A09434:156
A godly and learned exposition upon the whole epistle of Jude, containing threescore and…A godlie and learned exposition upon the whole epistle of Iude, containing threescore and…
A godly and learned exposition upon the whole epistle of Jude, containing threescore and six sermons preached in Cambridge by that reverend and faithful man of God, Master William Perkins, and now at the request of his executors, published by Thomas Taylor, preacher of Gods word ; whereunto is prefixed a large analysis, containing the sum and order of the whole book, according to the authors own method, to which are further added, four brief tables to direct the reader ...A godlie and learned exposition upon the whole epistle of Iude, containing threescore and sixe sermons preached in Cambridge by that reverend and faithfull man of God, Master William Perkins, and now at the request of his executors, published by Thomas Taylor, preacher of Gods word ; whereunto is prefixed a large analysis, containing the summe and order of the whole booke, according to the authors owne method, to which are further added, foure briefe tables to direct the reader ...
London: printed by Felix Kyngston for Thomas Man, 1606
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Thirdly, consider the use of love; It is the instrument and companion of true faith, which worketh by love, Galath. 5.6. The proper work of faith is to lay hold on Christ, this faith as a hand can of it self do; but when it cometh to the practise of moral duties, it can no more work without the grace of love, then a hand (which can lay hold alone and of it self receive and retain) can cut any thing without an instrument. Whence it appeareth, that faith in justification is alone, but in the life of man it worketh by love: and whereas it hath bin taught for many hundred years that love is the life of faith ▪ that is un•rue, for it only testifieth that faith hath life. It is alleged, that as the body without the spirit is dead, 1even so faith without works is dead: therefore works are the soul, and give life to faith. But this consequence from this comparison is not good, because the soul is not properly the soul of the body but of the man, and so it proveth not that love is the soul of faith. Again, the word Spirit there betokeneth the breath, without which the body is dead, and thus is the comparison to be returned; that as breath maketh not a man living, but showeth him to be alive, so love maketh not faith living, but testifieth it so to be; yea indeed is the fruit and effect of faith, as breath is of life.
Thirdly, consider the vse of loue; It is the instrument and companion of true faith, which worketh by loue, Galath. 5.6. The proper worke of faith is to lay hold on Christ, this faith as a hand can of it selfe doe; but when it commeth to the practise of morall duties, it can no more worke without the grace of loue, then a hand (which can lay hold alone and of it selfe receiue and retaine) can cut any thing without an instrument. Whence it appeareth, that faith in iustification is alone, but in the life of man it worketh by loue: and whereas it hath bin taught for many hundred yeeres that loue is the life of faith ▪ that is vn•rue, for it only testifieth that faith hath life. It is alleaged, that as the bodie without the spirit is dead, 1euen so faith without workes is dead: therfore workes are the soule, and giue life to faith. But this consequence from this comparison is not good, because the soule is not properly the soule of the bodie but of the man, and so it proueth not that loue is the soule of faith. Again, the word Spirit there betokeneth the breath, without which the body is dead, and thus is the comparison to be returned; that as breath maketh not a man liuing, but sheweth him to be aliue, so loue maketh not faith liuing, but testifieth it so to be; yea indeed is the fruite and effect of faith, as breath is of life.