Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	lord_n	place_n	praise_v	2,233	5	9.4568	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08830	The benefite that Christians receiue by Iesus Christ crucifyed. Translated out of French into English, by A.G. 1573; Dal beneficio di Christo. English	Benedetto, da Mantova, fl. 1534-1541.; Flaminio, Marco Antonio, 1498-1550.; Golding, Arthur, 1536-1606, attributed name.; Paleario, Aonio, 1503-1570, attributed name.	1573 (1573)	STC 19114; ESTC S120980	53,945	119

his strength become mortal to make vs immortall come downe vnto the earth to aduaunce vs vp to heauen and become the sonne of man with vs to make vs the children of God with himself Who is he then that shal accuse vs God is he that iustifieth vs who shall condemne vs Iesus Christ is dead for vs yea rizen agein for vs and he sitteth at the right hand of God making intercession for vs Let vs then O my Sowle leaue of these teares and sighes ¶ THE. C. III. PSALME 1 MY soule praise thou the LORD and all that is within me praise his holie Name 2 My soule praise thou the Lord and forget not all his benefites 3 Which forgiueth al thine iniquitie and healeth all thine infirmities 4 Which redemeth thy life from the graue crowneth thée with mercie compassion 5 Which satisfieth thy mouth with good things thy youth is renued like y Egles 6 The Lord executeth righteousenes and iudgement to al that are oppressed 7 He made his waies knowen vnto Moses his workes vnto the children of Israel 8 The Lord is ful of compassion and mercie slow to angre and of great kindnes 9 He will not alwaye chide nether kepe his angre for euer 10 He hath not dealt with vs after our sinz nor rewarded vs accordīg to our iniquities 11 For as high as the heauen is aboue the earth so great is his mercie towarde them that feare him 12 As farre as the East is from the West so far hath he remoued our sinnes from vs. 13 As a father hath cōpassiō on his childrē so hath y Lord compassiō on thē y fear him 14 For he knoweth whereof we be made he remembreth that we are but dust 15 The dayes of man are as grasse as a floure of the field so florisheth he 16 For the winde goeth ouer it it is gone and the place therof shal know it no more 17 But y louing kindenes of y Lord endureth for euer euer vpon thē that fear him his righteousenes vpon childrens children 18 Unto thē that kepe his ceuenāt think vpon his commandements to do them 19 The Lorde hath prepared his throne in heauen and his kingdome ruleth ouer all 20 Praise the Lord ye his Angels that exrel in strength that do his commandement in obeying the voice of his word 21 Praise the Lord all ye his hostes ye his seruants that do his pleasure 22 Praise the Lord all ye his workes in al places of his dominion my soule praise thou the Lord. So hath he had mercie on vs in giuing vs his only sonne With this faith with theis thanksgiuings with theis or such other like thoughts must we receiue the sacramēt of the bodie blud of our Lord Iesus christ After this maner is al fearfulnes driuen out of the soule of y christiā charitie is incresed faith strēgthened y conscience quieted the tung neuer ceasseth to prayse God and to yéelde him infinite thanks for so great a benefyte This is the vertue efficacie and onely trust of our sowle This is the Rocke wher vppō if the conscience be bwilded it feareth nother tempest nor the gates of hell nor gods wrath nor the Lawe nor sinne nor death nor the diuels nor any other thing And forasmuch as the substance of the Lords Supper and table consisteth in this diuine Sacrament When the christian is at it he must hold his eyes fastened continewally vppon the passion of our graciouse Sauiour beholding him on the one syde vppon the crosse loden with all our sinnes and GOD on the othersyde punishing chastizing and whipping his owne only begottē and derbeloued sonne in stede of vs O happie is that man that shetteth his eyes from all other syghts and will nother héere nor sée any other thing than Iesus Christ crucifyed in whome are layd vp bestowed all the treasures of Gods wisdome deuine knowledge Blessed say I is he that fedeth his mind with so heauenly a foode maketh himselfe drunken in the loue of God with so swéete and singular a liquor But before I make an end of this matter I will first aduertise the christian that Sainct Austin hath ordinarily bin woont to terme this holy sacrament the bond of charitie and the misterie of vnitie And he saieth that whosoeuer receiueth the misterie of vnitie and regardeth not the bond of peace receiueth not the Sacrament to his owne behoof but as a witnesse ageinst himself Therfore we must vnderstand that the Lord hath ordeyned this holy Sacrament not only to make