Perkins - BX9315 P465 1597

174 (.../1" Cd e o ea tote Tit. 2.1 r. becaufe wee did or fhoulddoe goodworkes : butwee werecreatedto good workes: which Godprepared that we might wat ainthcm,l.aiily,he ladi not, that the grace ofChrifi appeared, becaufewee were to line foberly, iu(lly, and godly,but that it thereforeappeared , that weedenying all vngodlines,and the luthofthis world,might litrefdaerly; tullly, and godly ir, thisprejent zncrld.We fee therefore, that by this doótr:ne,that wicked opinion is outrthrowne, which teacheth, that weedoe preucti't thegrace ofGod byour merites v<hich God forcfaw. Andon thecontrary , hereV4 ee fee, how touly the bellygods of this world aredeceived , hich reafon thus : ifwee be predetfinate to eternalllife, andour predcaicrationbecertaine and vnchangeable, what need wee ende. Your our felues,belcette,ordoe good .ti orkes r for how foam- it fall out ;8zhow. foeuerthceleLtdoifue,vndoubtedly theycannot perifh, becaufe they arepre- defiinate to eternal! liiè.Alas poore L,rctct,es,they feenot,that they feuerthofe things that are tobe conioyned, namely the end and the meanes of the end: and that theybrcake the chame, which innowineeither canor muff be loofed, whílti that they fetter their calling and lufiifcation : yea and Faith too and good workes, from predcflinauon andglorification. As though God did glorifie them ,A homehe didpredetl inate, before he called and itiitified them : yea and 'betòre they can beleeue, and (heave their cjuicke and liuely faith by workes. Contrariwife, let vs ].carne what our duty is. Ifanybe eleCi to eternall 1ife,they alfoare prederlit;ate to the meanes by ' hich they c orne vino it. Änd vrebeleeue (aswe are bound todoe) that wee areprcdeílinate to eternal! life: and thereforewee mutt alfobeleeue, that vveebane beeneele&edtòfaith and goodworks:that bythem,asby certain fleps,we might bebrought toeternall life. And therefore to farre tauft we befromnegleingFaith,and the meanes of goodwcrkes, and ofa holylife : that contrariwife, it is rather ourdutie, to keepeFaith Ina good confcience,and tobeconuerfantin goodworkes,v hich Godhath prepared, that weemight walke inthem . Andbecaufe we can nei- therattaine to theend, nor the meanes that bringvs thereunto ofourfelues Therefore it is ourpantocrane themat Godshands by praier, that bee would glue vs Faith, and acare todoe good workes, and increafe them in vs. Nei- ther mall wee onely askethem , but alto certainlytrufl that we {hall obtaine them for Chrifihis caufe. For, iffor all them which are predefiinated toeter- nal!life,God bathprepared faith,by which they may beleeue, andgoodworkes towalke in : therefore if wee belcei!e (as by Gods commancdcmcntw ee are bound) that weeare in Chri(tcleded toeternall glorie : wee mutt an beper- fwaded, that before we depart hence, hewill gluevs true repentance,encreafe truefaith, inflamevs withloue : lailly,that hewill minifier vetovsaboundant- ly all things in Chrifi,to obtaine the end.Yea thisConfidence alfo.and"praier,it is one effect ofpredeflination , bywhich weeget thetea . Thereforethis do- êtrine weemull holde, that predeflination to eternal! lifedoth not takeaway the ineanesofobtaiñing it, butrather efiablifh them. And therefore both there principlesare true, namely, that the electto life cannot perifh :. and .vnlefiea titan

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