spake before Before the fulnes of time came we weare in bondage vnder the rudimēts of the world All the elect which are predestinate of the Lord that they shall become sonnes are counted in that place of sonnes with God Therefore he saith rightly Because ye are sonnes that is because the state of sonnes is appointed vnto you frō euerlasting God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne to wit that he might finish it in you make you such as he hath long since of his goodnes determined that he should make you Moreouer he calleth him the spirit of that Sonne of God that he might continue in commending vnto vs this benefit of God that he hath chosen vs to be sonnes For Christ is the Sonne of God and that most beloued Now if the father giue vnto vs his spirit he will make vs like to his onely begotten sonne his true sonnes and heires that we may with certaine confidence crie with Christ Abba Father being his brethren and felow heires with him Wherin that Apostle surely hath notable set forth the goodnes of God which maketh vs partakers with Christ and causeth vs to haue all thinges common with him so that we liue and are ledde by the same spirit Moreouer these wordes of the Apostle do shew both that the holy Ghost is an other from Christ and yet doth proceede from him when as he calleth him his spirit The spirit in deede dwelleth in the godly and no man will say that he is their spirit as here Paul maketh him the holy spirit of Christ saying God hath sent forth that spirit of his Sonne that is of Christ For he is the spirit of God cometh from God to vs and is not ours vnles one will say after this sort my holy spirit as we say my God my Lord. Wherefore whereas he is here said to be holy spirit of Christ it proueth him to be God as of whom that spirit is sent is peculiarly counted his spirit Furthermore Christians may perceiue by this place whether they haue in themselues the holy Ghost How we may know whether the holy Ghost dwell in vs or not to wit this spirit of the sonne whether they heare his voice in themselues For Paul saith that he cryeth in the heares which he possesseth Abba Father a according as he sayth also Rom. 8 We haue receiued the Spirit of adoptiō whereby we crie Abba Father Now thou hearest this voyce when thou fyndest so much faith in thy selfe that thou doest assuredly without any doutinge presume not only that thy synnes be forgiuen thee but also that thou art the beloued sonne of God which being certaine of eternal saluatiō darest both call him father and be delighted in him with a ioyfull and most confident heart Thou must be so certaine hereof that thou canst not be more certaine of thy life must sooner suffer death and hellish torments then suffer this trust and confidence to be taken from thee For to dout any thing herein were no small reproch and contumelie to the death of Christ as though that had not obtained all thinges for vs and ought not farre more effectually to prouoke and encourage vs to haue a good trust in God then all our synnes and tentations are able to put vs out of hope and fray vs from it It may be in deede that thou shalt be so tempted that thou shalt feare and doute of thine adoption and thinke plainly that God is not a fauourable father but a wrathfull reuēger of synners as it fell out with Iob and many other saincts but in such a conflict this trust confidence that thou art a sonne ought to preuaile and ouercome or els thou shalt come into a miserable and desperate case When one of Cains broode heareth these thinges he is as it were beside himselfe by reason of admiration and astonishment Fye sayth he awaye with this arrogancie and this most pernitious errour God turne this mynde from me that I do not presume to thinke that I am the sonne of God I am a synner most miserable and wretched and I will neuer esteeme more of my selfe But thou which desirest to belong vnto Christ flie this kynde of men no otherwise then most hurtfull enemies of Christian faith and of thy saluation Though of our selues we be miserable synners yet we may assuredly perswade our selues that through Christ we are the sonnes of God We also know that we are synners and verie miserable and wretched but here we must not weye or consider what we either do or are but what Christ is and what he hath done for our sake It is not spoken here of our nature but of the grace of God which so farre exceedeth our synnes as heauen is higher then the earth and the east is distant from the west as the 103. Psalme sayth Now if it seeme vnto thee a great honour that thou art the sonne of God as in deede it is verie great cōsider that it is no lesse meruelous that the sonne of God for this cause did come was borne of a woman and made vnder the Lawe that thou mightest become the sonne of God These are great benefites of God do cause in the elect a great trust and confidence in the goodnes of God and a spirit which is afraide of nothing but is bold and able to do all thinges Contrariwise the religion of those of Cains broode as it is a thing meruelous strait and carefull so doth it make heartes exceeding fearfull which serue to no vse but are vnapt to all thinges fit neither to suffer or do any thing which tremble and are afraide euen at the shaking of the lease of a tree as it was before spoken of them Leuit. 26. Wherefore thou must lay vp these wordes of the Apostle well in thy minde thou must feele this crie of the spirit which crieth so in the hearts of al the faithful For how shouldest thou not heare the crie of thine owne heart Neither doth the Apostle say that he doth whisper speake yea or syng it is greater then all these which the spirit doth in thy heart he crieth out a maine that is with all the heart Whereupon it is saide Rom. 8 that he maketh request for vs with sighes that can not be expressed and that he beareth witnes with our spirit that we are the children of God how therefore can it be that our heart should not heare this crie sighes Aduersitie stirreth vp the spirit and testimonie of the spirit Howbeit hereunto tentations and aduersitie are very profitable they moue to crie and do exceedingly stirre vp the spirit Notwithstanding we foolish men do greatly feare and flie the crosse wherefore it is no meruell if we do neuer feele the crie of the spirit and do continually remaine like them of Cains broode But if thou doest not feele this crie take heede that thou be not idle and flothfull neither secure pray instantly for thou art
infant newly borne although euen this brought great ioy vnto him but also for that by the birth of this child he beholdeth a farre greater ioy forasmuch as he was a Messenger sent of God to preach his word to the world He reioyceth therefore because of such a word which he should heare and for that he should be as it were altered from an olde man to a yonge man and shoulde become a scholer of an infant now lying in the cradle whom he confesseth to be a Prophet better learned then him selfe Zacharias conceiued both natural and spiritual ioy at the birth of his sonne Iohn Manifest naturall ioy is here for that that infant was borne after a meruelous sort Moreouer here is ioy of the spirit inasmuch as that infant should become a Preacher of the word of God And I am of that mind that I thinke that there was neuer any father which conceiued so great ioy of his childe as this Zacharias did of his sonne being so meruelously borne by the power of God and for that especially in the time of olde age when he was nowe neare vnto death he is made a father of so great a Sainct which should be a maister and teacher of the world It is a delight and pleasure vnto vs if we beget a childe that is sound fayre and wel proportioned in body that I may say nothinge what ioy it woulde bring if our childe should be an Apostle and Preacher of the word of God to the world Whatsoeuer ignominie therefore and contempt he did suffer before when he was barren together with his wife Elisabet he is now most abundantly recompensed with plētifull honour and ioy so great blessings doth God bestowe if we patiently abide his leysure For if he at any time come he commeth very rich and plentifull in giftes and doth giue much more then we euer either wished or hoped for Verse 69. And hath raysed vp the horne of saluation vnto vs in the house of his seruaunt Dauid These wordes are not spoken of Iohn for that he is not an horne raysed vp in the house of Dauid for he was borne of the tribe of Leui but Christ our Lord is of the house and of the royall stocke and blood of Dauid Wherefore Zacharias doth not singe here in the house of Leui but that in the house of Dauid an horne is raysed and lifted vp and when Christ was not yet borne he neuertheles singeth so as if he were borne neither was the horne of saluation yet come notwithstanding he knew by the reuelatiō of the holy Ghost that it should forthwith come An horne what it signifieth among the Hebrewes An horne among the Hebrewes signifieth power confidence dominion and that whatsoeuer wherein any man may trust c. As we reade in Daniel chap. 7. where the Prophet first seeth kingdoms then beholdeth beasts some hauing one horne some two hornes And he afterward interpreting him self expoundeth them for kingdoms and Kinges and this is a phrase and maner of speaking peculiar to this language Nowe Zacharias signifieth that Christ is our head yea our God whose kingdom is his horne He addeth the horne of saluation or blessednes What difference there is betwene other kingdoms the kingdom of saluation which God hath raysed vp Some kingdoms are famous in name and power other are large abounding with plentie of greate treasures much people honours and all temporall thinges But this is called a kingdome of saluation grace life righteousnes truth and of euery thinge that pertayneth to saluation whereby it differeth from all other kingdoms For albeit they be large riche or mightie yet are they counted the kingdoms of death for they that gouerne them must at the last fall dye perish and leaue their power and riches behind them Neyther was there euer any worldely kingdome which might be called a kingdom of life wherein is life peace and saluation for onely the kingdome of Christ doth glory and triumph in this title inasmuch as God hath raysed it vppe that there may be nothing in it but saluation and felicitie Moreouer I finde nothing here spoken of maners and trades of life or of workes For this kingdome consisteth neyther in outward life nor workes but in the horne in Christ and his Gospell This kingdom is ours whereof ye haue heard that it is a kingdom of grace life righteousnes saluation and mercy so that whosoeuer is in it