Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	dead_a	faith_n	lively_a	5,187	5	10.6802	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07288	Saint Peters chaine consisting of eight golden linckes, most fit to adorne the neckes of the greatest states, nobles, and ladies in this land, as the chiefest iewell of true nobilitie: and not vnfit for the meaner sort. Digested into eight chapters, and published by R.M. minister. With a praier annexed to the end of euerie chapter.	Mavericke, Radford, b. 1560 or 61.	1596 (1596)	STC 17683; ESTC S112697	95,593	198

further proofe that no man by his owne naturall reach of wit and vnderstanding can iudge of the vertues and qualities of faith but onely such as are renewed and borne againe by the spirite of God Now then as I said is it any marueil that this precious Iewel of faith is so smally estimated slenderly accōpted of in the world of meere worldly carnal men Seing they haue no skil at al to iudge of the rare vertues and operation therof neither by meanes of the outward senses of their bodies nor yet by the force powers of their souls but are altogether like vnto the Cocke wherof the fable speaketh that seeing a precious Gem or Iewell lying on the donghill wished hee had had one graine of Barley for that precious Iewell because hee knewe not the price and vertue of the same and therefore did wish for that which serued best to the satisfying of his owne appetite and desire Seeing then the case thus standeth that most people are so miserably deceiued chusing with greedie earnestnes and desire and as it were with both hands apprehending the vaine transitory things of this life make small or none accompt but euen like filthie swine trample vnder their feete Gods Treasures contemned of worldly men those precious pearles of the worde of God of faith and free saluation purchased by the bloud of Christ to the high dishonouring of Almightie God to the endaungering of their owne soules to the great scandale or offence of other to the extreme griefe of hearte of each true faithfull and godlye Christian seeing the case thus standeth I say and these premises duely considered I haue thought it meete and verily agreeing with my calling to spend a litle time in contriuing these plaine and simple treatises of faith and the fruites thereof hereafter following to this end that partly by the helpe hereof if God giue a blessing thereunto but chiefely by prayer reading and hearing of Gods word preached the ignorant sort may attaine vnto the knowledge of faith and other misteries of God by grace which wee by our owne natural knowledge and vnderstanding are not able to attaine vnto and that also these rich gifts of God as faith the rest may be the better accompted of to Gods glorie and our eternall comfort and saluation .. And because it is the minde of the holy 2. Pet. 1 5. Ghost as Saint Peter noteth that all vertues whatsoeuer shold be linked vnto faith as the verye fountaine from whence they must spring therefore I haue made this my first Chapter wherein I will God assisting me in as briefe manner as I can declare and make plaine to those whose eyes it shall please the Lord to open what an excellent and precious Iewell fayth is as also what great profit commodity we receiue by it But here first of all intreating of fayth in generall it shall not bee amisse to make knowne what faith it is whereof I will intreate for there is a certaine Morall fayth or trust which we call fidelitie that ought to be betweene man and man and euen this is a vertue worthy of commendation ther is also an Historicall faith when we onely beleeue the bare Historie whether it bee humane or diuine without any further application of it vnto our selues and this faith is also in some sort worthy of due praise and there is a Temporary faith when some doe beleeue for a time as our Sauiour saith nothing Mat. 13.21 worthie to be commended but is like vnto that faith whereof Saint Iames speaketh that is dead in it selfe to speake nothing Iam. 2.17 of that fayth which is called miraculous because it hath ceased for the most part since the time of the Apostles Now it is not my purpose to entreate of any of these seeing they are gifts common What faith it is whereunto Saint Peter wold haue vertue ioyned to the good and to the bad neither doeth Sainte Peter meane to linke his Golden Chaine with any one of them for that wold disgrace his whole worke but that fayth which I mind to speake of is supernaturall diuine and heauenly far more glorious and excellent then can be comprehended as I haue already saide by the wit and naturall vnderstanding of man But what is it wil some say that you doe so commend Wilt thou know Surely it is that which thy tongue hath vttered a thousand times when thou hast said I beleeue in God And is this such a great matter will worldlings saye to beleeue in God Doth this onely thing deserue so great praise and commendation Yea verily But here beware A Caueat least thou deceiue thy selfe in the vnderstanding of the words for there be three things almost like in words but farre differing in true sence meaning namely to beleeue God to beleeue there is a God and to beleeue in God The deuils beleeue the first and the second that God is true of his promise which is to beleeue God and they also beleeue there is one God and no more and tremble as Saint Iames saith but they Iam. 2.19 beleue not the third that is in God which is as much as to embrace him for our good God and to rest repose our selues on him and his worde onely which is that true iustifying faith wherof I speake So then we must take heed as I said that we do not deceiue True faith beleeueth in God our selues thinking we beleeue verie well if we beleeue God and beleeue there is a God which thing indeede we ought also to do but we must goe further to beleeue in God that is to acknowledge him for our good God Sauior this is ment by saying I beleeue in God I beleeue I say not another for me for euery one shall be saued by his owne faith and not by anothers as the Prophet Habacuk saith The iust shall Haba 2.4 liue by his owne faith Furthermore to beleeue in 〈…〉 to beleeue in God the Father in Go●●he son in God the holy Ghost three persons in trinity one God in vnity of essēce And is it then so easie a matter to beleeue the trinity in vnity the vnity in trinity No verily flesh bloud doth not reueal these things vnto vs as Christ said vnto S. Peter Mat. 16.17 but onely God himselfe both by the outward preaching of his worde by the inward working of his holy spirit Wherfore Galat. 5.6 a true liuely and iustifying faith which euermore worketh by loue may bee thus A definition of a true liuely faith defined namely that it is a most certain sound perswasion of Gods great good will fauour towardes vs grounded vpon the truth of his free promises made vnto mankinde in his sonne Christ Iesus reuealed vnto vs by the preaching of his word and sealed in our harts by his holy spirite Thus then hauing briefly and plainely shewed what

