A Golden Chain

And so should we become new creatures going on from grace to grace, and show the same by living godlily, righteously, and soberly, that the world may see that we are cured of our spiritual disease. O happy, yea thrice happy are they that have grace from god to do this. The second duty concerns them which are repentant sinners. Hath Christ given himself for thee, and is thy conscience settled in this? then thou must answerably bear this mind, and if thy life would serve for the glory of God and the good of his Church, thou wouldst then give it most willingly if thou be called thereto. Secondly, if Christ for thy good hath given his life, then thou must in like manner be content to die for thy brethren in Christ, if need be:¹ He• (saith Saint John) laid down his life for us, therefore we• ought to lay down our lives for our brethren. Thirdly, if Christ was content to shed his own heart blood not for himself, but for the sins of every one of us, then we must be thus affected, that rather then by sinning we would willingly offend God, we should be content to have our own blood shed: yea if these two things were put to our choice, either to do that which might displease God, or else to suffer death• we must rather die then do the same. Of this mind have been all the Martyrs of God, who rather then they would yield to Idolatry, were content to suffer most bitter torments and cruel death. Yea, every good Christian is so affected, that he had rather choose to die then to live, not moved by impatience in respect of the miseries of this life: but because he would cease to offend so loving a father. To sin is meat and drink to the world, but to a touched and repentant heart there is no torment so grievous as this is, to sin against God, if once he be persuaded that Christ died for him.

And so should we become newe creatures going on from grace to grace, and shew the same by liuing godlily, righteously, and soberly, that the worlde may see that we are cured of our spirituall disease. O happie, yea thrice happie are they that haue grace from god to doe this. The second dutie concernes them which are repentant sinners. Hath Christ giuen himselfe for thee, and is thy conscience setled in this? then thou must answerably beare this mind, and if thy life would serue for the glory of God and the good of his Church, thou wouldst then giue it most willingly if thou be called thereto. Secondly, if Christ for thy good hath giuen his life, then thou must in like maner be content to die for thy brethren in Christ, if neede be: