vs an affected féeling of the loue of God towards vs Rom. 5.5 it works in vs an vndoubted expectation of eternal life it works in vs a sonne-like loue feare reuereÌ„ce whereby wee loue Christ are delighted in Christ and desire to please God carefully auoyd offeÌ„ding of him it workes in vs consolation 1. Pet. 1.8 peace of conscience for the forgiuenes of our sinnes gladnes spiritual ioye through the tast of Gods fauour it workes in vs sighes of the spirite that cannot be expressed a confideÌ„ce whereby we call God Abba Father Rom. 8.26 it works in vs patience in aduersitie and reioycing in affliction it works in vs a coÌ„tempt of the world Gal. 4.6 and a spirituall securitie and constancie thorough the grace and friendship of God Lastly Rom. 8.15 Rom. 3.33 38. Psal 16.3 Rom. 10.9 14. Faith workes in vs Charitie and Loue towards our neighbor for Gods sake curtesie kindnes geÌ„tlenes a delite in the godly as the Psalmist saies of himself That all his delite was in the Saints that were on the earth Faith is liuely in respect of our actions for out of the foresaide inward affections there breakes out godlines 2. Cor. 4.13 Matt. 7.7 Rom. 12.8.9 Phil. 4.11 Gal. 2.20 Gal. 3.26 Act. 10.43 Acts. 13.39 Rom. 9.12 Eph. 3.12 Act. 15.9 â— Ioh. 5.14 and righteousnes and thanksgiuing and prayer and confessing of Christs Faith and peace and concord with all men and mercie towards all euen our enemies and newnes of life and a good conscience and an holy care faithfulnes and diligeÌ„ce in our calling contentation in whatsoeuer state of life So that that the godlie are engraft into Christ and are in him and haue fellowship with him and are made the Sonnes of God and obtaine remission of sinnes and are righteous in the sight of God and are not ashamed haue bolde accesse and entrance to God haue their vnderstanding and will regenerate and their hearts purged and are saued and do obtaine their petitions of God and doe conquere the world and Sathan and doe renounce Sathan and all his works Eph. 5.11 in heart word life and manners and doe altogether relie vpon God and are delighted with his Lawe day and night Psal 1.2 All these things Faith works in the godly and yet to speake as the thing is Faith performes not these things but hée whom Faith appreheÌ„ds that is Phiâ— â— 3 IESVS CHRIST in whome we are able so doe all things necessarie to saluation Yea but may some say where shall wée finde such Faith that is adorned with all these things It is true that the like measure of Faith is not giuen vnto all men Rom. 12.3.9 Eph. 4.16 but to some is giuen more Faith and to some lesse and to euery one of the Elect is giuen faith sufficient vnto saluation For God moderates and orders the matter so that those which shal beare the more brunts in the world and shew foorth Gods glorie more theÌ„ other they should haue the greater measure of faith for that purpose Notwithstanding more and lesse changeth not the nature of things a dwarfe is as much a man in substance as a Giant a féeble and fraile Faith in Christ though not perfect yet is a true Faith and shall saue if it be fixed on Christ and straye not from Christ and shall attaine attonement with God and remission of sinnes eternall life no lesse then the strongest Faith Therefore Isaiah saith of Christ Isai 42.3 A brused Reede shall hee not breake and the smoaking flaxe shall hee not quench that is Hée shall mercifully succour the weake he shall strengthen the wauering in faith and hée shall foster and cherish those that haue but a sparkle of true godlines and grace in them though it be almost dead and extinguished God doth not at an instaÌ„t plant place a full perfect faith in our hearts but he doth it by degrées and steppes and encreases in that measure and manner time it pleaseth him For as the Philosophers say that wee are and are nourished by the same things and as an Infant is fed and sustained with the same blood when hee is borne beeing turned into milke So God confirmes Faith in vs by the same meanes by which hée plants it 1. Pet. 2.2 The principall meanes is the often hearing of Gods word And therefore S. Peter sayes As new borne Babes desire that sincere milke of the Word that yee may growe thereby And Saint Chrysostome sayes Fides nostra instar Lampadis accensae quae facile extinguitur nisi subinde is fundâ—tur Oleum That our Faith is like to a Lampe set on fire which is easily put out if Oyle be not now then powred vpon it This Oyle is the Word of God Another meanes is the often receiuing of the Lordes supper according to Christs commandement Eate this Drinke this Another meanes are daily Prayer supplication with Dâ—uid that God would stablish that he hath wrought in vs Ps 68.28 and with the Apostles that the Lorde would increase our Faith Luk. 17.5 Another meanes of bréeding and féeding true Faith in vs is a desire of godly life and Charitie towards our Neighbour And therefore Paul saith that we must hold fast Faith and a good conscience 1. Tim. 1.19 2. Pet. 1.5.6.7.8.9.10 And Peter saith that wee must make our calling and Election sure by giuing all diligence to ioyne Vertue with Faith and with Vertue Knowledge and with Knowledge Temperance and with Temperance Patience and with Patience Godlines and with godlines brotherly kindnes and with Brotherly kindenes Loue. For if these things bee among vs and abound they will make vs that wee neither shall be idle nor vnfruitefull in the acknowledging of our Lord IESVS CHRIST For hee that hath not these things is blinde and cannot see a farre off and hath forgotten that hée was purged from his olde sinnes but if we doe these things wée shall neuer fall Are works