Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	believe_v	faith_n	justification_n	3,844	5	9.3520	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01711	Certaine sermons, vpon diuers textes of Holie Scripture Whereof some haue been seuerally before published, and other some for the greater benefit of the godly reader are here now added. By M. George Giffard, preacher of the worde of God at Mauldon Essex.	Gifford, George, d. 1620.; Gifford, George, d. 1620. A sermon on the parable of the sower. aut; Gifford, George, d. 1620. Two sermons upon I. Peter 5. vers. 8 and 9. aut; Gifford, George, d. 1620. Foure sermons uppon the seven chiefe vertues of faith. aut; Gifford, George, d. 1620. A godlie, zealous, and profitable sermon upon the second chapter of saint James. aut; Gifford, George, d. 1620. A sermon preached at Pauls Crosse the thirtie day of May. aut; Gifford, George, d. 1620. A sermon on the third chapter of Saint Iames. aut	1597 (1597)	STC 11848.5; ESTC S120470	152,707	288

naked and destitute of daily foode 16 And one of you say vnto them Depart in peace warme your selues and fill your bellies notwithstanding ye giue them not those things which are needfull to the bodie what helpeth it 17 Euen so the faith if it haue no workes is dead in it selfe 18 But some man might say Thou hast the faith and I haue workes shew me thy faith out of thy workes and I will shew thee my faith by my workes 19 Thou beleeuest that there is one God thou doest well the diuels also beleeue it tremble 20 But wilt thou vnderstand O thou vaine man that the faith which is without works is dead 21 Was not Abraham our Father iustified through workes when hee offered Isaac his sonne vpon the Altar 22 Seest thou not that the faith wrought with his workes and through the workes was the faith made perfect 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which sayth Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse and he was called the friend of God 24 Ye see then how that of workes a man is iustified and not of faith only 25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot iustified through workes when she had receiued the messengers and sent them out another way 26 For as the bodie without the spirit is dead euen so the faith without workes is dead I Haue chosen this portion of scripture to interpret because there is very great vse and commoditie in the true and right vnderstanding thereof and the doctrine therein contained is most necessarie for all Christians to know First because it doth directly and fully ouerthrow beat downe all carnall profession of the Gospell shewing that the common and dead faith cannot saue a man Secondly because it is the principall piller which the Papists doe leane vnto and the chiefe place of Scripture which they doe peruert and abuse to prooue and establish Iustification by workes and the merits of men and to ouerthrow the free Iustification wee haue in our Lord Iesus Christ through faith The hold which they take in this point is vpon the speeches and phrases which the Apostle doth vse as when he saith Abraham our father was iustified through workes Also Rahab the Harlot was iustified through workes Likewise ye see that of workes a man is iustified and not of faith onely Herein the two Apostles of Christ Saint Paul and Saint Iames do seeme to be flat contrarie the one to the other for whereas Saint Paul saith Abraham was iustified by faith alone and not by workes Saint Iames saith he was iustified by workes Saint Paul saith and prooueth by sundrie and inuincible reasons that a man is iustified by faith alone without the workes of the law Saint Iames saith ye see that a man is iustified by workes and not by faith only This contrarietie is but in appearance for they both wrote by one spirite which is alwaies like himselfe and alwaies agreeth with himselfe The whole blame thereof is to light vpon vs that wee are so dimme sighted as not to see how these two seruants of GOD doe iumpe and agree together without any iarre at all I thinke it needefull for this cause before I come to handle the words of the Text as they lye in order first to take away this shewe of discorde If any man will demaund what cause there was which made them to appeare in outward shew so contrarie the one to the other I answere that although there be no contrarietie in the matter it selfe which they teach yet the diuersitie of the schollers which they lighted vpon the contrary affection of those whom they instructed caused them to vse a diuers and contrarie order of teaching Saint Paul hauing to deale with such as would seeke to be iustified partly by faith in Christ and partly by their owne deedes or the deedes of the Law vseth this order first shewing that we were lost and condemned in our selues then next iustified and saued through the merites of Christ afterward that we are sanctified in him and must shew foorth the fruites of our faith in a pure and holie life Saint Iames lighting vpon