Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	baptize_v	john_n	unlike_a	24	3	16.2600	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16078	A harmonie vpon the the three Euangelists, Matthew, Mark and Luke with the commentarie of M. Iohn Caluine: faithfully translated out of Latine into English, by E.P. Whereunto is also added a commentarie vpon the Euangelist S. Iohn, by the same authour.; Harmonia ex tribus Evangelistis composita	Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564.; Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564. In Evangelium secundum Johannem. aut; Pagit, Eusebius, 1547?-1617.; Fetherston, Christopher.	1584 (1584)	STC 2962; ESTC S102561	1,583,711	1,539

Certainely there is no other maner of fire then worme for if by the consent of al it is receiued that there is a metaphore in the name of worme then is the same to be thoughte of fire VVherefore lettinge passe the speculations wherein vaine men weary themselues without profit let it suffice vs to vnderstand that with these maner of speaches for the rudenesse of oure capacitie is that horrible torment noted which at this day can neither be conceiued in mans vnderstanding nor expressed in wordes Mathew 3. Marke 1. Luke 3. 13. Then came Iesus from Galile to Iordan vnto Iohn to be baptized of him 14. But Iohn put him back● saying I haue nede to be baptized of thee and commest thou to me 15. Then Iesus aunswearing said to him let be nowe f●r thus it becommeth to fulfil al righteousnesse So he suffered him 16. And Iesus when he was baptized came straight out of the water And ●ee the heauens were opened vnto him and Iohn sawe the spirit of God descending like a doue and lighting vpon him 17. And lo a voice came frō heauen saying This is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased 9. And it came to passe in those dayes that Iesus came from Nazareth a citie of Galile and was baptized of Iohn in Iordan 10. And assoone as hee was come out of the water Iohn sawe the heauens clouen in twaine the holy Ghost descending vppon him like a Doue 11. Then there was a voice from heauen saying thou arte my beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased 21. Now it came to passe as al the people were baptized that Iesus was baptized and did praye that the heauen opened 22. And the holy Ghost came downe in a bodily shape like a Doue vpon him and there was a voice frō heauen saying Thou art my beloued sonn● in thee I am wel plesed 2● And Iesus himselfe began to be about thirtie yere of age 13. To be baptized of him To what end the sonne of God would be baptized we do partly gather by his answeare First there is a speciall reason brought why he was baptized as we are that the faithful mighte more certainly be perswaded that they are grafted into his bodye and buried with him through baptisme But the end which he proposeth here is larger for so it becommeth to fulfil al righteousnesse The word righteousnes doth often signifie as muche in the scripture as the obseruing of the law And so this place may be expounded that it became Christ in that he willingly submitted himself to the law to performe the same in euery poynt Yet I had rather take the same more simplie in this manner as if Christ shuld haue sayd omit now to speake of my dignitie for the question is not which of vs two excelleth other but wee must rather looke what our calling requireth what is enioyned vs of god the father for this was the general cause why Christ was baptized that he might perform obedience to his father the special cause was that he in his own body might cōsecrate baptisme that it might be cōmon to vs with him 14. I have nede to be baptised of thee It is certain that Iohn knew Christ to be not only a notable prophet as many doe foolishly dreame but for the sonne of God as he was Otherwise he shuld haue 〈…〉 to God submitting his holy calling to a mortal man But how he knew this let the readers learne out of the 1. cha 15. of Iohn And this was a probable cause of refusall that Christ had no neede of baptisme but in this doeth Iohn fail that he considereth not that he demādeth baptisme for others sakes Therfore Christ commandeth him to consider what belongeth to him that occupieth the place of a seruant because that a volūtary subiection doeth derogate nothing from his glorye And although in that so great a man some part of his office was hid for a time yet that perticuler errour shoulde not hinder the Baptist but that rightlye and lawfully he shuld haue executed his office By which exāple we are taught that they which haue an office enioyned thē of the lord may not do any thing rashly for any reuelatiō though at the first they do not vnderstād euery thing annexed to their office or depēding vpō the same His modesty is also to be noted that he ceasing frō his own opinion doth presētly obey christ 16. Lo the heauens were opened The opening of the heauēs is somtime taken for the manifestation of the heauenly glory and here also it signifieth a diuision of the visible heauen so that Iohn might see somwhat aboue the planets the stars for the meaning of Markes words cannot be other who saith that he saw the heauēs clouen in twaine But more narowly to inquire what maner of diuision this was it doth neither apertain muche to the matter neither doth it profit for it is sufficient to know that this was a token of the presence of God Further when the Euangelists say that Iohn sawe the holy Ghost it is probable that the heauens were especially opened for his cause though I repugne it not but that Christe also as he was man was made more certaine of his calling And to this purpose the w●ordes of Luke seeme to tende when he sayth that while Christ praied the heauens opened for although he poured out his praiers alwaies for the profit of others yet he had nede as he was man seeing he was to fight so hard a battel to be armed with a singuler power of the spirite But here arise 2. questions The first is why the spirite then descended vpon Christ which was in him before This question is aunswered by the place of Isai 61. 1. which is entreted of in an other place The spirit of the Lord vpon me therefore hath the Lord anoynted me to preach glad tidings to the pore he hath sent me Although christ wōderfully excelled with a singular grace of the spirit yet he kept himself at home as a priuate manne vntil he was brought foorth by his father Therfore now whē the appoynted time is come wherein he should prepare himselfe to fulfil the office of a redemer he is endued with a newe power of the spirite and that not so much for his sake as for others For this was done of purpose that the faithful might honour and reuerently embrace his diuine power that the infirmity of flesh shuld not be cōtemned in him That same also was the cause why he deferred his baptisme to the 30. yere of his age Baptisme was a beginning of the gospel therfore together with the preching of the gospel it begā And christ preparing himselfe to preache the gospel was by Baptisme as wel entred into his office as instructed by the holy spirit The holy spirite therefore appeared vnto Iohn descending vpon Christ to admonish that nothing carnall or earthly should be sought for in Christ but that

of this present life That Mathew saith that Christ healed all diseases the meaning is of what kinde soeuer they were For it is certeine that al were not healed of their diseases but there was no kind of diseases that were offered him that he healed not And hee reckoneth the chiefe kindes of diseases wherein Christe shewed his power The scripture calleth not all generally that were vexed of the deuill men possessed with deuils but those that with a secret vengance of God are deliuered bound to Sathan that hee might possesse their mindes and senses They are called Lunatiks in whom the force of the desease encreaseth or decreaseth after the inclination of the moone as they that are sick of the falling sicknes and such like when we knowe that suche diseases are not curable by naturall remedies it foloweth that the deitie of Christ is here witnessed sith that he cured them wonderfully Matth. Mar. 1. Luke 4.   21. So they entred into Capernaum and straightwaye on the Sabb●th day he entred into the Synagogue and taught 22. And they were astonyed at his doctrine for he taught them as one that had auctoritie and not as the Scribes 23. And there was in their synagogue a man which had an vncleane spirit and he cryed 24. Saying ah what haue we to doe with thee O Iesus of Na●areth Art thou come to destroy vs I knowe thee what thou art euen that holy one of God 25. And Iesus rebuked him saying hold thy peace and come out of him 26. And the vncleane spirit tare him and cryed with a loude voyce and came out of him 27. And they were all amased so that they demaunded one of an other saying what thing is this what now doctrine is this for hee commaundeth the fowle spirites with auctoritie and they obey him 31. And he came down into Capernaum a citie of Galile● and there taught them on the Saboth dayes 32. And they were astonied at his d●ctrine for his worde was with aucthoritie 33. And in the Synagogue there was a man which had a spirit of an vncleane diuell whiche cryed with a loud voyce 34. Saying oh what haue we to doe with thee thou Iesus of Na●areth Art thou come to destroy vs I know who thou arte euen the holy one of God 35. And Iesus rebuked him saying hold thy peace and come out of him Then the deuil throwing him in the middes of them came out of him hurt him n●t 36. So feare came on them all and they spake amonge themselues saying what thing is this for with aucthoritie and power ●ee