A Golden Chain

The evils from which we are saved are our own sins, in that Christ freeth us from the guilt and the punishment and fault of them all, when we believe.

The euils from which we are saued are our owne sinnes, in that Christ freeth vs from the guilt and the punishment and fault of them all, when wee beleeue.

Thus much for the meaning of this title Jesus. Now follow the uses which arise of it. First of all, whereas we are taught to make confession that the sonn• of God is Jesus, that is, a Saviour; hence it must needs follow that we are lost in our selves. And indeed before we can truly acknowledge that Christ is our Saviour, this confession must needs go before, that we are in truth, and therewithal do feel our selves to be miserable sinners under the wrath of God, utterly lost in regard of our selves: for Christ came to save that which was lost. ¹And when he talked with the woman of Canaan, he checked her & said, he was not sent,² but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Christ Jesus came to pour oil into our wounds: Christ came to set them at liberty which are in prison: and to place them in freedom that are in bondage. Now a man cannot pour oil into a wound, before there be a wound, or before it be opened and we feel the smart of it. And how can we be set at liberty by Christ, except we feel our selves to be in bondage, under hell, death, and damnation? When the Disciples of Christ were upon the sea in a great tempest, they cried, Master, save us, we perish. ³So no man can heartily say, I believe Jesus Christ to be my Saviour, before he feel, that in himself he is utterly lost and cast away without his help. But after that we perceive our selves to be in danger and to be overwhelmed in the sea of the wrath of God, then we cry out with the disciples, Lord Jesus save us, we perish. Many protestants in these days hold Christ to be their Saviour, but it is only formably from the teeth outward, and no further: for they were never touched with the sense of their spiritual misery that they might say with Daniel, Shame and confusion belongeth unto us: and with the Publican, I am a sinner, Lord be merciful to me. And therefore the conclusion is this, that if we will have Christ to be our Saviour, we must first believe that in our selves we are utterly lost; and so must that place be understood where Christ saith, he is not sent, but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, that is, to those which in their own sense and feeling are lost in themselves.