although he be inferior to Iohn in holines and farre vnlike Christ in perfection yet he liueth in a kingdom wherein is nothing but saluation and blessednes whereof also it hath and reserueth the name It is sayd moreouer that this kingdom is raysed vp in the house of Dauid but by what meanes was it raysed vp euen by the holy Ghost and by his worde He sayth in the house of Dauid for it must be a kingdome in the earth and yet a kingdome of saluation Nowe conferre these two one with an other The house of Dauid is the tribe and stocke of Dauid who was a man as the subiects of his kingdom So that thou canst not say that he doth here make mention of an heauenly kingdome amonge the Angells when as he doth nothing lesse but he speaketh of a certaine kingdome which is amonge men which liue clothed with flesh Dauid was a man the subiects of his kingdome also were men subiect to death For as the Scripture witnesseth man that is borne of a woman liueth but a small time he can not passe the boundes appoynted him Howe is it then that honour and dishonour come together in this kingdom What agreement and consent appeareth here where mortall men are deliuered from the power of death where they that are worthy of death enioy life the vnhappy are happy and they that are subiect to Satan become the sonnes of God In the reason hereof I hope that ye are sufficiently instructed yea I thinke that ye vnderstand it as well as I my selfe But because the text so requireth it must be eftsoones repeated A Christian is deliuered from death sinne Satan We haue affirmed therefore that a Christian which liueth in this kingdom shall neuer dye forasmuch as he can not dye For Christ hath therefore suffered deathe that he might ouercome death and deliuer vs from it He tooke our sinnes also vpon him selfe that we might not neede to beare them Moreouer he subdued and ouerthrew Satan that we might not be subiect vnto him Wherefore it is giuen to a Christian that he can neuer dye he can neuer be subiect to sinne and the deuill For that must needes be true which he sayth that he hath raysed vp an horne of blessednes or saluation And in whatsoeuer place that horne shall be there is no accesse neither for death neither for sinne nor the deuill And that in the house of Dauid Wherefore a Christian is both defiled and yet without sinne A Christian after a sort subiect to
Lord knoweth the wayes of the righteous and their inheritance shall endure for euer They shall not be confounded in the perilous time and in the dayes of dearth they shall haue enough And againe I haue bene yonge and now am old and yet saw I neuer the righteous forsaken nor his seede begging bread All which thinges Christ bringeth with him for that we are and are called his brethren not because of any merit but of meere grace If we would print these things in our hart that we might throughly feele them it should goe well with vs but they goe in at one eare and out at an other This is that wherof S. Paule so greatly glorieth Rom. 8. As many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God For ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but ye haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The same spirit beareth witnes with our spirit that we are the children of God if we be children we are also heires euen the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may also be glorified with him Moreouer this title ascendeth so high that mans mind is not able to comprehend it For vnles the spirit the comforter did impart this grace vnto vs no man should euer be able to say Christ is my brother For reason can not be bold so to say albeit one repeat it in wordes very often as the new spirits doe It is a higher thing then that it can be so spoken for except the hart feele it as it is requisite it should it shall be nothing but onely flatterie But if thou feele it inwardly in thy hart it will be so excellent a thing vnto thee that thou wilt much rather say nothing of it then speake and talke of it yea by reason of the greatnes of so good a thinge thou wilt perhaps dout as yet and be in an vncertaintye whether it be so or not They which onely cry out thus Christ is my brother are fanatical spirits who vainly pronounce words without any frute The case standeth farre otherwise and farre more maruelously with a true Christian so that he is thereby enforced to be amased neither dareth he either say or confesse any thing sufficiently thereof Wherefore we must endeuour that we doe not heare this onely with fleshly eares but that we feele it in our hart for then we will not be so rash but we shall be forthwith caried into an admiration thereof True and sincere Christians enter into the viewing and feare of them selues thinking thus O wretched and defiled creature which am drowned in sinnes am I now made worthy that the sonne of God should be my brother how doe I miserable wretch attayne to such a thing Thus he is by and by astonied and doth not well vnderstand the thing But a great studie and endeuour surely is required that a man may beleue this yea if it were felt as it ought in very deede a mā should forthwith dye thereupon For he can not vnderstand it according to his flesh and blood and the hart of man in this life is more narrow and straight then that it is able to comprehend so great thinges But in death when the hart shall be stretched out then I say we shall trie what we haue heard by the word In the Gospel of Iohn chap. 20. Christ doth farre more plainly declare vnto Marie Magdalen this vse and frute both of his death and also of his resurrection when he sayth Goe vnto my brethren and tell them I ascende vnto my father and your father vnto my God your God this is one of the most comfortable places whereof we may glory and boast As though Christ should say Marie get thee hence and declare vnto my Disciples which did flee from me which haue throughly deserued punishment and eternall condemnation that this resurrection of myne is for their good that is that I haue by my resurrection brought the matter to that passe that my father is their father and my God is their God They are but a fewe verie short wordes in deede but they containe great matter in them namely that we haue as great hope confidence reposed in God as his owne sonne him selfe Who can comprehend such exceeding ioye I will not say vtter it that a wretched and defiled sinner may be bolde to call God his father his God euen as Christ him selfe The author of the Epistle to the Hebrues chap. 2. did well remember the wordes of the Psalme and weied with him selfe how it speaketh of Christ who as he sayth is not ashamed to call the beleeuers brethren saying I will declare thy name vnto my brethren in the middest of the Church or congregation will I sing prayses to thee If any worldly Prince or noble man should humble him selfe so low that he would say to a theefe or robber or to one that is infected with the french pocks thou art my brother it would be a certaine notable thing which euery one would maruell at But whereas this king which sitteth in glory at the right hand of his father sayth of some poore man this is my brother that no man layeth vp in the bosome of his brest neither doth any man consider of it in his mind wherein notwithstanding our chiefe comfort and confidence consisteth against sinne death the deuils hell the law and against all sinister successe of thinges as well of the body as of the mind Moreouer forasmuch as we are flesh blood and therefore subiect to all kindes of aduersitie it followeth that the case should stand so also with our brother otherwise he should not be like vnto vs in all thinges Wherefore that he might be made conformable and like vnto vs Christ like vnto vs in all thinges except sinne he tasted and had experience of all things euen as we haue sinne only excepted that he might be our true brother and exhibite him self openly vnto vs. Which the Epistle to the Hebrues doth liuely set forth chap. 2. where it sayth Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh blood he also him selfe likewise tooke part with them that he might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is the deuil that he might deliuer all thē which for feare of death were all their life time subiect to bondage For he tooke not on him the Angells nature but he tooke on him the seede of Abraham VVherefore in all thinges it behoued him to be made like vnto his brethren that he might be mercifull a faithfull hie Priest in thinges concerning God that he might make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people For in that he suffered and was tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted The profit The frute of Christes passion and resurrection vse and frute of the Lordes passion resurrection
differeth nothing from a seruaunt though he be Lord of all 2. But is vnder tuters and gouerners vntill the time appointed of the father 3. Euen so we when we were children were in bondage vnder the rudiments of the world 4. But when the fulnes of time was come God sent forth his Sonne made of a woman and made vnder the Lawe 5. That he might redeeme them which were vnder the Lawe that we might receiue the adoption of the sonnes 6. And because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts which cryeth Abba Father 7. Wherefore now thou art not a seruaunt but a sonne if thou be a sonne thou art also an heire of God through Christ THis text toucheth the very pith of Paules chiefe doctrine the cause why it is well vnderstood of so few is not for that it is so obscure and hard but because there is almost no knowledge of faith left in the world without which it can not be that one should rightly vnderstand Paule who euerie where intreateth of faith with such force of the spirit as he is able I must therefore speake somewhat that this text may be made plaine and that I may more conueniently bring light vnto it in expounding it I will speake a few wordes in maner of a preface First therefore we must vnderstād that that treatise wherein is intreated of good workes doth farre differ from that wherein is intreated of iustification as there is verie great difference betweene the substance and the working betweene a man his worke Now iustification is of man and not of workes for man is either iustified and saued or iudged and condemned and not workes Neither is it in controuersie among the godly that man is iustified by no worke but righteousnes must come vnto him from some other where then from his owne workes For Moses writeth of Abel after this sort The Lord had respect vnto Abel and to his oblation God first regardeth the man and thē the worke First he had respect to Abel himselfe then to his oblation because that Abel was first counted righteous entire and acceptable vnto God and then for his sake his oblation also was alowed and not he because of his oblation Againe God had no respect to Cain and therefore neither to his oblation where againe thou seest that regard is had first of the worker thē of the worke Of this place it is verie plainly gathered that no worke can be allowed of God whereas he which worketh that worke was not first acceptable to him and againe that no worke is disalowed of him vnles the authour thereof be disallowed before I thinke that these thinges wil be sufficient concerning this matter in this place of which it is easie to vnderstand that there are two sortes of workes some going before iustification and some following it and that these last are good workes in deede but that those other do onely appeare to be good Hereof commeth such disagreemēt betweene God and those counterfect holy ones for this cause nature and reason rise and rage against the holy Ghost this is that whereof almost all the whole Scripture intreateth The Lord in his word defineth that all workes that goe before iustification are euell and of no importaunce and requireth that man himselfe before all thinges be iustified Againe Man before he is regenerate can doe nothing that is good he pronounceth all men which are not yet regenerate and haue not chaunged that nature which they receiued of their parentes with the newe creature of Christ to be vnrighteous and wicked according to that saying Psal 116 All men are lyars that is vnable to performe their dutie and to doe those thinges which by right they ought And Gen. 6 The heart of man is alwayes ready vnto euell whereby vndoutedly it commeth to passe that he is able to do nothing that is good which hath the fountaine of actions that is his heart corrupted And if he do many workes which in outward shew seeme good God hath regard first to the worker then to the worke reason doth quite cōtrarie affirming that by his workes the worker is iustified they are no better then the oblation of Cain Here against commeth forth reason our reuerend maistres seeming to her selfe meruelous wise yet in deede is vnwise and blynde and is not ashamed to gainsay her God to reproue him of lying she being furnished with her follies and verie strawie armour to wit the light of nature free will the strength of nature also with the bookes of the heathen and with the doctrines of men She dareth with her euell sounding stringes make a noyce against God that the workes of a man euen not yet iustified are good workes and not workes like vnto Cains which God pronounceth yea and so good that he that worketh them is iustified by them For so Aristotle hath taught that he that worketh well is made good Vnto this saying she leaueth and sticketh vnmoueably and wresteth the Scripture cleane contrarie contending that God will haue respect first to the workes thē to the worker Such verie deuelish doctrine beareth the sway now euerie where in scholes colledges monasteries wherein no other saincts then Cain was haue rule and authoritie Now of this errour an other immediatly springeth They which attribute so much to workes do not accordingly esteeme the worker and sound iustification go so farre that they ascribe all merit and soueraigne righteousnes to workes done before iustification making almost no account of faith alleaging that which Iames saith that without workes it is dead Which sentence of the Apostle when they litle vnderstand they attribute almost nothing to faith they alwayes sticke to workes whereby they thinke they do merit exceedingly of God and are perswaded that for their workes sake they shall obtaine the fauour of God and by this meanes do they continually disagree with God shewing themselues to be the right posteritie of Cain God hath respect vnto man these to the workes of man God aloweth the workes for his sake that worketh these require that for the workes sake the worker may be crowned Now God goeth not from his sentence as it is meete and iust and these will seeme nothing lesse thē to erre in any respect They will not haue their good workes contemned reason to be nothing esteemed free will to be counted vneffectuall or surely if thou doest here striue against them they beginne to be angrie with God and count it a small matter to kill their brother Abel But here perhaps thou wilt say what is needfull to be done by what meanes shall I first of all become righteous and acceptable to God How shall I attaine to this perfect iustification The Gospell aunswereth preaching that it is necessarie that thou heare Christ and repose thy selfe wholy in him denying thy selfe distrusting all thine owne strength By this meanes thou shalt be chaunged from Cain
that be his and the iudgement which we haue deserued he taketh vpon himselfe he suffered the punishment due vnto vs willingly making himselfe subiect to death and the curse that is to eternall damnation no otherwise then if he had transgressed the whole Lawe and had more then all deserued the sentence thereof against transgressours when as he did not onely not breake the Lawe but himselfe alone fulfilled it yea and fulfilled it when as he ought nothing to it so that he suffered otherwise then he deserued in two respects both for that he had ought nothing to the Lawe if he had not obserued it and also for that moreouer he most diligently obserued it so that if the Law had had especiall dominion ouer him yet had he come in no daunger thereof But on the other side whereas we suffer we suffer by double right both for that by the transgression of the Lawe we haue deserued all the punishment thereof also for that if we had deserued nothing yet being creatures we ought to be obedient to the will of our Creator Hereof it now plainly appeareth what this meaneth that Christ was made vnder the Lawe Why Christ was made vnder the Law that he might redeeme them which liue vnder the lawe for our sakes for our sakes I say and not for his owne he performed that and that of no necessitie but of his great loue toward vs and thereby he hath declared his vnspeakeable both goodnes and mercy toward vs being made accursed for vs that he might deliuer vs from the curse of the lawe He willingly made himselfe subiect to the iudgement of the lawe did himselfe beare the sentēce pronounced against vs that as many of vs as do beleeue in him might be free for euer Whereby marke what an incomparable treasure faith bringeth vnto thee By fayth we enioy an incomparable treasure whereby thou enioyest Christ and all his workes that thou mayst trust vnto them no otherwise then if thou thy selfe hadst done them For Christ did them not for himselfe whom surely they could profit nothinge he hauing no neede of any thinge but by them he layd vp the treasure of saluation for vs whereunto we should trust and being made blessed might enioye it With which fayth also the spirit of the sonnes commeth which beareth witnes with our spirit that we are the sonnes and heires of God What should God nowe adde vnto these How can a mynde hearing these thinges containe it selfe that it should not loue God againe with a most ardent affection and be most sweetely delighted in him What in any wise maye come to be done or suffered which thou wouldest not willingly take vpon thee with exceeding ioye and most high prayse of God with a reioycing and triumphing mynde Which mynde if thou wantest it is a certaine argument of a faint or surely a dead fayth for the greater thy fayth is so much more ready also and willinge is thy mynde to those thinges which God either sendeth or commaundeth This in deede is the true deliueraunce from the Lawe and the damnation of the Lawe that is from synne and death which deliueraunce commeth to vs by Christ Yet not so that there is nowe no lawe or death but that they do not now trouble the beleeuers any thinge that is they are as though they were not For the Lawe can not conuince them of synne neither can death confound them but by fayth they most happily passe from synne and death to righteousnes and life Here Munkes Nunnes c were to be exhorted if there were as yet left any place with them for counsell and admonition that they would obserue their ordinaunces How mens ordinances ceremonies c. are to be obserued ceremonies prayers apparell and such like as Christ obserued the lawe by which meanes surely they should bring vnto them no damnation That is that they would set the faith of Christ in the first place and commit the rule of their heart vnto him acknowledgeing that by that fayth onely they do obtaine righteousnes and saluation and that all their ordinaunces workes do auaile nothing hereunto Againe that they would make themselues subiect to them of their owne accord in no other respect then that by them they might serue their neighbours and subdue the arrogancie of the flesh But now seing they are occupied in them with this double erroneous opinion as though they were necessarie to saluation and righteousnes and if they did not obserue them they should grieuously synne they are vnto them a most certaine destruction nothing but delusion and synne whereby with their great affliction they draw vnto hell where they shall fully suffer the vexations and torments vnder the Abbat the deuell which being miserable and foolish men they haue here begon For all their life doth vtterly disagree with the fayth of the sonnes and that which belongeth onely to fayth to wit to iustifie and saue vs they attribute to their workes Wherefore these men can not both thus sticke vnto their ordinances and therewithall haue faith which suffereth it selfe to be addicted to no certaine workes but what thinges soeuer the Lord either sendeth or commaundeth or the necessitie and neede of our neighbour requireth it suffreth and doth them with great willingnes ioy These he that is endued with faith counteth his workes hauing in the meane season no regard of Masses or fasting which some appoint to certaine dayes of choise of apparell of meates of persons of places and such like yea he greatly disalloweth of these inasmuch as they trouble Christian libertie These thinges shall suffize to haue bin spoken concerning the exposition of this place of Paul where about the matter it selfe required to spend so many wordes forasmuch as the nature of faith is so vnknowen For vnles thou do well vnderstand the nature of faith thou shalt perceiue nothing or very litle in the writinges of Paul Verse 6. And because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts which cryeth Abba Father Here we see verie plainly that the holy Ghost commeth vnto the Saincts by no workes but by faith alone for Paul saith And because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirit 〈◊〉 Sōnes beleeue when seruaunts onely worke sonn̄es are free from the Lawe seruaunts are held vnder the Lawe as appeareth plainly by those thinges that are before spoken But how commeth it to passe that he saith Because ye are sonnes A question God hath sent forth the Spirit c. seeing it is before said that by the comming of the spirit we are chaunged from seruaunts vnto the state of sonnes so that the spirit must be first sent vnto vs before we are sonnes But here as though we could be sonnes before the comming of the spirit The answer he sayth Because ye are sonnes c. To this question we must aunswere that Paul speaketh here after the same sort that he
in an euell case And yet do not desire that thou maist feele nothing but this crie of the spirit thou must feele also an other terrible crie made whereby thou mayst be prouoked and vrged to this crie of the spirit which happeneth to all the saincts That is the crie of synnes which call most strongly and instantly vnto desperation but this crie must be ouercome of the spirit of Christ by godly calling vpō the Father and crying for his grace that the trust and confidence of grace may become greater then desperation The crie of the spirit Wherefore this crie of the spirit is nothing els but to be with all our heart touched with a very strong firme and vnmoueable trust of most deare sonnes toward God as our most tender and fauourable Father Hereby we may see howe farre a Christian life exceedeth nature which can doe nothing lesse then trust so in God A Christian life farre exceedeth nature The crie of them which trust in their owne works and not in Christ and call vpon him as a Father but is alwayes afraide and vttereth a voyce which is a witnes of exceeding feare Wo is me how cruell and vntolerable a Iudge art thou O God howe heauy is thy iudgement vnto me As Cain sayd Gen. 4 My iniquitie is more then that it may be forgiuen Thou hast cast me out this day from the vpper face of the earth and from thy face shall I be hid yea it shal come to passe that euery one that findeth me shall slay me c. This is a terrible and dreadfull crye which is necessarily heard of all such as be of Cains brood forasmuch as they trust to them selues and their owne workes and put not their trust in the sonne of God neither were and consider that he was sent of the Father made of a woman made vnder the lawe much lesse that all these thinges were done for their saluation They are continually tormented in their owne works the miserable men doe in vaine goe about by them to helpe them selues and to obtaine the grace of God And while their vngodlines is not herewith content it beginneth to persecute euen the sonnes of God as it is alwayes wont to doe yea at the last they growe vnto such crueltie that after the example of their father Cain they can not rest vntil they slay their righteous brother Abell in whome they doe also kill vnto them selues Christ Then the bloode of righteous Abel crieth vnto heauen against vnrighteous Cain neither ceasseth it to cry vntill the Lord hath reuenged it He asketh those Cains of their brother Abel yea of Christ but they deny all knowledge of Christ which labour not to become the sonnes of God and heires by Christ but to become righteous by their owne workes In the meane season the bloode of Christ continually crieth out against them euen nothing but punishment and vengeance when as for the elect it crieth by the spirit of Christ for nothing but grace reconciliation The Apostle vseth here a Sirian and a Greeke word saying Abba Pater For this word Abba in the Syrian tongue signifieth a Father by which name at this day the chiefe of Monasteries are wont to be called and by the same name Heremites in time past being holy men did call their Presidents at the last by vse it was also made a Latin word Wherefore that which Paul sayth is as much as Father Father or if thou hadst rather as My father Why the Apostle doubled the word Father But what is the cause why the Apostle doth double the word Father that is the crie of the spirit I will by your leaue bringe forth my iudgement and opinion hereof First I thinke that he would hereby shewe the force and straining of this holy cry For when as we cal any with great affection through no small necessitie we are wont eftsoones to double his name Nowe because that sinne and Cain doe alwayes goe about with desperation to stoppe this crie of the spirit for the grace of the father it is neede surely to crie most strongly and with a voice both doubled and exceedingly strained forth that is the trust of the grace of the Father ought to be most stronge and not able to be ouercome Againe such is the maner of the Scripture to witnes the certaintie of a thing sometime to double or iterate the words as Ioseph did to Pharao Gen. 41. So here also the spirit twise calleth vpon the Father whereby it may shewe the certaintie of his fatherly fauour and grace For the trust hereof ought to be no lesse certaine then great and vnmoueable Finally it is meete also to perseuer which againe this doubling of the name of father doth note vnto vs. For as soone as we begin to call God Father Satan with all his band moueth warre against vs and omitteth no meanes to wrest from vs this trust of sonnes toward God our Father wherefore thother Father must be diligently doubled that is our trust and confidence must be confirmed neither must we euer ceasse from calling vpon this Father but must most earnestly continue in this crie of the spirit whereby we may obtaine a certen sure experience of his fatherly goodnes by which our trust in him may be made most certaine and safe And perhaps Paul had respect hereunto when he first set downe Abba which is a word straunge to them to whom he wrote after adding Pater that is Father a familiar word and of their owne language meaning to signifie hereby that the beginning of so great trust in God is vnaccustomed and euen straunge vnto men but that when the mind hath a while exercised it and continued in it although assayled with tentations it becommeth euen familiar and almost naturall that we now enioy God as a domesticall Father and doe in euery thing most confidently call vpon him Verse 7. Wherefore now thou art not a seruaunt but a sonne if thou be a sonne thou art also an heire of God through Christ Nowe sayth he that is after the comming of the spirit of the sonnes after the knowledge of Christ thou art not a seruaunt For as it is sayd a sonne and a seruaunt are so contrary one to an other that the same man can not be both a sonne and a seruaunt A sonne and a seruaunt doe greatly differ We can not obtaine saluation by workes A sonne is free and willing a seruaunt is compelled and vnwilling a sonne liueth and resteth in faith a seruaunt in works And so by this place also it appeareth that we can obtaine no saluation of God by workes but before thou workest that which is acceptable vnto him it is necessary that thou haue receiued of him and possesse saluation and all things that thereupon works may freely flow forth to the honour of so gratious a father and to the profit of thy neighbours without any feare of punishment or loking for reward This that which Paule
he hath before most exactly satisfied the commaundemēts of God Though we coulde and should fulfill the commaūdementes of God yet should we merit nothīg of him Now it hath bin spoken at large that our workes are nothing before God whereby we can not fulfill so much as the least commaundement of God how much lesse shall we be able so to satisfie the iustice of God that we may become worthie of his grace Moreouer if we were able to fulfill all the commaundements of God and in all thinges to satisfie his iustice notwithstanding we had not as yet deserued grace and saluation neither should he therefore owe it vnto vs for that he may by the right of creation require as due seruice all those things of vs his creatures created to liue vnto him Wherefore it should yet come of grace and mercie what soeuer should come from him to vs. This Christ declared verie well Luke 17. speaking in a parable VVhich of you hauing a seruaunt plowing or feeding cattell would saye vnto him by and by when he were come from the field Go and sit downe at the table and would not rather say to him dresse wherewith I may suppe and girde thy selfe and serue me till I haue eaten and dronken and afterward eat thou and drinke thou Doeth he thanke that seruaunt because he did that which was commaunded vnto him I trowe not So likewise ye when ye haue done all those things which are commaunded you say VVe are vnprofitable seruaunts we haue done that which was our dutie to do Seing then that heauen is giuen of grace and for no merit euē vnto those if there were any such which haue done all things that were commaunded them according to that promise If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commaundements what shall we boast of our good workes which although they were most absolute yet should they be vnworthie of heauen but inasmuch as it is giuen vs by the free and mercifull promise We had need of one who should satisfie the diuine iustice for vs. Hereupon for that we must so satisfie the diuine iustice and yet notwithstanding our workes are not able to attaine thereunto whereunto if they should attaine yet should they deserue no grace or saluatiō for that they are before due God first gaue vnto vs a man which should satisfie the diuine iustice for vs in all thinges Againe he hath by the same man bestowed this grace and bountifulnes vpon vs that albeit we without our owne merit and worthines Not by our owen merit but by the merit of Christ are we saued yea hauing euel deserued and being vnworthie do receiue grace yet it commeth not vnto vs altogither freely and without all merit for we haue it through the merit and satisfaction of Christ Whereupon Paul sayth Rom. 5 As by the offence of one sinne came on all men to condemnation so by the iustifying of one that is of Iesus Christ the benefite aboūded toward all men to the iustification of life That is As without all our merit and owne worke we fell into synne being borne synners so againe without all our merit and meanes we are redeemed from sinnes by the washing of the spirit borne againe the sonnes of God partakers of grace and saluation And this is the cause why the Apostle where he speaketh of faith and grace is wont to adde by Iesus Christ whereby surely he would giue vs to vnderstand that none should count it sufficient if he say