Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	charity_n	faith_n	justification_n	4,801	5	9.5998	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09086	The seconde parte of the booke of Christian exercise, appertayning to resolution. Or a Christian directorie, guiding all men to their saluation. Written by the former authour. R.P.; Booke of Christian exercise. Part 2.	Parsons, Robert, 1546-1610. Christian directory.; Parsons, Robert, 1546-1610. First booke of the Christian exercise.	1590 (1590)	STC 19380; ESTC S110194	217,337	475

be saued as well as other men then it wyll be to purpose to haue a foundation without a building vppon it or a stocke or tree that beareth no fruite Which thing S. Iames speaking of that historicall and dead fayth whereby the wicked the very deuils thēselues beleeue that there is one GOD expresseth most excellently in this fitte similitude As a bodie without a spirit is dead euen so saith he is fayth without workes Thys poynt of doctrine of vertuous life and obseruing of Gods commaundements not our Sauiour Christ alone in his Sermon most earnestly vrged as hath beene sayde but his fore-runner also Saint Iohn the Baptist and hys followers the holie Apostles whereof the one continually called vpon the people to bring foorth fruites meete for repentance the other in all theyr writings no doubt in all their Sermons after matter of doctrine and faith propounded do proceede to exhortation and precepts of Christian life In so much as Saint Augustine other auncient Fathers are of opinion that the rest of the Apostles S. Peter S. Iames S. Iohn and S. Iude perceiuing the loosenesse and securitie of the people in theyr tymes directed theyr writinges eyther onely or principally to this ende euen to perswade and enforce the necessitie of good life and conuersation among Christians Yea and that Saint Paule himselfe when hee concludeth that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the Lawe doth not exclude the works of charitie as effects and fruites of fayth which followe him that is alreadie iustified in the sight of God but hee excludeth thē as causes of saluation which goe before him that is to be iustified Wherby it appeareth that S. Paule handling the causes of our iustification in the sight of God is not repugnant or contrary to S. Iames speaking of the notes and signes whereby we are iustified that is as the word is taken els where declared or known to be iust or righteous before mē The sum is that although good workes are not the causes of our saluation yet they are the way as it were and the path that leadeth thereunto because by them as by certaine markes we perceiue our selues to haue entered and to haue proceeded in the waie of eternall life Yea they are the fruites and effects whereby we testifie and declare both vnto our selues and to others the trueth of that faith which we professe And therefore our Sauiour Christ willeth vs in the Gospel to let our light shine before men that they seeing our good works may take occasiō therby to glorifie our heauenly father And his holy Apostle Saint Iames biddeth those carnall sensuall Christians that stood so much vpon the only name of faith to shewe him theyr fayth by their workes as he would shew them his faith by his works● that is they should declare and testifie vnto men as I haue said the fayth which they professed by the fruites thereof To men I say because men which iudge but by the outward appearaunce onely cannot knowe the goodnes of a tree b●t by the good fruite which it yeeldeth they cannot discerne the inwarde faith but by the outwarde workes But as for God that searcheth the secrets of the harts and reynes it needeth not that wee shoulde shewe him our faith by our workes nor may wee looke for iustification at his handes by the best of them for then might wee haue whereof to boast but there is no boasting with God and therefore no iustifying by workes in his sight Yet notwithstanding the Lorde requireth good workes at our hands to the end that himselfe might be glorified our needie bretheren releeued and comforted others gained wonne by our example to the embracing of the same faith and Religion which we professe our owne faith exercised and strengthened and our calling and election made sure and confirmed And it is very requisite that the children of GOD which are bought with so high a price as with the blood of Iesus should glorifie God both in soule body because they are redeemed both in soule and body and not liue vnto thēselues but vnto him which died and rose againe for them Thys is the ende of our election before the foundations of the world were layde as the Apostle testifieth Ephes. 