vs sure of the forgiuenes of our sins but also to inflame vs to peace vnitie brotherly charitie For in this Sacrament the lord doth after such a maner make vs partakers of his body as he becōmeth al one thing with vs and we with him By reason wher of forasmuch as he hath but one bodie wherof he maketh vs partakers it is méete that we also should by such partaking become all one body togither amōg our selues And this vnion is represented by the bread of the Sacramēt which as it is made of many grayns mingled and kneaded togither in such wyse as one of them cannot be discerned from another So also must we be ioyned togither after such a sorte and so vnited togither into one agrement of mynd as no diuision may créepe in And this dooth sainct Paule shewe vs when he saieth Is not the cup of blissing which we blisse the communion of the blud of Iesus Christ is not the bread y we break the communion of the bodie of Iesus christe whereas we be manie yit are we but one bread and one bodie forsomuch as we be all parttakers of one bread By theis things we vnderstand that when we receiue this most holy communion we must consider that we are all of vs ingreffed into Christe and are all becomme members of one selfesame bodie y is to wit of I●sus Christ in such wyse as we cannot offend defame or d●spyse any of our brethren but we must therwithall offend defame and despyse our sayde head Iesus Christ neyther can we be at variance with any of our brethren but in lykewise we must be at odds with him Also we cannot loue him except we loue him in our brethren Looke how much care we haue of our owne bodie so much must we haue of our christen brethren who are the members of our bodie And like as no part of our bodie féeleth anye gréefe which spreddeth not it selfe into all the other parts so ought we to determine with our selues that our brother féeleth not any inconuenience which should not moue vs to compassion With such maner of thoughts must we prepare our selues to this holie Sacrament quickening vp our sprites with a feruēt loue to our neibour ward For what greater spurre can we haue to prick vs to loue one another thā to sée y Iesus christ by giuing himself

vnto vs not only allureth vs to giue our selues one to another but also by making himself common to vs all maketh vs also to be all one selfsame thing in him In respect wherof wée ought to couet and procure that in all of vs there may be but one mind one harte one tung accorded and vnited togither in thoughtes words and déeds And we must mark well that as oft as we receyue this holy and worthy Sacrament we bind our selues to al the deuties of charitie as not to offende any of our brethren nor to leaue anything vndon that may be profitable and helpfull in their necessitie But if there come any to this heauenly table of the Lord that are diuided at variance with their brethrē the same must assure themselues that they eate vnworthely and are gilty of the bodie and bloud of the Lorde and that they eate and drinke their own damnation for that there wanted nothing on their behalf but that the body of Iesus christ was rent and plucked in péeces again whilest they by hatred are deuided frō their brethren that is to wit from the members of Iesus Christ and haue not any parte with him and yit neuertheles in receiuing this holy communion pretended to beléeue that their whole saluation consisteth in the participation and vnion with Iesus Christ. Then let vs go my brethrē to the receiuing of this heauenly bread to celebrate the remembrance of our Lordes passion and to strengthen and fortifie the beléefe and assurance of the forgiuenes of our sinnes with the remembrance thereof and to quicken vp our myndes and tungs to prayse and exalt the infinite goodnes of our God and finally to cherish brotherly loue and to witnes the same one to another by the streyght vnion which all of vs haue in the bodie of our lord Iesus christ Besydes prayer thé remembring of Baptim and the often resorting to the most holy communion ther is one other verie good remedy against distrust and fearfulnes which is no lesse fréende to christian charitie namely the remembrance of our predestination and election to eternall lyfe grounded vppon the word of God which is the sword of the holie Ghoste wherwith we may beate backe our enemies Reioyce yée in this sayeth the Lorde that your names are written in heauen There is no greater ioy in this life nor any thing that more comforteth the christian that is afficted tempted or falne into anie sinne than the rememberance of predestination and the assuring of our selues that we be of y nomber whose names are written in the booke of lyfe and which are chosen to be fashioned like vnto the image