A View of Mans Estate, Tract 1 · Chapter 15
The fiftenth Chapter.
¶The aſſurance of ſuch as take holde of Gods merciemercy freely offred in Christe.
THus hauehave we looked on and ouerlooked the beautifull worke of God, concerning our regeneration in Chryſte Ieſus our Lorde, we hauehave aſſayed to drawe vp that which was layd abrode: now therfore to knit vp the knot and to make a through ſtyche, let vsus caſt aſyde all ſelfe louelove, and ſticke onelyonly to the louelove of the liuing God, the true fountaine and wel of the water of life: bearing ſtill in mynde the ſaying of S. Iohn: God ſo loueth the worlde,) and that he ſaithe, herein is louelove not that we loued him, and that oure louelove is but a fruite of the roote: for ſo he ſaith:1. Epiſt 4. therefore we louelove him bicauſe he loued vsus firſt: let vsus therefore begin to recken there where we hauehave to fetch all good things, whether it be louelove, light or life, euē from that firſt fountaine whiche S. Iohn hath ſo ſet ab…och before vsus, ſaying: he loued vsus firſt, remēber what he ſaith in whom God ſheweth all his merciemercy: (without me ye can do nothing:) and what he ſaith to them that take parte with him: to you nothing ſhall be vnpoſsible: and aboue all things let vsus conſider the conditiō vnderunder which that deede of gifte paſſeth: God hath giuen his ſonne, that whoſo beleueth in him, he ſhould hauehave louelove and life with God: So doth God drawe vsus vntounto Chriſte, as he pronounced by his Prophet:Eſay. 28. he that beléeueth on him ſhall not be aſhamed. And Chriſte calleth vsus vntounto him:Rom. 8. come vntounto me al ye that are heauy laden: how may we come but by the foote of faith?Rom. 5. for whom he calleth, thē he iuſtifieth: and we being iuſtified by fayth hauehave peace towardes God through oure Lorde Ieſus Chriſte, by whome alſo we hauehave acceſſe through faythe (ſayth the Apoſtle) vntounto this grace wherein we ſtand:Iohn. 1. for want of fayth it was that Chriſte was not receiued of his owne, but the beloued beleeuers they receiued him: to them he gaue the power to be the ſonnes of God, they are knit faſt to Chriſte, they are the body, and he is the heade, they are frée by him, they are frends in one houſe, felowes in one inheritance, and ſonnes of one father with our Lorde Ieſus O how happy are we if we hauehave faithe: for then are we choſen, we are called, we are iuſtified, we are glorified: God is on our ſide: who may ſtand againſt vsus? what ſhall we now dout to obtaine at Gods hands? for he that ſpared not his ſonne, but gaue him for vsus al: howe ſhall he not with him giuegive vsus all things alſo? we are Gods choſen: who ſhall lay any thing to our charge? Chriſt is dead, he is ryſen: euen he to whome all iudgement is committed, he maketh earneſt ſute and continuall requeſt, he pleadeth for vsus: who ſhal then condemne vsus? who ſhal ſeparate vsus now from the louelove of Chryſt? Shall tribulation or anguiſhe, or perſecution, or famine, or nakedneſſe, or perill, or ſword? in all theſe things (ſayth S. Paule) we are more than conquerors through him that loued vsus: And vponupon this is he ſo bold that he ſayth: I am perſuaded, that neyther death nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things preſente, nor things to come, nor heigth, nor depth, nor any other creature ſhall be able to ſeparate vsus from the louelove of God which is in Chriſt Ieſus our Lorde.1. Corin. 15. O let vsus ſet this example of faithfull Paule before vsus, let vsus holde faſt the louelove of God with him: howe came he by that bolde and mightie ſpirite? by the grace of God I am that I am (ſayth he) & againe: we hauehave boldneſſe and entrance by fayth in him, that is, in Chriſt Ieſus: wherefore his exhortation ſhall be moſte neceſſarie at al tymes: watch ye (ſaith he) ſtand faſt in the faith, quit you like men & be ſtrong, let vsus put on the armor of God, let vsus not feare to enter the fielde hauing Chriſt our Captaine, & aboue al, let vsus be ſure to take with vsus the ſhielde of faithe: that hath S. Iohns warrant, that