vsually compared vnto a hand wherwith we receiue as one saith the rich almes of God if we lack this hand wee shal die for want This holy Faith the mother of repentance faith is called the mother of true repentance and repentance the daughter of faith for assoone as wee haue a true iustifying Faith presently repentaunce followeth with the fruites thereof as Saint Iohn Baptist saith Bring fourth fruit worthy of repentance This liuely iustifying faith is neuer idle Mat. 3.8 A true iustiying faith neuer idle but stil wor●…eth by ●oue but still worketh by loue and is the roote from whence all good works do spring As the sunne cannot be without light nor the fire without heat nor water without moystnes No more can any one which hath this true iustifying faith be without good works which are the fruites thereof Therefore it is very true which Saint Iames saith that as the body without the soule is deade so faith without workes is deade in it ●am 2.17 selfe Neyther is there any disagreement betweene the doctrine of Saint Paul and Saint Iames though the one saye wee are Rom. 3.28 iustified by faith and the other by workes for Saint Paul speaketh of our iustifying before Iam. 2.24 God by faith only thorough the bloud of Christ and Saint Iames of our iustifying S. Paul and S. Iames reconciled concerning iustificatiō before men when wee make knowen to the worlde by our good workes which are the fruites of faith that wee are iustified Therefore let vs beleeue the Scripture which saith that Abraham beleeued God Rom. 4.36 and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse That wee are not iustified by the workes of the law but by the faith of Iesus Christ For by grace wee are saued saith Gala. 2.16 Saint Paul through faith not of our selues it is the gift of God not of workes least any Eph. 2.8.9 shuld boast which place doth cut the throte of that grosse opinion of those proud Pharisayicall Papists that ignorantly bragge Popish supererogation superabundant arrogancie and boast of their workes and merites as though they coulde merite heauen with them both for them selues and others forsooth by their works of supererogation but more rightly called superabundant-arrogancie Let vs beleeue the Apostle saying if righteousnesse came by the law then Christ Gala 2.21 dyed in vaine Let vs beleeue the truth it selfe saying when ye haue done all that yee can yet say ye are but vnprofitable seruāts ye haue done but what was your duty to do Luk. 17.10 It is our dutie and required of vs vppon Mat. 25.41 paine of damnation to doe good workes which as Saint Paul saith God hath ordained Ephe. 2.10 that we should walke in them but not that we should trust in them to be saued for faith herein must haue the preheminence Therefore Saint Paul counteth all thinges Phil 3 8.9 losse and doung that he might win Christ and might bee found in him not hauing his owne righteousnes but the righteousnesse which is through the faith of Christ Obiection But heere some may say why doe ye alleadge so many testimonies of Saint Paul to this purpose for heseemeth to be contrarie to himselfe and though in many places hee extolleth faith yet in one place hee preferreth 1. Cor. 13. loue charitie before it for he saith now abideth these three faith hope and loue but the chiefest of these is loue True it is chiefe in respect that it doth What S. Paul meaneth by saying that faith is chiefer then loue extend it selfe farre and neare to the benefit and profit of our neighbours for faith profiteth our selues loue our neighbours and because it doth continue longer then faith and hope doth for the vse of thē both doth cease when wee haue the fruition and possession of that which wee hoped for and when we haue the end of our faith which is the saluation of our soules but loue is onely begun in this life perfected in the life to come in these respects Saint Paul saith it 1. Pet. 1 9. is cheefe Notwithstanding though wee graunt this and say further with the same Apostle that as there is no true loue without faith so there is no true faith without loue because faith worketh by loue yet it Gala. 5.6 is certaine that faith in respect of our saluation and in this matter of iustification is more excellent then loue yea loue must come after faith as an obedient daughter Loue the daughter of faith after her mother which faith doeth bring forth both hope and loue Faith then is the ground of things hoped for Hope is an vndoubted expectation of those things which are promised vnto vs of God by the meanes of Christ Loue is linked vnto them both may not be seperated from them By faith saith the Author to the Hebrus our forefathers obtained a good report Heb. 11.1.2 therefore I conclude that faith ought still to haue the preheminence in iustification for thereby are we receiued made the sonnes Faith must haue the preheminence in iustificatiō of God euen by our faith in Christ by whome wee obtaine euerlasting life This doctrine as it doth stirre vs vp to beleeue so should it stir vs vnto loue charitie which are the liuely fruites of faith and without it faith is dead in it selfe But here wee must also take heede that we doe not imagine that faith though it be a rare and singular vertue doth thereby of it selfe deserue euerlasting life for so wee should fal into error but faith is called most Christ only hath purchased heauen for vs. faith the instrument to apprehend it holy excellent or precious in this respect that it is the meane appointed by God himselfe wherby we should apprehend and receiue most holy excellent precious gifts whereof the chiefest is eternall and euerlasting life purchased vnto vs by the death passion and resurrection of Christ euen by his righteousnes and obedience Of this eternal and euerlasting life our faith grounded vppon the promises of God doth most certenly assure vs and then by hope which is also the childe of faith we doe with patience waite for the accomplishment and performance thereof For those ioyes which one day we shall haue in perfect possession How faith and hope are distinguished wee doe now enioye by faith and hope the which may thus bee distinguished the one from the other Faith doth apprehend things present and hope things to come by things present I meane also eternall life which may be said to be present in respect that we haue some feeling and tast of it in this life in respect of the certainty of Gods counsell and will touching the saluation of his elect that cannot be altered Therefore the Scripture vseth often times the present tense for the future the time present for the time to come as Christ