another sort of men which confessed the free iustification through faith in Christ yet in this they were deceiued that they did not consider how all those that are iustified are sanctified how all those that are in christ Iesus are new creatures that they are new borne and walke not after the flesh but after the spirit that the true liuely and iustifying faith doth bring foorth the fruites of righteousnesse in a holie conuersation Now because this cannot be remooued or separated from the right and liuely faith Saint Iames goeth as it were backward and prooueth that where this latter that is to say the fruites of faith are wanting there faith is wanting and so his drift is to shew that all vngodly and carnall professours of Christ haue but a dead faith which in no respect is able for to helpe or saue them A second cause why they seeme so much to differ is herein that men doe not marke well how they handle not the selfe same matter nor haue not the same drift For Saint Paul laboureth to prooue that the true faith doth ioyne vs to Christ and thereby saue vs. Saint Iames here beateth vpon this poynt that the dead faith which is but a bare image of the right faith cannot profite a man this shall appeare in the wordes of the Text and also a third cause is that they doe not take this word iustified in the same sense but diuersly as it shall bee prooued afterward Now will I come vnto the Text. What auaileth it my brethren though a man saith hee hath faith when he hath no workes can the faith saue him This is his proposition and the matter which he will dispute vpon in the whole text following thus much it is in effect that it doth not auaile a man to say he hath faith nor it doth not profit him to boast and bragge and to make profession thereof when he hath no good workes the reason is this because it cannot saue him marke and obserue this well for here at the first enterance the blindnesse of the Papists and their follie doth manifestlie bewray it selfe when as they doe not see nor vnderstand that it is not the purpose of the Apostle in this place to dispute vpon this point whether the true faith doth saue iustifie or not but to shewe that such as haue not good workes haue not the true faith in them and therefore whatsoeuer they professe they cannot bee saued For hee doth not propound his matter thus what auaileth it though a man haue faith and haue not workes but What auaileth it though a man say hee hath faith and hath not workes Whereby it is very manifest that when Saint Iames doth attibute the name of faith vnto this dead image hee doth it not in proper but in abusine speech and after

giue ouer the digging vp of these thornes because hee perceiueth they grow deepe in his heart and spring as fast as he can cut them is not worthie to enter into life he which will not continually till and weede this ground may well haue the Gospell in some sorte for to grow in him but not to saue him Dearely beloued we must be surely perswaded of this that as there be many godly men so they haue attained it with great labour and toile yea they are still set a worke cannot come to an ende because these thornes cannot be vtterly rooted out Those are greatly ouerseene which thinke it to be an easie thing to professe Christ vnto saluation and make no further account but to bee Gospellers at ease if they can vanquish in disputation to thinke they haue wonne the fielde no no they haue a heart which is harde to ouercome they haue thornes which will not easely be destroyed here lieth the victorie and getting of the spurs this man shall be crowned because hee hath willingly giuen vp himselfe to the power of Gods grace to purge his heart and to make roome for the holy worde that it may grow there alone and not bee ouershadowed and choaked Now let vs marke well that which is saide here both of the stonie and also of the thornie grounde how farre they proceede in professing Christ and imbracing his Gospell and we shall plainely see how greatly those carnall Gospellers which will not haue Faith to be tryed by the fruites are deceiued Faith faith say they is that which doth iustifie it is true indeede but not a fruitlesse faith whosoeuer beleeueth shall be saued it is euen so but not after euery kinde of beleefe for then why should not these two sorts of hearers be saued It is marueilons when the Scripture is so euident and our Sauiour Christ speaketh so plainely that this grosse and doltish error should possesse the minds of so many But indeede it is a sweete doctrine when a man may let loose the raines to all the lusts of the flesh at the least thus farre not to vexe and torment himselfe in subduing them and yet by faith to be saued When Heauen and Hell meete together and God and the diuell be reconciled then shal these flesh lie Epicures and vaine proude men come to their happinesse When Christ shall denye that which hee hath here vttered then shall these be true beleeuers Let men therfore take heed that they be not deceiued nor made slacke in looking to the fruites of their faith and mortification of vaine fleshly lusts through the prophane pratling of such worldly belly Gods beleeue not thē but beleeue Iesus Christ who telleth you that it is not enough to heare the word to receiue it with ioy to let it grow in vs vnles it bring forth reasonable timely fruit in vs. Againe let vs marke how strong and inuincible an Argument may be gathered out of this text against all contemners and despisers of the word such as care not for hearing these three sortes of hearers are before them and neerer to Christianitie then they yet come short therefore it must needes follow that such ignorant Atheistes as neither knowe nor desire to knowe any thing aboue this world are very farre from God although they would seeme with their mouth and lippes to draw neere vnto him For if this matter were well obserued men would not regard nor haue those men in estimation to be good and honest who are very dogs or swine not regarding the precious pearle of the Gospel but ready to barke and bite at those which bring it Let a man inquire thus not of a few but of the greatest part of men how say ye to such a man what thinke ye of him he is say they a very good man a good natured man a gentle person trusty to his friend sure of his word and doth keepe as good an house as any man of his calling in all this shire But how is he affected vnto Gods word is he zealous in religion Nay surely I did neuer heare that he did deale that way he is a very quiet man no medler at all O notable honest man as deuout in the lawes of God as the horse which hee rideth vpon as carefull to haue Gods glorie aduaunced as the swine in the stie a great deale behinde these vnprofitable hearers which are castawaies and yet forsooth being very bruit beastes before God in the state they bee in yet vnlesse the Lord call them to be zealous of his glorie they must bee reputed for the best men Our fieldes are full of such cattell as these if the Lord doe not put to his helping hand our case is very miserable If any of those which were so zealous to heare that they would to their hinderance in worldly matters leaue on their businesse followe preaching as these which flocked to heare Christ were yet neuertheles reiected because they did not sincerely as they should what shal we say of those which will not step out at their doores euen when they haue nothing to doe vnles it be to sit at cards or tables If such a man may bee damned as is moued with some delight when he heareth the worde preached what shall we iudge of those woodden blockes sottish men who feele no more ioy in it then a post whē it is vttered vnto them If there be some goe to destruction which conforme themselues haue a shew of fruite by the worde where shall those wretches appeare whom the holie word of God cannot mooue one whit to reforme their disordered and beastly behauiours Ineede not stand to inueigh out of this place against those hellish helhounds which dare open their mouthes to reproch and slander the setting forth of the Gospell The Lord diminish the number of them The last kind of ground are the good hearers which do not onlie receiue the seed but also bring foorth the fruites thereof Although not euery one alike or in the same measure for some bring forth an hundreth folde some sixtie folde some thirtie folde according to the measure of Gods graces in them Although heer be great ods in bringing foorth the fruites yet they be all accepted and accounted for good ground true Christians and sincere professors of Godlinesse now as we be taught heere that it is required of all to be doers as Saint Iames saith and not hearers only chap. 1. ver 22. so are we also taught not to despise or rashlie to condemne those which doe not bring foorth so great a measure of fruit as others do True it is as Christ saith herein is my Father glorified that yee bring foorth much fruit Ioh. 15.8 But it is also as true which he saith in the seconde verse of the same chapter Euery branch that bringeth foorth fruit he purgeth that it may bring foorth more fruite Then to bring foorth most is most of all to be desired

man haue more then God And if we misse of it we haue lost all seeing without it nothing can defende vs from the assaultes of the Diuell But when we are willed to resist the Diuel stedfast in the faith is it so that wee haue faith in our owne power or when wee will Can wee of our selues be stedfast in faith Or is it a matter so easie to obtaine a strong faith Saint Peter hath no such meaning For goodly thinges are hard to be attained vnto and faith is the most precious and excellent of all other most hard to be come by It is not in mans will or power to beleeue and to beleeue stedfastlie at his pleasure But Saint Peters meaning is to mooue all men to feeke it where it is to be found and by such meanes as be ordayned for to come vnto it by For there is no man almost but will acknowledge that a strong faith is a most