therewith we may conquer the world as Chriſt hath done: and S. Paules, that therewith we maye quenche the fierie dartes of the wicked: and S. Peters alſo, that with the mightie force of faith we may mouſell vp the bloudy mouth of that roring Lyon, ſo we being armed and fortified with fayth, we maye walke free without all feare: now we may defie the ſerpent & his ſéede with all their ſubtiltie: let the Deuil now rore and rage, let him fret, let him fume, & fome, Chriſt is on our ſide, in whome the Prince of this worlde hath naught to do: let him as he dare fling vponupon vsus his fierie darts, the ſhield of faith ſhall ſoone quench them: let him caſt his blockes and ſet his trees againſte vsus, yet by fayth we ſhall ſoone remoue and rent them by the rootes: let him throw mountaines vponupon vsus, let the gates of hell be ſette open vponupon vsus, yet what is that can preuayle againſte vsus? what may ſeparat vsus from the louelove God? Chriſt is riſen and we ſhall not be kepte down: for in him as S. Paule ſaith:Colloſ. 2. we are raiſed vp togither through the faith of the operation of God, whiche rayſed him fro the dead: wherefore I exhort ſuch as louelove their life and like the louelove of God, and ſay againe with S. Paule that which can neuer be ſaid to much, ſtand faſt in the faith of Chriſt: let vsus heare his warning while it may profite vsus: This is the condemnatiō (ſayth Chriſte) that light is come into the world,Iohn. 3. and men loued darkneſſe more thā light: And againe on the contrarie part, he calleth vsus vntounto him on this wiſe: While ye hauehave light, beléeue on the light that ye may be the childrē of light: let vsus beware therefore, and as we would be loth to loſe our part in that ioyfull tydings of the Angell, vntounto you is borne a Sauiour: ſo let vsus take that warning of Chriſt, beleeue in the light: vponupon this point ſtandeth the whole cauſe of our redemption: God he hath ſent light into the world, & that light is life to the beléeuer: betwixt beléeuing & not beleeuing, there now lieth the whole matter a bléeding: if we beléeue not, then no doubt but we bléede to death: for Chriſt is come, and this is he that ſhould come, & we muſt not loke for any other: he is dead, and he dyed once for all, he offered one ſacrifice, and that once for all: let vsus therefore now or neuer beware that Chriſt be welcome vntounto vsus: that he denie vsus not before his father, and that we be welcome vntounto him at his next comming. For he ſhall come the ſeconde tyme, not as before, to ſaue that which was loſt, but to ſitte in his glorious throne, and to iudge who is ſaued and who is loſt. Then ſhall he vſe his left hande as well as his right hande, he ſhall ſift the good corne from the chaffe: the one part ſhall be gathered into the barne, but the other ſhall be moſte terribly burned with vnquenchable fire: and it is fayth that maketh and marreth in this matter, that is the knyſe wherewith Chriſt ſhall cut the partes aſunder: if we beléeue we liue, if we beléeue not, we liue not: for it is decréed that Chriſt ſhall deale thoſe two diſhes: to periſh, and to hauehave life euerlaſting: And he hath alreadie made the deuiſion, and ſhall as certainly diſtribute it. And this is thy portion O vnhappie infidell: Chriſt biddeth thée depart from him, for thou haſt not receyued him, thou haſt refuſed the louelove of God offered in Chriſt, and therefore muſt thou take thy part with the Diuell and his fellowes: thou ſhalt periſh and not hauehave life euerlaſting: but bleſſed are you ye faythfull beléeuers, you hauehave the right hand, Chriſt biddeth you welcome, you are the beloued of God, you hauehave not bene aſhamed to receyue Chriſt on the earth, and he ſhall receyue you in the high heauens, you ſhall poſſeſſe the glorious kingdome prepared for the choſen of God, you ſhall not periſh, but hauehave life euerlaſting. The which God graunt vsus of the louelove wherwith he ſo loueth the world for his only begotten ſonnes ſake. God be bleſſed for euer Amen.
By M.A.K.
The yeare of our Lorde. 1562.