The Governance of Virtue, Part 2 · Section 6
Against the plucking away of thy trust and confidence from Christ and his merites, to put it in the merites of other creatures or in thine owne good workes, or in the intercession of saints, or the sacrifice of the Popish Masse.
IF Sathan by this subtile and crafty suggestion seking thy dānation, go about to pluck thy faith, confidence, and truste from Christe his bloud, and his merites, to repose it in the merites of men, or in thine own good dedes, works and merites, or in the intercession of saintes, or in the sacrifice of the Popishe masse, so that thy whole saluation shall not hang on Christ▪ & his deseruīgs only but rather on some other stran̄g meanes: leane not to his temptations, but manfully resist them, stedfastly abiding in this pers…asion that Christ alone is thy righteousnesse and that all thy saluation dependeth on him alone and on none other thinge, neither in heauen nor in earth. And that thou may est be confirmed in this faith, let these scriptures whiche are vn…ubted verities, euer be before thine eyes & suffer not thy self neither by y• crafty assaults of sathan, nor by the subtle and fleshly reasons of any man to be plucked from them.
☞ Sentences out of the old Testament
Christ is that seede, which did treadGene. 4. down Sathans head.
Christ is that seede, in whom al nationsGene. 22. of the worlde shalbe blessed.
Christ is the ruler, duke and captain,Gene. 49. whome al nations hauehave so long looked for, whiche also defendeth his people from the power of Sathan.
Christ is that Sonne of God whomPsalm. 2 wee are commaunded to kisse and embrace, least wee pearish from the ryghte way.
Christ is our vpholder, our glory, & Psal. 3▪our strong shield.
Christ is the Lord, from whō al helth and saluation commeth, and hee it is ye blesseth his people.
Christ is the Lorde that neuer forsakethPsal. 9. them that truste in him and seeke after him.Psalm. 18.
Christ is our strength, our sure rock, our bulwarke, our refuge, our defence, our buckeler, and oure mighty sauinge helth, and our sanctuary.
Christ is he that saueth vsus, because it is his pleasure.
Christe saueth the poore oppressed, and layeth full lowe the highe lookes of the proude.
Christ is the Lord, in whome alonePsal. 12. our fathers trusted, they trusted, I say in him, and he deliuered them.
They cryed vntounto him, and they were made safe, they trusted in him and they were neuer confounded.
Christ is that Lord, whose waies vPsalm. 25. niuersall are mercy and truthe to them that seke after his Testament and ordinaunces. He it is that will be mercifull to our sinnes, euen for his owne names sake, be they neuer so great.
Christ is our light & our sauing helthPsalm. 27 whō thē shall we fear? Christ is the defē der … our life, of whome then shall we …e afrayed?
Christe is the strength of his people and the defender of the health of his annointed.
Christ is our refuge in all tribulatiōsPsalm. 32. that assaile vsus.
Christes eyes are vponupon them that fearPsalm. 33. hym, and vponupon them that trust in hys mercy, he may deliuer their souls from deathe▪ norishe them in the time of hunger.
Christ is gentle, blessed is that manPsal. 34. that trusteth in him.
Christ beholdeth the righteous, and heareth their prayer.
Christ is at hand for them that are troubled in hart, & he shall saue the hum ble and meke spirited.
Christe geueth saluation to the rightePsal. 37. ous, and he is the defēder in the tyme of trouble. He helpeth thē and deliuereth them, and maketh them free from finners, and saueth them because they trust in hym.
Christ pardoneth all our iniquities,Psal. 103. and healeth all our dyseases, he delyuereth our lyues from destruction, and crowneth vsus in iuercye and louynge kindnes.
Christ is righte mylde and mercyfull, flow vntounto wrath, but ready to forgenenes. He chydeth not euer, neither is he angrye alwayes, he dealeth not with vsus after our sinnes, nor rewardeth vsus accordyng to our wickednesse. The height of the heauens is not so present ouer the earth, as is his merciable goodnes ouer them that worship him. He setteth our sinnes as far from vsus, as is the East frō the West.
Neuer was there any father so tender vntounto his chyldren, as is the Lorde vntounto them that worshippe hym. For it is he that knoweth our making, he remembreth that we are but of dust.
