A Golden Chain

To desire and love Christs coming, and the day of judgement, that an end may be made of the days of sin. VIII. To fly all occasions of sin, and seriously to endeavour to come to newness of life. IX. To persevere in these things to the last gasp of life. Luther hath a good sentence for this purpose. He that will serve God, must, saith he, believe that which cannot be seen, hope for that which is deferred, and love God, when he showeth himself an enemy, and thus remain to the end. VI. Now, if so be all the effects of the spirit are very feeble in the godly, they must know this, that God trieth them, yet so, as they must not therewith be dismayed, because it is most sure, that if they have faith, but as much as a grain of mustard seed, and be as weak as a young infant is, it is sufficient to engraft them into Christ, & therefore they must not doubt of their election, because they see their faith feeble, and the effects of the holy Ghost faint within them. ⟨p. 178⟩VII. Neither must he, that as yet hath not felt in his heart any of these effects, presently conclude, that he is a Reprobate: but let him rather use the word of God, and the Sacraments, that he may have an inward sense of the power of Christ, drawing him unto him, and an assurance of his redemption by Christs death and passion. VIII. No man may peremptorily set down, that himself, or any other is a reprobate. For God doth oftentimes prefer those which did seem to be most of all estranged from his favour, to be in his kingdom above those, who in mans judgement were the children of the kingdom. Hence is it that Christ saith: The Publicans and harlots go before you: and, many an one is called at the eleventh hour, as appeareth by that notable example of the thief upon the cross.

To desire and loue Christs comming, and the day of iudgement, that an ende may bee made of the daies of sinne. VIII. To flie all occasions of sinne, and seriously to endeauour to come to newnesse of life. IX. To perseuere in these things to the last gaspe of life. Luther hath a good sentence for this purpose. Hee that will serue God, must, saith he, beleeue that which cannot bee seene, hope for that which is deferred, and loue God, when he sheweth himselfe an enemie, and thus remaine to the ende. VI. Nowe, if so be all the effects of the spirit are very feeble in the godly, they must know this, that God trieth them, yet so, as they must not therewith be dismaied, because it is most sure, that if they haue faith, but as much as a graine of mustard seede, and bee as weake as a young infant is, it is sufficient to ingraffe thē into Christ, & therefore they must not doubt of their election, because they see their faith feeble, and the effects of the holy Ghost faint within them.