¡V B R, $. ephefiáns, Chap.2. 2 I 16. 6. The reafon is, becaufe Gods glory is moft dear unto him, nei- ther can he indure therein to haveany partner. Wherefore (in the bufinefle of our falvation) he doth fowork , that man may have no matter of rejoycing out of God, whoBoth all this work inhimfelf, and out ofman, that who fo rejoyceth, might rejoyceonly in the Lord, a Cor. 1.31. Now this Dottrine, that the grace ofGod is all in all about our fal. vation, even this grace of theGofpel ; it doth teach us the errourof the Popifh Church, in holding a concurrence of our works, &c. But of this more afterwards. In the taean time we are to know, that ifour juffificationbe of grace, there canbe no Reliques ofholineffe, nor worksof our own that concur thereunto; for the Apofttemakes a flat oppoficioa betwixt grace and works, Rom. in6. If it be of grace, it is no more ofworks, elfe weregrace no more grace : there are fo oppofite, that like fire and water, they expell each other ; and as one faith well, Grace is no way to be accountedgrace, toleyeevery way it bemoll free. By grace are ye raved, &c. And the Apoftle, We are jufified [freely,] .te.vviv, which word anfwereth to the Hebrew Chirma, which is very emphaticall , and is efpecially taken up in three cafes a. When a man doth a thing without hope of the leaft profit. 2. When a man doth a thing without caufe, rafhlyor lightly ; but this fenfe is not here pertinent. 3. When a mandoth a thingundefervedly, nothing moving him thereunto, but much which might lead him to the contrary; and thus it is hire to be underftood. For when there was nothing in us which might procure it, nay much which might exafperate the Lord againft us, then he favedus freelyof his grace. Secondly, this Dolìrine hath matter ofmuch comfort in it for us; for if our falvation be of meet grace, and depend not on our own worth, endeavour and holineffe, why fhould we fear a If it were for any thing in us tobe procured, we might utterly defpair : Alas, what are we (poor crawling worms) that we fhould be of any worth in Gods fight, before whom the Stars are unclean e What isour holi- nelfe, but a filthy menftruous clout a And whereunto can our en- deavours reach in any thing to God -ward a But now, fixce it is not in him that willeth, nor in him that reennetb, bat in God that bath mer- cie, Rom. 9. 16. we mayboldlyaccept, and confidently truft in this free grace ofGod, althoughwe be unworthy of it. For why fhould we put away this rich grace offered,and revealedto us e Why fhould we not cheerfully imbrace it, and rejoyce in it, fpecially fince it hath appearedunto all ; andGod (without refpeet of perfons)hath let it to be injoyed of the poor,bafe, low, and unlearned, afwell asof the rich, high, noble, and learned e And it is not true humility, but a fottifh pride, to put away, and judge our felvesunworthy of this falvation, whereof ithath pleafed God (in rich mercie)to deem us worthy. Y 3 This Yfe r: Confutation of Popi/li er- cour, Rom, u Gratia nullo modo gratia, fit Omni modo gratuita. Yfe a. Comfort in this free fa- vour of God.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=