A harmony upon the the three Evangelists, Matthew, Mark and Luke with the commentary…A harmonie vpon the the three Euangelists, Matthew, Mark and Luke with the commentarie…

25 Verily, verily I say unto you. Seeing that the Evangelist bringeth in the son of God so oftentimes swearing in the matter of our salvation: we do first of all hereby perceive how careful he was for us: and secondly, how greatly it skilleth that the credit of the gospel be well and throughly established and grounded. Truly he seemeth to tell in this place a certain uncredible thing, when as this effect of faith is declared whereof Christ entreateth: therefore he confirmeth with an oath that the voice of the Gospel is so lively, that it is able to raise up the dead. It is evident enough that he speaketh of the spiritual death. For they that refer it unto Lazarus and the son of the widow of Na•m, and such like, they are refuted by the text it self. Christ telleth us first that we are all dead, before he doth quicken us. And hereby it appeareth of what force the whole nature of man is unto the obtaining of salvation, When as the Papists will set up their free will, they compare it to the Samaritan, whom the robbers left half dead in the way. As though it were lawful with the smoke of an Allegory to darken a clear sentence, whereby Christ doth flatly adjudge us to death. And truly seeing that we are estranged from God through sin, after the falling away of the first man, whosoever do not acknowledge themselves to be oppressed with eternal destruction, they do nothing else but deceive themselves with vain flatterings. I grant truly, that there remaineth some life in the soul of man: (for both the understanding, and will, & all the senses are so many parts of life) but because there is no part of life, which doth aspire unto the heavenly life, it is no marvel if the whole man, as appertaining unto the kingdom of God, be judged ⟨p. 121⟩dead. And Paul declareth this death at large (Ephe. 2. 1. and 4. 17.) when as he saith that we are estranged from the pure & sound reason of the mind, and that being enemies unto God with all the affection of our heart, and adversaries of his justice, that we wander in darkness being blind, we are given to wicked concupiscence. If there be no force in a nature, that is so corrupt, to desire righteousness, it followeth that the life of God is quite extinguished in us. So that the grace of Christ, is the true resurrection from death. Furthermore, we have this grace given us by the gospel: