too mankind yea euen too the wyzest of them and that it was Gods will too humble vs after that maner bycause of our vnthankfulnesse For we should haue a good instruction to leade vs vnto God yea euen in wisedome if we could profite our selues by the things that are shewed vs in the whole order of heauen earth But for asmuch as men are blinde and shet their eyes agaynst this wisedome that God setteth afore them therfore he is fayne too take a new way to the woode and too draw them to him as it were by folie So then let vs not iudge after our owne mother wit of the thing that is declared heere which is that the sonne of God was put vnder the curse but rather let vs bee rauished at such a secrete and giue the glorie vntoo our God seyng he hath so loued our soules as too pay so inestimable a pryce for the raunsoming of them And so little ought this thing to imbace the maiestie of our Lord Iesus Christ or to deface that which is giuen him in the holy Scripture as wee rather haue cause too glorifie him the more for it And for proofe thereof our Lord Iesus Christe as sayeth S. Paule committed no robberie when he shewed himselfe in his infinite glorie And yet notwithstanding he abaced himselfe willing and not onely clothed himself with our nature and became a passible mā but also submitted himself to a death that was both shamefull before men yea and accursed before God Then must it needes bee that we were very deere vnto him seing he yeelded himself too such extremitie for our redemption If wee could taste the meening hereof surely wee would giue our selues wholly too the magnifying of that grace which cānot be sufficiently expressed by woordes and surpasseth all wisedome of man Seyng therefore that wee comprehend it not nor can vtter the hundredth part of it let vs yet be as it were astonished at it in considering so much of it as we be able too comprehend But heere we see still the leudnesse and frowardnesse of men in that whereas S. Paule sayeth that our Lorde Iesus Christ became accursed for vs it passeth and slippeth away from vs. Yea and there are some so leud that they take occasiō of stumbling and of flinging out of the way and of estraunging themselues quite and cleane from the Churche when they heare this maner of our reedeming set afore vs. VVhat say they was it of necessitie that the sonne of God who is the fountayne of all goodnesse and ought too make vs all holy should be cursed It seemeth too them that God in so doyng ment too peruert all order and reason But as I haue declared alreadie it is certaine that God condemneth mens vnkindnesse by bringing them to such a kinde of foolishnesse bycause they came not too him by wisedome when he shewed them that way Neuerthe later howsoeuer the cace stande needes muste our wittes shrinke and our reason bee vtterly confounded so as wee may honour Gods secretes and wonder at them though they bee hidden from vs. And againe whensoeuer it is sayd vnto vs that the sonne of God became accursed for vs it would become vs to enter into the examinacion of our sinnes In so doing we shall perceyue how lothly wee be before God till our sinnes and offences bee washed away by the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ Had all the Angelles of heauen vndertaken for vs it had bin no sufficient bayle Then was there none other satisfaction than the persone of our Lord Iesus Christe And he came not into the world too discharge vs of the bonde of euerlasting death wherein we were bound by his diuine and heauenly power How then By weakenesse And not onely so but also he was fayne to bee counted accursed or else we should haue lien still ouerwhelmed with the burthen and haue perished all of vs in that gulf Therefore when wee see that the sonne of God who not only is the vnspotted Lambe and the mirrour of all rightuousnesse holinesse and perfection but also the very welspring thereof was hilde accursed for vs ought wee not at the sight thereof to conceyue such a terrour for our sinnes that wee should be as good as swallowed vp with despayre till we be plucked backe againe by the infinite grace and goodnesse of our God So then let vs marke well that when it is tolde vs that wee were raunsomed from the curse of the Lawe God intendeth thereby to bryng vs to true humilitie But that cannot bee vnlesse men be vtterly cōfounded in themselues so as they be ashamed too loke vpon themselues and therewithall also afrayd and dismayed knowing that Gods wrath wayteth readie for them till our Lord Iesus Christe doo remedie the matter Thus yee see that all our whole lyfe is lothsome before God and there is no way for vs too come too attonement with him till our Lord Iesus Christ take vpon him the cursednesse that is in vs and beare it in his owne persone And therefore as oft as wee reade this text let euery of vs awake and set himselfe before Gods iudgement seate that wee may feele there as it were a gulf to swallow vs vp quyte and cleane and thereat bee abashed for very shame of our selues and on the other side so much the more magnifie the grace that is purchaced for vs in the persone of the sonne of God and keepe our selues warely from diminishing his dignitie in that he is sayd to be accursed and rather thereby be the more prouoked to yeeld him his due and deserued prayse for that he hath shewed himself to esteeme our welfare so highly ▪ Furthermore let vs make our profit of that pledge of our saluation and of the loue that God beareth vs so as we doubt not but that God liketh well of vs when we come to him seyng he hath bought vs so deere that as S. Peter telleth vs in his first canonicall Epistle it was nother golde nor siluer nor any corruptible thing but it was our Lord Iesus Christ himself that was payd for our raunsome Therefore