of Iesus Christ. O how vnspeakable is the comfort of him that hath this fayth museth cōtinually in his hart vppon this exceding swéete predestination whereby he knoweth that although he fall often yit notwithstanding god his father who hath foreordeined him to euerlasting life holdeth him vp and reacheth out his hand vnto him continually And he sayeth continually in himselfe if god haue chozen me and predestinated me to the glorie of his children who can hinder me If God be with vs sayeth sainct Paule who can be ageinst vs Nay rather to the ende that the predestination may be accomplished in vs he hath sent his déere beloued sonne who is a most sure earnest penny and pledge vnto vs that we which haue receyued the grace of the Gospell are gods Children chozen to eternall lyfe This holie predestination maynteyneth the trew Christian in a continuall spirituall ioye increaceth in him the indeuer of good works inflameth him with the loue of god maketh him enemie to the world to sinne Who is so fearce hardharted which knowing y god of his mercy hath made him his child frō euerlasting will not by and by bée inflamed to loue GOD Who is of so vyle and ba●e courage that hée will not estéeme all the pleasures all the honours and all the riches of the world as filthy myre whē he knowes y god hath made him a citizen of heauē yea theis are thei y worship god rightly in spirit truth receyuing all things as wel in prosperitie as in aduersitie at the hand of God their Father and euermore praysing and thāking him for all as their good father who is rightuouse and holy in all his workes These being inflamed with the loue of God and armed with the knowledge of their predestination feare neither death nor sin nor the Diuill nor hell neyther knowe they what the wrath of god is for they sée none other thing in god but loue fatherly kindnesse towards them And if they fall into any troubles they accept them as tokens of gods fauour trying out with S. Paule who is it that shall separate vs from Gods loue shall tribulations shall anguish shall persecution or hunger or nakednesse or perill or sword as it is written for thy sake are we killed all the day long and counted as shéepe appointed to the slaughter But in all these things we get the vpper hand thorough him that hath loued vs Wherefore it is not for nought that sainct Iohn sayeth how the true christians know right well that they must be saued and glorified and that by reason of the same affiance they make themselues holy as Iesus Christ is holy And when Saint Paule exhorteth his Disciples to a good and holy life he is wont to put them in remembrance of their election and predestination as of a thing of very great force to stirre vp the mynds of the true Christians to the louing of God and to the performance of good works And for the same cause our good lord Iesus christ speaketh openly of this holy predestination as one that knew of howe great importance the knowledge thereof is to the edifying of his elect But perchaunce thou wilt say to me I know wel that they whose names are written in heauen haue cause to liue in continuall ioy and to glorifie GOD but in word and deed but I know not whither I am of that number or no and therefore I liue in continuall feare specially bycause I knowe my selfe to bée an excéedinge weake and frayle sinner from the violence wherof I am not able to defend my self but that I am ouercome of it daily And furthermore for asmuch as I se my self cōtineually afflicted and troubled with dyuerse temptations methinks I do as it were behold with myne eyes the wrath of God squorging me Too answere to theis dowtes of thyne I say my ryght dere brother that thou must assure thy selfe that al theis are but temptations of the deuill who by all meanes séeketh to rob vs of that faith and confidence that springeth of faythe and assurethe vs of Gods good will towardes vs He laboreth to strip our sowle out of this preciouse garmēt for he knoweth that none is a trew Christian except he beleue Gods

