Abridgment of Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3 · Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII. That the righteouſeneſſe of workes is ill gathered of the reward.
Obiect.
1 GOd ſhall render to euerie man according to his workes*.Mat. 16.29. 2 Cor. 5.10. Rom. 2.6 Ioh 5.29. &c Degrees and ſteppes to ſaluation.
An. The maner of ſpeaking doth rather ſhew the order of following, then the cauſe. For the Lord doeth finiſh our ſaluation by theſe degrees of his merciemercy, when he calleth the elect vntounto him ſelf, hauing called them doth iuſtify them, hauing iuſtified them doth glorifie them.
Obiect. It is ſayd to the faithfull, that they worke out their owne ſaluation*.
An. That is done when by applying thē ſelues in doing good works,Ph. 2.12. they meditate vponupon eternall life. But the Lord is ſaid both to begin and to finiſh*.Ph. 1.6.
2 The kingdome of heauen is not ſeruants wages, but childrens inheritaunce: which they alone ſhall enioy which are adopted of the Lord to be his children*.Eph. 1.18. Gal. 4.30.
Obiect. God ſware to Abraham, Beccauſe thou haſt done this thing, and haſt not ſpared thine owne ſonne, I will bleſſe thee, and will multiply thy ſeede*.Gen. 22.3.
An. He had receaued the promiſe before the cō mandement was giuen. Therefore he deſerued not the bleſſing by his obedience.
3 Obiect. The Lorde doeth either deceaue or mocke vsus, when he ſaith that he rendreth that for reward to our works, which he had giuen freely before works.
Why that is attributed to workes which is geuen frielieAn. He doth not mocke vsus. Becauſe he will hauehave vsus exerciſed by good works to thinke vponupon the geuing of thoſe things which he hath promiſed, and to runne through them, that we may come to the bleſſed hope which is ſet before vsus in the heauens, the frute of the promiſes is rightly aſſigned to them, vntounto the ripeneſſe whereof they bring vsus: Therfore let vsus ſay with Peter*,1 Pet 1.6. eternall life is the reward of faith.
4 Therefore when the Scripture calleth eternall life the reward of workes,Eternall life is the reward of faith. it doth it not to ſet forth the dignitie of our works, as if they deſerue ſuch a reward: but that it may ſuccour our weaknes which it doeth otherwiſe exerciſe with ſo manie griefes, whiles we liue here.
5 Obiect. God who is a iuſt iudge will once geue to thoſe that be his the crowne of righteouſneſſe*.2 Tim. 4.8.
An. To whom ſhould he geue a crowne as a iuſt iudge, if he had not giuen grace as a mercifull father? and howe ſhould there be righteouſneſſe,Grace went before righteouſnes. if grace had not gone before which iuſtifieth the wicked?
6 Obiect. Make you friends of the wicked Mammon, that when you ſhall neede they may receaue you into euerlaſting habitations*.Lu. 16.9 The ſame is ſayd of Paule*1 Tim. 6.17.. Good workes are compared to richeſſe, which we may enioy in the bleſſedneſſe of eternall life.
An. He which giueth to the poore, lendeth to the Lord*. He which ſoweth plentifully,Mat. 25.4. Pro. 19.17 ſhall reape plentifullie*2 Cor. 6.6. For thoſe things are put into the hand of the Lord, which are beſtowed vponupon the pore according to the dutie of louelove. As he is a faithfull keeper of that which is committed to him, ſo he will once reſtore it with plentifull ouerplus.
7 Obiect. Tribulations are brought vppon the faithfull, that they may be accounted worthie of the kingdome of God, for which they ſuffer: becauſe he is iuſt to reſtore affliction to thoſe which afflict you, and to you reſt*.2 Th. 1.5. Heb. 6.10.
An. God the Father will hauehave vsus whom he hath choſen to be his children, to be made like to Chriſt his firſt begotten*Rom. 8.29: Luk. 24.26 Act. 14.22. As it was meet that he ſhold firſt ſuffer, & then at length enter into the glory of God appointed for him, ſo muſt we by many tribulations enter into the kingdome of heauen. So we are coū ted worthie of the kingdom of heauen,The markes of Chriſt. which beare in our bodie the markes of our maiſter, that his life may be made manifeſt in vsus.
8 Obiect. LoueLove is greater then faith, therefore we are rather iuſtified by louelove then by faith*.
An. LoueLove is greater then faith,1 Cor. 13.13 not that it is more meritorious, but more fruitefull: becauſe it farther: becauſe it ſerueth more: becauſe it is alwayes quicke and in force: whereas the vſe of faith laſteth but for a time.How louelove is greater then faith
Obiect. If louelove be the bond of perfection, therfore of righteouſneſſe alſo, which is nothing elſe but perfection.
An. But we ſhall neuer come vntounto that perfectiō vnleſſe we fill all the meaſures of louelove.
9 Obiect Chriſt ſayd to the Lawyer, If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandements.
An. We are excluded by our ſinnes frō the righteouſneſſe of the Law, Therfore we muſt needs ſeek another help, that we may enioy eternall life.
Ioh. 6.26. Faith is a work.Obiect. Faith is a worke*, therefore it ought not to be ſet againſt works.
An. Faith iuſtifieth, not inaſmuch as it is the obedience of the will of God, but inaſmuch as it embraceth the merciemercy of God.
The lawe of contrariesObiect. There is the ſame rule of contraries. Therfore if euerie ſinne be counted to vsus for vnrighteouſneſſe, it is agreable that the praiſe of righteouſneſſe be attributed to euerie good worke.
Iam. 2.10.An. This maxime hath no place here. For if we offend in one we are guiltie of all*. And a man can not be righteous by works, vnleſſe he followe this ſtraight line with a continuall courſe.