commaundeth the fowle spirites and they come out It is to be thought that this manne possessed with a deuill was one of that company which Matthew made mention of somwhat before But the narration of Mark and Luke is not in vaine because they shew certeine circumstances which do not onely make the miracle more manifest but also doe containe profitable doctrine For the deuill doth craftilye graunt that Christ is the holy one of God that he might make men suspect that he hath some familiaritie with Christe by which subtilty hee also endeuored to bring the gospel into suspitiō at this day he ceaseth not to attēpt the same This is the cause why Christ causeth him to hold his peace And it may be that this confession was violently wrested out of him but these two do not differ betweene themselues that hee being enforced to giue place to the power of Christ that he might proclayme him to be the holy one of God and yet subtilly he endeuoureth to couer the glorye of Christe with his darknes It is also to be noted that hee doth so flatter Christ that hee might craftely conuey himselfe from his hand And after this maner he fighteth with himselfe for to what purpose is Christ sanctified of the Father but that delyuering menne from the tyrannie of the Deuill hee might ouerthrowe his kingdome but because Sathan cannot abyde that power whiche hee perceyueth to bee prepared for his destruction hee desires to make Christe quiet and to be content with a vaine title MAR. 22. They were astonied at his doctrine The Euangelists do meane that the power of the spirit did appeare in the wordes of Christe which caused euen the prophane and colde hearers to wonder at them Luke faith that his word was with aucthoritie that is full of dignitie Marke setteth it out more fully and addeth an Antithesis that it was vnlike to the wordes of the Scribes But when they were adulterous interpreters of the scripture their doctrine was literall and dead which shewed no force of the spirite and there was no maiestie in it but such colde stuffe as may at this daye be seene in the speculatiue dignitie of popery Those maysters doe imperiously thunder out what soeuer they thinke good But whē they in prophane maner do brabble of diuinitie so that no religiō appeareth in their disputations whatsoeuer they bring is filthy and toyish for Paule hath not sayd in vaine the kingdome of God standeth not in word but in power In summe the Euangelystes doe shewe that when the maner of teaching was degenerate and verye corrupte which touched the mindes of men with no reuerence of God then the diuine power of the spirit was euidently seene in the words of Christ which gate him credit This is the power or rather dignitie and aucthoritie whereat the people was astonyed LV. 33. A man which had an vncleane spirit This speach auayleth asmuch as if Luke should haue sayd that he was stirred vp by the motion of the deuill For by the permission of God Sathan possessed the powers of the soule so that hee woulde enforce them aswell to speake as to other motions at his pleasure Therefore when menne possessed with diuelles doe speake the diuelles doe speake in them and by them whom they haue aucthoritie to rule It is probable that the tytle of the holy one of God was taken out of the common and accustomed maner of speaking and therefore they so called the Messias because he was seperate from al other as one endued with a singular grace and the head of al the Church MAR. 26. The vncleane spirit tare him Luke vseth a more gende word yet in sense they agree very well because they both would teache that the departure of the diuell was violent and forcible Therefore hee so threw down the wretched mā as if he he wold haue torn him in sunder yet Luke saith that his purpose was in vaine not that that force was altogeather without 〈◊〉 or at the leaste without some payne but that hee was after delyuered a hole and a founde manne from the diuell LV. 36. So feare came on them all The fruit of the myracle is that they are enforced to thinke that there is in Christe somewhat more then appertaineth to men And they wisely referre the glorye and power of the myracle to the doctrine VVhat doctrine is this say