rich iewell but when it commeth to the matter they depriue themselues for the most part either deeming that they haue it or can haue it in their owne power resting in a vaine shadowe not knowing at all the nature of the true liuely and powerfull faith or if they doe acknowledge it to be the gift of God yet they neuer seeke it by those meanes which he hath ordained to worke it in men and to nourish it vp in them When wee are therefore willed to resist the Diuell stedfast in the faith it is as much as to saye giue all diligence and vse all the wayes and meanes that may be to increase and strengthen your faith that you may ouercome the Diuell If you be diligent that way happie are you and if you take not that course then are you vtterly vndone for what way can you then escape the power and tyranny of the roaring Lyon But it will be said S. Peter doth not heere shewe how men shall come to this stedfast faith No for his whole doctrine tendeth to that point in al this Epistle and therefore hee needed not to put them in mind particularlie yet it shall not be amisse for me to note somewhat He that will attaine to the true liuelie and iustifying faith which armeth a man with the power of God must first of all know for certainty that he hath not so much as anie spark thereof of himselfe we are all of vs by nature shut vp vnder vnbeleefe and in miserable blindnesse which while many doe not know they rest and content themselues in a certaine dead image of faith and are vtterlie seduced for that faith hath no power He that knoweth this indeed beholding the depth of the calamities which hee is in will looke vp to God who is the giuer of faith Hee is desirous to know what the promises of God are which hee is to beleeue and what the way is in which hee must walke to performe the duties of a Christian life for the true faith worketh by charitie as Paule saith and cannot be without good workes He searcheth the Scriptures as Christ willeth Ioh. 5. hee doth with all diligence bende his eare to heare the holy Gospell of Iesus Christ preached feeling therein the power of God to worke faith He doth crie and cal vnto God day night for to teach him to lighten him to giue him vnderstanding to increase his faith He findeth the blessing of God in these meanes therefore applieth them But now on the contrary part hee that resteth in this God giueth faith and if it be his will I shall haue it and so despiseth all meanes not considering how God giueth faith is vtterlie awrie and out of the right way From hence it is that there be so manie commendations of the word of God and of the liuelie power that it hath to saue our soules From hence it is that wee are often called vpon to giue eare to the voice of God to hearken to his counsels Thus shall wee obtaine the holy faith And he that hath faith and feeleth the power of God in him if he will haue it increase is to consider the abundant kindnes of God who hath bestowed so great a gift vpon him he is from the bottom of his heart to giue all praise and thankes and honor vnto him for so great kindnesse and mercie shewed Moreouer he is to take heed that wil be stedfast in the faith to resist the diuel that he bee rich in good workes and that hee abstaine from committing those vices which nature doth lead vnto For in the time of triall in the hower of temptation or when Satan doth assault it will greatly shake the mind if a man when he doth looke for the arguments of a true faith and findeth that hee hath beene fruitlesse but if his conscience doe accuse him not only of a slacknesse in good workes but also of foule sinnes commited then will he crie out that all his former profession of the faith was but in shew or in hypocrisie This Apostle in the first chapter of his seconde Epistle teacheth that if we ioyne vertue with our faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance with temperance patience and with patience godlinesse and with godlinesse brotherlie kindnes and with brotherlie kindnesse loue we shal make our calling and election sure we shall if we doe these thinges as he saith neuer fall 2. Pet 1. vers 5.6.10 We shall perceiue assuredly if these things be in vs that God hath called vs effectually and that hee hath chosen vs. And therein doth consist the stedfastnes of faith euen when we are sure that God hath chosen vs in his sonne vnto life eternall If this assurance of Gods loue and fauour towards vs were not to be attayned vnto how could he say Whom resist stedfast in the faith Can there be any stedfast faith without that I beseech yee let vs thinke well of these things let vs vse all care and diligence yea all the holy meanes that God hath appointed to increase our faith that being armed therby we may resist and ouercome our enemie the diuell But here it may be demaunded whether the diuell be to be resisted only by faith or some other things to be vsed I answere that Saint Peter doth set downe the only way by which we are to resist the diuell we haue nothing whereby to withstand him but faith and that is sufficient alone to withstand him whatsoeuer way hee seeketh to hurt vs. I suppose that the reason heerof is euident vnto all men The power of God alone is sufficient euery man will confesse to shielde vs from the Diuell and no power indeed but the power of God Faith onely armeth vs with that power of God and maketh it as it were ours He that standeth and liueth as the the Scripture speaketh by faith standeth and liueth not in himselfe but in the power of God If we thinke it lawfull to seeke help to resist him and to put him to