1.4 euen that we should be holy and blameles before him in loue Thys is the ende of our creation as the same Apostle witnesseth Ephesians 2. 10. Where he saith that we are Gods workmanshyp created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes wherein he hath ordained that wee shold walke This is the end of our redemption as olde Zacharie prophecied Luke 1. 74 75. that beeing redeemed and deliuered from all our spirituall enemies and from eternall destruction whereunto we were subiect we should serue God without feare in holines and righteousnes before him all the daies of our life Finally this is the ende of our vocation For God hath not called vs to vncleannesse but vnto holinesse and as hee that hath called vs is holy so must we be holie in all manner of conuersation And it can not be that they which are truely iustified that is to say made righteous by a liuely fayth in Christ should not also in some measure be sanctified that is made holie by a faithfull lyfe in him Let not men therefore deceiue themselues with the onely name and shadowe of faith without the nature substance therof Let them not promise vnto themselues euerlasting life because they knowe the true God and whom hee hath sent Iesus Christ but let them remember howe Christes Apostle whō he deerely loued expoundeth that saying when he writeth By this wee knowe God truely if wee keepe his commaundements and whosoeuer sayth that he knoweth him and yet keepeth not his commaundements is a lyer and the trueth is not in him For as it is a true saying and by all meanes woorthy to be receiued that Christ Iesus came into the worlde to saue sinners so is it as true a saying and no lesse woorthie to be affirmed that they which haue beleeued God should be carefull to shew foorth good works Saint Gregorie vpon the words of Christ to S. Thomas Blessed are they who haue not seene and yet haue beleeued hath a notable discourse to this purpose If any sayth hee inferre heereof I beleeue and therefore am blessed and shall be saued he saith truely if his life be aunswerable to his beleefe for that a true faith dooth not contradict in manners the things which hee professeth in words For which cause S. Paule accuseth certaine false Christians in whom he found not vertuous life aunswerable to theyr profession that they confessed God in wordes but denyed him in theyr deedes And Saint Iohn auoucheth that whosoeuer saith hee knoweth GOD and keepeth not his commandements is a lyer Which beeing

time and euer since he hath made Heerehence it proceeded that all his delight and pleasure vpon earth was to conuerse with sinners to giue them comfort courage and confidence in him Which hee did so manifestly in the sight of al the world as hee became very scandalous offensiue thereby to the Scribes Pharisies other principall Rulers among the Iewish Nation Heere-hence also did proceede those his most meruailous speeches and strange inuitations of wicked men vnto him as for example at one tyme among other when hee cryed out in publique Come vnto mee all yee that doe labour and be heauie loden and I wyll refresh you And at another time going into the Temple of Ierusalem vpon a high festiuall day when all the people were gathered together he stoode vp in the midst of them all and brake forth into thys vehement inuitation wyth a loude voyce as S. Iohn Euangelist recordeth If any man among you bee thirstie let him come vnto me and he shal drink Heerby it came to passe that his diuine maiestie was termed commonly Publicanorum et p●ccatorum amicus the freende and familiar of wicked Publicans and sinners And heereof finally it did proceede that he receiued all embraced all and forgaue all that repaired vnto him were they Scribes Pharisies Souldiours Publicans Vsurers Harlots Theeues Persecutors or whatsoeuer most greeuous offenders besides whereof particuler examples in each kinde might be alleaged assuring vs furthermore that after hys resurrection and blessed a●cention to the right hande of hys father he woulde be more bountifull yet in thys manner of proceeding and dr●w all men vnto him beeing at one tyme both our Iudge and Aduocate our King and Mediatour our God and Redeemer our Father and Brother our Priest and Sacrifice and he that both pleadeth and determineth our cause together What then shoulde not we hope at thys tyme deere Christian brother at the hands of this our Lorde and Maister which hath left vnto vs such wordes such deedes such assured euidences of hys infallible loue and aboundant mercies towards vs why shold not