the just shall liue by his faith The state of Grace for it shall bee vnto him according to his faith which is of life from God the father in Christ Iesus his sonne our saviour by the Holy Ghost quickning the Holy e Habet popusus Dei plenitudinem suam quāvis magna pars hominū salvantis gratiā aut repellat aut negligat in electis tamen praescitis atque ab omnium gegeneralitate discretis specialis quaedā censetur vniversalitas vt detoto mundo totus mundus liberatus de omnibushominibus omnes homines videantur assumpti Ambr. de vocat Gent. lib. 1 c. 3. Catholique Church which is his body f Eph. 1.23 the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all A life of grace here by reconciliation and communion with God and a life of glory hereafter thorough the forgiuenesse of sinnes and resurrection of our bodies to eternall life The g 1. Pet. 3.7 grace of life in Christ worketh in vs a life of grace by his spirit For the sanctifying graces of GOD rest not in the habit but are in action h 1. Thess 1.3 The worke of faith the labour of loue the patience of hope i Heb. 11. By faith A bell by faith Abraham by faith every one of the holy men in the cloud of witnesses did some notable worke which did evidēce their faith to be indeed as they professed k v. 16. Wherefore God was not ashamed to be called their God l Iam. 2.22 Faith wrought with their works for m Heb. 11.6 without faith it is impossible to please God n Iam. 2.22 by workes was their faith made perfect For the perfection of vertue consists in action So must o c. 1.4 Patience haue her perfect worke p 1. Ioh. 3.18 So must loue be not in word neither in tongue but in deede and in trueth q Iam 2.15.16 If a brother or a sister be naked and destitute of dayly foode and one of you say vnto them depart in peace bee you warmed and filled notwithstanding you giue them not those things which are needfull to the body what doth it profit r 20.26 Faith without workes is dead and so is loue no faith indeede but a bolde presumption no loue indeede but a meere pretence ſ Iam. 2.18 Shew mee thy faith by thy workes but do thy workes before God in faith By faith our selues are iustified before God by good workes our faith and profession are iustified and approved vnto men For thereby it appeares that wee are in the faith and that our faith is in God t Tit. 3.8 This therefore is a faithfull saying that they which haue beleeued in God bee carefull to maintaine good workes u Iam. 2.26 For as the body without the spirit is dead so faith whithout workes is dead also And if our faith be dead whereby wee liue how dead are we * Iud 12. twice dead plucked vp by the roots x Rom 3.4 5. C. We are justified by a liuely faith sayth Saint Paul y Iam 2. We are not iustified by a dead faith saith St Iames wherefore little children z 1. Iohn 3.7 Let no man deceiue you saith St Iohn Hee that doth righteousnesse is righteous even as hee is righteous a 1. Tim 1.14 Now the grace of our Lord is exceeding abundant with faith and loue which are in Christ Iesus b 2. Pet 1.3 According as his Divine power hath giuen vnto vs all things that pertaine vnto life godlines through the knowledge of him that hath called vs to glory and vertue Now although the whole Church and euery true member thereof whom the Father hath chosen whom the Sonne hath redeemed whom the Holy Ghost hath effectually called through sanctificatiō sprinkling of the bloud of Iesus bee holy in Gods account although God bee glorified in his Saints here vpō earth by their blessed cōmunion with him with all men in loue wherby they are also highly dignified in a manner diefied c 2 Pet. 1.4 being made partakers of the divine nature so that they doe far excell al the world besides d 1 Iohn 5.19 that lieth in wickednes e In hac vita multi sine crimine nullus vero esse sine peccatis valet Greg. in Moral Vae etiam laudabili hominū vitae si remota misericordia discutias eam Aug. l. 9. confes c. 13. Nemosine peccato Negare hoc sacrilegium est Solus enim Deus sine peccato est Confiteri hoc Deo immunitatis remedium est Ambros in Ps 118. v. vlt. yet whē all is done we beleeue confesse that we haue stil need of farther grace mercy euen the forgiuenes of our sins if by any meanes we may attaine the resurrection of our bodies to eternall life Wherfore as on the one side f 1 Iohn 1.6 If we say that wee haue fellowship with God walke in darknes we lye doe not the truth So on the other side g V. 8. If we say that we haue no sin wee deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. But if we confesse our sins he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sins to cleanse vs frō all vnrighteousnes If any man think that being of the Church in the cōmunion of Saints hee needeth not the forgiuenesse of sins to the last let him also raise his own body frō death to life h Phil. 3.20 21. But wee looke for the Sauiour the Lord Iesus Christ who shall change our vile body that it maybe fashioned like vnto his glorious body inheriting eternal