of liberty epicurisme sensualitie that we plucke vp good vvorkes as weedes by the rootes and cast them foorth of the doores as the children of the bondwomaÌ„ not worthy to inherite with the free-borne We never said that faith without workes barren and empty of her fruits iustified an vnrighteous soule but that faith so qualified doth notwithstanding iustifie without those workes this we mainetaine against men and angels so we remooue not workes from faith but workes from iustifying Still they followe their mistresse but in remission of sinnes and cloathing the sinner with the iustice of God therein they giue her the place and put the burthen of that worke vpon her shoulders Let Bilha the handmaide supply the defectes of Rahell and beare children vnto Iacob but let her ever remember that Rahel is aboue her and singular in some respect And let not Ioseph forget though he ride in the second chariot of Egypt be the next man to the king yet that the king hath reserved the throne to himselfe Shall I yet teach you by a more sensible and familiar demonstration Bethulia is in danger of Holofernes the terrour of the East as we of the iustice of God and as the strength of Bethulia was thought too weake to encounter him so all our obedience to the law of God is weake and vnsufficient to defende vs. Iudith vndertaketh for the people of her city faith for vs Iudith goeth accompanied with her handmaides faith with her works and though the eies of her handmaid were ever towards her Lady to carry the scrippe c. yet in performing that act of deliverance Iudith is alone her maide standing and waiting at the dore and not so much as setting her foot within the chamber So although our loue and obedience bee as attendant to faith as ever that servant was to Iudith yet in performing this mighty act of deliverance acquiting the conscience froÌ„ the curse of the law pacifying the anger of God and presenting vs blamelesse before his holy eies al which standeth in the apprehension of the merites of Christ and a stedfast perswasion that he hath assumed for vs faith is wholely and solely alone our workes not claiming any part in that sacred action Therefore wee conclude saith the Apostle Rom. 3. that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the law Therefore you see saith Iames in the second of his Epistle that of works a man is iustified and not of faith only He is and he is not doth the one conclude the former and doeth the other inferre also by way of conclusion that he hath prooved the latter What shall we say is God divided or is there dissension in the spirit of vnity or is there more than one truth Apostle against Apostle Iames against Paul in one and the same question deriving a contrary conclusion Not so But as the striking of two flintes togither beateth out fire so the comparing of these their two opinions will make the truth more manifest Surely by faith we are iustified without the workes of the law Meane it of ceremonies as some doe meane it of morall commandements the position is both waies true This rocke we must cleaue vnto this rocke must be published abroad rockes stones will publish this rocke if we conceale it To him that worketh not but beleeveth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is accounted for righteousnes Rom. 4. to him that worketh not I will not say that he worketh not at all but he worketh not in this action nor with any intent either to prepare or further his iustificatioÌ„ before the face of God his workes are not reckoned at that time nay they withdraw their presence and hang downe their heades and are abashed to offer themselues in that service But here is the point As I am iustified by faith without the workes of the law so by the workes of the law must my faith be iustified that is avouched made good and testified both to God and man with effectuall proofe and demonstration that it is not a naked fruitlesse hypocriticall faith but soundlye and substantially conditioned So Iames ment it And Thomas Aquinas writing vpon that Epistle confirmeth that meaning that the iustification vvhereof he spake is the exercising or accomplishing of iustice for a thing is then saide to bee done either vvhen it is perfected or when it is made knowne So then there is one righteousnesse imputed favoured and cast vpon vs though it bee not ours there is another righteousnes exercised or declared there is one iustice of iustification there is another iustice of testification there is one that acquiteth before God another that approveth especially before man the one without vs and lent the other within vs inhabitant and inherent the one in Christ and from him communicated to vs the other in our selues and to him in some sort recompenced For such is the nature of faith and loue as the Auncientes described their graces the one is in taking and apprehension the other is in giving and remuneration First we receiue by our faith and then by our charitie we returne some-thing Paule speaketh of the former of