I beleeue in God Christ being neglected He that truly beleeueth must acknowledge that his faith can not be acceptable to God yea that it can be no faith at all if all the commaundements of God be not before fulfilled which seeing it is aboue thy abilitie and if it were not yet notwithstanding thou hadst perfourmed nothing but that thou oughtest and hadst as yet merited nothing hauing fulfilled euen all the commaundements of God thou hast neede of an other which in all thinges may satisfie the diuine iustice for thee and may also merit heauen for thee Now this other is our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ who hath for thee fulfilled the whole Lawe and merited for thee that God now according to his iustice can not but giue heauen vnto thee and in all thinges acknowledge thee for his sonne and heire And this is a true and sound faith which trusteth in God by Christ and is certaine that by his merit it hath already receiued of God saluation which shortly after shal be reuealed with blessed aboundance of felicitie Christian faith Neither can any other be called Christian faith but that whereby it is beleeued that by Christ do come vnto vs both satisfaction which we owe to the iustice of God and the gift of saluation which we our selues by no meanes if the Lawe could euen be fulfilled of vs can merit Whereupon Paul Rom. 4. sayth We haue all things necessary to saluation not by any merit of our owen but by the merit and meanes of Iesus Christ Christ was deliuered to death for our synnes and rose againe for our iustification That is by Christ we haue receiued not onely remission of synnes but moreouer also that before God we are accounted righteous the sonnes of his grace To the same effect also tendeth that which he sayth Rom. 3 Whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood Where againe we learne that it is true faith which trusteth in the blood of Christ and beleeueth that thereby it shall obtaine grace Whereas thou beleeuest that he hath shed his blood for thee thou receiuest satisfaction in that thou acknowledgest him the reconciliation thou confessest that by his merit the diuine grace and saluation do come vnto thee We haue all things without our owne merit and meanes but not without the merit and meanes of Christ who hath for this cause shed his blood Wherefore that we may allude vnto the parable of Christ we must containe our selues vnder his winges and not vpon trust in our selues flie out and contend to come vnto God otherwise we shal be a praye to the hellish kite For as it hath bin oftē sayd our righteousnes our merits yea and our faith shall preuaile nothing without this our mediatour Christ And therefore he sayth Ioh. 14 No man cōmeth vnto the Father but by me And in the whole Gospell what other thing doth he but endeuour to take vs out of our selues and to transferre vs to himselfe vnder his winges that we may trust onely in his satisfaction and merit The same the Apostle also teacheth in the wordes following That we being iustified by his grace should be made heires according to the hope of eternall life We are iustified by the grace of Christ Iesus He sayth that we are iustified not by our owne workes but by the grace of the same Iesus Christ That is we are therefore iustified for that Christ hath the grace of
to Abel being thy selfe acceptable shalt offer acceptable giftes to the Lord. This faith as it is preached vnto thee for no merit of thine owne so is it giuen vnto thee for no deseruing of thine but of meere grace And this faith iustifieth thee thou being endued herewith the Lord remitteth all thy synnes and that by the contemplation of Christ his sonne in whom this faith beleeueth and trusteth Moreouer he giueth vnto such a faith his spirit which doth throughly chaunge a man and make him new so that now he hath other reason and an other will then before namely that which is ready vnto good Such a one worketh nothing but good workes neither can it be but good which he being good before shall do whereof I haue spoken somewhat before Wherefore nothing els is required vnto iustificatiō What is required to iustification then to heare Iesus Christ our Sauiour and to beleeue in him howbeit neither of these is the worke of nature but both of onely grace He therefore that goeth about to attaine hereunto by workes shutteth the way to the Gospell to faith grace Christ God and all thinges that helpe vnto saluation Againe vnto good workes there is neede onely of iustification which he that hath attained doth worke onely good workes and beside such a one none Hereof it sufficiētly appeareth that the beginning the thinges following and the order of mans saluation are after this sort First of all is required that thou heare the word of God next that thou beleeue then that thou do worke so at the last become saued and happie He which chaungeth this order without doute is not of God Paul also describeth this order Rom. 10 saying VVhosoeuer shall call vpon the Name of the Lord shal be saued But how shal they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued and how shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard and how shall they heare without a preacher and how shal they preach except they be sent Therefore Christ teacheth vs to pray the Lord of the haruest that he would send forth labourers into his haruest that is syncere preachers Whē we heare these preach the true word of God we may beleeue which faith iustifieth a man and maketh him godly in deede that he now calleth vpon God in the spirit of the sonnes and worketh nothing but that which is good and thus becōmeth a man saued Which is no other thing then if I say He that beleeueth shal be saued Againe he that worketh without faith is condemned as Christ saith He that doth not beleeue shal be condemned from which no workes shall deliuer him Confer now herewith those things which are wont commonly to be spoken of honestie and righteousnes Are they not wont thus to say I will endeuour that I may yet become honest It is meete surely that we study to lead an honest life and to do good workes Well admit this to be so But if one thē aske them how we may applie our selues vnto honestie and by what meanes we may attaine vnto it they aunswere that we must fast praie frequent temples auoide synnes c. Hypocriticall counterfet holines Hereupon one becommeth a Charterhouse Monke an other choseth some other order of monkes an other is consecrated a Priest some tormēt their flesh by wearing heare cloth other scourge their bodies with whipps other afflict themselues after other sorts But these are euen of Cains broode their workes are no whit better then the workes of Cain For the man himselfe continueth the same that he was before vngodly and without all iustification there is a certaine chaunge made only of outward workes of apparell of places c. Neither are these any other thē very apes of saincts for they do preposterously imitate the maners workes of saincts when as they themselues are nothing lesse thē saincts They scarce thinke of faith they presume onely of such workes as seeme good vnto thēselues thinking by thē to come vnto heauen Of whom Christ said Enter in at the straight gate for I say vnto you many seeke to enter in at it can not Why is this because they know not what this narrow gate is For it is faith which doth altogither annihilate or make a man nothing in his owne eyes requireth that he put no trust in any of his owne works but that he leane only to the grace of God be prepared for it to leaue suffer all things But those holy ones of Cains broode thinke their good workes to be the narrow gate are not therefore extenuated or made lesse whereby they might enter they do not leaue confidence in their workes but gathering them togither in great coules they hang them about them and so go about to enter in being burdened and as it were swollen bigge which is as possible for them as for a camell with his bounched backe to go through the eye of a needle Whē thou shalt begin to preach vnto these of faith they laugh and hisse at thee Doest thou count vs say they for Turkes and Heathen whom it behoueth now first to learne faith Is there such a companie of Priests Monkes and Nunnes is not faith knowne Who knoweth not what he ought to beleeue euen manifest synners know that And being after this sort animated and stirred vp they thinke that they be aboūdantly endued with faith and that the rest is now to be finished made perfect by workes Whereupon they make too small sclender account of faith as I haue said because they are ignorant both what faith is that it alone doth iustifie They call it faith when they beleeue those things which they haue heard of Christ which kynde of faith the Deuels also haue yet are nothing therefore iustified but this deserueth to be called rather an opinion of men then fayth For as we do oftentimes admonish it is not sufficient that thou maiest worthely be called a Christian to beleeue those things to be true which are preached of Christ which kinde of faith they of Cains broode also haue A true faith but thou must also nothing doute that thou art of the number of them vnto whom all those benefits of Christ are giuen exhibited Which he that beleeueth must plainly confes that he is holy godly righteous the sonne of God and certaine of saluation that by no merit of his owne but by the only mercy of God poured forth vpon him for Christes sake Which he beleeeueth to be so rich and plentifull as it is in deede that although he be as it were drowned in synnes he is notwithstāding thereby made holy the sonne of God Whereof if he should any thing dout he should procure exceeding ignominie reproch to baptisme which he hath receiued to the Lords supper also reproue the word grace of God of falshood Wherefore take heede that thou nothing dout that thou
he beginneth to be of any discretion and iudgement it can not be but grieuous vnto him to liue at the commaundement and will of an other After the same sorte standeth the case of the elect The elect are for a time vnder the law as vnder a Tuter or Gouerner which are brought vppe and instructed vnder the lawe as vnder a Maister to the libertie of the sonnes First the lawe profiteth them in this that by the feare of it and of the punishment which it threatneth they are driuen from sinne at the least from the outwarde worke least that the libertie of sinning encrease ouermuche and remoue them from all religion of God that hope of saluation being paste and God quite contemned they shoulde runne headlonge without all feare into all kindes of euill as some desperate persons are wont to doe Agayne the lawe is profitable to them in this that by it they are brought vnto knowledge of them selues and learne howe vnwillingly they liue vnder the lawe and that they doe no good at all with a willing and readie mynde as it becommeth sonnes but with a seruile and vnwilling minde whereby they maye easily see what is the roote of this euill and what is especially needefull vnto saluation to wit a newe and a willing spirit to that which is good Which surely neyther the lawe nor the workes of the lawe are able to giue yea the lenger and the more that they applye them selues vnto them so much more vnwilling shall they finde them selues and with so muche more griefe to worke those thinges that are good Hereupon nowe they learne that they doe not satisfie the lawe although outwardly they liue according to the prescript rule thereof for as they doe pretend to obeye it in worke so in minde they doe hate it wherefore in minde also they remayne sinners although they pretende them selues righteous by workes that is they are like vnto those of Cains broode and to hypocrites whose hande in deede is compelled to good but they haue a hart which as it is an enemie to the lawe so doth it verely consent vnto sinnes and is miserably subiect vnto them To knowe this concerning them selues is not the lowest degree to saluation Hereof also we may see howe fitly Paule calleth such constrayned workes the workes of the lawe The workes of the lawe For they flowe not from a ready and willing hart but are enforced by the lawe the harte declyning an other waye Howebeit the lawe dothe not require workes alone but muche rather the harte it selfe so that we might saye not onely the workes but rather the harte of the lawe not onely the handes of the lawe but rather the mynde will and all the strength of the lawe Whereupon it is sayde in the first Psalme of the blessed man But his delight is in the lawe of God and in his lawe doth he exercise him selfe daye and night Suche a mynde the lawe requireth in deede but it giueth it not neyther can it giue it of it owne nature whereby it commeth to passe that whyle the lawe continueth to exact it of a man and to condemne him as longe as he hath not suche a minde as disobedient to God he is in anguish on euery side his conscience is grieuously terrified and without all counsell and helpe Then in deede he is moste readye for grace and this is that tyme appoynted of the Father The time appoynted of the Father when his seruitude should ende and he should enter into the state of the sonnes For being thus in distresse and terrified seeing that by no other meanes he can auoyde the condemnation of the lawe he turneth him selfe wholly to praye to the Father for grace he acknowledgeth his frayltie he confesseth his sinne he ceasseth to trust in workes and doth altogither as it is meete humble him selfe perceiuing nowe full well that betweene him and a manifest sinner there is no difference at all but of workes that he hath a wicked harte euen as euery other sinner hath Yea it may be that such hypocrites doe farre more hate the lawe in their harte then those famous sinners which are euen as it were drowned in sinnes For whyle these are euen wearyed with the workes of sinnes and doe trye the filthines of them it often tymes commeth to passe that they doe in some part loath and detest them when as those righteous ones doe alwaies thinke those thinges that they haue not tried to be more sweete neither can they beleeue that there is so much gall in sinnes whereof they are by nature inflamed with such a desire therefore as they doe more earnestly loue sinne so consequently they doe much worse hate the law which as a certaine scholemaister is alwayes against their desire Moreouer forasmuch as the condition of mans nature is such that it is able to giue to the lawe workes onely and not the hart who doth not see howe greatly it is contemned of vs Hypocritical dealing An vnequall diuision truely to dedicate the hart which doth incomparably excell all other thinges to sinne and the brutish hande to the lawe which is nothing els but to offer chaffe to the lawe and the wheat to sinne the shell to God and the kernell to Satan So that commeth to passe which is in the Gospell that the wickednesses of him which is in thy iudgemēt a desperat sinner are counted as a mote and thine which so playest the hypocrite are counted as a beame If this euill be added hereunto that such hypocrites doe not see a beame in their eye but being blinded doe perseuer in their accustomed workes not marking this their inward abhomination of the hart they by and by burst forth to iudge condemne others they despise sinners as he did in the Gospell they thinke them selues not like vnto them they are not as other men are they thinke them selues alone godly and righteous Whose vngodlines if one reproue as it is meete bewray they by and by are in a rage and furie and sticke not to kill innocent Abel and to persecute all those that follow the truth And they will seeme to doe that to defend good works and to obtaine righteousnes neither doe they promise to them selues a small reward for this inasmuch as they doe as they say persecute heretikes blasphemers them which be seduced doe seduce with mischieuous errour which labour to seduce and plucke euen them from good works Here thou maist see that that sheweth it selfe whatsoeuer the Scriptures attribute to these men being surely most pestilent spirits to wit that they are a generation of vipers and serpents They are no other but of Cains broode and so they doe continue seruaunts they are and seruaunts they doe remaine But they whom God hath chosen Abels and sonnes What the law worketh in the elect do learne by the lawe howe vnwilling a hart they haue vnto the lawe they fall from their arrogancie and are by
wherefore he hath humbled himselfe to vs and taken vpon him that nature which is best knowne and most familiar vnto vs to wit euen our owne Here he looketh for vs here he will receiue vs he that will seeke him here shall fynde he that will aske here shall be heard here is the throne of grace and the true mercy seate from which none is driuen or thrust which with true faith resorteth vnto it They which do here neglect him as though he were made man for nought and in the meane season do without a mediatour praie vnto God who hath created heauen and earth they shall pray in deede but none shall helpe them they shall crie but none shall heare them The third thing which is here set forth vnto vs to beleeue is that Marie the mother of Iesus is a virgine The mother of Iesus a Virgine This Paule affirmeth when he sayth that he was made of a woman not of a man as other are wont This is that one man which was borne onely of a woman He would not say of a virgine Why Paule rather saide that Christ was made of a woman thē of a virgine for that a virgine is not a name of nature but a woman signifieth a sex and certein condition whereunto it belongeth to be with childe and to bring forth that is to do the partes of a mother Seeing therefore that Marie was a mother in deede she is rightly called a womā For she brought forth fruite vnto vs which belongeth to a mother and not to a virgin although she brought it forth alone without the meanes of man wherein she was declared both a singular virgin and woman But because it is of greater importaunce to the Apostle and vnto all vs that Marie is a woman and thereby the mother of Christ then that she is a virgine for that this is onely an ornament vnto her but in that she was a woman she brought forth him which is saluation vnto all for this cause I say the Apostle calleth her rather a woman then a virgine Neither was it considered in choosing her that she was a virgine but that she was a woman for that she being a virgine became a mother Why it behoued that the mother of Christ should be a virgine the cause was for that it behoued that Christ should be borne without synne and therefore without the commixtion of man For of the seede of a sinfull man nothing could be borne but that which is defiled with synne but it behoued that Christ should be that blessed seede whose blessing should be poured forth vpon all as the maner of the diuine couenant required Whereupon it is gathered that Christ could not be borne of the seede of man for that all men are by nature vnder the curse For how should blessing be promised to come vnto all by Christ if all were not subiect to the curse Forasmuch then as the couenant of God promised to Abraham did require these two thinges both that Christ should be the true sonne of Abraham that is his seede his true flesh and blood that also he should be borne pure from synne this meane was inuented that he should of Marie being verie woman and the daughter of Abraham be borne verie man and the right ofspring of Abraham and also that he should be borne without the commixtion of man a virgine being conceiued with child by the onely meanes of the holy Ghost that being full of blessing he might deriue the same vnto all beleeuers So was the couenant of God fulfilled on either side and it came to passe that Christ became both the true seede of Abraham and yet free from all contagion of Adam and is also the author of eternall blessing to thē that beleeue Wherefore although Marie be holily to be reuerenced by the name of virgine yet by no comparison greater reuerence is due vnto her then by the name of woman for that her most holy members inasmuch as she was a woman were aduaūced vnto this dignitie that they were as meanes toward the fulfilling of the holy couenant of God and by them he was brought forth which was to put awaye all curse from them that beleeue in him that so he might be both the blessed seede of Abraham and the blessed frute of the wombe of Marie Vnto which benefite the onely virginitie had not bin sufficient yea it had bin euen vnprofitable The fourth thing whereof the present place of the Apostle doth admonish vs is that Christ hath satisfied the Lawe for vs. Which he also witnesseth of himselfe Matth. 5 I am not come to destroye the Lawe but to fulfill it It was needful that christ should fulfill the Lawe for vs. This also the reason of the couenant requireth for if by this seede of Abraham all men must be deliuered from the curse it is necessarie that by it the Lawe be fulfilled For as men are by nature the children of wrath and subiect to the curse so it must needes be accursed whatsoeuer they doe for it is before proued at large that he which is euell himselfe can worke nothing that is good likewise that we can do nothing that God will approue vnles we our selues be approued of him before and seeing that the Lawe requireth the heart which can not be performed of them which are not as yet regenerate by the spirit it must needes be that all the sonnes of Adam are giltie of transgressing the Lawe and vnles whereas they themselues are not able an other to wit Christ should performe that which the Lawe requireth and so satisfie the Law for them they should altogither perish by the curse of the Law But when as Christ going about to shewe that the heart is required of the Lawe did condemne the workes which proceeded not from a heart that is godly and consenting vnto the Lawe he was accused of the Pharisees that he was come to destroie the Lawe Because therefore he would take awaye this false opinion of himselfe he sayd Thinke not that I am come to destroy the Lawe for I am not come to destroie but to fulfill the Lawe yea and I will giue a spirit vnto them that be mine which shal iustifie their heart by faith and incline it vnto true good workes The same is vsuall with Paul also who Rom. 3 when he had reiected the workes of the Lawe and extolled faith aunswering such an obiection saith Do we then make the Lawe of none effect God forbid yea we establish the Lawe For we teach that the true fulfilling of the Lawe is by Christ The like also is wont to be obiected to vs as though we did forbid good workes when we disallow monasteries with their workes teach that they must first by faith become good and approued of God whereby they may afterward do true good workes by which both their flesh may be chastised and their neighbours edified Here we must note moreouer that the Lawe
