and prostrateth it selfe before God in Christ vpon confession that the soule is Satans due and deserueth to bee bound hand and foote and to bee cast into prison as vnable to pay the debt it intreateth that this obligation may bee taken from Satan it wrastleth with death and damnation and terror of conscience Coloss 2.14 and craueth a pardon bringing nothing but the very heart blood of Christ And euen as the very looking vpon the Serpent healed them in the wildernesse Num. 21.9 and nothing else could appease the tempest Ionâ—h 1.15 but the very casting of Ionah into the sea and the sinnes of the people Leuit. 16.22 were laid onely vpon the Goate so faith in this petition of forgiuenesse brings nothing but commeth emptie and laieth all vpon the shoulders of Christ But now betweene men and men on earth faith worketh by loue so as if we bring nothing to men but faith it is certaine wee neuer brought faith from God for since thy heart is not discernable and the spirit and piety of the heart is vnsearchable in respect of men and good to God wee cannot doe our faith vpon earth must be as busie before men in workes as it is before God in the blood of Christ And as Martha and Mary Luk. 10.39 dwelled in one house one onely to heare Christ the other working and labouring to entertaine Christ euen so our faith with Mary must onely kneele at Gods feet to heare that comfortable voice of the pardon and absolution of our sinnes in the blood of Christ but our faith on earth must labour with Martha by loue and good works to entertaine and helpe our brethren Besides wee must consider that things may worke together but not together in the same worke Euen as Christ in the worke of mediation must haue two natures a diuine humanity and an humane diuinity and we say not that Christ as God onely nor as man onely is Mediator but by these two concurring together and as wee saie that Christ is not Mediator without flesh and as truely we saie that hee raised not vp his flesh by his humanitie but suffered in the flesh and was raised vp by the power of his diuinitie onely and that his diuinitie died not but his flesh onely and in this they worked seuerally in the flesh to be ouercome of death and in the spirit onely to ouercome death yet these two in the worke of our saluation doe worke together Euen so faith worketh with loue in bringing foorth sanctification and a holy life but in the verie apprehending of Christ his bloud this power to iustifie is of faith onely Like as the roote of it selfe giues life but the roote with the branches bring foorth fruite And as the fire maketh warme by heate and light and yet the heate of the fire warmeth alone but light is inseparable from it so no faith can worke well without workes but yet there are none iustified by the power of workes but by faith onely Now where it it said Faith wrought with his workes and through the workes the faith made perfect obserue that this is meant onely of a declaration to men for we are perfectly iustified in the sight of God by the bloud of Christ And though the hand be leprous yet it can receiue sound meate so though our faith be imperfect yet our iustification is perfect For there is but one pardon in heauen through that one death and passion of Christ and before a man be perfectly iustified he cannot do a good worke for we must first be in Christ before wee haue faith and must haue faith before wee can worke for these are fruits of faith And as a Toade is not therefore a Toade because it poisons but therefore poisons because it is a Toade nor a Serpent is not therefore a Serpent because it stings but stings because it is a Serpent so we are not ingrafted into Christ because we are good but being ingrafted into Christ wee are made good Lastly obserue in the wordes that wee are not iustified because wee worke but because wee shall be saued therefore wee worke Zaccheus Luke 19.8 had not saluation because hee restored foure-fold and gaue halfe his goods to the poore but because the Lord was come into his house and had taken possession of his heart therefore hee wrought these works of faith Neither was the poore man in the Gospell healed because he should sinne no more Iohn 5.14 but Christ faith Thou art healed therefore in signe of thankfulnesse for thy health looke to thy life that thou sinne no more for heauen shall not be giuen to workes but to workers and promise of eternall life is made to the workes of the iust as they are iustified Gal. 3.11.12 and they are iustified onely in Christ for in euery worke there is imperfection not but that the spirit could worke perfectly but that euery thing is receiued according to the measure of that that doth receiue it and wee in this life are able onely to receiue the first fruites and not the fulnesse of the spirit for the spirit is like the Sea that is able to fill any vessell but no vessell is able to containe it Now in the 23. verse two parts are to be considered first the purpose of the Apostle in alledging this Scripture secondly the sense of the matter deliuered For the first if Saint Iames cited this place to proue that Abraham was imputed righteous in the sight of God by this work of sacrificing his sonne hee must needes haue wrested this Scripture which were blasphemy to say being written by the singer of God for Abraham had this imputation of righteousnesse through his beleefe giuen him and pronounced by God himselfe Genes 15.6 before either Ismael or Isaak