necessary then vnto saluation will some say If wee take it thus that workes are necessary to saluation as the meritorious cause of Righteousnes and eternall life it is false If we take it thus that new obedience is necessarie as being a sequele and effect necessarily following our reconcilement to God it is true For God will saue none without Repentance and the giuing of the holie Ghost is necessary to eternall life as CHRIST saith Ioh. 3.3 Except a man bee borne againe he cannot see the Kingdome of God Againe Faith without which we cannot be saued cannot be wtout good works for Faith hath euermore Loue ioyned with it either actually Gal. 5.6 De interpellatione Daâ—â—d 4. vel Psalm 7â— or potentially Againe Bernard saith truly Bona opera sunt via Regni non causa regnandi Good works are the way to the Kingdome of Heauen not the cause that
liberall to the distressed and doest thou shrinke from thy former bountifulnesse either for the multitude of the poore or for the vnthankfulnesse of the néedie or for that other doe so little regard them or for that thou accountest it a disparagement to thy worthinesse to haue care of the afflicted or for that thou doest not presently sée the reward Yet be not wearie of well doing 2 Thess 3.13 though the Haruest come not by and by yet in due time it will come and thou shalt reape in due season Iam. 1.14 if thou be not weary of doing well Blessed is the man that endureth tentation for when he is tried he shall receiue the crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him Hast thou shewed thy faith by many good workes and therefore doest thou now think that thou mayest loyter in the way of life Remember Lâ—uit 3.9 that as GOD commaunded the rumpe also of the beast to be sacrificed so hee requireth the ending also of our life to be spent in his seruice Luk 1â— â— 8 It is not enough for the seruant to worke in the field hee must after hée comes home attend his Maister also at Table and when he hath done all yet hee doeth but his dutie Ioh. 8.3 The true Disciples of Christ must continue in his word Act. 2.42 Act. 11.23 Act. 13.43 1 Cor. 15.58 1 Cor. 16.13 1 Tim. 4.16 2 Tim. 3.14 Heb. 3.12 1 Ioh. 2.24 Iude v. 20 and must continue in the Doctrine of the Apostles and must with full purpose of heart continue in the Lord and must continue in the grace of God and must be stedfast vnmoueable aboundant alwaies in the worke of the Lord forasmuch as we know that our labour is not in vaine in the Lord and must watch stand fast in the faith quite themselues like men and be strong and must continue in and follow the good Doctrine they haue receiued and which is committed vnto them and must take héed least at any time there be in them an euill heart and vnfaithfull to depart away from the liuing GOD and must haue that same trueth abiding in them which they haue heard from the beginning and must edifie themselues in their most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost The Libbard takes the pray not by pursuing and hunting but by leaping and skipping and if he take it not at the third or fourth leaping hee frets with rage and falles away as though hee were ouercome Such are they that would attaine to perfection in well doing at one iumping and would be frée from all crosses and tentations at the first push and therefore if an impediment come twice or thrice they start back from doing good But we must not leape and skip in vertuous workes as though Heauen could be obtained at an instant but we must runne perseuere and proceede continually in godlinesse For as in Chesse-play when one draught either is not made when it ought to be or else is otherwise made then it should be the whole game and gaine is lost so when one good worke is carelesly neglected or one sin is presumptuously committed the whole fruite and reward of righteousnesse is put in hazard Wherefore let vs so runne our race Ezek. 33.12 that we may obtaine 1 Cor. 9 24.26 2 Tim. 2.1.3 2 Pet. 1 1â—.12 and receiue the prize let vs not fight as one that beateth the aire but let vs be strong in grace and fight as good Souldiours of Iesus Christ that we may receiue that vncorruptible crowne let vs giue diligence to make our calling election sure and ioyne together these pretious linkes in a chaine that may adorne our soules namely with faith vertue with vertue knowledge with knowledge temperance with temperance patience with patience godlinesse with godlines brotherly kindnes with brotherly kindnes loue that doing these things we may neuer fall but by this meanes an entring may be ministred vnto vs aboundantly into the euerlasting kingdome of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Amen FINIS
part Math. 20.23.24 to place any on his right or left hand in the kingdome of heauen For he doth not there absolutely derogate that authoritie from himselfe but the sense is that he was not sent from the Father with this commandement while hee liued among men so héere also we must vnderstand that as hee descended to be our Mediator till he had executed that office he had not that giuen him which he receiued after his resurrection For hee affirmeth that then the power ouer all things is giuen vnto him Math. 28.18 And therefore as he tooke on him all other things pertaining to mans infirmitie Heb. 2.17.14.15 being in all things like vnto men sinne excepted so he tooke on him also the knowledge and ignorance and reason and vnderstanding of man which by degrées is encreased and diminished and in respect whereof he is said not to know this or that Luk. 2.52 As else-where it is written that Iesus encreased in wisedome and stature and in fauour with God and men Where are they now that professe their knowledge of the yeare of the last iddgement when Christ the onely Sonne of God confesseth that he is ignorant of it Some Anabaptists haue boasted of their prophecies reuelations to the simple multitude and haue not doubted to prefixe the certaine yeare moneth and day of the iudgement some haue calculated the day by iudiciarie Astrologie and by the position and aspect of the starres or by Arithmaticall and imaginarie supputations of numbers and times some haue béene indured or rather seduced to determine the day by ancient and friuolous predictions of others but of these it may be said as the acute and excellent Epigrammatist taxeth a forward Calculator Nonaginta duos durabit mundus in anno Ioan. Munaus ad arbitrium si staâ— abâ—que tuum Ouen Cur mundi finem propiorem non facis vt ne Ante obitum mendax arguerere sapis That they are wise in setting the day so far off least otherwise in their life time they shuld be conuicted of lying Some haue béene misled by weake coniectures producing the Oracle receiued by the tradition of the Iewes which they refer to Eliah and to his schoole namely that the world shuld last sixe thousand yeares so distributing those yeares that two thousand should be spent before the law two thousand vnder the law and two thousand vnder the kingdome of the Messiah and adding that these last two thousand yeares shal scarce haue full consummation because of the most gréeuous iniquities of the world but these must know that that prophesie is vaine because there were before the law two thousand fiue hundred and thirtéene yeares and much lesse then two thousand yeares vnder the lawe Some haue fained that the world should continue sixe daies as it was created in sixe daies but for euery day they haue allotted a thousand yéeres Psal 90.4 as though Dauid meant so when he said That a thousand yeeres in the sight of the Lord are as yesterday when it is past Some other haue supposed that the mystecall body of Christ which is the Church shall abide on earth thirtie thrée yeeres because Christ in regard of his body which he tooke of the Virgine abode so long in this world and for euery yeere they appoint fiftie vsuall yéeres that they make vp the yéere of Iubilee but these are to vnderstand that the end of the world depends not on the lawe or course of nature or from any other secondarie cause but on the pleasure and secret determination of the Lord. Some on the contrarie are so farre of from calculating of a certaine yeare and day as that they feare not to make a flat doubt whether there shall be an end of the world or not 1. Pet. 4.7 Iam. â— 8 because Saint Peter saith that the end of all things is at hand and Saint Iames saith againe that the comming of the Lord draweth neere and yet Saint Paul doth plainely contradict them as they thinke affirming that the day of the Lord should not yet come but these must remember that the Apostles are not coÌ„trarie among themselues for they speake not of the same things nor in the same respect For S. Peter S. Iames say that the day of iudgement is at hand in respect of God with whom a thousand yéeres are but as one day Whereas S. Paul denieth that the day of the Lord was at hand in his Age and while he liued disputing against the false Prophets nor prefixed a meere and certaine time and yet he denieth not that the comming of the Lord drew neere or that these are the last times in comparison of former Ages and of the appearing of the Messiah which no other time shall in such sort succeede nor haue so long continuance as was the continuance from the creation of the world to the Birth of Christ And though that houre be so vncertaine as that we neither may nor ought to search after it yet by the fore-going signes which we daily see accomplished and by the deprauation and vngodlinesse of manners which is come to the very top it is euident enough that the day of Christ is not far off euen as the buds of trées declare the approaching of the Summer and the Husbandman gathers by the waxing yellow of the Eare that Haruest is néere at haÌ„d and these signes are as it were Criers Apparitors to summon men to Christs Tribunall seate though touching the Yéere Moneth Day Houre and momeÌ„t men know nothing because in scripture there is reuealed nothing For Austen saith well That as the last age of man which is his old age cannot be limited by a certaine nuÌ„ber of yeeres like the rest of the ages namely Child-hood youth constant setled age So the last age of the world cannot be determined by certaine yeeres Wherfore we must reiect curious superstitious and vnprofitable questions wherein sathan entangleth many that they should neglect faith hope charitie the necessarie offices of vertue and when we heare mention of the last iudgement we must prepare our selues to watch and pray that by the vnlookt for comming thereof we be not oppressed suddenly For this sudden coÌ„ming of the day of iudgement cuts off all delaies that are commonly made for leading our liues in the feare and awe of God Let none say that so many threatnings haue past of that day of iudgement and that it is not yet séene and therefore that they may liue securely for how farre off or neere soeuer the generall iudgement be yet the day of death which will bring thée to thy particular iudgement may be very nigh and because of the shortnes of mans life on the earth cannot be many yéeres off If a king should giue thée a Lordship on this condition that within one houre thou shouldest dispatch the letters of donation and cause the great Seale to be annexed thereunto what diligence and spéede wouldest thou vse