is also shewed a token of his humilitie which Isaias describeth in the person of the Messiah The myracles which Christ wrought amongst a few which he would not shoulde be muche boasted off were able to shake the heauen and the earth Therfore he doeth plainly shew howe farre he was from the vaine glory and pompe of the world Yet it is conuenient to sift the purpose of Mathew more narrowly for he would declare by this circumstance that the glory of the Godhead of Christ ought not to be the lesse estemed because it appeared not in a glorious shewe And certainly the holy Ghost directed the eyes of the Prophet to this purpose For as flesh doth alwaies desire an outward glorious shew least the faithful shoulde seeke for it in the Messiah the spirite of God doeth declare that he shall be farre vnlike to earthly kinges which make great stirres and noyses and fill the cities and townes with tumult that they may be had in admiration where soeuer they come Now we see howe aptly Mathew applieth the saying of the Prophet to the present cause for because god hath laid so humble and so abiecte a person vpon his sonne least the simple should take offence at his so contemptible and obscure estate as wel the Prophet as Mathew do meete in one they say that it was not don without cōsideratiō but by a celestiall decree that he should come in that estate VVhereof it foloweth that all they doe wickedly which despise Christ because his outward condition aunsweareth not their fleshly affections Neither is it lawfull for vs to deuise a Christ which shall be like to our imagination but it is simply necessary for vs to embrace him as he is offered vnto vs by the father Therefore he is vnworthy of saluation in whose eyes the humilitie of Christ seemeth vile in the which the Lord declareth that he is delited Now I wil enter into the wordes of the prophet Isaiah 42. 1. 18. Behold my seruaunt whome I haue chosen That God may tie vs to waite vpon his wil he sheweth as it wer with a singer him whō he would send and for this cause is this note of demonstration Behold vsed There is the like reason also in the Epithites which folow that he nameth him his seruant and his chosen wherein his minde deliteth For how should it come to passe that men should be so bolde as to measure Christ by their owne imagination except it be because they weigh not that their saluatiō doth depend vpō the mere fauor of God And this is too wicked a liberty whē God offereth vs an incomparable treasure that men shoulde esteeme of it according to our fleshly desires And he is called seruant not as one of the common people but in respecte of dignitie for that God hath laide vpon him the office of the redemption of his church And because that no man taketh honour to himselfe but he which is called is so worthely to be estemed God sayeth that he chose in his owne counsell that he shoulde come in this order whereof it followeth that it is not lawfull for men to refuse him because that so they should be cōtumelious against God And certainly it is too absurde that the holy and inuioleable calling of God should be made of none effecte through our pleasure or pride Yet that whiche God addeth by the Prophet that his soule deliteth in Christ hath a further meaning For though the calling of euery one of vs commeth from the free grace of God as from the only fountaine yet this is an especiall delite in Christ for that in his person God the father comprehendeth and embraceth the whole Church in his loue For when we were all by nature the enemies of God his loue coulde neuer haue come to vs except he had first begon at the head as it is sayd before and shal be seene againe in the 17. chapter He shall shewe iudgement to the Gentiles The Prophet doeth heere describe briefly the office of Christ when he foretelleth that it shal come to passe that he shal shew iudgement to the Gentiles The Iewes do comprehend vnder this word iudgement a state rightly and orderly established wherin equitie and vpright dealing flourisheth Therfore it is as much as if the Prophet shoulde haue sayd that one shoulde come which shoulde restore righteousnesse decaied and that he should be the gouernour not onely of people but that he should bring the Gentiles also vnder the gouernment of God amongst whom there had raigned heretofore nothing but confusion And this is the signification of this word shew or to bring forth which the Prophet vseth for it was the office of Christ to spread the kingdome of God through all the world which was then shut vp in a corner of Iudea as it is said in the Psalme 1 20. 2. the Lorde shall sende the Scepter of thy power out of Sion There is also expressed the maner of bringing forth of this iudgement namely that God will powre his spirite vppon Christ. It is true that ther was neuer any thing done rightly in the world which proceeded not frō the spirit of god was set forward by the heauenly power of the same as also there was neuer any of the kings which could erecte or defend any lawfull order but as he was instructed by the same spirit But Christ in bringing forth iudgement doth far excell all others for he receiued the spirit from the father which he imparteth to all his disciples and he doeth not only declare by word or by wryting what is right but by the power of his spirite he doth inwardly frame the hearts of men to the obseruing of the rule of righteousnesse 19. He shal not striue nor crie The summe is as I said euen now