were borne so as then the meaning of the Apostle in alledging this scripture is onely to shew that that testimony which God gaue Abraham of the excellency of his faith was declared and approued to bee true by the performance and execution of this speciall worke Now for the second point concerning the sense of the place cited namely that Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse here we see that it is agreeable to the scripture that the obedience of the sonne which stood in two parts first in fulfilling the law secondly in satisfying for our sins is onely inherent in the sonne and was in him euen from the moment of his conception to the moment of his ascension and that wee haue onely his obedience allowed vnto vs and through the imputation thereof we are made iust not that it abideth in our selues for we are no better then Abraham but we haue it by imputation as Abraham had And this is a doctrine of great comfort and necessitie to be beleeued that wee haue it by imputation and not of our selues for now wee are sure it shall neuer faile vs nor wee shall neuer lose it as Adam at first lost
all graces and so truely is it sealed vnto our soules that wee eate Christ though not corporally By the word we eate the flesh of Christ continually by faith and in the Sacrament it is only more plaine that we eate it because two senses are satisfied by it the eare hearing the word and the eie seeing the bread For the third testimony There comes a voice from heauâ—â— by the former miracles the Lord onely prouided for the witnesse of the eye but now hee prouides for the eare also Where wee learne the wonderfull wisedome and loue of God to exercise all our senses that thereby we might be brought to a certaine perswasion of these mysteries Among the Philosophers is a great question whether the sense of sight or of hearing bee better in it selfe True it is that sight in nature is more excellent as for celerity and quickenesse so for perspicuity and sharpnesse but if the doubt bee made of the profit of these two then hearing excelleth for we can see nothing but that is visible but many more things are to be heard of which thereby may be conueied to the heart to iudge of so the largenesse of hearing is greater in the profit Besides no man profiteth by sight vnlesse he vnderstand it by hearing for which cause it pleased God to apply both in the mystery of saluation that thereby we might be sure of it we neuer doubting of that we both see and heare Faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10.17 and the holy Ghost bores the care Psal 40. and leades the eye to satisfie it setting before it in Baptisme water and in the Supper bread and wine so as it is prouided that the hearing might haue the word and the eye the sacraments Now in the voice consider what it doth expresse namely thâ— that flesh which stood there before them was the naturall sonne of God and this he is two waies first as he is the sonne of God by nature of the eternall substance of his Father howbeit let no man thinke fleshly of the matter for hee departed with no substance nor had any manner of change secondly as he was the sonne of Mary not by nature or adoption for then there had beene a time when he was not the Sonne of God but by personall vnion the man Christ being neuer a person by it selfe vntill it was personally vnited to the Godhead so as he was borne the sonne of God not by nature for he was of the nature of his mother so Mary is said to bee the mother of God not that she brought forth God but brought foorth that man that was God and this in respect onely of the personall vnion In that it is said my welbeloued Sonne vnderstand that all loâ—â— comes from him that comes to vs and wee are beloued only for Christs sake as Châ—â—◠〈…〉 praieth Iohn 17. I beseech thee good Father that as 〈…〉 â—â—â—d me so thou wilt loue them and giue them the same glory thou guest me This is God required to doe by his owne Sonne who can aâ—ke nothing shall be denied him With the same loue loue thou them as I am in them so are they in me And this ministreth singular consolation that when we consider Christ to be beloued we may withall remember that with the same loue the Lord loueth his natural son with the same doth he loue vs that are adopted so as when he beholds the beauty of his sonne in whose fore-head as in a golden plate are written all our names hee turneth from our filthinesse and embraceth vs as his owne sonne and the Father and sonne are all one in desire The Lord grant we may be able to comprehend it and be willing to entertaine it that this loue may constraine vs to loue him againe otherwise it brings foorth no effectuall fruit in vs. Againe since the Father tooke all delight in this Sonne Christ Iesus and that the whole Trinity was heere at his baptizing and that the father saith in another place Sonne I will glorifie thee still Iohn 12.28 let vs learne to magnifie the Lord Iesus let him bee our ioy for who is there in heauen or earth in whom wee can set our delight better then on him which thus pleaseth the father Let vs loue him that God loueth he is the only Priest to sacrifice for vs the only Aduocate to plead for vs the onely Prophet to instruct vs the only King to gouerne vs the onely shield to defend vs we shall be made rich through his grace only righteous through his obedience onely safe through his protection onely and saued through his mediation only He that glorifies the Sonne glorifies God and he that resteth vnder the wings of the Sonne shroudeth himselfe vnder the shadow of the most high then accursed be that man or that religion that holds Christ but as the chiefe Sauior and would haue other helpes ioyned to him for we must only haue Christ and wholly Christ and assure ourselues to bee â—aued onely in him our praiers to bee heard onely through him and our wounds to be healed onely by the sight of him and to what end should we ioyne others with him since all are beloued onely for him That there is a Trinity appeâ—◠〈…〉 â—â—er in this place aâ— namely the fathers voice 〈…〉 â—esence in the Done and Christ manifested and 〈…〉 flesh and these bee seuerall yet but onâ—â—e hoâ—â—â— and all and euery of them is leâ—â—â—uah It is a mystery only to be adored yet in some measure iâ— to be knoâ—en that they should be three persons yet but one God as for example take three men Paul Iames and Iohn heere be three persons and three men but it is not so in God for in things that bee created wee must consider they are onely limited therefore the same nature in Iohn is not the same natuâ—â—â— singular and in specie that is in Paul because they bee not onely two persons but diuided in quantity and that particular nature in particular that is in Iohn cannot be in Paul So for Angels take Raphael Gabriel and Michael supposing him to bee a created Angell the same particular angelicall nature that is 〈◊〉 one is not in another for they be not onely two persons of Angels but two natures not distinct but separate Now in God 〈◊〉 make a common essence which is Iehouah wherein doth consâ—â—â— three Elohims yet are they not three Iehouahs because his nature is simple and the selfe same is in them all and the same being is in God the Father that is in the Sonne and is tota to 〈◊〉 in euery one and the same in Vnity And if wee will haue thâ—â— Gods then must we make a substance diuided which cannot be but there is onely a distinction Angels are separate one from another and are one without another but in the Trinity it is otherwise The Sonne is in the Father the holy Ghost in theâ—â— both and they are all one The Sunne
the time we may faile of his promotion there being but one particular flower of that kind in the whole garden of God besides he had no such meanes of faith offered him till he was vpon the gallowes wheras we haue had and doe still enioy great store both for our present vse and for to lay vp against a dearth heereafter againe by this our deferring and shufling off the time of saluation we sinne three waies against God against the saints of God and against our owne soules against God because we dally with him and abuse his patience putting that day far off which may come at the least to thee in an instant if the Lord withdrawe thy breath but a while from thee against the Saints of God because thou depriuest them of that company comfort and profit thou mightest haue each of other for heerein standeth the communion of Saints in a fellow-feeling one of anothers miseries comforting them in their griefes strengthening them in their infirmities supplying them in their wantes and encouraging them in the faith and power of grace which they haue receiued lastly against themselues in thus hazarding their soules for it is not enough to say Lord haue mercy on thee when thou art on thy death bed when rather sense of thy paine then feeling of thy sinne doth driue thee to that extremity but thou must seeke for mercy before thou art thrust into those straites else may thy conscience then flie in thy face and the remembrance of thy former negligence stop thy mouth as a iust reuenge for thy sinne of delay which was before committed Againe heere all lithernesse and lazinesse is remoued from them that are ready to finde excuse for not walking so cheerefully boldly and constantly in the right way as they should for assure thy selfe there is no crosse can fall vpon thee of that force as to crosse the working of Gods spirit in thee if thou thy selfe be not a meanes to quench it for if thou wilt hide thy talent it is true it can turne thee to no aduantage and if thou doest not stirre vp the graces in thee and varnish them as it were with a continuall vse of them no maruell though they decay and thou too for the kingdome of heauen is taken onely by the violent that striue and sweat and labour euen as he that is famished doth for meat so that if thou entertaine the spirit with diligence in praier in hearing in meditation and such like holy duties it will awake thee from thy sleep and remoue all impediments that may either turne backe thine eies from beholding thine anointed Christ Iesus or with draw thy heart from buying that hidden treasure that is sealed vp for thee in the booke of the promises of God Lastly obserue the maner of the Apostles speech beginning with the negatiue We must not walke after the flesh as a matter of greatest weight before hee commeth to the affirmatiue to walke after the spirit for where there is the absence of good there must needs be euil but where there is the absence of euill it followeth not that there is good therefore we must not onely not doe euill but we must doe good as Dauid saith Cease from euill and doe good so as the flesh must first be shaken off before we can shape our actions or affections after the spirit and to this purpose Esay saith cap. 1.16.17 Cease to doe euill learne to doe well and Paul Rom. 13.12 Cast