Touchstone to Determine the True Catholic Faith, Part 54
To him that is able to keepe you free from sinne.] Here is the conclusion of the whole epistle, with a thanksgiuing:1. Cor. 1.4. Ephes. 1.3. 1. Pet. 1.3. the Apostle herein not following ye other Apostles, who alwaies vsed to giuegive thāks in the beginning: and they all following our sauiour Christ, who often made confession and gaue thankes to God his father,Mat. 26.30. Mat. 11.33. Luke 10.21. euen for his meate, for the faith and knowledge of his hearers: teaching thereby all christians to do the like. And here first he stirreth vp all christians to this thankefulnesse, by two notable reasons; because God alone can keepe vsus free from sinne: and can make vsus appeare before his glory with ioy. So Noe found grace in the eies of the Lord, Gen. 6.8.that he was not drowned with the old world:20.6. so God kept Abimelech that he should not sinne against him, and that he should not once touch Abrahams wife:21 19. so God opened the eies of Agar in the wildernesse, and she saw a well of water, and she gaue her childe drinke: so when as Lot prolonged the time, 19.16.and was loath to go out of Sodom (the Lord being mercifull to him) they brought him forth, and set him without the citie. If man trust in himselfe, he cannot chuse but be ashamed and confounded. Vnlesse God order our goings,Psal. 94.18. & hold them vp: we must needes fall downe flat, euen into the pit of destruction:Psal. 119.35. vnlesse he make vsus walke in the waies of his commandements, the best of vsus shall go astray, shall walke by-waies:Psal. 80.18.119.25 v. 88. Psal. 143.11. vnlesse he quicken vsus, as Dauid often praieth; how slacke and howe slow shall we be in doing his commandements? Therefore eueryevery one must daily lift vp his heart to God, & call to him for grace: that he may auoide the snares of sathan, the waies of sinners, and that he may be able to do that which pleaseth the Lorde. We are not more iust then Noah, more zealous then Lot, more wise then Abimelech, more quicke sighted then Agar: God alone must keepe vsus from sinning against him, wee must finde fauour in his sight, or else we shall be drowned with the vanities and pleasures of this wicked world. He must leade vsus with his holy spirit, or else wee shall all be burned, with this fire of heresie, and impietie the Apostle Iude here speaketh of. Vnlesse he open our eies, we shall not be able to sée any thing that is good for vsus. But some will saie, If God be able to kéepe vsus from sin, why then there be some that are pure, that neuer sinne. But that followeth not: For though God be able to doe it, yet he giueth that grace to none in this life, least he should be too proud: He will hauehave vsus humble;Gen. 22.1. Iob. 1.20. Mat. 26.33. hee will hauehave all mouthes stopped; he will exercise our faith, whether we do beléeue his promise or no, of free remission of sinnes in his sonne Iesus Christ: whether we being sinners, dare ioyfully vponupon this his promise, euen venture our liues. For these and such other causes, God suffers many often times to fall, and to feele their owne infirmities, and frailties.
Text. Verse 25.That is, to God onelyonly wise, our sauiour, be glory and maiestie, and dominion and power, both now and for euer, Amen.] This place also prooueth that our sauiour is God, and he addeth two other causes, why we should giuegive him praise: because he is the wisedome of God, he hath declared God vntounto vsus, which was in the bosome of the father.Io. 1.18. Io. 15.15. Mat. 1.21. Ephes. 4.8. Psal. 34.19. 1. Cor. 15.57. 1. Io. 3.3. Hence forth he calleth vsus, not seruants, but friendes: because all things, he hath heard of his father, hee hath made knowen vntounto vsus. He is our sauiour, which first saueth vsus from our sins, which saueth vsus from our spirituall enemies the deuill, and all his angelles, which saueth vsus from all perils and dangers in this life, which saueth vsus from death eternall, and from hell it selfe: which alone setteth vsus in the sight of his glory, with ioy. And shal we not praise, and magnifie this our gratious, and mercifull, and louing, and most mightie God and sauiour? Let vsus therefore yéeld to him, all maiestie, and magnificence: as doing things wonderfull, passing all mans reach and reason. Let vsus giuegive him glorie and praise for these his wonderfull workes, let vsus yeelde to him dominion, and empire, in this world ouer all Turkes, Tyrants and wicked christians: nay ouer all the deuils of hell,Psal. 135.6. who hath power to doe whatsoeuer pleaseth him. To this our most wise, mighty, and louing sauiour Iesus Christ, with God the father, and the holy Ghost; one God, immortall, inuisible, and onelyonly wise: be all honour, and glorie, power, dominion, and maiestie: both now and for euer. Amen, Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Francis Trigge, Touchstone to Determine the True Catholic Faith (1599)