The Plain Mans Spiritual Plow, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. The ſecond kinde of Iuſtice (which is that of the ſecond Table) is comprehended in the worde MercieMercy: and neceſſarilie followeth the former, in due order.
THe other kind of Righteouſnes required of men,What is this kinde of Iuſtice. and defined and ſet forth in the word MercieMercy, is the very fruit or effect of the former, and conteineth the ſumme of thoſe vertues, duties, & works of Charitie, conteyned in the ſecond table of the Law (as it is before ſaid) and often times expreſſed in the works of Charitie. Agape. Luk. 1.74.This the holy man Zacharie calleth Holineſſe, when he ſaith, that wee are deliuered from our enemies hand, that wee ſhould ſerue God in holines and righteouſnes. And St. Paul conſenting thereto,1. Theſſ. 1.3.4. ſaith: This is the will of God, euen your holines: The ſame meant the Lord, when he ſaid: Be ye holy, for I am holie. And Chriſt in one word called it perfection: ſaying:Mat. 3.48 Ye ſhal be perfect, euen as your Father which is in heauen is perfect.
We may not either ſpeak or think otherwiſe of this vertue,Iuſtice & MercieMercy. then wee hauehave before (in effect) ſaide and conſidered therof, ſauing that, wheras before we placed and accepted the ſame apart by it ſelfe, here we place it together with the former vertue, that is Iustice, and accept it as the definition or effectuall fruit therof: neither may we imagine, that eyther this can be without that, or that perfected without this.
When the Lord God had made Adam, and ſet him in Paradiſe, yet for that he had not this help, the Lord pronounced him as vnperfect: ſaying; It is not good that the man ſhould be alone, Gen. 2.I will therefore make him an helpe like vntounto him. So doubtleſſe, although the Lord had iuſtified the beleeuer,Acts. 13. and by the bloud of his Sonne wee be deliuered from all things, from which by the lawe of Moſes wee could not be iuſtified nor deliuered: yet is it not the Lords will that we ſhould be ydle in the fielde or market place, but his will is, that we ſhould endeuour that which hee of vsus requireth in his law, though not to that perfection which is needefull, (the which wee cannot performe) yet according to that meaſure of abilitie which he hath to that ende giuen vsus. To this did Iſaiah Iſa. 1.17the Prophet invite the people, when hee ſaide; Learne to doe well, ſeeke iudgement, releeue the oppreſſed, iudge the fatherles, defend the widowes. And Micheas Mich. 6.the Prophet ſaying, Doe iustlie, louelove merciemercy. This remembred Daniel, Dan. 4.in his good counſaile to the king Nebucadnezar: Cut off thy ſins with righteouſnes: he addeth: & thine iniquities by mercy to the poore: that is, Change thy crueltie into merciemercy; and where as thou art a man prophane; be thou henceforth holy & righteous. To this would S. Iohn the Baptist perſwade the Iewes: Yee ſay ye are Abrahams children & beleeuers: but I would ye ſhould doe the workes of the faithfull, and bring forth fruits worthie amendment of life. And S. Paul, after that he had ſtrongly confirmed the foundation of our Iustification by the diuine grace accepted by faith, without any the deeds of the law, that men might not imagine, he condemned thoſe works which proceeded from the iuſtified man, hee omitted not to builde, on that foundation, the excellencie of ſuch actions and works, as neceſſarilie followe the iuſtified man, as the effects vſually follow the cauſes: therefore he ſaith: I beſeech you brethren by the mercifulnes of God, Ro. 12.1.that ye offer vp your bodies a liuing Sacrifice, holie, acceptable vntounto God, which is your reaſonable ſeruing of God. And this Saint Iames Iam. 2.laboureth to perſwade with many mighty argumēts, to thē who thought that a bare faith had bin ynough for a mā to come to heauē, although hee neuer trauailed in the way of life by any work: becauſe Paul had preached, that a man was iuſtified before God by faith, & not by works.
Loe, thus ought the perfect Thumim Thumim. perfection, integritie.to be made anſwereable to the bright Vrim, Vrim light or knowledge.that righteouſnes which is by Faith in Chriſt, manifeſted in MercieMercy, and that holineſſe which proceedeth from the influence of the holy Spirit, wherwith they be baptized which beleeue, declared before men, that men may ſee our good works, and glorifie our Father which is in heauen.
And ſo hauehave we ſeen what the Lord God requireth of vsus in theſe two words, Righteouſnes & Mercy. Note.But heere I would not, that any man ſhould gather, that becauſe wee ſay that GOD requireth good workes, therefore wee are able to doe thoſe workes without Faith, or can beleeue without his grace, or can merit life with thoſe our works, ſeeing wee be all ſinners and vnprofitable: but ſo, as thoſe workes are as the effectes of good cauſes: fruits of a good tree, and notes of our faithfull obedience to the Diuine will, which we muſt aime vntounto, and therein feeling our great imperfection, depend on the merit of our heauēly Sauiour Ieſus, who only ſupplieth all our wantes, & helpeth the imperfections of thē that beleeue, & obey him in truth.