his Spowse How can I assuredly glorie that I am Quéene and Mistresse of his greate riches as a wyfe maye I can easly beléeue that otherfolkes shall receyue this honour and glorie but I cannot perswade my selfe that I am one of th●se same to whome GOD hathe gyuen so greate grace For I knowe myne owne wretchednesse and imperfection My der●beloued brother I answer thee that thyne assurance cōsisteth in trew and liuely fayth wherwith as Sainct Peter sayeth God clenzeth mens harts And this fayeth is grownded in the be leuing of the Gospell that is to saye in the beleuing of the gladde tydings which hathe bin published on GODS behalf throwgh the whole world which tydings conteyneth in effect that god hath vsed the rigorousenes of his iustis against Iesus Christ chastizing punishing all our sinnes in him And whosoeuer receiueth this good tydings beléeues it stedfastly hath the true fayth and doth inioye the forgiuenes of his sinnes and is also reconciled vnto GOD and of the chylde of wrath is become the chyld of grace and recouering the image of God entereth into the kingdome of God and is made the temple of God who maryeth mans soule to his onely Sonne by the meane of this fayth which fayth is a worke of God and the gift of god as sainct Paule saieth oftentymes And God giueth it vnto those whom he calleth to him of purpose to iustifie them to glorifie thē to giue them euerlasting lyfe according as our Lorde Iesus Christ witnesseth saying This is the will of him that sent mée euen that euery one which séeth the sonne and beleueth in him should haue euerlasting lyfe and I wyll rayse him vp agein at the latter day And lyke as Moses lifted vp the Serpent in the Wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lifted vp to the ende that euery one which beleueth in him might not perish but haue lyfe euerlasting Also he sayeth to Martha He that beleueth in me shall liue although he wer dead and euery one that liueth beleueth in me shall not dye for euer And to a companie of the Iewes he sayeth I am come a lyght into the world to the ende that euery man which beleueth in me shold not abide in darknes And sainct Iohn in his Epistle saieth Herein appéered the loue of god towards vs for that god is loue and sent his only begotten sonne into this world that we might liue through him And héere in is loue knowen not in that we loued God but in that he loued vs sent his sonne to make attonement for our sinnes And moreouer he sent him to destroy our enemies For the bringing wherof to passe he made him parttaker of our fleshe and of our blud as sayeth sainct Paule to the ende that by his death he myght destroy him that had the dominion of death that is to wit the diuel and set al such at libertie as were subiect to bōdage al their lyfe long for feare of death Seing then that we haue records of the holy Scripture concerning the promises whereof we haue spoken heretofore and concerning many other promyses that are dispersed in diuers places of the same we cannot dout of it And forsomuch as the Scripture speaketh to all ingenerall none of vs oughte to distrust in himselfe that the selfsame thing which the Scripture sayeth should not belong perticularly to him selfe And to the ende that this point wherin lyeth and consisteth the whole misterie of our holie faith may be vnderstod the better Let vs put the cace that some good holie King cause proclamation to be made through his whole Realme by the sound of a Trumpet that all Rebels and banished men shall safely returne home to their howses bicause that at the sewt desert of some dere fréend of theirs it hath pleased hym to pardon them certeinly none of those Rebels ought to dout of the obteyning of trew pardon of his rebellion but rather ought assuredly to returne home to his howse to lyue vnder the shadowe of that holie king And if he will not returne he shall beare the penaltie of it bicause that through his own vnbelefe he dyeth in exyll and in the displeasure of his prince But this good king is the Lorde of Heauen and Earth who for the obedience and desert of our good brother Iesus Christe hath pardoned vs all our siunes and as we haue sayd afore hathe made open proclamaction through the whole world that all of vs may safely returne into his kingdome Wherfore he that beléeueth this proclamaciō dooth streytwayes return into Gods kingdome whereoutof we were driuen by the offence of our first parentes and is blissedly gouerned by gods holy Spirit And he that giueth no credit to the sayde proclamacion shall neuer inioy the sayd geuerall pardon but for his vnbelefes sake shall abyde in banishment vnder the tyrannie of the diuel and liue and dye in extreme miserie liuing and dying in the di●pleasure of the king of heauen and earthe and that iustly For we cannot commit a greater offence against this good God that to account him as a lyer and deceiuer which verely we doo in not giuing credit to his promises O how passing heauie is this deadly sinne of vnbelefe which so farre foorth as is possible beréeueth God of his glorie and perfection besydes the greate harme that it doeth to a mans selfe which is his owne damnation and the endlesse tormēt of his soule which the miserable conscience féeleth euen in this lyfe But on the contrarie he that commeth vnto GOD with assurednesse of this fayth beléeuing him without anye mistruste or dowt of his promises and warranting himselfe for a certeyntie that God will