life Which begins so soon as we beleeue i Iohn 5.25 for the houre is come that the dead heare the voice of the son of God they that heare it liue neuer ends nor shall euer be quite interrupted by sin nor death k V. 24. For he that beleeueth hath euerlasting life shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life The briefe of all is The praise of the glory of Gods grace that l Habak 2. The iust shall liue by his faith which the Prophet Habakucke receiued of God like as Moses receiued the Law namely vpon his watch-towre with expresse charge m v. 2. to write it and to make it plaine on tables And the Apostle hath giuen vs the constat thereof purposely n Gal. 3. comparing the two covenants together o v. 11. That no man is justified by the Law in the sight of GOD it is manifest For the Iust shall liue by faith p v. 12. And the Law is not of faith but the man that doth them shall liue in them q Rom. 3.27 Where is boasting now It is excluded By what Law By the Law of workes Nay but by the Law of faith r 1 Cor. 1.31 That according
ragges t Iob 9 30.31 If I wash myselfe saith righteous Iob with snowe water make my hands neuer so cleane yet shalt thou plunge mee in the ditch and mine owne cloathes shall make mee filthy What is that ditch but natures corruption drawen by a perpetuall trench thorough all man kinde from the loines of our first parents Whereof holy king Dauid was by his fall caused to complaine u Psal 51.5 I was shapen in iniquity in sin hath my mother conceaued mee And what are the * Zech. 3.3 filthy cloathes but the carnall motions which being fashioned to our corrupt hearts doe like our garments x Heb. 12 1. easily beset vs and can neuer bee cleane put off vntill nature it selfe bee dissolued Which made Saint Paul cry out y Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Solomon puts the question to all men liuing z Prov. 20.9 wÌ„ho can say mine heart is cleane I am pure from my sinne And himselfe being now become a preacher of repentance makes the answer for all a Eccl. 7.20 There is not a iust man vpon earth that doth good sinneth not If there be any be hee as iust as Iob b Iob. 38.3.40 7. let him gird vp his loines like a man I will demand of thee saith God and declare thou vnto mee Wilt thou disanull my iudgement Wilt thou condemne me that thou maist be righteous c Rom. 3.4 Nay let God be true but euery man a lyer let God be iust but euery man a sinner e Gal 3 19. Wherefore then serues the law it was added because of transgressions that wee may know our f Sedcur praecipitur homini ista perfectio cum in hac vita eam nemo habeat Quia non recte curritur si quo currendum est nesciatur Pet. Lomb. l. 3. Sent. dist 27. lit G. duties and defaults g Rom. 4.15 Where no law is there is no transgression h 1. Ioh. 3.4 for sinne is the transgression of the law i Rom. 5.13 and without the law sinne is not imputed Where sinne is not acknowledged grace is not accepted k Rom. 3.20 but by the law is the knowledge of sinne l Rom. 5.20 Therefore the law entred that the offence might abound but where sinne abounded grace hath superabounded The law euer remaines the perpetuall rule of our duety though vnsufficient for our safety m Rom. 8.3 being weake through the flesh And now it hath a double vse first directly to shew vs n Nec latuit prÄ™ceptorem praecepti pondus hominum excedere vires sed iudicavit ex hoc ipso suae illos insufficientiae admonere vt scirent sanè ad quem iustitiae sinem niti pro viribus oporteret Bernard sup Cant serm 50. what is good and evill that o Rom. 2.18 wee may approue the things that are more excellent being instructed out of the law and that wee may performe the same in all holy obedience to him that commaundeth then obliquely to bring vs by p Data est enim lex superbis hominibus viribus suis totum tribuentibus vt cum implere non possent legem datam praevaricatores inuenirentur facti rei sub lege peterent misericordiam à legis conditore August de actis cum Felice Manich. l. 2. c. 11. repentance to the q Heb. 4.16 throne of grace that we may obtaine mercy and finde grace to helpe in the time of need In which respect it is a r Gal. 3.24 schoolemaster still to bring vs vnto Christ reducing vs vnto him obliquely as it were per impossibile not that the law is of things Å¿ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil 19. hom Nemo ad impossibile obligatur Non deus impossibilia iubet sed inbendo admonet facere quod possis petere quod non possis Aug. l. de natura gratiae cap. 43. impossible but because we are still impotent and vnable Both which vses of the law Saint Iohn hath put together saying t 1. Iohn 2.1 â— These things I write that you sinne not but if any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous and hee is the propitiation for our sinnes Now u 1. Tim. 1.8 we knowe that the law is good if a man vse it lawfully knowing this that the law is not made for a righteous man namely not to iustifie a man nor to condemne any whom God hath iustified