these iustifications Iames of the latter Paule delivered simply the doctrine Iames answered an obiection against those that gloried in the name and shadow of faith Paule instructed the vnderstanding Iames informed the life Paule as a Doctor and in the schooles lecturing Iames as a pastour and in the pulpit applying the one handling iustification properly the other to speake as properly sanctification the one establishing a reall christian iustifying faith the other confuting a verball devilish falsifying faith There is now then but one Lord one spirit one truth one gospell one tongue one soule in both these Apostles Consider the state of the question in this present example of the Ninivites You know what they were not only aliantes and strangers fâ—om the covenant and hope of God but of aliantes strangers such whose iniquity streamed into the highest heaven and called downe vengance vpon them What should they now doe to redeeme their peace For if they had fasted till their knees had bowed vnder them if they had put sacke-cloath about their loines till the haire and wale thereof had entred even into their soules if they had spent the day in crying and the night in wailing and if they had lived besides as iustly to the world as Aristides did in Athens who was banished the city for over-much iustice and had not withall beleeved I wil not say but God might haue spared to haue made them notorious examples of his iustice to the worlde but surely they had remained as aforetime children of darknes still and sonnes of perdition and the waies of peace they had never knowne Therefore to conclude on their parte they are iustified by their faith This is it that investeth them into the friendship and loue of God their very beleeving of him is imputed
vnto them for righteousnesse as it was to Abraham and to testifie that faith to man to make it perfect before God to seale it vp to their owne conscience they are abundant also in good workes which is that other iustification vvhereof Iames disputeth For as in the temple of Ierusalem there were 3. distinctions of roumes the entry or porch where the beasts were killed the altar where they were sacrificed the holiest place of al whither the high priest entred once every yeare so in this repentance of Niniveh there are 3. sortes of righteousnes the first of ceremony in wearing sacke-cloath and fasting the second of morality in restitution the third the iustice of faith and as it were the dore of hope wherby they first enter into the kingdome of heaven We haue heard what the Ninivites did for their partes let vs nowe consider what God for his It is said that he saw their workes and repentâ—d him of the plague intended and brought it not Nay it is saide that God saw their workes God repented him of the plague vvith repetitioÌ„ of that blessed name to let the world vnderstande that the mischiefe was not turned away for the value and vertue of their workes but for the acceptance of his own good pleasure nor for the repentance of the city but for the repentaÌ„ce of his own heart a gracious inclination propension that he tooke to deliver them No marvaile it was if when God saw their workes he bethought him of their deliverance For when the person is once approved received to grace which their faith procured them his blemishes are not then looked vpon his infirmities covered his vnperfect obedience taken in good part nay coÌ„meÌ„ded honored rewarded daily provoked with promises invitatioÌ„s of greater blessednes to come So a father allureth his son the servaÌ„t doth ten times more yet is the recoÌ„peÌ„ce of the son ten times greater for the father respecteth not so much the workes of his child but because he is a father teÌ„dreth followeth him with fatherly affection wheras the hired servant on the other side is but a stranger vnto him Why then were the works of Niniveh acceptable vnto God not of theÌ„selues but for their sakes that wrought them they for their faith for this is the root that beareth theÌ„ al. In that great cloud of witnesses Heb. 11. what was the reason that they pleased God besides the honour of the world that they vvere vvell reported of and obtained the promises which was the garlande they ranne for besides their suffering of adversities subduing of kingdomes vvorking of righteousnesse with many other famous exploites there ascribed vnto them what was the reason I say but their faith which is the whole burdeÌ„ of the song in that memorable bead-role By faith did Abell thus Enoch thus and others otherwise But why not their workes of themselues For is not charity more than faith these three remaine faith hope and loue but the greater of these three is loue 1. Cor. 13. And the first and the greate commaundemente is this Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy GOD c. Math. the two and twentith And the end of the commaundement is loue 1. Tim. 1. And loue is the fulfilling of the lawe Romanes the thirteenth I graunt all this if thou be able to performe it Loue