yet finde a hole to creepe out at although they bee neuer so wicked for thus they will say It is true Gods worde saith that faith is shewed foorth by good workes well I thanke GOD though I haue many vices in mee and am full of infirmities yet I am not altogether without good workes I am not so gracelesse but at some times I remember GOD by prayer I doe according to my abilitie giue to the poore I am readie to pleasure my friend doe not these things sufficiently shewe that I haue faith Dearely beloued take heede for here you may soone bee deceiued it is not the meaning of the Apostle when hee saith shew me thy faith by thy workes that a fewe scattered scrappes of good deedes among great heapes of sinfull workes and as it were a fewe grains of corne in a great heap of chaffe shuld be a true witnesse of the same For it must be shewed both in forsaking and renouncing all euill waies and also in following after all goodnesse for it is without all controuersie that those which seeme to bee good workes before men are not so before GOD in the man which is giuen ouer to commit sinne can that which is good come out of the same heart in which vngodlinesse raigneth Either make the tree good saith Christ and the fruite good or els make the tree euill and the fruit euill A good tree cannot bring foorth euill fruite Matt. 12.13 Luk. 6.43 neither can an euill tree bring foorth good fruite Can the same tree bring forth both good fruit euill fruite Doth a fountaine at the same place saith S. Iames send foorth both sweete and bitter water Iames 3.11 1. Iohn 3.7 Be not deceiued saith Saint Iohn he that worketh righteousnesse is righteous he that committeth sinne is of the diuell Some man will say doth not the most godly man that liueth commit sinne and doeth not the good and the bad come together from him The godly are loden with the corruptions of the flesh but yet they doe not commit sinne that is to say they are not giuen ouer as vngodly men are to the obedience of sinne they are spotted with imperfections but they doe not take pleasure therein as the wicked doe although they feele a lumpishnesse in them vnto good workes yet their whole race is applied vnto good workes they would very faine obey their God on both sides that is to say in forsaking all that is euill and doing all that which he commandeth them Contrariwise the fleshly Infidell doeth with all his heart giue vp himselfe in the whole race of his life to that which is filthie if hee doe any thing which is good it is but in shew being not done sincerely nor comming from a good roote but of selfe-loue vaine glorie or such like hee doth not any thing for the Lords sake but for his owne For loue him and ye shall finde him readie to doe you good cease that and his goodnesse doth dye Praise him hee will praise you againe discommend him although hee deserue it neuer so much ye shall not come in his bookes be ye neuer so good Forget not this then I pray yee good brethren when God hath set down so plain a rule to trie our selues by whether we be faithfull or Infidels If wee finde our selues full of good workes and our heart doth beare vs witnesse that we doe them euen for loue towards God well are we this doth declare our faith But if our euil deeds abound and our heart bee vncleane it is time to looke about vs wee are in a most miserable case I wish of GOD that wee might often thinke vpon this and be careful to shew our faith to the world by our good and pure life Be not afraid to applie this to our selues and also to deale against the vngodly with it For in this dissolute age wherein iniquitie hath almost gotten the vpper hand it is most necessarie that we vse this instrument which God hath put in our hands Thou saist thou beleeuest shew thy faith by thy workes Now followeth another reason Thou beleeuest there is one God thou doest well the diuels also beleeue and tremble Way this argument well ye shall plainly perceiue that it doth nothing at all helpe a man to say he hath faith when he hath no good deedes if this kinde of faith could saue him then should the diuels be saued also because they haue the same beleefe but because it is most certaine that the diuels shall not thereby bee saued therefore it is also as manifest that those men who haue no other beleefe but that which they haue cannot bee saued Let vs see then how farre the faith of Diuels doth goe Thou beleeuest saith he