A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the dutiesA guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties

§. Sect. 1 That without faith we cannot perform any duties of a godly life.

§. Sect. 1 That without fayth we cannot performe any duties of a godly life.

The second main ground of a godly life, is a true and justifying faith, without which we cannot perform any duty acceptable to God. For before our works can be acceptable, our persons must be accepted; neither can the actions of an enemy be pleasing unto him with whom he is at emnity, before they be reconciled: we must first be good trees, before we can bring forth any good fruits, and have our hearts sanctified by faith, before we can do the works of sanctification. For who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one, saith Job. And what is ⟨p. 41⟩¹man, that he should be clean? and he that is borne of a woman, that he should be righteous? As Eliphaz speaketh. First Abel's person must be accepted, before ²his sacrifice could be acceptable. And we cannot be accepted in our selves, being dead in sin, and the children of wrath as well as others, till being by faith united unto Christ, God accepteth of us in his best Beloved. Without ³faith therefore it is impossible to please God, for till our persons please him, our actions cannot. Again, Whatsoever is not done of faith, is sin; and our ⁴best actions which seem most glorious in the eyes of men, will not endure the sight of Gods justice, because they are imperfect, and stained with the filth of our corruptions, till having applied Christ unto us by faith, our unrighteousness be covered with his perfect righteousness, and our corruptions be washed away with his blood. And this was the cause why the Jews, who followed after the law of righteousness, did not attain