A09353:1184
A golden chain, or the description of theologyA golden chaine, or the description of theologie
A golden chain, or the description of theology containing the order of the causes of salvation and damnation, according to Gods word. A view of the order whereof, is to be seen in the table annexed. Written in Latin by William Perkins, and translated by an other. Hereunto is adjoined the order which M. Theodore Beza used in comforting troubled consciences.A golden chaine, or the description of theologie containing the order of the causes of saluation and damnation, according to Gods woord. A view of the order wherof, is to be seene in the table annexed. Written in Latine by William Perkins, and translated by an other. Hereunto is adioyned the order which M. Theodore Beza vsed in comforting troubled consciences.
London: printed by Edward Alde, 1591
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
V. And of all the effects of sanctification, these are most notable. I. To feel our wants, & in the bitterness of heart, to bewail the offence of God in every sin. II. To strive against the flesh, that is, to resist, & hate the ungodly motions thereof, & with grief to think them burdenous & troublesome. III. To desire earnestly and vehemently the grace of God, & merit of Christ to obtain eternal life. IIII. When it is obtained, to account it a most precious jewel. Phil. 3.8. V. To love the minister of Gods word, in that he is a minister, & a christian, in that he is a christian: and for that cause, if need require, to be ready to spend our blood with them. Mat. 10.42. 1. Joh. 3.16. VI. To call upon God earnestly, & with tears. VII. To desire & 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, & love God, when he showeth himself an enemy, and thus remain to the end. 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 ⟨image 163⟩dismayed, because it is most sure, that if they have faith, but as much as a grain of mustard seed, and as weak as a young infant is, it is sufficient to engraft them into Christ, & therefore we must not doubt of their election, because they see their faith feeble, & the effects of the holy Ghost faint within them.
V. And of al the effects of sanctificatiō, these are most notable. I. To feele our wants, & in the bitternes of heart, to bewaile the offence of God in euery sin. II. To striue against the flesh, that is, to resist, & hate the vngodly motions thereof, & with griefe to thinke thē burthenous & troublesome. III. To desire earnestly and vehemently the grace of God, & merit of Christ to obtain eternall life. IIII. When it is obtained, to accounte it a most precious iewell.