Selected quad for the lemma: work_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
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Pages |
A13731
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The vanitee of this world
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Thomas, William, Clerk of the Council to Edward VI.
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1549
(1549)
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STC 24023; ESTC S119757
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25,185
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74
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not to folow the waies of the worlde and of the fleshe Because that his procedynges hauyng been farre of from those he that walketh by theim taketh a diuerse waie from Christ And the more we goe in theim the further we separate our selfes from him as dyuers lynes that drawen streight from one poinct the longer that thei goe the more different thei be And syns we haue brieflie declared by his example whiche is the waie to goe vnto eternall blisse I woull we see now as neere as we can what the waie that his woorde teacheth vs is ¶ Eternall life HE than addressing him selfe towardes his celestiall father saieth on this wise This is euerlastyng life that they knowe the onely God and that Iesu Christ whom thou hast sent Unto whiche knowlage we must beleeue that we neither by the subtiltee of our owne wittes nor yet by the profoundenesse of our sciences can euer atteigne the thing beyng of so ample so vnmeasurable and so incoÌprehensible a greatnesse as it is ¶ The knowlage of God FOr that knowlage that we muste hope to haue of hym muste come by grace through the light of him that maie lighten our vnderstandynges and open the eies of our myndes and rest we shall in continuall darknesse if those inwarde eies receiue not lyght by that supernall sonne as our naturall eies haue power to discerne the thynges of this worlde by the sonne that we daiely see And therfore saied the apostle true that we know not god if fyrst he know not vs. For lyke as if our mortall eie woull see the soonne it is fyrste necessarie that the sonne shew hym selfe Euin so willyng with the eies of our mynde to see god it behoueth hym fyrst with the light of his owne lyght to discouer hym selfe vnto vs which the diuine bountee hath doen not onely by geuyng vs moste largely of his grace and sendyng into thearth his onely begotten sonne who is as it hath ben saied the true light and it that lightneth euery man commyng into this world But also by the continuall sendyng of the holy ghost into the hertes of his elected with faieth to kendle in theim the light of his grace This light than of the euerlastyng sonne beyng spredde ouer vs hath discouered vnto our eies the light of our immortall part by the whiche beholdyng god through Christe we maie by our faieth in Christ come to the knowlage of god But to this faieth and belefe there behoueth no small consideracion For we must kepe the waie of lyfe mainteignyng our faieth liuely with good woorkes Because that like as workes without faieth are not receiued of god for iust euen so our faieth is but dead if it shew not hir selfe fruitefull by charitable woorkyng And as the grace and mercie of god is haboundaunt in vs without our deseruyng so with our good woorkes ought we to folow his commandementes to make our selfes apt vesselles of his grace and vertue and to become liuely tabernacles of the holy ghost For as Paule saieth Not they that heare the law but thei that fulfill the law shall be iustified before god dooyng vs to vnderstande that though we haue our iustificacion of faieth Yet in maner it suffiseth vs not without workes And Iames the apostle writeth that if any man saie he hath faieth and woorketh not his faieth is dead and folowyng in speakyng of Abrahams iustificacion he saith That through his workes he was iustified hauyng offred his son Isaac vnto the aulter and that faieth did helpe hym to woorke whiche faieth thorough the worke was made perfite And addeth furthermore these wordes Behold therfore that man is iustified by his dedes and not by his faith onely To the prouffe wherof he alleageth an other example of Raab who for sauing rhe messengers of the people of god was saued hir selfe and saieth on this wyse Likewyse was not Raab the harlot iustified by hir woorkes hauyng receiued the messengers and conueyed them awaie Wherfore he concludeth that as the body without spyrite is dead euin so is faieth without woorkes But this you must consider he hath not written to extoll workes withall or to take from God any parte of his glorie who of his diuine bountee by meere grace by faieth onely dooeth iustifie vs but to the entent that beyng already assured in faieth we shuld be the more ready with good workes to confirme and encrease our faieth For this liuely and woorkyng faieth is it that Christ meaned whan he saied So let your light shine in the sight of men that they maie see your good woorkes For if you kepe your faieth closed in your hertes without woorkyng it can geue no light at all as it maie appeare also by that other saiyng of Christe I am the vine and you the braunches and they that brynge foorth no fruite shall be shredde awaie For Christe beyng our bodie and we his membres he woulde we shulde know that he woull not take theim for his membres that woull not trauaile by well woorkyng to perseuere in hym as it is euident by exaumple of the curse he gaue vnto the fygge tree that he founde fruitelesse ¶ But because this matter is more then euident it is tyme we enter to diffine what those thinges ought to be whiche we shoulde woorke willyng to remaine in the astate of Iesu Christ. And where can we so well learne it as of Christ him selfe who hauyng saied before that all the law and prophetes depended on two commandementes that is to wete on the loue of god and of the neighbour the last euennyng that he supped with his beloued disciples knowyng he shuld no more eate as a mortall man with theim he shewed theim right well how perfectly he loued them For after that he had wasshed theyr feete and licenced Iudas to goe about his bargaine he ordeigned his testament in the whiche amongest other thynges the woordes of his wyll were these ¶ The testament of Christ. I Geue you a new commaundement that you loue well to gethers As I haue loued you so loue you one an other and therby shall men know that you are my disciples if you haue charitee amongest you O ardent loue of the diuine benignitee O liberall benignitee of the diuine loue He saied not as he had saied before vnto the people that the principall commaundement was Thou shouldest loue God with all thyne hert with all thy minde and all thy soule and that the second was Thou shuldest loue thy neighbour as thy selfe No he saied not so but the sweete Iesu saied I geue you a new commaundement a light commaundement doe I geue you whiche I my selfe haue first fulfilled towardes you and that is that without further burden of the law you shall be friendes amongest your selfes and that you loue one an other as I haue loued you and you shalbe knowen for my disciples not if you loue celebrate or worship me ⪠but if you loue amongest your selfes and if charitee be with