can be fulfilled of no man but of him which being free from the Lawe is no more vnder it We must accustome our selues also to the maner of Paules speeche that we may know assuredly who is vnder the Lawe Who be vnder the Law and who is not vnder the Lawe As many therefore as worke good workes because the Lawe hath so commaunded being brought thereunto either with feare of punishmēt or hope of reward are vnder the Lawe and are compelled to do good thinges and to be honest being not brought hereunto of their owne voluntarie will Wherefore the Lawe hath dominion ouer them whose seruaunts and captiues they are Now such are all men that are not yet regenerate by Christ which euerie one may easily learne with himselfe by experience euerie mans own conscience shewing it vnto him We all finde our selues so affected that if no Lawe did vrge vs both the feare of punishment and hope of reward were awaye and it were plainly free for vs to do what we list we would do altogether those thinges that are euell and omit the thinges that are good especially either tentation mouing vs or occasion prouoking vs. But now forasmuch as the Law stayeth vs with the threatninges and promises thereof we do oftentimes abstaine from euell thinges and do those thinges that be good howbeit we do them not for the loue of goodnes and hatred of euel but onely for feare of punishment and respect of reward wherefore being left wholy to our selues we are seruaunts of the Lawe neither do we heare it any otherwise then seruaunts do their hard and cruell maister They which are not vnder the Lawe described of what sort they be But they that are not vnder the Lawe that is are not so against their wills in subiection vnder the dominion thereof they of their owne accord do good workes and abstaine from euell being neither terrified with the threatninges of the Law nor allured with the promises thereof but euen for that they do of their voluntarie will beare a loue to honestie and hate that which is dishonest and are also from their heart delighted with the Lawe of God so that if there were no Lawe made notwithstanding they would desire to liue no otherwise then the Lawe commaundeth as to shun those thinges that be euell and applie themselues to honest studies and exercises They that are such are sonnes whom not nature but that onely blessed seede of Abraham that is Christ could make such renuing by his grace and spirit the heartes of them that beleeue in him What it is not to be vnder the Law Wherefore not to be vnder the Lawe is not to be free from the Lawe that they may do those things that are contrarie thereunto and omit those thinges that are good but it is to do good thinges and abstaine from wicked thinges not through compulsion or necessitie of the Lawe but by free loue and with pleasure euen as if no Law commaunded them and their owne nature brought them hereunto as in deede it doth howbeit the new nature of the spirit A similitude not that olde nature of the flesh For as there is neede of no Lawe for the body which may compell it to eate to drinke to digest A similitude to sleepe to go to stand to sit and to do the other workes of nature for that it is ready to do them of it owne nature when the case so requireth and when it is meete without all respect either of reward or punishment and may not vnfitly be said as concerning these thinges not to be vnder a law notwithstanding thereupon nothing lesse foloweth then that it doth therefore abstaine from such workes vnto which in deede it so much more applieth if selfe as they are lesse commaunded and are more naturall vnto it After the same sort altogither doth the godly man behaue himselfe concerning the workes of godlines he is caried to the doing of them by that his new nature of the spirit albeit there were no lawe at all and all both hope of reward and feare of punishment were awaye This onely is the true libertie of a Christian man and the deliueraunce of him from the lawe whereof Paul speaketh 1. Tim. 1 The Lawe is not giuen vnto a righteous man Which is as much as if he had said A righteous man of his owne accord doth good thinges and abstaineth from euell hauing no regard either of reward or of punishment The same thing also he meaneth by that saying Rom. 6 Ye are not vnder the Lawe but vnder Grace that is ye are sonnes not seruaunts Ye liue holily being compelled or enforced with nothing but of your free and of it selfe ready will To the same effect pertaineth that saying also Rom. 8 Ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but ye haue receiued the Spirit of adoption of the sonnes The Lawe maketh a fearfull that is a right seruile and cainish spirit but Grace giueth the free spirit of sonnes like vnto Abels by Christ the blessed seede of Abraham Whereof the 51. Psalme speaketh Stablish me with thy free spirit Whereupon in the 118. Psalme Christian people are said to be of a free will Moreouer Christ hath so fulfilled the Lawe that he onely of all mankynde hath of his owne accord satisfied it being with no thing compelled or enforced thereunto neither is any other able to do the same vnles he receiue it of him and by him And therefore Paul saith here He was made vnder the Lawe that he might redeeme them which were vnder the Lawe The fifte thing therefore that Paul here commendeth vnto vs to be beleeued Why Christ was made vnder the Law is that Christ for our sake was made vnder the Lawe that he might deliuer vs from the bondage of the Law and of vnwilling seruaunts make vs free sonnes whereupon he saith That he might redeeme them which were vnder the Lawe that is might deliuer them from the Law ▪ Now he deliuereth from the Lawe by the meanes aforesaid not by destroying or vtterly abolishing the Lawe How Christ deliuereth frō the Law but by fulfilling it and giuing a free spirit which shall do all thinges willingly without any respect either of the threatninges or the promises of the Lawe no otherwise then if there were no lawe at all giuen and is caried thereunto of his owne nature After which sort Adam and Eue were effected before they had synned How the spirit of libertie is obtained But by what meanes is this spirit giuen libertie gotten No otherwise then by faith For he that truly beleeueth that Christ came for this cause that he might deliuer vs from the Lawe and that he hath deliuered him already he I say hath in deede receiued the spirit of libertie and doth verily obtaine that which he beleeueth for both faith and this spirit of sonnes come togither Whereupon Paul sayth here that Christ hath deliuered
thing euerie man is ready to hurt and endamage them Neither do they possesse any thinge for although all thinges be not taken from them at once yet are they in that state that they daily looke for it Against these aduersities as enemies assailing vs on the left hād it is needfull that we be fortified fensed with the armour of God lest that we either despeire or faint The armour of God Now this armour is a sure and inuincible faith continuall consolation and exhortation of the word of God and a liuely hope and vndouted expectation of the helpe of God When being furnished with these we suffer all thinges patiently standing stedfast in our dutie we declare our selues the syncere ministers of God which the false Apostles and hypocrites can neuer do although they faine that they serue God On the right hand he setteth glorie praises Where against Christiās must be defēded with spirituall armour on the right hand that we are counted true knowne do liue are not killed do reioyce enriching many possessing all thinges For it alwayes falleth out that there be some which make account of Christians and reuerence them among whom they are well reported of and counted true in doctrine wherefore some are not wanting which ioyne themselues vnto them and do openly pretend friendship with them freely pronouncing them to be the ministers of God Neither do they die so oft as they are brought into daunger and being chastened are not alwayes killed Finally it commeth to passe by the consolation of the spirit that they do then most of all reioyce when they are in greatest affliction For their heart reioyceth in God which ioy bursteth forth and vttereth it selfe in wordes workes and gestures And albeit they be poore in corporall substaunce yet are they neuer famished with hunger but with the word of God do enrich verie many in spirit stand not in neede of any thing although they haue nothing for all thinges are in their handes for that all creatures must serue the beleeuers as Christ sayth To him that beleeueth all thinges are possible These things albeit they be the excellent giftes of God notwithstanding if the feare of God should be absent euen they should be turned into enemies vnto vs and therefore is it needefull that we be strongly fensed against them with the armour of God lest that they make vs waxe proud or insolently puffe vs vp A Christian man therefore is meruelously free and addicted to nothing but to God alone he setteth God onely before his eyes he endeuoureth to come straight vnto him by the midle and hie waye betweene those thinges which assaile on the right hand and on the left so that he is neither throwen downe by aduersitie nor puffed vp by prosperity but vseth both most rightly both to the glorie of God and profit of his neighbours We must sayth the Apostle liue such a life while it is the time of grace and of the liuely light of the Gospell lest that while this daye shineth we worke not and that shall haue shined vnto vs in vaine This is the true ministerie of God which onely he alloweth wherein he graunt that we may serue him and that most dutifully Amen A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER CONCERNING TENTATION Matth. 