performe al that euer he hath promised him giueth all the glorie vnto God and liueth cōtinually in rest and endles ioy euermore praysing and thanking the Lorde God for choozing him to the glorie of the eternall lyfe And hereof they haue an assured earnestpeny and gage that is to wit the sonne of god whom they take for their most louing Brydegrome the blud of whom hath made theyr hartes so drunken that through this passing holie belefe there is in the christen hart ingendred so lyuely a hope and so certeine a trust of gods ●ercie towards vs and such an operation is wrought in vs as we rest our selues wholly vppon God leauing the whole care of vs vnto him in suche wyse that being throughly assured of Gods good wil we are not afraid nother of the diuel uor of his ministers nor of death Which holie and stedfast trust of Gods mercie inlargeth our hart chéereth it vp and with certeine marualouse swéete affections dyrecteth it vnto GOD filling it and setting it on Fyre with an exceding feruent loue And therefore Paule incourageth vs to goe with all boldnesse to the throne of grace he counselleth vs that wée should not shake it of nor make

ours and so is he in very déed if we beleue so and hold our selues assured that by the same heauenly garmēt we be receiued into fauor before god For it is most certain that he as a most déere father hath giuen vs his sonne meaning that al his rightuousnes all that euer he is can or hath done shold be in our power inrisdictiō in such wise as it should be lawful for vs to make our boast of thē as if we had done purchaced des●rued them by our own strength And whosoeuer beleueth this shal find that his beléef is good and tru as we haue shewed heretofore Thē must the christian haue a stedfast faith beleef that all the goods all the graces all the riches of Iesus christ are his for sith y God hath giuen vs Iesus christ himself how shold it be possible that he hath not giuen vs all things with him Now if this be true as tru it is in déed the christiā may rightly say I am y child of god Iesus christ is my brother I am Lord of heauē earth of hell and of death of the law in so much as the law cānot accuse me nor lay any curse vpō me bicause the righteousnes of god is becom myn And this faith is it alone y maketh a man to be called a christian which clotheth him with Iesus christ as we haue said afore And boldly may this be called a great mistery whervnder are cōteined maruelous things and things not herd of cōcerning the great God which cannot enter into mans hart except god do first softē it with his holy grace as he hath promised to do by his holy prophet saying I will giue you a new hart and I will put a new mynde into you and I wyll take away the stony hart out of your bodie and I will giue you a hart of fleshe Now then he that beleueth not after the sayde maner that Iesus Christe with all the goods that he possesseth is his cannot call himself a trew christian nor euer haue a quiet and ioyfull conscience nor a good and feruent corage to doo good but shall easly faint in doing of good works yea and moreouer he shall neuer be able to do works that are truly good This only beléef and trust that we haue in the merits of Iesus Christ maketh men trew christians stowt cherful merrie louers of God readie to doo good workes possessers of gods kingdome and of god himselfe and his right derebeloued children in whome the holie Ghoste dooth truly dwell What hart is so cowardly cold and vyle which considering the inestimable greatnes of the gift that god hath bestowed vppon him in giuing him his owne so welbeloued sonne with all his perfectnes is not inflamed with an exceding carnest desyre to become like vnto him in good workes specially seing that the Father hath giuen him vnto vs for an example whereon we must continewally looke framing our lyfe after such a sort as it maye be a trew counterpaine of the lyfe of Iesus Christe forasmuch as Christe as sayeth Sainct Peter hathe fuffered for vs leauing vs an insample to the ende that we shoulde folowe his footesteppes Out of this consideracion iss●weth another kind of clothing of a manes selfe with Christ which we may terme An example clothinge for so much as the christian must frame his whole lyfe after the example of Christ fashyoning himself like vnto him in all his dedes words and thowghtes leauing his former wicked lyfe and decking himself with the new lyfe that is to wit with the lyfe of Christe By reason wherof sainct Paule sayeth Let vs cast away the works of darknesse and put on the a●mour of lyght not in feasting nor in drunkennesse nor in chambering and wantonnesse nor in stryfe but put vpon you the Lorde Iesus Christ and make no preparation for the flesh nor