that there is one God or that God is one and so thou thinkest this a great matter not to beleeue as the vaine Gentiles which did thinke there were diuers gods and indeede for so farre thou doest well but yet marke what a great matter thou hast attained the Diuels doe beleeue the same and yet haue thereby no benefite or reconciliation with GOD for they tremble when they remember the terrible iudgement seate and the euerlasting fire which is prepared for them This faith of the diuels is not to be restrained to some one poynt but stretcheth vnto the whole doctrine of Faith They doe stedfastly beleeue and know that Iesus Christ dyed for the sinnes of the world this is a sure reason that they know the doctrine of GOD when they seeke to deface and ouerthrow it by contrary errors When a man therefore is of a sound iudgement in the Scriptures for matters of faith and is able to confirme euerie poynt and to ouerthrow the contrarie errours though many will say hee is a sound man and hee taketh himselfe to bee as great a Gospeller as any other yet if hee haue no workes if his faith bee not a liuely regenerating saith hee may esteeme of himselfe what he will but the Lord telleth vs that hee is no more forwarde then the diuels they are as founde in the knowledge of trueth as he And if this common and generall faith would serue they should bee saued as well as hee But it may bee here obiected that there is great difference betweene the faith of Diuels and the faith of those men which beleeue and yet haue no fruites of godlinesse in them The Diuels indeede doe beleeue all matters of faith to bee true but they doe not nor can not beleeue that they pertaine any thing at all to them they haue no hope of mercie but men although they bee very sinfull yet they are in hope that they shall bee saued Heere is a great difference therfore the faith of such men goeth far beyond the faith of Diuels The Lord giue vs eyes to see and hearts to vnderstand for I will shew that the difference is That the faith of the Diuels is more perfect For what is the

to his promises and because the plaine testimony of the scripture compelleth them they affirme it constantly and condemne the contrarie as a soule errour that God hath chosen men and men come to feele and to know this And therefore because it is a true doctrine they say also that they themselues are sure that God hath chosen them but when they take not the way to become sure which S. Peter hath here set downe but goe in a contrarie path and are spotted with filthy crimes wee may boldly say they be lyars for although they brag with their tongues of that that they should be yet there is a birde in their brest which doth sing in a cōtrary note telleth them plainly what they be Another kind of men there be which in no case can be perswaded that any man can be sure of saluation and therefore with scoffes they aske of them which professe the word when God told them so If it were a thing which were not to be or could not be knowen then the Apostle hath greatly ouershot himselfe in telling vs how wee shall come to be sure But aske a question of them whether they doe not beleeue in God euery one will answere I put all my whole trust in him reason then a little further and tell them that the Scripture which can not lie saith That all which trust in God shall be saued how then will they ioyne these togither that they trust in God and yet doubt whether they shall be saued can God deceiue or say they they know not what Vndoubtedly if they did know that they haue trust they should also know they can not perish But let vs learne by this the miserie of our time in which men do still thinke this doctrine to be strange Now let vs come to the particular application of this doctrine in which euery one must come home to himselfe remembring first that such as God hath called home to himselfe and chosen to be his children he doth also giue vnto them true faith and feeling that they bee his elect and such as perceiue no such thing in themselues are in a verie miserable case and as yet wee may say forlorne creatures therefore euery man in himselfe must aske this question of his owne soule How goeth the matter with thee Art thou sure God hath chosē thee Doest thou feele any assurance of eternal life The conscience will answere vprightly if wee be not negligent to make inquirie then if we find this within I am not sure for I doubt and stagger we must inquire with our selues thus what is the cause God is faithfull which hath promised eternall life vnto all which beleeue our heart will make answere Thou regardest not the feare of God thou art full of foule sinnes euill lustes doe reigne in thee thou doest not study for the knowledge of Gods worde thou art vnfruitfull and barren in good workes therefore thou canst not say I am led by the spirit of God and therefore sure I shall be saued If he be wise he will not stay here as the manner of fooles is saying I am not sure indeed neither do I thinke any