let vs not doubt but that mercie is readie for vs as oft as we seeke it in his name for if we should come with any opinion of our owne deseruings what were that woorth But when we know how deerely the Sonne is beloued of the father and how precious his death was that is the thing wherein we haue full certaintie that God will alwayes heare vs and that wee shall finde him mercifull and fauorable towards vs namely if wee rest wholly vpon that which is tolde vs here which is that our Lord Iesus Christ forbare not euen to become accursed for our sakes Here withall let vs marke how S. Paule sayeth that by that meanes the promis of the spirit came vntoo the Gentyles as it had bin giuen vntoo Abraham Nowe by naming Abraham heere he sheweth that the promis belonged first and formest too those that came of his race For the Iewes had as it were a peculiar interest in the heritage of saluation till suche tyme as God opened the gate too the whole worlde and published his Gospell too the end that all men should bee made parttakers of the redemption that was purchaced by our Lorde Iesus Christe Now then although the sayd promis belonged too the Iewes and was after a sort peculiar too them yet was it after them made common too the whole world And why For it consisteth in spirite and not in Ceremonies By this woorde Spirite Sainct Paule ment too deface all the false opinion of those deceyuers whiche mingled the Lawe and the Gospell toogither He sheweth that all these things namely the Sacrifices Circumcision and such other things are now superfluous Not that there is no profite for vs too gather by the Ceremonies in reading the Lawe but bycause the vse of them is abolished Yee see then that the cause why the promis is at this day called spirituall is for that wee haue no more neede of the old shadowes and figures but are simply called and guyded to our God so as wee may call vppon him with full trust and beyng so adopted by him rest wholly vpon our Lord Iesus Christ as the only foundacion of the Gospell and seeke all our wantes in him That in effect is the thing that S. Paule ment too say in this text And herevpon he vseth another reason too shewe that wee haue our saluation perfectly reueled in the Gospell and neede not any other doctrine than that and also that we bee iustified by the free mercie of our God For the Lawe sayeth he was giuen foure hundred and thirtie yeeres after the promis of saluation Now when any couenant is made though it be but betweene men yet ought it too bee kepte if it bee once throughly agreed vppon Therefore it foloweth that the Lawe was not giuen too disanuall the couenant that God had made with Abraham chiefly in the behalfe of his linage and finally in the behalfe of the whole worlde True it is that at the firste blush this argument of Sainct Paules may seeme very weake for wee knowe that second couenantes do alwayes repeale former couenantes in so much that although men haue made any bargayne yet they may aduyze themselues better and therevppon chaunge their mindes and so the first bargaine shall be as good as buried As much is to bee sayd of Lawes and Statutes For a former Lawe may well bee repealed and disanulled by a second Lawe But Sainct Paule presupposeth the thing that is too be considered in this matter whiche is that when a man hath once promised yea and solemnly bound himself he will not go backe againe but bee as good as his woord Howbeit if bothe the parties agree too chaunge the thing that they had consented on and be bothe of one minde then may it be so But it were no fit similitude too take men that are fickleminded and chaungeable through lightnesse or by better aduice but S. Paule presupposeth a couenant too be made by a man that will stand to it and not fall too skanning afterward how to shift it off by any meanes at all For if any of the parties should doo agaynst the former couenant it were a falsehood that were not to bee borne with among men bicause the things that are inregistred so solemnly ought to bee stood too and performed without any gaynsaying Now then shall there be lesse stedfastnesse in God than in men which are nothing but vanitie The Gospell therefore muste continue vnimpeached notwithstanding that the lawe came in after the making of the free promis This would bee still darke if it should not be declared in order I haue shewed heretofore what comparison S. Paule maketh betweene the Lawe and the Gospell For whereas God promiseth saluation in his Lawe it is vpon condition that men serue him and doo their duetie towards him But that is not done and therefore are wee shet out from all hope of saluation as in respect of the Law not that God is not faithfull on his side but bycause wee keepe not touche with him in performing that which he requireth It is all one as if a man should say I am ready to sell you this thing so you bring mee monie Now if a man bring nother monie nor moneys woorth he can not bee put in possession of the thing that he would haue for the condition is that he must first pay for it So then God promiseth vs the heritage of saluation when wee shall haue serued him but wee be neuer the better for it bycause it is but vpon condicion that we performe that which he requireth of vs and wee bee fraughted with all iniquitie and haue not any thing in vs but vncleannesse and filth in somuche that wee bee iustly odious vnto him And so are wee all condemned in the lawe howbeit God receyueth vs of his free goodnesse in our Lord Iesus Christ in whom he offereth vs the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and will haue vs so too imbrace his offered goodnesse as wee should hold our selues wholly to our Lord Iesus Christ and vtterly renounce ourselues But now sayth Sainct Paul let vs see whither went before other in antiquitie the free promis of saluation or the law VVe know the diuersitie that is betwixt them Then if the law were the auncienter it might seeme that that ought to be sticked too bycause God doth neuer vnsay his wordes nother is variable But if the free promis were the elder and were made before the law was published it is to be concluded that God repented hym not ne called backe his promis at that time ne ment to disanul the sayd couenant for it were too great a diminishing of his bountie and mercie if we should say that he had first bound himselfe of hys owne free goodnesse and promised men saluation without theyr desert and afterward intended to restreyne it as though he meant to inrich himselfe with our good works It were an auk thing too talke after that fashion For Sainct Paul sheweth