away the workes of darkenesse and put on the armour of light and Ephe. 4.22.23 Cast off the old man which is corrupt and be renued in the spirit of your minde and as Tit. 2.12 we must not onely deny vngodlinesse but we must liue religiously and 1. Pet. 4.1 There must be in vs a signe not onely of Christs suffering but also of his resurrection to liue not after the lusts of men but after the will of God and as Rom. 7.4 Wee must not onely bee diuorced from our first husband the flesh but we must be married to our second husband which is the spirit so as for thesound cure of our corruption the rotten flesh must first be pared away that the right plaister may bee applied and when thou art healed thou must sinne no more lest a worse thing come vnto thee but as hauing the sore running on thee the Lord dispensed with thy vntowardnesse for that time so now hauing the wound stopt and thine eies opened by a second laying of Christs hands vpon thee thou must performe such actions of life onely as are deriued from the spirit of God working in thee The vsurer therefore must not onely leaue his vsury but he must lend freely the oppressor must not onely cease from grinding the faces of the poore but hee must releeue them liberally the proud man must not onely forget to wrinkle his face by looking austerely but with meekenesse and humility he must embrace his brethren the profane man must not onely forsake his iesting and scoffing at religion but hee must set himselfe in the same ranke to be railed at for the name of Christ knowing that by this meanes as 1. Pet. 4.14 The spirit on his part is glorified And this may serue to stop their mouthes that thinke him an honest man that doth no harme whereas the not doing hurt is but as a tingling and pricking in the flesh after a great benumnednesse but it must be the action of good that must shew the life of Christ to bee in thee else maiest thou as well thinke it a causelesse curse vpon the figge-tree that hauing but leaues wherewith she did no harme was yet dried vp because she bare no fruit ROM chap. 8. vers 5.6 verse 5 For they that are after the flesh sauour the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit verse 6 For the wisedome of the flesh is death but the wisdome of the spirit is life and peace HEnce the Apostle proceedeth to proue who those bee who are ingrafted into Christ and who are not but continue in the wrath of God and this hee doth by following the opposition first made between the flesh and the spirit shewing in these verses what the seuerall natures and dispositions of them both are And secondly what are their seuerall ends they that are after the flesh thinke nothing sauoury but what comes from the flesh but their fruit and end is death that is damnation but they that are guided by the spirit taste nothing but what is spirituall and the fruit and end of them tendeth to a double comfort for their soules first bringing peace of conscience which is a continual feast in this life secondly eternal felicity in the life to come so as in summe his meaning is to shew that as many as are not in Christ shall be damned and as many as build vpon Christ shall be saued Then we must first know what is meant by flesh and what is
God is dishonored and therfore thou must not slightly wish or earnestly pray for though this be well done a change of this corruption and a restitution both of the creatures and of man their head into the state of blessednesse and incorruption but thou must euen in a corner by thy selfe breake foorth as it were into a passion of affection with sighes and grones euen such as may fill the heauens to wait after and to thirst for that day wherein God shall triumph in the fulnesse and perfection of all glory and wherein man shall stand and continue in an incomprehensible degreee of happinesse But alas we are so intangled with the baites and nets of this vaine world that our affections sway vs to a cleane contrary course thinking our feete are neuer sure enough nor haue hold enough on the earth so pleasant doe wee esteeme our habitation here that we would thinke our selues most happie though heauen were neuer our inheritance if we might alway liue heere compassed about and enuironed with these false delights Which doth too much bewray our want and defect in meditation on heauen and heauenly things and sheweth what a scantling we keepe in Christianity outwardly onely to professe it and neuer to enter into the chamber of our hearts to see whether it be furnished with such holy Christian and religious sighs and grones as set forth commend the affection of such a Christian as vpon the comparison of these short troubles with that eternall weight of glory which shall come hath already planted his heart in heauen Lastly obserue hence that it is not possible for the reprobate but it is proper and peculiar to the elect onely to lift vp their heads in hope and expectation of this redemption which is signified by the Apostle in two phrases and speeches heere vsed namely that such sigh as first haue receiued the first fruites of the spirit secondly such as wait for adoption neither of which doe euer befall the reprobate for they may spring vp and flourish for a time but they haue no roote nor take no sap from the spirit and happily they may be weary of the world Gen. 4.13 as Cain was of his punishment by they haue no anchor of any other hope vnlesse they ioy to goe to hell which ought to moue vs with all heedfulnesse to looke to our waies and to labour our ingrafting into Christ for the world passeth Heb. 1.11 and both it and wee are folded vp as a garment and to dust we must and yet out of dust we must arise And if while we be in the body wee can be burdened and sigh that mortality might bee swallowed vp of life then are we most happy and happy in that alone but if thou findest thy selfe empty of such affections that thou canst not sigh for thy redemption which sheweth thou dost not hope for thy saluation then art thou of all men the most miserable and the estate of the beasts is better then thine for they sigh for the liberty of Gods sons and they shall haue part in this blessednes and thou shalt see it and then shalt mone thy selfe thou wantest it Iob 10.18.19 for if the earth might be thy graue and thou mightest perish in the dust thou mightst yet conceiue happinesse in senslesnesse after this life ended For wee are saued by hope In this the Apostle proceedeth to proue that as it is necessary for a Christian to grone so is it also to wait for the day of redemption which hee doeth after this sort We are saued by hope that is all our saluation standeth and consisteth in hope for hope apprehendeth and laieth hold on things absent and inuisible Heb. 11.1 Ephe. 3.9 Pro. 13.12 according to that speech Our life is hid in Christ that is so hid as it will be found though as yet it be not seene now hope that is deferred must needs as Salomon saith bee the fainting of the heart and therefore for feare of this fainting the Apostle releeueth our hope with patience Where we learne that it is the duty of euery Minister to salue vp all breaches and to resolue all doubts that any way may perplex the heart and soule of a weake Christian after the example of the Apostle heere who to releeue the infirmities of the faithfull against the storme of affliction setteth before them the crowne of glory which they haue wonne in the field by their fighting And because this glory was not present but followeth the battell and when the combat is ended then commeth in victory he sheweth though this glory and reward bee not subiect to the sight yet Christians haue an affection in them which is hope that nourisheth and staieth their expectation for a time the heart in the meane time leaping and being established through hope that it will come and yet that they may not bee discouraged in their hope though this glory come not so soone as it is looked for hee giueth them the plaister of patience which shall sustaine and support their hope for he is certaine that hath promised but not to bee prescribed a time by vs but hee must take his owne time and our patience must preuent all distrust Euen so must the feeders of the flocke deale with their people in all cases of doubt and wanering in matters of faith and religion so to compasse and beset the soule with reasons and arguments as it may rest secure and haue the food of comfort ministred vnto them against all doubts and perils that may arise For such ought Ministers to be Mat. 13 52. as are able to bring foorth of their treasure both new and old cures and remedies both against the auncient wilinesse and the fresh and new subtilties and temptations of that old serpent Further obserue we must not vnderstand this speech We are saued by hope as we doe this We are saued by faith For nothing doth concurre in the matter of iustification with God aboue but faith so as the meaning and sense heere is that our saluation consists in those things that we hope for and it were better tranflated We are saued in hope than we are saued by hope Heb. 11.1 for faith is the ground and foundation of hope for what can we hope for vnlesse we beleeue it As the ground of faith is the word and promise for why should we beleeue but in respect of God his promise Faith telleth vs we beate not the aire hope biddeth vs hold on our race finish the course fight the cumbat and then expect the crowne of glory Yea faith is sustained by hope that it doe not wauer and contained by hope that it doe not hasten but waite the time and it is confirmed by hope that we may hold on the faith Mat. 15.22 Example of this we see and haue in the Canaanitish woman who suffered three denials at Christ his hands each of them doubled with seuerall reproches and yet fainted
words Rom. 4.2 Abraham was not iustified by workes and therefore they must be so reconciled as both places may bee true lest contrariety and variance appeare in the spirit of God which cannot be This is like those speeches vttered by Christ My Father is greater then I Ioh. 5.17 19. Iohn 10.30 and in another place I and my Father are all one and I count it no robbery to be equall with my Father which is spoken in a different respect the first in the person of a mediator the second in the person of the Godhead So Saint Paul taking the word iustifying for iustification before God said true and Saint Iames taking the word iustifying for iustification or approuing of his faith before men saieth true also but the word being taken in one and the same sense it were impossible for an Angell from heauen or for Christ himself to reconcile them And the reconciliation which the Papists make of these two places fighteth directly with Paul for they say faith and workes doe iustifie Paul saith faith onely iustifieth So as when Paul speaketh of iustifying by faith hee meaneth that whereby wee are acquitted by Christ and doe appeare perfect before God in him and Saint Iames taketh it for being iustified in the sight of men that is declared and approued to bee iustified when our holy life answereth to our holy profession And that the word Iustified is thus vsed and taken in this sense as Saint Iames doth appeareth Psalme 51.4 That thou maiest be iustified when thou art iudged that is declared to bee iust So Luke 7.29 the Publicans iustified God that is declared him to bee iust and in the same place it is said Wisedome is iustified of her children And Luk. 10.29 it is said the Lawyer was willing to iustifie himselfe that is to shew that hee was iust and it is likewise prooued out of the text it selfe Shew mee saith Saint Iames thy faith shew it to mee not to God Againe Saint Iames had falsified and abused the Scripture if he had taken the word iustifying in the sense to be made iust for the sentence that Abraham was iustified had passed the Lords mouth many yeeres before the sacrificing of his sonne for this that hee was iust was pronounced long before Ismael was conceiued as appeareth Genes 15.6 and therefore taking the word iustified to bee made iust hee could in no sort bee iustified by offering vp his sonne because he was iustified before but the meaning of Saint Iames is that it was approoued by this act and worke of Abraham that God had not saied before in vaine that hee was iustified and Rom. 4.10 it appeareth Abraham was iustified in his vncircumcision and this worke Iames speaketh of was done long after his circumcision To this the Papists reply thus Though Abraham was iustified before hee did this worke before God yet there is a degree to bee more iustified and so this place of Saint Iames may bee taken to bee a further iustification and an increase of faith before God as well as not To this wee answer that one pardon from God sufficeth for all sinnes and one droppe of blood serueth for all offences but because our faith is weake that we are not able to apply this bloud all at once therefore it is said that we must grow from faith to faith and he that is washed in the bloud of Christ is all cleane but our sanctification in this life leaueth some grudge and tang of corruption and maketh our feete impure as Christ speaketh Iohn 13.10 so as with God wee are iustified all at once and there is no proceeding by degrees in respect of him for blood pardons all but water that is our renewing groweth by degrees Now for the speeches of Saint Paul Rom. 4.4.5 and Rom. 8.30 that none are iustified by workes the Papists say It is to be taken of the workes of the law ceremoniall but not of the law mâ—â—ll But we must note that Paul speaketh there of the law written in the tables of stone of that law that manifesteth sinne to bee sinne Thou shalt not lust c. which is the law morall and so their distinction false and friuolous Besides they were both the lawes of God and therefore a man may bee iustified as soone by the one as by the other for as Paul saith 2. Corinth 3.5 All our sufficiency is of God and of our selues we can doe nothing and but that the vaile is taken away in Christ the same couering remaineth which was in the old Testament vnder Moses And where Saint Paul saith Abraham was iustified without workes and no man shall bee iustified by the workes of the law True say the Papists by none of the workes of the law that he doth in the time of his infidelity but by them that hee doth after his conuersion he may be iustified And they say that forasmuch as the Apostle saith The workes of Abraham were done in beliefe therefore by this hee excludeth onely those workes done before faith to helpe his iustification So as by this wee see the aduersaries make two iustifications the first when of an infidell a man is made a professor which they say is by congruity when there is a certaine inclination in the heart of man to performe some good workes and yet for want of grace cannot the Lord seeing his heart thus prepared to be iustified doth call him and meerely of his grace doth iustifie him The second when a man is freely iustified by the grace of God then by this grace of God and his owne free-will say they hee may increase his iustification before God For the first we answer that none can be iustified by workes before faith for this is as if a tree should bring foorth fruite without a roote or a body should liue without a soule so in vaine is it to make a question of that cannot be for before wee haue faith it is impossible to worke or to thinke of a good work Secondly where they say that speech concerning Abraham is taken and to be vnderstood of his workes done before faith and that he was iustified by his good workes in faith this doth wholly eneruate and take away the strength of the Apostle his reason for Paul saith If hee were iustified by workes then had he whereof to glory with God Rom. 4.6 which speech extendeth as well to workes after faith as before faith for hee that deserueth any way may glory Secondly the Apostle saith Not to him that worketh but to him that beleeueth is righteousnesse due for if hee worketh hee hath his wages by desert that is say they he that standeth vpon his owne workes before faith without the assistance of Gods grace this man challengeth it by desert because hee did them without faith and grace which euasion and shift is most vaine for a man is not therefore made euill because he doth euill but he doth euill because he is borne euill so a man is