the Lorde thy God with all thy heart c. and thy neighbour as thy selfe and there is nothing wanting vnto thee thou hast kept the commandement thou hast fulfilled the law thou needest not the passion of thy redeemer thou maiest catch the crowne of life by rightfull desert But this thou art not able to performe were thou as righteous as Noe as obedient as Abraham as holy as Iob as faithfull as David as cleare as the sunne and moone as pure as the starres in heaven yet thou must sing and sigh with a better soule than thine owne who saw and sighed for the impurity of all living flesh Enter not into iudgement vvith thy servant O Lorde for no flesh living can bee iustified in thy sight God hath concluded thee and thy fathers before thee and the fruit of thy body to the last generation of the world vnder sinne and because vnder sinne therefore vnder wrath and malediction and death if thou flie not into the sanctuarie to hide and safegarde thy selfe But blessed be the name of Christ the daies are come wherein this song is sunge in the lande of Iudah and through all the Israell of God farre and neare vvee haue a stronge cittie salvation hath God set for wals and bul-workes about it Open ye the gates that the righteous nation which keepeth faith may enter in Which is that righteous nation that shall enter into the citty of God thus walled and fortressed but that which keepeth faith or rather faithes as the Hebrew hath that is all faith not ceasing to beleeue till their liues end They that beleeue thus adding faith vnto faith the Lord vvill returne them as great a measure of his blessing even peace vpon peace in the next wordes because they trust in him We neede no better expositour The righteous man is he that beleeveth and the beleeving man is he that vvorketh righteousnes for these two shall never be sundred and the onlie key that openeth vnto vs the gates of the citty is our faith So then when we see good workes we must know that they are but fruites and seeke out the root of them and when we haue the root we must also haue regarde to the moisture and iuice whereby it is nourished For as the fruits of the earth grow from their root that root liveth not by it selfe but is fedde and preserved by the fatnes of the soile warmth of the sun benefite of the aire vnder which it standeth so good workes grow from faith and that faith liveth in the obiect the merites and obedience of Iesus Christ feeding and strengthning it selfe by the sweet influence and sappe of these heavenly conceites that he came into the worlde to saue sinners and that he died for her sinne and rose to life for her iustification For as we esteeme the worth of a ring of gold not so much in it selfe as in the gemme that it carrieth so are we iustified magnified also in the sight of God by faith in Christ not for this quality of beleeving which is as vnperfite as our works but for the obiect of this quality Christ our mediatour which is the diamonde and iewell borne therein The hand of a leper though never so bloudy and vncleane yet it may doe the office of an hand in taking and holding fast the almes that is given The giver may bee liberall enough and the gift sufficient to releeue though the hand that received it full of impurity So it is not the weakenesse of our faith in apprehending and applying the passion of Christ that
therein committed The answere is this he that dwelleth in such brightnesse of light as never eye of mortalitye coulde approach vnto the sight of whole face to an earthly man is vnsufferable and the knowledge of those invisible thinges in the God-head vnpossible yet to giue some ayme and coniecture vnto vs what he is hee appeareth as it were transfigured into the likenesse of our nature and in our owne familiar tearmes not departinge from our accustomed manners speaketh to our carnall senses and that man may know him in some measure hee will bee knowne as man by eyes eares handes feete other bodily members by anger sorrow repentance ielousie with the like spirituall affections By which hee woulde signifie vnto vs not that which is so indeede but that which is needefull on our beâ—alfe so to bee vttered and expressed For because wee are not ignorant of the vse office effect of these dailie and naturall thinges in our selues therefore when wee heare them ascribed to God by translation we are able partly to ghesse what is meant by them The rule which Bernard giveth in his 4. Sermon vpon the Canticles is catholique and vniversally serveth to the opening of these figures Haec habet omnia Deus per effectum non per naturam All these hath God not by nature but by effect Now what is the effect of anger revenge For a man that is angered is desirous to bee satisfied and to wreake himselfe vpon him that hath provoked him the passion of anger is not in the nature of God but the effect is Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lorde What is the effect of repenâ—ance The change or abrogation of some thing formerly done or at least determined Repentance is not in God the effect of repentance is the recallinge or vndooinge of a worke which in the iudgement of the worlde was like to haue continued Thus hee repented the making of man Gen. 6. and the advancing of Saul to the kingdome 1. Sam. 15. not that his heart was grieved but his handes that is his iustice and power vndid it and thus hee repented his iudgement agaâ—nst Niniveh by slayinge the sequele and fall thereof So that the easiest exposition indeede of the repentance of God is in the third member of the verse for therefore hee repented him because hee did it not The evill which is heere mentioned is different from that vvhich went before where their evill waies are spoken of for that was culpable this but poenall that defileth a man this but chasâ—eneth afflicteth him that was evill in dooing this but in suffering that in nature this but in feeling the latter proceedeth from the iustice of God the other hee is most free from And God sawe their workes that they turned from their evill waies When I first tooke in hande to declare the repentance of Niniveh I desired you to beare in minde that the first and principall gate whereby they entered into that service towardes God was faith The Prophet who compiled the history noted no lesse as appeareth by his placing of it in the heade of the booke that is in the beginning of the whole narration They beleeved God they tooke him to bee a God of truth and made no question but his worde in the mouth of his servant shoulde bee established And I as little doubt but they also beleeved God not onely assentinge to the truth of the message but entertaining in their heartes a persuasion of deliverance in the ninth verse it is very plaine where the hope of his mercy is that which induceth them to all these workes of pietye Heere it is saide that God sawe their workes and consequentlye repented him of the iudgement and did it not The place hath beene abused and a weapon drawne there hence to fight against Gods grace that these afflictions of the Ninivites macerating themselues with fasting and sackcloth prepared them aforehand to the easier attainement of their pardon Such are the pillers which they builde their workes of preparation vpon that before a man is iustified his workes may deserue that favour of God not of condignity they say worth for worth but of of congruity as if it stood not with reason and conscience that their workes shoulde bee forgotten If the prophet had trusted our simplicitye herein and concealed the name of faith weich heere hee placeth with her open face as the leader and forerunner to all their other actions coulde wee ever haue imagined that they woulde haue humbled themselues by repentance and prayed vnto God on whome they had not first beleeved and whosoever hee bee that spendeth his wretched dayes in the wildernesse of this worlde a wildernesse of sinne as the children of Israell in that wast and roaring wildernesse of SIN Exod. 16. without this cloude by day and piller by night to guide him the way to his rest hee walketh hee knoweth not howe hee strayeth stumbleth falleth because hee hath not light hee liveth and dieth in darkenesse his soule is as a fielde vntilled or as a vineyard growne wilde which though it haue store of grapes they are but sowre grapes his worshippe of God and workes of common civility what glasse soever they beare of honesty and commodity in the eyes of men they are both vnfruitfull to himselfe and before the face of God full of sinne and reprobation There are two thinges in the vvhole course of this history wherevnto I will limite my speech the one what the Ninivites did they beleeved proclaimed a fast repented the other what God he sawe their workes and was satisfied In the person of the Ninivites faith goeth formost workes follow it This is the nature of a true and a living faith it ever worketh by loue Gal. 5. and by workes it is made perfect Iam. 2. faith without these is as an almes of the rich man to the poore departe in peace warme thy selfe fill thy belly but he giveth him nothing Or as the body without the spirit wherin the life motion thereof consisteth For even the theefe vpoÌ„ the crosse that litle time which he had he bestowed in good workes In reproofe of his fellow condemnation of themselues iustification of Christ invocation of his name and a true confession that he was the king of Israell And this although we speake write imprint preach in all our assemblies even the pillers of our churches can beare witnes vnto vs that faith is an idle vnperfect verball deade faith where is not sanctity of life to attend it and wee both receiue it our selues as a faithfull saying confirme it to others that such as haue beleeved God must also be carefull to excell in good workes yet if the pens presses of the Romane faction might passe without controlment we should be trâ—ducâ—d as far as the world is christian for preaching only faith in the iustification of a sinfull man that our gospell is a gospell