that the cōming of Christ shuld not be troublesom because he shall want that kingly furniture pompe yet presently it is said that it is so for mans saluation that this humility may be brought into fauour which is euery where despised in the world And certainly the folishnes of mē is wōderful that they should esteme of Christ the worse because he doth louingly hūbly submit himself to their capacity If Christ shuld appear in his glory what thing should come to passe but that we all shoulde be ouerwhelmed with the same VVhat froward wickednesse then is this that is vnwilling to receiue him who for our cause descended from the height of his glory Therfore that the gentlenesse of Christ might get him reuerence amōgst the faithfull the Prophet Isaiah doeth admonish vs howe profitable and necessary it was Euery one of vs knoweth his owne frailty and thereby it behooueth vs to consider how conuenient it is for all menne to be louingly and gentlely receiued and chearished by Christ I speake not of the vnbeleuers which are as yet without any sparke of Gods grace but they which are now called of the Lord vntil the light be

in the Gospel replenished with power wisdome righteousnesse puritie life and with al the giftes of the spirite And he doth here confirme the promise more plainely which we touched of late for he teacheth that he hath store wherewith he is able to refresh vs sufficiently It is indeede a metaphore hard enough at the first sight whē as he saith that there shal floods of liuing water flow out of the belly of the faithfull yet is the sense no whit doubtfull that the beleeuers shall neuer want any spiritual good thing He calleth that liuing water the spring whereof doth neuer waxe drie neither doth the continuall flowing cease I expounde that the manifold graces of the spirite are called floods in the plurall number whiche are necessarie vnto the spirituall life of the soule To bee briefe aswell the perpetuitie of the giftes of the spirite as the aboundance thereof is promised vs in this place Some doe thinke that waters doe flow out of the bellie of the beleeuers when as he that is endowed with the spirit doth impart some part vnto his brethren as there ought to be a mutuall participation amongest vs. Notwithstanding the sense seemeth to me to bee more simple that whosoeuer shall beleeue in Christ he shall haue a well of life as it were springing in him Like as Christe said before in the fourth Chapter Hee that shall drinke of this water shall neuer bee a thirst For whereas the ordinarie drinke doth only quenche the thirst for a short time Christ saith that we doe draw vp by faith the spirite whiche is a fountaine of water leaping out vnto eternall life And yet notwithstanding he doth not teach that the faithfull are so full of Christe the first day that they are afterward neither an hungred nor a thirst but rather that the enioying of Christ doth kindle a new desiring of him and the sense is that the spirit is like to a liuely fountain which runneth alwaies in the faithfull Like as Paule also doth testifie that he is life in vs although we doe yet carry about the matter of death in the relikes of sin And truly seeing that euerie one is made partaker of the giftes of the spirite according to the measure of his faith there can no perfect fulnes thereof be had in this life But in the mean season the faithful do so aspire oftentimes vnto new encreasings of the spirit by going forward in faith that the first fruites which they haue are vnto them sufficient vnto the continuaunce of life But heereby wee are also admonished howe small the measure of our faithe is seeinge that the graces of the spirit do scarse drop by little little in vs which should run like floods if we did yeeld vnto Christ due place as we ought that is if faith did make vs able to receiue him As saith the scripture Some doe restraine this vnto the former member other some vnto the latter but I doe extend it vnto all the whole sentence Againe in my iudgement Christ doth not here assigne any certaine place of the scripture but he taketh a testimonie from the commō doctrine of the Prophets For so often as the Lord promising the aboundance of his spirite doth compare it vnto liuely waters he doth chiefly respect the kingdome of Christ and directeth the minds of the faithfull thyther Therfore all the prophesies concerning the liuely waters haue their fulfilling in Christ because he alone hath opened and reuealed vnto vs the hidden treasures of God Therefore the graces of the spirite are powred out vpon him that wee may all draw of his fulnesse Therefore they are worthie miserablie to perishe who being called so gently and mercifully of Christ doe wander hyther and thither He spake of the spirite The spirite is sometimes called by the name of water because of the cleannesse