but the law is made for the lawlesse and disobedient to curbe and condemne them who will not be reformed * y. 11. according to the glorious gospell of the blessed God Now if our workes done in grace be not answerable to the law of an holy life Good works not well done then sure they can not merit eternall life and glory The things happily are good that we doe in their owne nature and according to the law of God and they may doe good being beneficiall vnto others as to honour our betters is good and the law of God almes deeds are good and doe good to the poore and yet are they not so good as to merit for vs eternall life glory at the hands of God First because they are not so * Querb abs te vtrum haec opera bona benè faciant an malè Si enim quamvis bona male tamensatit negare non potes eum peccare qui malè quodibeâ—t facit August contra Iulian. Col. 1036. l. 4. c. 3. well done as they ought in regard of some necessary circumstance Vnbeleevers may happily doe the things which God requireth but not their duties because they doe them not in conscience to him that commandeth and without faith it is impossible to please God Then if wee of faith doe some duties and neglect others when he that hath commanded one hath commanded all Can some few good workes make satisfaction for so many euill a Heb. 11.6 Whosoever will be saued before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholike faith which except a man belieue faithfully hee cannot bee saved Athanas his Creed Aliud est quod sponte impenditur naturae aliud quod praeceptis dominicis ex charitate debetur obedientiae Greg. hom 27 in Evang. Hoc peccarunt quod homines sine side non ad eum finem ista opera retulerunt ad quem referre debuerunt Aug. l. 4. cont Iulian. c. 3. Sordet natura sine gratia Prosper ep ad Russinum which we haue done and compensation for so many other good workes which wee haue left vndone And yet the very workes of faith by some carnall respects interuening are not so good nor so well done in true loue as they ought For true b 1. Cor. 13.4.5 Plenissima charitas quae iam non possit augeri quamdiu hic homo vivit est in
as it is written He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. Which we doe if we beleiue doe as we professe if denying our selues al other means we ascribe the ſ Totum Deo deturqui vosuntatem hominis bonam praeparat adjuvan dam adjuvat praeparatam August Enchir. ad Laurent c. 37. whole worke of our saluation to God alone indeauouring so to liue as may t Tit. 2.10 adorne the doctrine of God our Sauiour in all things and not cause u 1 Tim. 6.1 his Name doctrine any way to be blaspheamed First acknowledging our own naturall vnworthines vntowardlines * 2 Cor. 3.5 who are not able of our selues to think any thing as of our selues wee giue God the praise of his x Hominis bonum propositū adjuvat quidem subsequens gratia sed nec ipsū esset nisi praecederet gratia Aug. l. 2. contra duas Pel. ep c. 9 preventing grace y Phil. 2.13 who worketh in vs both to will and to doe of his good pleasure And then of his z Sine illo vel operante vt velimus vel cooperante cum volumus ad bona pietatis opera nihil valemus Idem de grat lib. arb c. 27. assisting grace if we be willing obey a 2 Cor. 6.1 and receiue not his grace in vaine b Mat. 3.8 but bring forth fruites meete for repentance For by well-doing wee shall shew forth the praises of him c 1 Pet. 2.9 that hath called vs out of darknes into his marvailous light d V. 12. shall thereby occasion others also to glorifie God in the day of their visitation e Iohn 15.8 Hereby God is glorified that ye beare much fruit Againe acknowledging our vnanswerablenesse yet to the grace receiued by reason of our continuall infirmities we giue him the f Majoris prętij beneficium est quod praestatur indignis Salvian l. 4. de gub Dei praise of the al-sufficiency of his grace to saue vs notwithstanding our manifold deficience therefrom whilest g 2 Cor. 12.9 his strength is made perfect in our weaknes Therefore wee glory in our infirmities that the power of Christ may rest vpon vs. And withal confessing our continuall sinnes we giue him the praise of his righteousnes h 1 Iohn 1.9 who is iust to forgiue vs our sinnes though many times hee suffer not malefactors to goe vnpunished i Iosh 7.19 As Ioshuah willed Achan to make confession of the fact to giue glory to GOD. And as Dauid himselfe did saying k Ps 51.4 against thee haue I sinned done this euill in thy sight that thou maist be iustified when thou speakest cleare when thou iudgest Lastly beleeuing the resurrection of the body we giue God the praise of the l Eph. 1.19 exceeding greatnes of his power to vs-ward who beleue m Phil. 3.21 according to the mighty working of his power whereby he is able to subdue all things vnto himselfe As n Ro. 5.17.18.20 Abraham beleiuing God who quickneth the dead against hope beleeued in hope staggered not at the promise through vnbeleefe but being strong in faith gaue glory to God And if we giue him the