Abridgment of Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3 · Chapter 12 – Chapter 13
CHAP. XII. That we may be throughlie perſwaded of free iuſtification we muſt lift vp our mindes vntounto the tribunall ſeat of God.
1 BVT wee ſpeake not of the righteouſneſſe of mans court, but of the heauenlie iudgement ſeat. We muſt lift vp our mindes thither, if we wil inquire after true righteouſneſſe with fruite: how wee may make anſwere to the heauenly iudge when hee ſhall call vsus to an account:Read the book of Iob. with whoſe brightneſſe the ſtarres are darkened: with whoſe ſtrength the mountaines are molten, whoſe iuſtice the verie angels cannot endure*.Pſal. 130.3. Iob. 15.15. Let him ſit to examine mens workes: and who can appeare aſſured before his throne*? Yea if anie man ſhoulde fulfill the law hee could not ſo ſtand to the examination of the righteouſneſſe of God which ſurmounteth all our ſenſes.
2 Hither, hither muſt we lift vp our eyes, that we may learne rather to tremble, then vainelie to triumph. That befalleth our ſoule toward God,A ſimilitude. which befalleth our bodie toward the viſible heauen. For the ſight of the eye ſo long as it continueth viewing things which are neere vntounto it, it ſheweth of what force it is: but if it bee directed toward the Sun being too much damped with the brightneſſe thereof, it feeleth no leſſe weakneſſe in beholding it, then ſtrength in viewing earthlie things.Luke. 16.13. Pſal. 133.2. Therfore Chriſt ſaid to the Phariſees, that which is high among mē, is abhominable with God*. Let vsus ſay with Dauid: Enter not into iudgement with thy ſeruant, for no man liuing ſhalbe iuſtified in thy ſight.
Auſt. lib. 3 ad. Bonif. c. 5. Bern. Serm. 16. ſuper Cantic &c3 Neither are ſuch examples extant in the ſcriptures only, but all godlie writers alſo ſhew that they were alwaies of this minde*.
4 This is the only fortreſſe of ſafetie, wherin exerciſed conſciences may ſafelie reſt, whē they hauehave to deale with the iudgemēt of God. For thoſe ſtars which ſhine moſt cleerelie in the night ſeaſon,A ſimilitude. doe looſe their light & brightneſſe when the ſunne ariſeth: what doe we thinke ſhall become euen of the moſt rare innocencie of men, when it ſhall be compared with the pureneſſe of God? For there ſhalbe a moſt ſtrait examinatiō:2 Cor. 4.9. firſt, becauſe god ſhal pearce euē into the moſt hiddē cogitations of our hearts*. The Diuell the accuſer ſhal vrge vsus, who is priuie to all our wicked deedes: the externall pompe of good workes ſhall nothing help vsus there. Hypocriſie ſhall fall downe flat being confounded.Examination. For that which is commonly counted righteouſneſſe, is before God meere iniquitie.
5 Let vsus come downe from beholding the perfection of God,The beholding of our meſcrie to view our ſelues without flattery. For it is no maruell if wee be ſo blinde in this point, ſeeing no mā doth beware of peſtilent flattering of himſelf. EueryEvery mans way is right in his owne eies*. In an other place,Pro. 21.2. & 16 3. all mans wayes ſeeme cleane in his owne eyes. But if we call backe our conſcience vntounto the iudgement ſeat of God, eueryevery man ſhal appeare before God, to be rottenneſſe, a worme, abhominable and vaine, drinking iniquitie as water. For who can make that clean which is conceiued of vncleane ſeed*.Ioh. 15.16. & 14 4. & 9.20. Thus far ought the ſtreightnes of this examination to goe, vntill it hauehave brought vsus, that we be fully & throughly throwen downe,The way to ſaluation & hauehave by that means prepared vsus to receiue ye grace of Chriſt.
6 This is the true way to humble our ſelues, that being altogether empty & poore we may giuegive place to the merciemercy of God.True humilitie For it is not humiliation if we think that any thing remaineth in vsus. Saluation is prepared, but for the humble people*. And that is perfect humilitie,Pſal. 18.28 not that modeſtie for which men are commended, but ſubmiſſion vnfeigned of a mind throughly throwen downe with the feeling of his owne miſerie, and pouertie. For ſo is it deſcribed in the word of God*.zep. 3.11. Ieſ. 66.2. &. 57 Luk. 18.13.