for the lustes therof Héeruppon the trew Christian being in loue with Iesus Christ sayeth in himself Sith that Iesus Christe not hauing anye néede of me hathe redemed me with his own blud and is become poore to inrich me I wil likewise giue my g●●ds y●● my very lyfe for the loue welfare of my neighbour And like as I am clothed with Iesus christ for the loue he hath borne to me so will I haue my neighbor in Christ to cloth himself with me with my goods likewise for the loue that I beare him for christes sake He y doth not so is no true christian for he cānot say that he loueth Iesus christ if he loue not the mēbers brothers of him and if we loue not our neighbour for whose sake christ hath shed his blud we cannot truely say that we loue Iesus christ who being equall with God was obedient to his father euen to y death of the crosse hath loued redéemed vs giuing himselfe vnto vs with all that euer he hath After the same maner we being rich hauing abundance of good things at Christes hand must also be obedient vnto god to offer giue our works al that we haue yea and euen our selues to our neighbours and brethren in Iesus Christ seruing them helping them at their néed and being to thē as another christ And like as Iesus Christ was lowly and gentle and far from all debate and stryfe so must wée set our whole mynde vpon lowelinesse méeknesse eschewing all stryfe and impatiēce as wel which consist in words and reasoning as in déeds And as in Iesus Christe hath indured al the persecutions and spytes of the world for the glorie of God so must wée with all patientnesse chéerfully beare the persecutions and reproches that are doone by false christians too all suche as will liue faythfully in Iesus Christe who gaue his life for his enemyes and prayed for them vppon the crosse and so must we also pray always for our enemies and willingly spend our lyfe for their welfare And this is too folowe Christs steppes according as sainct Peter sayeth For when we knowe Iesus Christ with all his riches to be our owne good which thing is to bée clothed with Christ and to become pure and cleane without spot there remayneth nothing more for vs to do but to glorifye God by folowing the lyfe of Iesus Christe and to do to our brethren as Christe hathe doone to vs and specially for somuch as we bée warranted by his word that whatsoeuer we do to his brethren and ours he accepteth it as a benefyte done to himself And dowtlesse seing that the trewe christians are the members of Christ we cannot do eyther good or euill too the trew Christians but wée d●● it likewyse vnto Christ in so much that he reioyceth or suffereth in his members Th●reTherefore like as Iesus Christ is our clothing by faith so also must we through loue become the clothing of our brethren haue as good care

some one may say to mée that the christian can not by any means know that he is in gods fauour without some speciall reuelation and so consequently that he cannot knowe whither he be predestinated or no. And hée may specially alledge these woordes of Salomon A man knoweth not whither he be worthy of hatred or of loue and also these wordes of the Apostle Sainct Paule to the Corinthians I féele not my selfe gilty of any thing and yit féele I not my selfe iustifyed for all that It séemeth to be sufficiently declared by the textes of holy Scripture that the saide opinion is false and now remaineth onely to be shewed briefely that these two textes whereuppon the same opinion is chiefly grounded ought not to be taken in that sence As touchinge Salomons sentence although it bée scarse well and faythefully translated in the common translation yit is there not any man so dul who in reading Salomons whole discourse may not playnely perceyue by saying so he ment that if any man will take vppon him to iudge by the casualties ▪ that happen in this lyfe who is loued or hated of GOD he laboreth in vayne considering that the selfesame chaunces which light vppon the rightuouse light also vppon the vnrightuouse vppon him that Sacri●●zeth as wel as vpon him that sacrifizeth not as soone vpō the good mā as vpō y sinner Wher of it may be gathered y god doth not always shew his loue towards those whō he indueth with outward prosperities contrariewyse that he sheweth not his displeasure towards those whom hee punisheth Then my right deere brethren in Christ Iesus our Lorde doe you thinke it reason to conclude that a man cannot be sure of Gods fauour bycause the same surenesse cannot bee perceyued by the sundrie chaunces that happen euery day in theis transitory temporal things A litle afore Salomō saith y a man can not discerne any difference betwene y soule of a mā the life of a beast for it is seene that both mā