praise of the glory of his grace o Ps 84 11. hee will giue vs both grace glory no good thing shall he with-holde from them that liue a godly life p Ier. 9. v. 23. Wherefore let not the q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil hom in Psal 33. wise man glory in his wisedome neither let the mighty man glory in his might let not the rich man glory in his riches But let him that glorieth glory in this V. 24. that hee vnderstandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exercise louing kindnes judgment righteousnesse in the earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord. CHAP. III. The Testaments The will of God The word The Scripture That the Scripture is the word of God The intent of it The cōsent in it The old legall Testament The new Evangelical Testament The event of prophesies The power of the Gospel The Church The administrators and ouer seers Scripture the absolute Canon of faith and life VVhat assurance is there of the Covenant of Grace WE haue GOD his Word for it in the Scripture and that in two Testaments both written from his owne mouth and by the direction of his Spirit The covenant of grace being not a bargaine made with God by our owne selues The Will but procured for vs by the intercessiō of a Mediator that through his death he therefore disposeth the estate of life so purchased to the a 1 Pet. 3.7 heires of grace by Will and Testament b Luke 22.29 I bequeath saith he a Kingdome vnto you as my Father hath bequeathed vnto me A Testamēt is a covenāt by wil c Heb. 9.16.17 made good by the death of the Testator who alone prescribes the conditions on both sides because he inables the Executour who prouing the Will stipulates giues his faith by acceptilation For he that accepts the offer vndertakes bindes himself to performe the conditiō So is the estate of grace conveyed by d Berirh Foedus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Testamentum vid. Iun. paral l. 3. in c. 9. ad Heb. ver 15. c. covenant testat or by testament covenanted in which respect the tearmes are promiscuously vsed And the authentike bookes of Scripture being the publike instruments of God his will in writing are called testamēts because they contein the e Quae Deus occulta esse voluit non sunt scrutanda quae autem manifesta fecit non sunt neganda ne in illis illicitè curiosi in istis damnabiliter inveniamur ingrati Ambros l. 1. de vocat Gent. c. 7. perfect will of God concerning vs in Christ Iesus the Gospell declaring what hee will doe for vs the Law what seruice he wil haue vs doe vnto him Whatsoeuer els is mentioned in Scripture whether God's promises or threats of things tēporal or eternall or his works of creatiō or providence his blessings or iudgments or whether the words or deeds of men or angels good or bad all serue one way or other to confirme or illustrat the will of God cōcerning vs in some point of the Law or in some article of our Creed Which two parts of the couenant as it were the condition the obligation haue bin euer the same in substāce though not always in like māner dispensed especially the Gospell by reason of some weighty circūstances The Law was neuer giuen or made positiue without the Gospel neither is the Gospel now without the Law although the old testament be vsually called the Law the new the Gospel because the Law is predominant in the one and the Gospell in the other and the forme of the covenant is in the one logall in
Church is made knowne vnto principalities and powers in heavenly places euen the manifold wisdome of God according to the eternall purpose which hee purposed in Christ Iesus our Lord. The word in substance and the word in vtterance the two principall pillars of God his Church stand like the m 1. Kings 7.21 two pillars in Solomons porch Iachin and Boaz. The word giues testimony vnto Christ first foretelling and then reporting all thinges of him and Christ in whom is strength shall stablish his word performing all things accordingly The same reason evicts by processe from the word of God that Iesus is the Christ and by regresse from Christ that the Scripture is the word of God for if those thinges bee fulfilled in Iesus which were spoken of Christ and which none could foretell but God then is Iesus the Christ the Scripture the word of God n 2. Cor. t. 20. Now all the promises of God are yea and in him amen to the glory of God by vs. The Prophesies of the Messiah are precisely obserued throughout the Gospell to bee fulfilled in him with this note That it might bee fulfilled which vvas spoken by the Prophets The offices of Christ intimated in that title and shadowed in the Law are all accordingly discharged by our Lord Iesus as the Apostle demonstrates by a perpetuall paralel in his epistle to the Iewes who stood much therevpon Whatsoeuer is future is vntill then obsoure The old Legall Testament So was the covenant in the Old Testament and that so much the more because it was in a legall forme and went on in a legall tenor by command vvith promise as that of workes did o Exod. 34.28 Ps 78.5 Hee declared vnto them his covenant which hee commanded them to performe even ten commandements Nay not onely the morall duties but euen the graces which had beene promised were commanded in certaine types and figures to be obserued and their faith thereof to be professed by rites and ceremonies The Law was so giuen that it might be not onely an hand writing of ordinances against them but withall an hand leading of them vnto Christ the euer promised Messiah so shadowed vnto them p Quid est aliud hodièque gens ipsa Iudaeorum nisi quaedam scriniaria Christianorum balulanslegem Prophetas ad testimonium assertionis ecclesiae Aug contra Faustum Manichaeum l 12. c. 23. Et idem in Psal 56. In qua erergo opprobrio sunt Iudaei Codicem portat Iudaeus vndè credat Christianus Librarij nostri facti sunt quomodo solent serui post dominos codicesferre stisti portando deficiant illi legendo proficiant And it euer remaines vnto vs an hand-writing against them who haue not beleeued For it should haue beene their q Gal. 3.24 Schoolemaster vnto Christ r v. 19. For it vvas added because of transgressions to keepe them within the pale of the couenant which they were euer most ready to transgresse and to leade them to the fountaine of grace which else they would neuer haue sought whilest by the one law they knew how God would bee served and failing thereof they might perceiue by the other how yet notwithstanding they should bee saued A kinde of discipline fitted to the ſ Gal. 4.1 nonage of the Church and frowardnes of that people that by visible things they might be drawne on and be kept vnder by the Law as it were t Gal. 3.23 guarded and shut vp and paled in vnto the faith which should afterward bee reuealed The ceremoniall law given by Moses in certaine signes and figures proper to that time of infancy for the helpe of their faith is now ceased since the things themselmes came in sight u 1. Cor. 13.10 For when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away as the lesser lights are swallowed vp in the glorious splendour of the Sun Wherefore to practise those ceremonies of figure which are abolished being accomplished were Iewishly to deny Christ and to bring in practise their ceremonies of order by any imposed or with any supposed necessity which was the vvall of partition is very repugnant to Christian liberty w Galo 5.1 we must therefore stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made vs free else Christ shall profit vs nothing The iudiciall law proper to that kingdome of the Iewes for their civill gouernment although it be not necessarily inioyned vs yet being God his owne commentary vpon the morall law and an absolute forme of government appointed by God himself for his owne people cannot be vnworthy our imitation in the equity thereof so farre as it may stand with these times and with the conditions of seuerall nations But the morall law of the necessary duties of loue abideth for euer x 1. Cor. 13.8 For loue neuer failes but is euer more and more perfected from a kinde of servile feare at the first entrance to a vvilling obedience and from the vvill here to a perfect deed hereafter y Iobn 1 17 The Law vvas given by Moses but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ They vnder the Old Testament lightly following the letter mistooke the meaning z 2 Cor 3 13. not looking to the end of that vvhich vvas to bee abolished vvherevnto Moses had an eye vnder the vaile For they perceiued not so well the grace intended by the legall Testament which the perfection of the morall law whereof they could not but faile should haue forced them to seeke and the imperfection of the typicall law a Heb 7 19 vvhich made nothing perfect should haue led them to finde But they generally rested in the * in opere operato vvorke done as was commanded by either law when as themselues were vnsufficient to doe the one and the other was in it selfe as vnsufficient to helpe them b Heb 10 1. For if the sacrifices vvhich they offered yeare by yeare continually having a shadow of good things to come and not the reall forme of them could make the commers therevnto perfect vvould they not haue ceased to bee offered c Heb. 7.11 And if perfection vvere by the first Testament vvhat farther neede vvas there that another Preist should arise a Preist of another order d v. 16. made after the power of an endlesse life e c. 9.15 For this cause therefore Christ is the Mediatour of the New Testament that by meanes of death for the redemption of transgressions that were vnder the first Testament they vvhich are called might receiue the promise of eternall inheritance The New Evangelicall Testament And now the Gospell preached vnto vs what is it but the performance of that f Rom. 1.1.2 vvhich vvas promised long before by the Prophets in the holy Scripture What is it but g 1. Pet. 1.12 the report of those things vvhich they did minister vnto vs What is it but the