man can be I commit it to God let him doe with me what he will these speeches may seeme to haue some wit godlines in them but they are indeed deuilish and madde because God hath taught vs a contrary lesson in this place but go this steppe further may I come to this assurance and which is the way The Lord doth answere by his Apostle Thou maiest come to this assurance and pointeth him out the way euē that which you haue heard wherein he must painefully trauell and goe forwarde not for a gird or a braid and waxe idle againe but still labour for these men had gone a great way and yet they are willed to proceede still if the Lorde guie not this assurance we are to labour so much the more and to be so much the more importunate to suspect our iudgement and to seeke for knowledge to call our selues to a more strait account to set a watch ouer our affections to see with what mind we doe things to foster no sinne willingly in vs nor to be slacke to any good worke which God hath appointed to call crie vnto God for faith and his spirit to guide vs to vse the means diligently which God hath appointed as the hearing searching meditating in the word thus in time for it is wroght in mē by degrees they neuer come to the full God wil let thē see that he is their God That neither life nor death height or depth things present or things to come Angels principalities nor powers nor any creature shall separate vs from his loue in Christ It followeth in the next verse For by this meanes an entring shall be ministred vnto you abundantly into the euerlasting kingdome of our Lord Iesus Christ This is a confirmation of the last clause of the former sentence where he saith If you doe these things you shall neuer fall and why because you shall haue a great entrance into the eternall kingdome of Christ as that is a confirmation of the other where he saith Make your calling election sure as the reason followeth there Ye shall come to be sure how because he which proceedeth so far that he knoweth he shall neuer fall away from God to destruction he is as it must needs be sure also that he is chosen for hee speaketh not here of euery particular fall into sin which is of the most godly but saith S. Peter I tell you if you do these things ye shall neuer fall not because there is any such stablenes in our selues or in our own works but we know that they be the fruits of Gods spirit in vs which is his seale set vpon none but those whome he doth marke vp to life eternall he is vnchangeable so it followeth here Ye shall not fall for they that haue a rich entrance into the kingdome of Christ which is euerlasting so that Christ doth raigne in them as hee doth in all the faithfull by his spirit can not fall vntill the power of Christ faile and his kingdome come to an end For we must note that the force of the reason resteth in the difference which is between the kingdome of Christ and the kingdomes of this world in which though they be neuer so mightie and full of pollicie and wisedome yet they should come to an end and therefore a man can not rightly say vnto the subiectes you haue a mightie prince who is bountifull and gracious your peace therefore and happie estate shall endure for euer nay the mightie may bee ouercome if not by men at least wise by death and so they may bee to day in peace and good estate to morrow all in an vprore to day vnder a louing and gracious prince to morrow vnder a fierce tyrant so vncertaine is the state of the kingdome of

vnder the curse which holde of the workes of the law for it is written Cursed is euerie one which continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the lawe to doe them The reason of this is to bee considered in the most holy and pure nature of God vnto whome no vncleane thing can be coupled no vnpure thing although it be but in part can abide his presence or haue fellowship with him The word Iustifie is also taken in this sense as when a man doth declare and shewe forth before men that hee is a righteous person also before God and that is the meaning of the word in this place that looke how by faith wee are iustified before God so by the fruits of our faith wee are iustified that is declared to bee iust before men For proofe that the Scripture doeth vse the word Iustified in this fense looke vpon the saying of Dauid That thou maiest be iustified in thy saying and pure when thou iudgest there it can signifie no more but that God might shewe and declare himselfe to be iust In the Gospell of Saint Luke chap. 16. vers 15. You are they saith Christ to the Pharisies which iustifie your selues before men but God doth know your hearts In this saying it is most apparant that there is a iustifying before men which the Pharisies in coloured hypocrisie did seeke for but Christ telleth them they were neuer the better because they were not of vpright heart before God The word is also taken in another sense which I omit If any mā will now demand how it can be prooued that Saint Iames doth vse it in this latter sense rather then in the former I answer that the verie place it selfe and goe no further doeth declare this thing for when the Apostle saith thus Some man will say shew me thy faith by thy workes is it not apparant that hee speaketh of that which is before men or declared vnto men and not of that which is before God In like manner when he saith Abraham was iustified by workes when hee offered his sonne Isaac vpon the altar Doth not the scripture shewe that before God Abraham was iustified long before by faith If it be obiected againe that it may also be said how hee was before that time iustified before men or that hee had shewed by his deeds vnto men that hee did feare and loue God and then what should hinder but that it may bee taken for a more full and perfect iustification or an increase thereof as wel before God as before men I answere that before God a man beeing iustified to speake properly there is no increase thereof for hee is fully and wholly discharged and acquite or els it is no iustification But because wee haue receiued the grace of iustification but in part and not in full measure therefore our iustifying before men is more and more declared by degrees as good workes doe more and more abound in vs and so Abraham was by this one worke more iustified before men then by all the rest of his deedes and therefore it may well be set downe in stead of all the rest We see here then that because by the scriptures this must needs be taken for an increase of iustification in our father Abraham that it must necessarily be vnderstood of that iustification which is before men ye see now the meaning of this text and the drift and scope of the Apostle is laid open vnto ye but my chiefe purpose is yet behinde and that wherein wee are to be wrought vpon yet remaineth which is a more particular application and handling of this doctrine For we must not passe away thus with the matter vnlesse we mind to take small fruit thereby Yee will confesse these things which I haue handled to be true as of necessitie we are forced thereunto wee can not but graunt that the holy Ghost hath giuen a perfect touchstone then am I to exhort you in the name of God as ye tender and loue the saluation of your soules to giue attentiue heede a little and not to let this thing slip away from yee Doe ye graunt that the faith which is without workes is dead and that it is no better then the faith of deuils And yet will yee still suppose that idolators swearers railers adulterers couetous worldlings and griping vsurers and such like are in good case or continuing such can hope for mercie Doe yee confesse that there is but one true faith which was the faith of Abraham and Rahab Doe yee also acknowledge that the same faith in them did shew it selfe by good deedes And will yee still accept it for a sufficient proofe of a good and sound testimonie of a true beleefe when any man can say I doe hurt no man I liue vprightly and pay euery man his owne I haue alwaies beene reputed and taken for an honest man what would ye require more of me I liue as my neighbours doe I trust God will hold me excused although hee haue no regard of any obedience to the worde of God to consider wherein his glorie doth consist nor yet any care of men to profite either their soules or their bodies but contenteth himselfe with this if hee doe them no good to do them no harme I will shewe you dearely beloued how these sorts of people are declued by two foule errors which this text doth most strongly ouerthrowe the first is this that they looke but vnto men and restraine their dutie vnto them whereas they shoulde chiefely looke vnto that which they owe vnto God and then to that which belongeth to their breethren the second is that they suppose themselues bound no further but to abstaine from hurting without regard of doing the duties of loue wherein one man is to profit and further another As concerning the first of these both the example of Abraham and also of Rahab doe manifestly conuince them because the fruites of their faith or the workes whereby they were iustified did not so much respect man as God for in Abraham there appeareth only a loue towards God for whose sake he was contented to forget the affection of a father to shew that although he loued Isaac dearly yet he loued God more so that if we feel our loue to the Lord our god to be so small that it can not preuaile with vs to kill mortifie the lustes of sinne and vaine pleasures of the flesh how shall we perswade our selues that wee are like Abraham which had denyed the loue of himselfe so farre that he did neuer grudge but would willingly haue killed his sonne Rahab after shee had made confession what she did beleeue concerning the God of Israel for the same Gods sake for the true religion for the Church and people of God tooke the messengers did hide them to the hazard of her life and all that shee had affirming to the king when hee sent to seeke them that they were