Use. 1Let this then forewarn us what we have to do: It is the Gospel that will either throughly justify thee, or extremely condemn thee. The Spirit shall convince the world of sin, (saith Christ) and why so? but because they believe not on me, John 16.9. There is no sin but infidelity, no righteousness but faith: not that adultery, intemperance, malice, are no sins; but if unfaithfulness remain not all, these sins are pardoned, and so they are as if they were no sins indeed. How quick a riddance true repenting faith makes with our sins? they are too heavy for our shoulders, and we cannot bear them; faith only turns them over unto Christ, and we are disburdened of them: whereas there would go with us to judgement an huge kennel of lusts, an army of vain words, a legion of evil deeds, faith instantly dischargeth them all, and kneeling down to Jesus Christ, beseecheth him to answer for them all, howsoever committed. O then make we much of faith! but not of such a faith neither, as goes alone without works: it is nothing at this judgement to say, I have believed, and not well lived: the Gospel requires both, faith to believe, and obedience to work: not only to repent and believe the Gospel, Mark 1.15.2 but to obey from the heart that form of doctrine, Rom. 6.17.3 True indeed, thou shalt be saved for thy faith, not for thy works, but for such a faith as is without works thou shalt never be saved; we say therefore,4 works are disjoined, from the act of justifying, not from the person justified: heaven is given to us for Christs merits, but we must show him the fair copy of our lives. O then let this move us to abound in knowledge, and faith, and repentance, and love, and zeal, and clothing, and feeding, and lodging the poor members of Christ Jesus, and howsoever all these can merit nothing at Gods hands, yet will he crown his own gifts, and reward them in his mercy. Say then, dost thou relieve a poor member of Christ Jesus? dost thou give a cup of cold water to a Prophet in the name of Prophet? 5Christ doth promise thee of his truth he will not let thee lose thy reward: certainly he will not, so thy works be done in faith: why this is the covenant, the glad tidings, the Gospel, to live well and believe well. O let not that which is a word of comfort to ⟨p. 115⟩us, be a bill of indictment against us!
Ʋse. 1Let this then forewarn us what we have to do: It is the Gospel that will either throughly justifie thee, or extremely condemn thee. The Spirit shall convince the world of sinne, (saith Christ) and why so? but because they believe not on me, John 16.9. There is no sinne but infidelitie, no righteousnesse but faith: not that adulterie, intemperance, malice, are no sinnes; but if unfaithfulnesse remain not all, these sinnes are pardoned, and so they are as if they were no sins indeed. How quick a riddance true repenting faith makes with our sinnes? they are too heavie for our shoulders, and we cannot bear them; faith onely turns them over unto Christ, and we are disburthened of them: whereas there would go with us to judgement an huge kennell of lusts, an armie of vain words, a legion of evil deeds, faith instantly dischargeth them all, and kneeling down to Jesus Christ, beseecheth him to answer for them all, howsoever committed. O then make we much of faith! but not of such a faith neither, as goes alone without works: it is nothing at this judgement to say, I have believed, and not well lived: the Gospel requires both, faith to believe, and obedience to work: not onely to repent and believe the Gospel, Mark 1.15.2 but to obey from the heart that form of doctrine, Rom. 6.17.3 True indeed, thou shalt be saved for thy faith, not for thy works, but for such a faith as is without works thou shalt never be saved; we say therefore,4 works are disjoyned, from the act of justifying, not from the person justified: heaven is given to us for Christs merits, but we must shew him the fair copie of our lives. O then let this move us to abound in knowledge, and faith, and repentance, and love, and zeal, and clothing, and feeding, and lodging the poor members of Christ Jesus, and howsoever all these can merit nothing at Gods hands, yet will he crown his own gifts, and reward them in his mercy. Say then, dost thou relieve a poor member of Christ Jesus? dost thou give a cup of cold water to a Prophet in the name of Prophet? 5Christ doth promise thee of his truth he will not let thee lose thy reward: certainly he will not, so thy works be done in faith: why this is the covenant, the glad tidings, the Gospel, to live well and believe well. O let not that which is a word of comfort to
- 1Vel te totaliter absolvit, vel te capitaliter damnat. John 16.9.
- 2Mark 1.15.
- 3Rom. 6.17.
- 4A justificando, non à justificato.
- 5Matt. 10.42.