That the age of man mortall is lyke grasse, that he florisheth lyke a flowre of the fielde. Whiche as soone as anye sharp wind toucheth it, it is gone being no more founde in hys place. But the merciable goodnes of the Lord is for euer and euer, preseruyng hys worshippers, and the form of his rightwise m… kyng is presente with theyr chylders chyldren, so long as they kepe his couenaunt and hold his commaundementes inmynd to do them.
Christ is the Lorde, with whome therePsalm. 129 is both infinite mercy, & plenteous redē tion: For he it is that redeemeth Israel from al their sinnes.
Christ is that Lord, yea Christ is thatEsay. 43 Lord in deede which putteth awaye our iniquities for his owne sake, and will remember them no more. Neither hauehave we anye thyng wherby we may be iusti fied in his sight.
Christ alone is that sauiour, in whomEsay. 45 Israel is saued with an euerlasting health.
Christ can no more forget vsus, then aEsay. 49. mother can forgette the chylde of her wombe. And thoughe she forgetteth her childe, yet cannot he forget vsus: For he hath written vp vsus in his hands, so that we are alway in his sight.
Christ hath taken vponupon him our dyseases,Esay 53. and borne awaye oure sorowes.
Christ was wounded for our iniquities, and brused for our sinnes.
Christ was offerd for vsus, because it was his pleasure.
Christe alone hath troden downe the vynepresse, neither was there any at al that helped him.
Examples out of the old Testament.
When God determined to slea all theExod. 12. first borne in the land of Egipt bothe of man and beaste, hee commaunded his people eueryevery man in hys house to slea a Lambe of a yere olde, and without spot, and with the bloud therof to annoynte the vpper doore post, and the two syde postes, that whan the Aungell, whiche smote the land of Egipt, should see the bloud, he mighte passe ouer them & not destroy them. This pascal Lambe of the Iewes, is a figure of the true Pascall lambe, Iesus Christ the Lorde, whiche is the pure and vndefiled lambe of God, whiche offered him selfe a sweete smellynge sacryfice vntounto God for vsus, which neuer committed synne, and in hys mouth no gyle was founde. For as the bloude of the Lambe sprynckled on the doore postes of the Israelites dydde dryue awaye the auenger, and kepte harmles the fyrst begotten of the Israelites: so lykewyse the bloude of Christ sprinckeled in the heartes of men by …aythe, dryueth Sathan, synne, death, desperation, and hell from them, puryfieth their consciences, maketh their hear tes merye, setteth them at one wyth God, and bringeth ouerlastyng lyfe as Sainct Iohn saith. Behold that lambe of god, which taketh away the sinne of the world.
Hereto agreeth the saying of S. Paule:1. Cor. 5 christ our passeouer is offred vp for vsus.
Christ was figured by Manna whichExo. 16 God gaue from heauen vntounto the Israelites to eate in the desart.
For as that breade was very plesaunte,Sap. 16. and good of taste, and had in it the sauour of all sweete and deintye meates, so that they whiche dyd eate of that, neded none other meate.
Euen so lykewyse is Christ the mostePsal. 78. sweete and pleasaunte breade, that came downe from heauen.
He that eateth of thys bread, shal lyueIohn. 6. for euer, neyther nedeth he to folow ani other straung repast. For in Christe the soule of a christen man through fayth findeth enough to fede vponupon.
The rock, out of the whiche plenty ofExod. 17. swete waters gushed out for the cōfort of the thirstye Israelites in the wildernes, signifyed Christe also as Sainte Paule dothe declare. For as that rocke gaue out abdundance of swete and plea sant waters to the great comfort of the peple of Israel, which otherwise should hauehave pearished: so likewise is Christe y• rock, out of the which floweth plenty of heauenlye waters, comfortable for the thirsty soule, whiche otherwise can not be succoured but muste needes pearish. And he that drinketh of those heauenly waters whiche come out of the rocke Christ, shall not nede to seeke after the …inking & dirtie puddles of other. For in this Christe, he shall finde plentye of waters to drinke, yea and that vntounto the vttermost for his soules helth, as Christ him self sayeth.
Whosoeuer shall drink of the waterIohn. 4. that I shall geue him, shall neuer more be a thirste, but the water that I shall geue him shall be in him a wel of water springing vp into euerlasting life.
