Abridgment of Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3 · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII. The reconciling of the promiſes of the Law and the Goſpell.
Queſt.1 IF good works do not iuſtifie, to what purpoſe ſerue the promiſes of the Law*?Deut. 7.11 Ier. 7.3 33
An. God maketh promiſe to none but ſuch as are perfect obſeruers of his Law, which are no where to be found. Therfore all mankind by the Law remaineth in danger of the curſe.
2 Obiect. By this meanes all the promiſes of the Law ſhould be voide of effect and vaine.
An. It is true, vnleſſe the goodneſſe of God dyd help by the Goſpell, when it aſſigneth Chriſt alone, when he ſetteth Chriſt for the fulfilling of righteouſneſſe*.Gal. 2.16.
3 Obiect. That is repayed to the workes of the faithfull, which God promiſed in his Law to the followers of righteouſneſſe.
An. But in that repaying or rendering we muſt always conſider the cauſe,Why our workes be acceptable to God. which winneth fauor for our workes. And it is three fold: the firſt, that God turning away his eys frō beholding the works of his ſeruants, doth embrace them in Chriſt, and reconcile them to him ſelf by the coming of faith only betweene without anie help of works: The ſeconde is that he extolleth workes, of his fatherly goodneſſe without eſteeming their worthineſſe to this honour that he maketh ſome account of thē: The third that he receiueth ye ſame with pardō, not imputing their imperfectiō. Therfore grace is the cauſe of repairing
4 Obiect. God is no accepter of perſons, but in euerie nation he which doth righteouſneſſe is accepted of him.
There is a double accepting of perſons.An. There is a double accepting of perſons. Firſt ſuch as man is by nature, God findeth nothing in him, wherewith he may be enclined vntounto merciemercy, ſauing only miſerie.
Obiect. The prayers and almes deedes of Cornelius came into the ſight of the Lord*,Act. 10.31 therefore man is prepared by good works to receaue grace.
An. Cornelius was alreadie illuminate by the Spirite of wiſedome, and alſo ſanctified, who was a follower of righteouſneſſe. Therefore he had from the grace of God thoſe thinges which in him did pleaſe God, as it is ſayd. Therfore ſeing all men are loſt by nature, and God would not hauehave them loſt, ſurely that accepting doth not reſpect mans righteouſneſſe, but it is a pure token and proofe of Gods goodneſſe toward miſerable ſinners.
5 The ſecond accepting whereof Peter maketh mention, is that, whereby the faithfull after their calling are approued of God, euen in reſpect of their workes, becauſe the Lord cannot but louelove thoſe good things which he worketh in them by his Spirit. Cornelius was freely accepted before his good works could be accepted.
6 And to the end theſe things may be the better vnderſtood,The promyſes of the lawe. we muſt marke, whether the promiſes be of the law or of the Goſpel. For they muſt not be taken in one and the ſame ſenſe. The promiſes of the Law do alwayes promiſe a reward vponupon condition, if we ſhall do. But the promiſes of the Goſpell do rather ſhewe what maner perſons God his ſeruants be, which hauehave receaued his couenant in good earneſt, thē expreſſe the cauſe why God doth good to them.
7 Queſt. Why then hauehave good workes the title of righteouſneſſe giuen them,Deu. 6.25. & 24.13. How good workes doe iuſtifie. and why is it ſaid that a man is iuſtified by them*?
An. They iuſtifie if they be perfect works: and we are too blame that they are not ſuch.
8 Obiect. We are not iuſtified without faith: neither are we iuſtified by it alone: workes fulfill righteouſneſſe. For faith was imputed to Abraham for righteouſneſſe*,Rom. 4.3. Gen. 15.6 that notable fact of Phinees is imputed for righteouſneſſe*Pſal. 106.31. Iud. 25.7. Deut. 26.26. How faith doth iuſtifie..
9 An. A man is not counted righteous for one or two good works, neither yet for manie: becauſe he which offendeth in one is guiltie of all: neither is there found any worke which is in all reſpects pure. And faith alone doth iuſtifie by laying holde vppon Chriſt our righteouſneſſe. In that place Phinees is counted righteous before men, who praiſed his fact, not before God.
10 Obiect. As Dauid ſaith, Bleſſed are they whoſe iniquities are forgiuen*Pſ. 112.1. Pſal. 32.1.So on the other ſide Bleſſed is the man that feareth the Lord*Pſal. 14.21: which taketh pitie vponupon the poore;*Pſal. 1.1. that hath not walked in the counſell of the wicked*Iam. 1.12 &c.
An That which Paule ſaith is moſt true*Mat. 5.3., that bleſſedneſſe conſiſteth in remiſſion of ſinnes.*Rom. 4.3 For becauſe thoſe vertues, ſhall neuer be in man in ſuch ſort that they can be acceptable to God of them ſelues it is proued that man ſhal allwayes be miſerable, vnleſſe he be rid out of the miſerie by forgiueneſſe.
11 Obiect. Iames teacheth in plaine words, that both Abraham was iuſtified by workes, and that all we likewiſe are iuſtified by workes, and not by faith alone*.Iam. 2.12.
An. Iames ſpeaketh of a dead faith, but we of the liuely: the faith of the deuils is hādled in that place but we intreate of the faith of the faithfull.
12 There is another fallacie in the worde Iuſtified. Becauſe it is ſayd there that Abraham was iuſtified, that is counted iuſt before men in reſpect of his works: but we ſpeake of iuſtificatiō before God*.
13 Obiect. The doers of the Lawe are iuſtified and not the hearers*.Rom. 4.3.
An. It is true if any man fulfill it.
14 Queſt. Why then do the faithfull ſo boldly offer their righteouſneſſe to be examined by the iudgement of God, and why do they couet to hauehave ſentence giuen of them according to it*?Rom. 2.13.
An. We are to conſider two things therein: firſt they bring not all their whole life, but ſome ſpeciall cauſe into iudgement. For Dauid ſaith in an other place*,Pſal. 7.9. &. 27 1. & 18.21. & 26 19. If thou ſhalt marke iniquitie who can abide it? Enter not into iudgement with thy ſeruant*: Againe they do not chalenge to them ſelues righteouſneſſe in reſpect of the righteouſneſſe of God, but inaſmuch as they compare them ſelues with the wicked.Pſal. 130.3 So Dauid ſayd to Saull, Let the Lord render to euerie man according to his righteouſneſſe and truth*.Pſal. 14.30.
15 Obiect. Salomō ſaith, that he which walketh in his integritie is iuſt.1 Sam. 26.23. Pro. 20.7 & 12 28. Ezech. 18.9.21 After which maner Ezechiel reporteth that he ſhall liue which ſhall do iudgement and iuſtice*.
An. But let one of the children of Adam come abrode with ſo great integrity: if there be none they muſt either periſh in the ſight of God, or elſe they muſt flie to the fortreſſe of merciemercy: but the Lord after he hath once receaued men into the couenant of grace, he doth not examine their works as they deſerue, but doeth kiſſe them with fatherly kindneſſe.
Obiect. The Apoſtle wiſheth ſo great perfection to the faithfull, that they may be blameleſſe and vnreprouable in the day of the Lord*.Eph. 1.4. 1 Theſ. 3.23.
An. All the godly muſt indeed ayme at this mark and ſtriue to come vntounto it, but becauſe the beſt maner of this preſent life is nothing elſe but a goinge forward, we ſhall come to that marke then onelyonly, when being vnclothed of the fleſh of ſinne, we ſhall be wholie ioyned to the Lord.