because it is proper to it to purge our filthinesse but in this place and such like the maner of this phrase is vnlike namely that we are destitute of all ioyce and humor of life saue only whenas the spirit of God doth quicken vs doth water vs as it were with a secret force And here is the figure Synecdoche vsed because all y e parts of life are comprehended vnder one worde water VVhence we do also gather that whosoeuer are not regenerate with the spirite of Christ they are to bee accounted as dead howsoeuer they boast themselues as if they did liue For the spirite was not yet VVe know that the spirit is eternall but the Euangelist saith that that grace of the spirite which was powred out vpon men after Christ his resurrectiō did not appeare openly so long as Christ was conuersant in the world vnder the humble shape of a feruaunt And he speaketh comparatiuely like as when the new Testament is set against the olde God promiseth his spirit vnto the faithful as if he had neuer giuen it vnto the fathers The Disciples had then receiued the first fruites of the spirite for whence commeth faith but from the spirite Therefore the Euangelist doth not simply denie that the grace of the spirit was giuen vnto the godly before Christ his death but that it was not then so apparant as it should be afterward For this is the principall worship of the kingdome of Christe that hee doth gouerne his Church with his spirite But he did then take iust and as it were solemne possession of his kingdome whenas he was lifted vp vnto his fathers right hande It is no marueile then if he did deferre the perfect giuing of his spirite vntill that time Yet there remayneth one question whether he vnderstandeth in this place the visible graces of the spirite or regeneration which is a fruite of adoption I answere that the spirite appeared in these visible giftes as in glasses which was promised by the comming of Christ yet doth hee properly intreat in this place of the power of the spirit whereby we are borne againe and are made new creatures In that therefore that Christe being glorious and indued with great maiestie of gouernment doth sit at the right hand of God but we doe lie vpon the earth poore hungrie and almost voide of spirituall giftes it is to bee imputed to our flownes and weaknesse of faith 40 Therfore many of the companie when they heard these words said This is indeed a Prophet 41 Other some said This is Christ. And others saide shall Christe come out of Galilee 42 Saith not the Scripture that Christ shall come of the seed of Dauid and out of the towne of Bethlehem 43 Therfore there was a strife in the companie because of him Furthermore certaine of them would catch him but no man laid handes on him 40 Therfore many of the companie Nowe the Euangelist reciteth what fruit did spring of the last sermon namely that whilest one thought one thing another another there arose dissention amongest y e people VVee must note that Iohn speaketh not of the

who doth not thinke that he is conuersaunt amongest his weake brethren vpon that condition that hee may submit himselfe meekely and gently vnto those offices whiche seeme to be vncomely and filthie VVe must also note that Christ telleth them that he had giuen them an example Neither must we make all his facts examples in generall that we may follow them The Papists do boast that they doe keepe the fast of Lent imitating therein the example of Christ. But we must first mark whether he did this to the end his disciples should frame themselues to doe the like or no. VVe reade of no such thing wherfore it is no lesse peruers emulation then if they did assay to flie into heauen Moreouer whereas they ought to haue followed Christ they became Apes rather then followers They ordeine euery yere a publike washing of the feete as it were vpon a stage so that they thinke that they haue fulfilled the bare and vaine ceremonie excellently when they haue done this they suffer themselues freely to contemne their brethren And not that onely but after that they haue washed twelue mens feete they pull in peeces all Christes members cruelly and so consequently do euen spit in Christ his face VVherefore that comicall pompe is nothing els but a meere and filthie mocking of Christ. Neither doth Christ in this place commende vnto vs a yeerely ryte but hee commaundeth vs to bee readie duringe our whole life to washe the feete of our brethren 16 Verily verily I say vnto you These are prouerbiall sentences the vse whereof reacheth farther which notwithstanding are to bee applyed vnto this present circumstaunce VVherefore they are deceiued in my iudgement which take them generally as if Christe did in this place exhort his disciples to beare the crosse for this is true that he vsed them for his purpose Hee addeth afterwarde that they are blessed if they know them and doe them For that doth not deserue to bee called true knowledge which doth not bring the faithfull so far that they may become like to their head It is rather a vaine imagination whilest that we beholde Christe and those thinges which are Christes without vs. Gather hence that vntill suche time as a man shall learne to submit himselfe vnto his brethren he knoweth not whether Christ be his master or no. And forasmuch as no man doth submit himselfe vnto his brethren in all respects and many men doe also exercise themselues sleightly and coldly in the duties of loue it appeareth heereby how farre we are as yet frō the full light of faith 18 I speake not of you all I knowe whome I haue chosen but that the Scripture may bee fulfilled hee that eateth bread with mee hath lifted vppe his heele agaynste mee 19 Now I tell you before it be doone that when it is done you may beleeue that I am 20 Verily verily I say vnto you he that receiueth if I shal send any he receiueth me● and he that receiueth me receiueth him that sent mee 18 I speake not of you all Hee giueth them to vnderstand againe that there is one amongest the Disciples who is nothing lesse in very deede then a Disciple and this doth he partly for Iudas his sake to the ende he may make him the more inexcusable partly because of the rest of the companie least Iudas his fall doe subuert any of them Neither doeth he only encourage them to stand neuerthelesse in their calling though Iudas doe fall but because the felicitie whereof he make mention is not common to all men hee teacheth that it is so much the more earnestly to be desired and that we must so much the more constantly abide therin Nowe hee attributeth this thing to their election in that they shall stand For as mans power is fraile it should yeeld at euery blast and should fall with euery vehement motion vnlesse the Lorde did vphold it with his hand and because he gouerneth those whom he hath chosen what engines soeuer Satan doth erect against them yet shall he not preuaile but they shall perseuere firme and constant euen vntil the end Neither doth he only affirm that they must confesse y t they receiue perseuerance frō their electiō but also the beginning of godlines How cōmeth it to passe that one man doth more addict himselfe vnto the worde of God then another euen because he is elected Againe how commeth it to passe that the same man goeth forwarde in the right course of godly life saue only because Gods purpose is stable and that he will finishe the worke which he hath begunne with his ●ande Finally this is the fountaine of the difference betweene the children of God and the vnbeleeuers that the former sort are drawen vnto saluation by the spirit of adoption the other are carried headlong into destruction by their vnbrideled flesh Otherwise Christ might haue saide I knowe what euerie one of you will be And to the end they may arrogate nothing to themselues but may rather acknowledge that they differ from Iudas by grace only and not by their owne power he setteth before them free election that in it they may be grounded VVherefore let vs learne that all the partes of our saluation doe depend thereupon And whereas hee reckoneth Iudas in another place amongest the elect it is another manner of speech not contrary For he speaketh in that place of the temporall election whereby God appointeth vs vnto some certaine kind of work as Saul who was elected to bee a king yet was he a reprobate But Christ intreateth now of the eternall election wherby we are made the children of God wherby God hath predestinated vs vnto life before the worlde was made God doth sometimes adorne the reprobate with y e gifts of the spirit that they may execute that function whereunto they are called So princely vertues do appear for a time in Saul so Iudas did excel in such notable gifts as were meet for an Apostle of Christ. But y ● sanctificatiō of the spirit which y e Lord doth vouchsafe to bestow vpon none saue only his children is farre vnlike to these For he renueth them in minde and heart to the ende they may bee holy and without blame in his sight Secondly it hath a liuely roote in them which can neuer be plucked vp because God doth not repent him selfe of his adoption In the meane season this remaineth sure and certaine that it is the gift of Gods election that whenas we haue embraced Christ his doctrine by faith we doe also followe it in life and that this is the onely cause of our blessednes whereby we are distinguished from the reprobate that they being destitute of the grace of the spirite do wickedly perish we haue Christ to be our keeper who gouerneth vs with his hand defendeth vs with his power Furthermore Christ giueth in this place an euident testimonie of his diuinitie First of al when he saith that he iudgeth not after