7 And Chriſt repreſēted in the publicane the true image of humilitie*Luk. 18.13., who ſtanding a far off, and not daring to lift vp his eies toward heauē, praieth with many teares: Lord be mercifull to me a ſinner. On the other ſide, he ſetteth before vsus an example of arrogancie in the Phariſee. Therefore the heart or breaſt is open to receiue merciemercy,Luk. 16.11. if it be emptie of his owne worthines. Therefore doth Chriſt preach the Goſpell to the poore, he biddeth thoſe which labour come to him*Mat. 11.28, he calleth not the iuſt but ſinners*Mat. 9.13.….
8 Therefore if we will giuegive place to the calling of Chriſt, let vsus abandon both arrogancie & alſo ſecuritie:Arrogancie & ſecuritie are two plagues. Note. that beeing readie wee may make haſt vntounto Chriſt, that being empty & hungry we may be filled with his good thinges. Becauſe euerie man doth ſo much hinder the bountifulneſſe of God, as be doth reſt in himſelfe.
CHAP. XIII. That ther muſt be two things obſerued in free iuſtificatiō.
1 VVE muſt eſpecially reſpect two things: firſt that the Lords glorie remain to him vntouched & vndeminiſhed:Two thinges in iuſtification. & that our cōſciēces hauehave a calme tranquilitie before his iudgement ſeate: that ſhalbe obſerued, if he alone be knowē to be iuſt, & to iuſtify him which is of the faith of Ieſus Chriſt. Becauſe ſo long as man hath anie thing to ſay for himſelfe, ſo long there is ſomewhat taken from the glorie of God. Let the knowledge of our owne iniquitie be added:Note. 1 Cor. 1.13. Rom. 2.19. whereby being beaten downe wee may flie vntounto Chriſt in whom we may reioyce and triumph*.
2 So it is indeed, we do neuer trulie glorie in him vnleſſe wee be throughlie ſpoiled of our owne glorie*.
Obiect. Hee doeth not glorie, who without arrogancie doth recognize his owne righteouſneſſe.
The end of iuſtification.An. Such eſtimation breedeth confidence, and confidence glorying. Therefore let vsus remember that in the whole diſputation of righteouſneſſe, wee muſt hauehave reſpect vntounto this end, that ye praiſe thereof remaine ſounde and whole to the Lord. For no man can chalendge to himſelfe euen the verie leaſt iote of righteouſneſſe, without ſacrilege.
Whence peace of conſcience doth come.3 Whereas wee ſet downe in the ſecond place, that the conſcience cānot otherwiſe be kept before God, vnleſſe free righteouſneſſe bee giuen vsus by the gift of God: let vsus alwaies remember that ſaying of Soloman, Who will ſay. I hauehave cleanſed my heart, I am purified from my ſinne? There is no man ſurelie which is not drenched in infinite filthineſſe. He ſhall hauehave no quietneſſe of conſcience thereby, but ſhall rather be tormented with the terror of hell. He ſhall profite nothing by deferring or driuing of.Pro. 20.9. By works commeth doubting, and at length deſperation, whē euerie man for himſelfe accounteth how much hee oweth,Deſperation cōmeth by workes. and how vnable he is to pay. Lo now faith is extinguiſhed & oppreſſed: for to doubt and deſpaire is not to beleeue.
4 Againe, the promiſe ſhould be voide: for if the accompliſhment thereof depend vponupon our merite, when ſhall wee come to this point to deſerue the goodneſſe of God? Moreouer that ſecond member followeth vponupon the former: for the promiſe ſhall be fulfilled to none but to thoſe which ſhall beleeue it. Therfore if faith be fallen, there remaineth no force of the promiſe. Therfore the inheritance is of faith that it may be according to grace,Mercy & truth are ioyned togither. Pſal 119.76. Ieſ. 9.6. Eph. 2.4. to eſtabliſhe the promiſe: for it is abundantlie confirmed when it reſteth vponupon merciemercy alone: becauſe merciemercy and truth are knit together with a perpetuall knot*. Therfore ſeeing that faith doth lay hold vponupon Chriſt alone, it followeth that hee is not without cauſe called the king of peace, & our peace, which appeaſeth all the trobles of the ſoule. If the meanes bee demaunded, we muſt come vntounto his ſacrifice.
5 For Paul denieth that there is anie peace or quiet ioy left to mens conſciences,Rom. 1.5. Rom. 8.45. Pſal. 23.4. vnleſſe it bee ſet downe that wee are iuſtified by faith, which is a thing altogether paſſiue to iuſtification, bringing nothing of ours to win Gods fauour: but we receiue that of Chriſt which we want.