The brasen serpent in the olde laweNum. 21. was a figure also of Christ.
For as those whiche were striken of y• fyry serpentes were made whole, whē they loked vppon the brasen Serpent for their faithes sake which they had in the promise of god annexed vntounto the ser pent: so likewise they that are wounded with the firie darts of Sathan, are made whole, when so euer they beholde with the eyes of the inward man by fayth. Iesus Christe whiche was crucified for our synne, as Christ himselfe testifieth, sayinge: As Moises lyfted vp the Serpent in the wildernesse, euen so must the Son of man be lyfted vp: that none that beleueth in him peryshe, but hauehave euer …astyng life.
Sentences out of the newe Testament.
Christ is so called a Sauiour, for heeMath. 9. it is that saueth hys people from theire synnes.
Christe came not to call the iusticiariesMath. 11. but sinners to repentaunce.
Christ calleth al them that labour andMath. 11. are laden, and he promiseth that he wil refresh them.
Christ is that true lyghte, which lightIohn. … neth eueryevery man that commeth into this worlde.
Christ is our Lord of whose fulnes alIohn. 1. we hauehave receyued, euen grace for grace. For the lawe was geuen by Moses, but grace and truth came by Iesus Christe
Christ is that lambe of god, whiche taketh away the synnes of the world:
As Moses lyfted vp the Serpent inIohn. 3. wildernesse, so must the Sonne of man be lyfted vp, that eueryevery on that beleueth in him, may not perishe but hauehave euerlasting lyfe. For God loueth the world so feruently that he gaue his only begot ten sonne that eueryevery one that beleueth in hym may not pearish, but hauehave euerlasting lyfe.
For god sent not hys sonne into the world to condemne the world, but that the world should be saued by hym. He that beleueth in the sonne, hath euerlasting lyfe, but he that beleueth not in the son, shall not se lyfe, but the wrath of God abydeth vponupon him.
Christe geuethe that lyuynge water,Iohn. 4. whereof whosoeuer drinketh, shal neuermore thirste, but that water shalbee vntounto hym a fountayne of water that springeth vp into eternal lyfe.
Christ is that bread of life, whiche cameIohn. 6. down from heauen. If any man eate of that bread, he shall liue for euer.
Christe alone the Sonne of God makethIob. 8. vsus free.
Christe is the dore. If any man enterIohn. 10. in by him, he shall be safe.
For he shall go in and come oute and …nde pasture.
Christ is that good shepeheard which gaue his life for his shepe.Iohn. 11.
Christ is the resurrection and life, he that beleueth in him althoughe he were dead, shal liue and eueryevery one that liueth and beleueth in him shall neuer dye.
Christe is the light of the worlde, andIohn. 12. came into the worlde for this purpose y• eueryevery one that beleueth in him shoulde not abide in darknes.
Christe is the waye, truthe and life.Iohn. 14. No man commeth vntounto the Father but by him.Iohn. 15.
Christe is that mighty prince whiche hath ouercome the world.Act. 4.
There is none other name geuen vntounto men vnderunder heauen where in they muste be saued, but onelyonly that name of Christ. Neither is ther any saluation in any other, but in him alone.Actes. 10.
Christe is ordained of God a iudge of quick and dead. To him geue all the pro phets witnesse, that thorowe his name all that beleue in him, shal receiue remis sion of sinnes.
Thorow Christ, is preached vntounto vsus the forgeuenes of sinnes, so that by himAct. 13. all y• beleue, are iustified from all things from whiche we coulde not be iustified by the law of Moyses.
The righteousnes no doubt, whicheRom 3. is good before God, commeth by ye faith of Iesus Christe vntounto all, and vponupon all that beleue. There is no difference, for all hauehave sinned, and want the glorye of God, but are iustified freely by his grace thorow the redemption that is in Christ Iesu, to whom God hath made a …eat of mercy thorow faith in his blud, to shew the righteousnesse, whiche before him is of valoure.
Christ died for our sinnes, and rose … Rom. 4.gaine for our iustification.
We beinge iustified by faithe, are atRom. 5. peace with god thorow our Lord Iesus Christe, by whom we hauehave awaye in thorowe fayth vntounto thys grace, wherein we stande and reioyce in hope of the prayse that shalbe geuen of God.
