Although it be true, & nothing more true, that God of his own mere 1mercy & free goodness & undeserved benignity saved us when we ware so utterly lost, that by no means we could seek any part of our own salvation, nor recover by our own strength & power any thing at all that we before had lost in Adam, so that both our creation, election, redemption, salvation, justification, & glorification cometh only of him 2through his most entirely beloved Son, our Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ. Yet do these his benefits only belong unto them, that are his faithful servants, & the sons of his handmaid, as David saith here: O Lord because I am thy ser vaunt, yea thy servant in deed, & the son of thy handmaid, thou hast broken my bonds. We see here ⟨image 72⟩that David confesseth, that God 3brake his bonds, but he addeth also, that he therefore is his servant, yea his unfeigned servant & y• son of his handmaid. Whereby we may easily learn that the merciful been fites of God the father, which lie poured out in Christs blood, pertain not unto all persons universally, but only unto those, that are his servants, yea & that not feigned, but true, hearty, loving and faithful, & the sons of his hand maid. God hath performed the oath, saith y• good priest Zechariah father to S. John baptist, which he sware 4unto Abraham our father, to give us, that we being without fear & delivered from the power of our enemies, should serve him with holiness & righteousness before him all the days of our life. We are delivered saith this good priest, from the power of our enemies not y• we should ⟨image 72⟩live wickedly & ungodly, but that we should serve our LORD God, not in our own fleshly imaginations & blind good ententes, but in holiness & righteousness, yea & that not a day or two, but all the days of our life. God hath not called us, saith S. Paul, unto uncleanness, 5but unto sanctification. God hath blessed you, saith the scripture, by his Son Jesus, that every one of you should turn from his wickedness. God hath broken our bonds, that we should be his faithful ser vaunts & the sons of his hand maid, as David saith. Now what 6is it to be the servant of God? Ue rely to do those things that we be commanded of God. In consideration whereof S.
Although it be true, & nothynge more true, yt God of his owne mere 1mercy & fre goodnes & vndeserued benignite saued vs whan we ware so vtterly loste, that by no meanes we could seke ony parte of our own saluacion, nor recouer by our owne strength & power ony thynge at all that we before had lost in Adam, so that both oure creācion, eleccion, re demcion, saluacion, iustificacion, & glorificacion commeth only of hym 2thorow his moost entierly beloued sonne, our Lord & Sauiour Iesus Christe. Yet do these his benefites only belonge vnto thē, that are his faythfull seruauntes, & the sonnes of his handemayd, as Dauid sayth here: O Lord because I am thy ser uaunte, yea thy seruaunt in dede, & the sonne of thy handmayde, thou hast broken my bondes. We se here ⟨image 72⟩that Dauid confessethe, that God 3brake his bondes, but he addeth also, that he therfore is his seruaunt, yea his vnfayned seruaūte & y• sōne of his handmayd. Wherby we maye easly learne that the merciful bene fites of God the father, which lyghe poured out in Christes bloude, pertayne not vnto all persons vniuersallye, but only vnto those, that are his seruauntes, yea & that not fayned, but true, hartye, louynge and faythful, & the sonnes of his hande mayd. God hath performed ye othe, sayth y• good preste Zachary father to S. Iohn̄ baptist, which he sware 4vnto Abraham our father, to gyue vs, that we beyng without feare & delyuered frō the power of our enemies, shoulde serue hym wt holynes & ryghteousnesse before hym all the dayes of our lyfe. We are delyuered sayth this good preste, from the power of our enemiesnot y• we should ⟨image 72⟩lyue wickedly & vngodly, but that we shoulde serue oure LORDE God, not in our owne fleshly ymaginacions & blynde good ententes, but in holynes & righteousnes, yea & that not a daye or two, but al the dayes of our lyfe. God hath not called vs, saythe S. Paule, vnto vnclennes, 5but vnto sanctificacion. God hathe blyssed you, saythe the scripture, by his sonne Iesus, that euery one of you shoulde turne from his wicked nes. God hath broken our bondes, that we shoulde be his faythfull ser uauntes & the sonnes of his hande mayd, as Dauid sayth. Now what
- 1The goodness of God toward us.The good nes of God toward vs.
- 2Rom. viii.
- 3Note to whom the benefits of God in ChristbelongNote to whome the benefytes of God in Christbelōg
- 4Luke. i. Gene. xxii.
- 51. Thes. i. Act. iii.
- 6What it is to be the ser vaunt of God.What it is to be the ser uaunte of God.