beast die after one maner Shal we then conclude by this outward accident y the persua●iō which we haue conceiued of the immortality of the soule is groūded but only vppon coniecture No surely and it were a great follye to stande vppon a thing so notablye knowen And as for Saincte Paules words I say that for asmuch as he was sp●aking of the administration of the gospell hée ment that his hart misgiues him not of any misdealing therin and yit for all that that he is not sure he hath done his whole duetie to the full and therein obteyned the prayse of rightuousenes to Godward as if hée had done all that pertained and was conuenient to be done by a faithfull Steward and therfore in speaking of his office like a iust and discrete persone he durst not iustifie himself nor auow that he had discharged his deutie to the vttermost and satisfyed his lords wil but ●eferred all things to the only iudgemēt of his lord And verely who soeuer readeth these words of the Apostle Sainct Paule and considereth the wordes going afore them with some iudgement and likewise the woordes that folowe will not doubt but this is the true sence of them I know well that some men in expounding these words of the Apostle sainct Paule say that although he knewe himself to be without sin yit he knewe not whether he were rightuouse to Godward or no accordinge as Dauid affirmeth that no man can perfectly knowe his owne sinnes But these mē perceiue not that Saint Paule groundeth not rightuousenes vppon woorks but vpon faith and that hée vtterly refuseth his own rightuousenesse to imbrace only the rightuousnes which God hath giuen vs thorough our Lord Iesus Christ. Also they consider not that he was most certein to bée accepted for rightuous in maynteining the soundnesse and purenesse of the christē faith and that he knewe well howe the crowne of that righteousnes was layd vp for him in heauen and also that hee was fully assured that no creature in heauen earth nor hell was able to separate him from the loue of God and that he longed to dye bicause hée knew for a truth y after his death he should be with Iesus Christe All which thinges should be false if he had not bin well assured that he was rightuouse I meane by faith not by works Therfore my déerbeloued brethren let vs cease to speake that thing of the Apostle Sainct Paule which he neuer once thought of himself but féersly fought agaynst it continually in answering such as measured rightuousenes by woorks not by faith in our Lord Iesus Christ. But besides these two auctorities of Salomon and sainct Paul a man might alledge some other places of holy scripture which wheras they warne and incorage men to feare God séeme to be contrarie to the assurance of this our predestination And if I would declare them all particularly I should be ouer long But I say generally that y feare of punishment was proper to the old Testamēt and childly loue to the new Testament according as S. Paule witnesseth when he sayeth to the Romanes ye haue not receyued the spirit of bondage to feare but ye haue receiued y spirit of adoptiō wherby we ●rye father father And likewise vnto Timothie he sayeth y god hath not giuē vs y spirit of fearfulnes but rather of power and loue which spirit Iesus Christ hath giuen vs according to the promis made by the mouth of the holy Prophets and brought to passe that we being deliuered out of our enemyes handes may serue him without feare before his holy presence in all holinesse and rightuousenesse all the dayes of our life By theis many other places of the holy Scripture a man may plainly gather that y peynfull and slauish fearfulnesse agreeth not with a Christian and this is alredie confirmed by this that such maner of fearfulnesse is vtterly contrarie to the spirituall cherefulnes and ioy which is peculiar to the christian as the Apostle Sainct Paule sheweth openly to the Romanes saying that the kingdome of God is rightuousenesse peace ioy in the holy ghost that is to say y euery man which entereth into the kingdome of the grace of the gospel is become rightuouse through fayth and afterward addeth peace of conscience which consequently bréedeth such a spiritual and holy rest gladnesse in respect wherof the same Sainct Paule doth oftentimes incorage the christians to liue merily And sainct Peter sayeth that all they which beleeue in Iesus Christ do continually reioyce with an vnspeakable and gloriouse ioy notwithstanding that they be afflicted with diuerse temptations And therfore whē the holy scripture threateneth and frayeth the christians they must vnderstand that it speaketh to such as are so licenciouse that forsomuche as they kepe not the thankfulnesse and honestie that belong to GODS children they must