The Institution of Christian Religion

In an other place the same Paul doth more plainly, although shortly,§3 go through all the parts of a well ordered life,¹ saying: The grace of God that bringeth salvation unto all men, hath appeared and teacheth us, that we should deny all ungodliness, and worldly lusts, & that we should live sober minded, righteously and Godly in this present world, looking for the blessed hope & glorious appearing of the mighty God, and of our saviour Jesus Christ, which gave him self for us to redeem us from all unrighteousness, and to purge us a peculiar ⟨image 239⟩people unto him self fervently given unto good works. For after that he hath set forth the grace of God to encourage them, to make ready the way for us to worship God, he taketh away two steppes that do most hinder us, that is to say, Ungodliness, whereunto we are naturally to much inclined, and Worldly desires, which extend further. And under the name of ungodliness, he not only meaneth superstitions, but also comprehendeth all that disagreeth with the earnest fear of God. And worldly lusts are in effect as much as the affections the flesh. Therefore he commandeth us in respect of both the tables of the law, to put of our own wit, & to forsake all that our own reason and will informeth us. And all the doings of our life he bringeth into three parts, sobriety, righteousness, and godliness: of the which sobriety without doubt signifieth as well chastity and temperance, as a pure and measurably sparing use of temporal things, and a patient sufferance of poverty. Righteousness containeth all the duties of equity, to give every man his own. The third is Godliness, that severeth us from the defilings of the world, and with true holiness joineth us to God. These things, when they be knit together with an unseparable knot, make a full perfection. But for as much as nothing is more hard, than forsaking the reason of the flesh, yea subduing and renouncing her desires, to give our selves to God and our brethren, & to study for an angelic life in the filthy state of this earth: therefore Paul, to loose our minds from all snares, calleth us back to the hope of blessed immortality, admonishing us not to strive in vain: because as Christ hath ones appeared the redeemer, so at his last coming, he shall show the fruit of the salvation that he hath purchased.