God setteth out hys louelove that he hath to vsus, forasmuche as while we were yet sinners, Christe died for vsus. Muche more then nowe (being iustified in his bloude) shall wee be saued from wrath thorowe hym. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the deathe of hys sonne: muche more seinge we are re conciled, we shalbe preserued by his lyfe. Not onelye so, but we also ioye in God by our Lord Iesus Christe, by whom we hauehave receaued the attonement.
☞ Rede the whole Chapter.
Euerlastinge life is the gifte of GodRom. … thorow Iesus Christ our Lord.
There is no dampnation to them whichRom. 8 are in Christe Iesus, which walke not after the flesh, but after the spirit. For the law of the spirite that bringeth life thorow Iesus Christe, hath made vsus fre frō the lawe of sinne and death.
We know that al things worke for the best vntounto them that louelove god, whiche also are called of purpose. For those which he knew before, he also ordayned before, that they should be a like fashioned to the shape of his sonne that he might bee the first begotten sonne among many brethren. And whom he appointed before, them also he called. And which he called, them also he iustifyed, which he iustifyed, them also he glorifyed.
What shall we thē say to these things? If God be on our side, who can be against vsus, which spared not hys owne sonne, but gaue him for vsus all, how shall he not with him geue vsus all thinges also? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen? It is God that iustifyeth, who then shall cōdemne? It is Christ which is dead, yea, rather which is rysen agayne, which is also on the ryght hand of God, and maketh intercession for vsus.
Christ is the end of the lawe to iustifyeRom. 10. all that beleue. Whosoeuer beleueth on Christ, shall not be ashamed. There is no difference betwene ye Iewe and the Gentile. For one is Lorde ouer all that cal on hym, for whosoeuer shall call on the name of the Lord, shal be safe.
Christ is made of God our wysedome,1, Cor. 1. our righteousnes, our sanctification, and redemption
Christ our Easter Lambe is offered vp1. Cor. 5 for vsus.
We are washed, we are sanctified, yea,1. Cor. 6 we are iustifyed by the name of the Lorde Iesu, and by the spirite of our God.
The liberalitie of our lord Iesus Christ2. Cor. 8. is greate, which though he were riche, yet for oure sakes he became poore, that we through hys pouertie myght be made rich.
If righteousnes come of the lawe, thenGal. 2. died Christ in vayne.
Christ hath deliuered vsus frō ye curse ofGal. 3. the law, and was made accursed for vsus.
S…ande faste in the libertie wherwithGala. 5. Christ hath made vsus free, and wrappe not your selues again in the yoke of bondage.
Ye are gone quite frō Christ as many as are iustifyed by the law, and are fallen from grace. For we looke in spirite to be iustifyed thorow faith. For in Iesu Christ neither is circumcision any thing worth, neither vncircumcision, but fayth which by louelove is mightie in operation.
God forbyd y• I shoulde reioyce in any thing, but onelyonly in y• crosse, death & passiō, of our Lord Iesus Christ.
Blessed be god the father of oure Lorde Iesu Christe, whiche hath blessed vsus with all manner of spirituall blessings in heauenly things by Christ.
By christ we hauehave redemption thorowEphe. 1 his bloud, euen the forgeuenes of sins according to the ritches of hys grace which he shed on vsus aboundauntlye in all wisedome and prudence.
God whiche is riche in mercy thorowEphe. 2 his great louelove, wherewith he loued vsus euen when we were dead in sin, hath quic kened vsus to gether in Christ (for by grace are ye saued) and hath raysed vsus vp together, and made vsus sit together in heauenly thinges thorow Christ Iesus.
By grace are ye made safe thorow faith and that not of your selues. For it is the gift of God, and commeth not of works, least any man should boast himself.
We were straungers and farre of, but nowe we are made nigh by thy bloude of Christe.
Christ is our peace.
By Christ Iesu our Lord are we boundEphe. 3 to draw nighe in the trust which we hauehave by fayth on him.
Christ is ascended vp on high and hathEphe. 4 led captiuity captiue, and hath geuē gifts vntounto men.
In Christ hauehave we redemption thorowCol. 1. his bloude, that is to saye, forgeuenes of sinnes.
By Christ thorowe the bloude of hyscrosse are all things reconciled to God the father and set at peace both in heauen and in earth.
This is a true saying and by all meansTim. 1 worthy to be receiued, that Christe Iesus came into this world to saue sinners.
There is one God, and one Mediatour2. Tim. 2 betwene God and man, which is the man Christ Iesus which gaue himselfe a raunsome for all men.
God hath not saued vsus for the dedes ofTitus. 3. rightousnes which we hauehave wrought, but of his mercy hath he saued vsus.
We are not redemed with corruptible1. Pet. 1. siluer and gold, from our vayne conuer sation, which we receiued by the tradicions of the fathers, but by the precious bloud of Christ, as of a Lambe vndefiled and without spotte.
Christe is the shephearde and bishop of1. Pet. 2. our soules
The bloud of Iesus Christ Gods sōne,Ihon. 1. maketh vsus cleane from all sinne.
If any mā sinne, we hauehave an aduocateIohn. 2. with the father, Iesus Christ that ryghteous one, and he is a mercye stocke for our sinnes: not for our sinnes onelyonly, but also for the sinnes of all the world.
Our sinnes are forgeuen vsus in ye name of Christ.
For thys purpose appeared the sonneIohn. 3. of God to loose the workes of the deuill.
In thys appeareth the louelove of God towardesohn. 4. vsus, because that God sent his onelyonly begotten Sonne into the worlde, that we myght liue thorowe him. Herein is louelove, not that we louelove God, but that he loued vsus, and sent his sonne to be a sacrifice for our sinnes.
Christ in hys owne person hath purgedHebr. 1. our sinnes.
Christ thorow death put down him thatHeb. 2. had rule ouer death, that is to say, the deuill, and hath made vsus free from the daunger of bondage. In that Christ himself suffred and was tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.
We hauehave not an high priest which canHeb▪ 5 not hauehave compassion on oure infyrmities, but was in all poyntes tempted lyke as we are, but yet without sinne. Let vsus therefore goe boldelye vntounto the seate of grace, that we may receaue mercye and fynde grace to helpe in tyme of neede.
Christ hath an euerlasting priesthoode.Heb. 7. Wherefore he is able also euer to saue them that come vntounto God by hym, forasmuch as he euer liueth to make intercession for vsus.
Christ being Byshop of good thingesHebr. 1… to come, came by a greater and a more perfecte tabernacle, not made wyth handes, that is to saye, not of thys manner buildyng, neyther by the bloude of Goates, and Calues, but by hys owne bloude he entred in, once for all into the holy place, and founde eternall redemption. For if the bloud of Oxen and Goates, and the ashes of an Heyfer, when it was sprinckled, purifyed the vncleane, as touchyng the purifyeng of the fleshe: howe muche more shall the bloude of Christ which thorowe the eternall spirite, offered himselfe without spotte to God, purge your consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing god.
And for this cause is he the mediator toure of the newe Testamente, that thorow death which chaunced for the redē tion of these transgressions that were in the first Testament, they which were called might receiue the promise of eternall inheritaunce.
Christ now in the end of the world hath appeared once for al, to put sinne to flight by the offering vp of him selfe.
We are sanctified by the offeringe of…eb. 10. the body of Iesu Christ once for all. With one offring hath Christ made perfect for euer them that are sanctifyed.
Christe loued vsus and washed vsus frompoc. 1. our sinnes in hys owne bloud, and made vsus kings and priests vntounto god his father.
Christe liueth for euermore, and hath the keyes of hell and death.
Christ is Lord of Lordes and king ofpoc. 17. kings, and they that are on his side, are cal led and chosen, and faithful.
☞ Examples out of the new Testament.
Christ is that welbeloued Sonne of…ath. 3. god, for whose sake the heauenly father is well pleased with man.
Christ is that kyng which forgaue theMat. 18. seruaunt the ten thousande talentes that be oughte.
Christ is that moste louyng Samaritane,Luke. 10. which healed the wounded man that was halfe dead.
Christ is that tender shepeheard whichLuke. 15. fetched home vntounto the shepefolde euen vponupon hys shoulders the lost shepe.
Christ is that most gentle father which wyth so great ioy and with embracinge armes receiued home againe the lost son.