N00652:26
Faith at work. A brief and plain essay, upon certain articles of the Gospel,…
Faith at work. A brief and plain essay, upon certain articles of the Gospel, most necessary to be understood by every Christian: to wit, the nature, the order, and the necessity of the good works, by which the faith of a Christian is to be evidenced. : [Two lines in Latin from Luther]
printed by B. Green, 1697
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.
And now there is a Second Case which a Christian has to consider, that so he may be stirred up, and helped on, to do those Good Works by which he may approve himself indeed a Christian.
Where Lies the Necessity of Good Works, in a Justified Believer, to Justify the Faith, which he is a Professor of?
Where Lies the Necessity of Good Works, in a Justified Believer, to Justifie the Faith, which he is a Professor of?
Now we do know this; That our Good Works are not Antecedently necessary unto our Justification before the God of Heaven. For Good Works cannot be done by any man, until he be Justified. Until a man be United unto the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Life, he is a Dead man: and what Good Works can a Dead man do? This is a thing Livelily Preached unto us, by our Lord Himself, in the fifteenth Chapter of John; The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Hence that common saying of Austin, Bona Opera sequuntur Justificatum, non praecedunt Justificandum. No, nor is Faith it self, As doing of Good Works, that which Entitles us unto the Righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ, for our Justification; 'Tis Faith, only As it Lays Hold on the Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, for the chief of Sinners, that Justifies us; And until this be done, we cannot be carried forth unto any Good Works at all.
Now we do know this; That our Good Works are not Antecedently necessary unto our Justification before the God of Heaven. For Good VVorks cannot be done by any man, until he be Justified. Until a man be United unto the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Life, he is a Dead man: and what Good Works can a Dead man do? This is a thing Livelily Preached unto us, by our Lord Himself, in the fifteenth Chapter of John; The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Hence that common saying of Austin, Bona Opera sequuntur Justificatum, non praecedunt Justificandum. No, nor is Faith it self, As doing of Good Works, that which Entitles us unto the Righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ, for our Justification; 'Tis Faith, only As it Layes Hold on the Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, for the chief of Sinners, that Justifies us; And until this be done, we cannot be carried forth unto any Good Works at all.