4. Verse 1. THen was Iesus led aside of the spirit into the wildernes to be tempted of the Deuell 2. And whē he had fasted forty daies and fortie nights he was afterward hungrie 3. Then came to him the tempter said if thou be the sonne of God commaund that these stones be made bread 4. But he aunswering said it is written Man shall not liue by bread only but by euerie word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God 5. Then the Deuell tooke him vp into the holy Citie and set him on a pinacle of the temple 6. And said vnto him If thou be the Sonne of God cast thy self down for it is written that he will giue his Angels charge ouer thee with their hāds they shal lift thee vp lest at any time thou shouldest dash thy foote against a stone 7. Iesus said vnto him it is written againe Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God 8. Again the Deuell tooke him vp into an exceeding hie mountain shewed him all the kingdomes of the world and the glorie of them 9. And said to him All these will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me 10. Thē said Iesus vnto him Auoid Satan for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue 11. Then the Deuel left him and behold the Angels came and ministred vnto him THis text hath therefore bin appointed to be redde in the beginning of the solemne fast which hath hitherto bin commaunded for fortie dayes that the example of Christ being commēded to Christians they might thereby be prouoked to keepe that fast so much more religiously which surely was nothing but a vaine trifle First for that no mā is able to follow the example of Christ who liued without any meat fortie dayes and so many nights Christ rather followed the example of Moses herein then gaue vnto vs any example to follow Moses receiuing the Lawe was fortie dayes fortie nights in the mount Sinai without meat so lōg time would Christ also fast cōming to bring publish a new law Againe this fasting is a peruerse thing inasmuch as it was ordained of men For albeit Christ fasted fortie dayes yet haue we no word of his whereby he hath commaunded vs also to do the same He did many other thinges beside notwithstanding he will not haue vs also to do them those thinges that he hath commaunded vs to do those thinges I say we must endeuour to do that thereby we may obey his wil. A most wicked abuse of fasting But the most pestilent thing of all herein was that we tooke vpon vs and vsed fasting as a good and meritorious worke not to tame the flesh thereby but to satisfie for synnes and to procure the fauour of God vnto our selues Which wicked opiniō made our fasting so foule filthie and abominable before God that no feastings bankets gluttonie and dronkennes are so filthie and detestable before him it were better to drinke and bibbe daye night then so to fast And although this vngodly wicked intent had not defiled our fasting but that it had bin ordained for chastising that body Fasting must be left free neuertheles forasmuch as it was not left free that euerie one might haue taken it vpon him of his owne accord but was enforced by the lawes of man so that most which fasted fasted against their willes and with a grudging mynde it could not be but vaine and vnacceptable to God I speake not what other hurt it did in women with child in yong children in the weake and aged Wherefore we will more rightly consider this text and see what maner
of fasting it teacheth by the example of Christ Two sorts of fasting which are allowable to be commended The Scripture commeÌ„deth vnto vs two sorts of fasting which are laudable one which is taken vpon vs of our owne accord to tame the flesh whereof the Apostle speaketh 2. Cor. 6. where he exhorteth vs to behaue our selues as the ministers of God by labours watchings fastings among the rest An other which in deede is not taken vpon vs willingly yet is willingly borne of vs when by reason of neede and pouertie we haue not whereon to feede Whereof Paule speaketh also in the first Epistle to the Corinthians the fourth chapter Vnto this houre we both hunger and thirst And Christ Matth. 9 VVhen the bridegrome shal be taken from them then shall they fast This fasting Christ teacheth vs by his present example who being alone in the desert and hauing no meat did suffer that neede and hunger patiently The first of these two fastes may when we please be left and broken with eating of meat but this last must be suffred vntill the Lord ende and breake it Now the cause why the Euangelist did so diligently first declare that Iesus was led aside of the spirit into the wildernes that he should there fast and be tempted is this lest that any taking vpon him to fast of his owne mynde and for his owne commodities sake should in vaine endeuour to follow this example of Christ For he must looke for the leading asyde of the spirite he will cause fasting and tentation enough We must not procure tentation to our selues but patiently suffer it when it pleaseth the Lord to send it for he that without the leading asyde of the spirit should voluntarily bring himselfe into daunger of hunger or any other tentation when by the blessing of God he hath what to eate and drinke and whereby to liue quietly he I saye should plainly tempt the Lord. We must not procure to our selues pouertie and tentation they will come soone enough of themselues onely when they are sent of the Lord we must endeuour to beare them patiently Iesus as the Euangelist writeth was led aside of the spirite into the wildernes he did not choose to himselfe the wildernes They are led with the Spirite of God which are the sonnes of God Romans 8. The good thinges which the Lorde giueth he giueth for this that we maye enioye them with thankes giuing not that we should neglect them tempting him Moreouer this history is written vnto vs both to instruct The historie of Christes tentation coÌ„taineth both instruction exhortation and also to exhort To instruct that we may learne hereby that Christ by this his fasting hunger tentation and victorie against Satan did serue vs furthered our saluation that whosoeuer beleeueth in him may neuer neede or be hurt by any tentation but rather shall abound with good thinges in the middes of pouertie and be safe in the middes of tentation for that his head and Lord Christ hath ouercome all these thinges for him whereof by fayth he is most certain according as the Lord himselfe sayth Ioh. 16 Be ye of good comfort I haue ouercome the world And if God could without meat nourish his Christ fortie dayes so many nights so he câ—â— also Christians We are exhorted also here that according to this example of Christ we suffer hunger tentation and other necessities wheÌ„ they come and when the case so requireth to the glorie of God profit of our neighbours And surely if we do earnestly confesse and sticke to the word of God these thinges will vndoutedly come vnto vs. The present text therefore containeth a meruelous consolation and strengthening of faith against the filthie and incredulous bellie which being diligeÌ„tly and faithfully weyed our conscience shal be verie much comforted and streÌ„gthened that we may not be carefull for liuing but trust with a full confidence that God will giue vs plentifully those thinges that be necessarie Now that this tentation also is incident vnto vs it is manifest For as Christ was led aside into the wildernes that is was left alone of God Angels men and all creatures which might helpe him How we are sometime led aside into the wildernes so also falleth it out with vs. We are led aside into the wildernes we are forsaken and left alone And this in deede is it which especially grieueth vs to feele or perceiue nothing whereunto we may trust or from whence we may looke for helpe As when it lyeth vpon me to prepare sustenance for me and mine and I haue nothing at all of my selfe neither perceiue any helpe comming from any man neither know where to looke for any This is to be led aside into the desert and to be left alone I being in this case am in the true exercise of faith then I learne how I my selfe am nothing howe weake my faith is how great and rare a thing sounde faith is and howe deepe abominable incredulitie is setled in the harts of all But he that hath as yet a purse heauie with money a seller ful of wine a garnar replenished with graine he is not yet led aside into the wildernes or left alone and therefore can not feele tentation while these thinges remaine Satan tempteth Christ with care for the belly and diffidence of Gods goodnes Secondly Satan commeth and tempteth Christ with this care for the bellie and diffidence of the goodnes of God saying If thou be the Sonne of God commaund that these stones be made bread As if he should say according to the Dutch prouerbe Trust in God and in the meane season neglect to bake bread Tarie till a rosted chicken flie into thy mouth Go now and say that thou hast a God who is carefull for thee Where is now that thy heauenly Father who hath so great a care of thee Hath he not goodlily forsaken thee Eate now and drinke of thy faith and let vs see how thou shal be suffised it were well wiâ—â— thee if thou couldest feede on stones What a goodly sonne of God art thou How fatherly doth he behaue himselfe toward thee He sendeth thee not so much as a peece of breade but suffreth thee here to be pined with hunger Go now and beleeue yet that thou art the sonne of God and he thy Father Surely with these and such like cogitations he tempteth all the children of God which Christ also vndoutedly felt for he was not a blocke or stone but verie man although pure from synne as he also continued which is not giuen vnto vs. Now that the Deuel tempted Christ with care of the bellie diffidence and wicked desire the aunswere of Christ doth sufficiently declare Man liueth not by breade alone Which is as much as if he had said Thou wilt haue me haue regard to bread alone thou dealest with me as though I ought to haue no other care but of meate and foode