hys dealings wyth other men before vs giue vs hart and courage to trust assuredlie in him for the time present and to come why shoulde not his former most infinite mercies be vnto vs odoriferous alluring sauors oyntments to make vs as the spouse did in the Canticles follow and runne after him Heare what deuout S. Bernarde dooth meditate vppon this passage of Christes fragrant oyntments O sweete Iesus saith hee the fresh and odoriferous smell of thy wonderfull clemencie doth allure vs to runne after thee when we heare say that thou despisest not beggers nor abhorrest sinners Wee know right well ô Lord that thou diddest not reiect the theefe that confessed thee nor the sinfull woman that wept vnto thee nor the Chananaean that hūbled herselfe before thee nor the wicked adultresse brought vnto thee nor the touller or tribute gatherer that followed thee nor the publican that repaired vnto thee nor the disciple that denied thee nor Saule that did persecute thee nor thy tormenters that did naile thy sacred bodie to the Crosse. O Lorde all these are fragrant smels and sauours of thy most sweet mercie and at the sente of these thy oyntments we doe followe and runne after thee Thus farre S. Bernard The fourth part The application of all that hath beene said AND so wyth this to come to the fourth and last part of thys Chapter and to apply all that hath beene said of Gods mercie to our present purpose What man is there liuing in the worlde that reading and beleeuing these things can doubt or mistrust to receiue pardon for hys sinnes If God be hee that iustifieth who is able to condemne vs saith the holy Apostle S Paul If God be minded to deliuer vs who can take vs out of his hands If God protest that he wyll pardon vs why should we make any doubt or question thereof at all Why shoulde wee not ioyne rather wyth that confident and faithful seruaunt of his S. Paul who saith vnto vs and to all other sinners liuing in his maisters name Let vs repaire vnto him with a true hart in fulnesse of faith hauing purged our harts from an euill conscience let vs hold fast an immouable confession of our hope seeing he is faithfull which hath giuen vnto vs his promise and let vs consider howe one of vs may prouoke another to charitie and good workes By which words the holy Apostle signifieth that what sinner soeuer shall resolue with himselfe to purge his conscience from wickednesse for the tyme to come and to employ the rest of his life in charitie and good works he may confidently boldly repayre vnto almightie God wyth most certaine assuraunce to receiue pardon remission And alas deere brother why then should any man despaire Wherefore shoulde any man cast awaie hys owne soule that GOD so much desireth to saue what a pittifull and lamentable case is it to behold so many Christians in the world to goe languishing in their sinnes to giue themselues ouer to all kind of carelesse and dissolute sensualitie which by God himselfe is called desperation vpon this conceit and wicked cogitation that nowe they are gone so farre and so deepely rooted and habituated in thys kinde of life as eyther it is impossible or in vaine for them now to thinke of change or amendment O deere brother let these men harken to thys excellent dyscourse of holy Chrisostome which ensueth If thou be a wicked man saith he thinke vpon the Publicane If thou be vncleane of lyfe consider the harlot If thou be a murderer remember the theefe If thou be a swearer call to minde the blasphemer Cast thyne eyes vpon Saul and Paul first a persecutour and then a preacher first a violent robber afterwarde a good steward and dyspenser First chaffe afterward corne first a woolfe afterward a sheepheard first lead afterward gold first a pirat afterwards a good pilot first a dispersor afterwarde a gatherer together first a breaker down of Gods vine yard afterwarde a planter first a destroyer afterward a builder Thou hast seene manifold wickednes but nowe behold vnspeakable mercie Thou hast heard the pride of the seruant consider now the loue and clemencie of the Maister I will not thou say to me I am a blasphemer I haue beene a persecutor I haue led an vncleane and abhominable life and therefore I doubt least I shal not be pardoned Say not so vnto me for here thou hast examples to the contrary in euery of these and many other sinnes Thou mayst safely flie to what port thou list and that eyther in the old or new Testament For in the old thou hast Dauid in the newe thou hast Paul I will not haue thee therefore alleage excuses vnto mee for couering thyne owne cowardnes Hast thou sinned repent hast thou sinned a