be contentious, and to them that will not be obedient unto the truth, but will obey unrighteousness, shall come indignation, wrath, and affliction, &c. Therefore, to conclude, confidering the infinite benefits of God, fhewed and given unto us mercifully without our deferts, who hath not only created us of nothing, and from a piece of vile clay, of his infinite goodness hath exalted us, as touching our foul, unto his own fimilitude and likeness; but also, whereas we were condemned to hell, and death everlasting, hath given his own natural Son, being God eternal, immortal, and equal unto himself in power and glory, to be incarnated, and to take our mortal nature upon him, with the infirmities of the fame, and in the fame nature to fuffer moft fhameful and painful death for our offences, to the intent to justify us, and to reftore us to life everlafting fo making us alfo his dear children, brethren unto his only Son our Saviour Chrift, and inheritors for ever with him of his eternal kingdom of heaven. These great and merciful benefits of God, if they be well confidered, do neither minifter unto us occafion to be idle, and to live without doing any good works, neither yet ftir us up by any means to do evil things; but contrariwife, if we be not defperate perfons, and our hearts harder than ftones, they move us to render ourselves unto God wholly, with all our will, hearts, might, and power to ferve him in all good deeds, obeying his commandments during our lives, to feek in all things his glory and honour, not our fenfual pleasures and vain-glory; evermore dreading willingly to offend fuch a merciful God and loving Redeemer, in word, thought, or deed. And the faid benefits of God, deeply confidered, move us for his fake alfo to be ever ready to give ourselves to our neighbours, and, as much as lieth in us, to ftudy with all our endeavour to do good to every man. These be the fruits of true faith, to do good as much as lieth in us to every man, and, above all things, and in all things, to advance the glory of God, of whom only we have our fanctification, juftification, falvation, and redemption: to whom be ever glory, praife, and honour, world without end. Amen. A SHORT A SHORT DECLARATION OF THE True, Lively, and Chriftian Faith. THE HE firft coming unto God, good Chriftian people, is Faith. through faith, whereby (as it is declared in the laft Sermon) we be juftified before God. And left any man fhould be deceived, for lack of right understanding thereof, it is diligently to be noted, that faith is taken in the Scripture two manner of ways. There is one faith, which A dead in Scripture is called a dead faith, which bringeth forth faith. no good works; but is idle, barren, and unfruitful. And this faith, by the holy Apoftle St. James, is compared to the faith of devils, which believe God to be true and juft, James ii. and tremble for fear; yet they do nothing well, but all evil. And fuch a manner of faith have the wicked and naughty Christian people, which confefs God, as St. Paul faith, in Titus vi. their mouths, but deny bim in their deeds, being abominable, and without the right faith, and to all good works reprovable. And this faith is a perfuafion and belief in man's heart, whereby he knoweth that there is a God, and agreeth unto all truths of God's most holy word, contained in the holy Scripture. So that it confifteth only in behieving in the word of God, that it is true. And this is not properly called faith. But as he that readeth Cæfar's Commentary, believing the fame to be true, hath thereby a knowledge of Cæfar's life and notable acts, because he believeth the hiftory of Cæfar: yet it is not properly said, that he believeth in Cæfar, of whom he looketh for no help nor benefit. Even fo, he that believeth all that is fpoken of God in the Bible is true, and yet liveth fo ungodlily, that he cannot look to enjoy the promises and benefits of God; although it may be faid that fuch a man hath faith. hath a faith and belief to the words of God; yet it is not properly faid that he believeth in God, or hath fuch a faith and truft in God, whereby he may furely look for grace, mercy, and everlasting life at God's hand, but rather for indignation and punishment, according to the merits of his wicked life. For as it is written in a book, intituled to be of Didymus Alexandrinus, Forafmuch as faith without works is dead, it is not now faith, as a dead man is not a man. This dead faith therefore is not that fure and fubftantial faith which faveth finners. Another faith there is in Scripture, which is not, as the forefaid A lively faith, idle, unfruitful, and dead, but worketh by charity, (as St. Paul declareth, Gal. v.) which as the other vain faith is called a dead faith, fo may this be called a quick or lively faith. And this is not only the common belief of the Articles of our faith, but it is also a true truft and confidence of the mercy of God through our Lord Jefus Christ, and a stedfaft hope of all good things to be received at God's hand: and that although we, through infirmity, or temptation of our ghoftly enemy, do fall from him by fin; yet if we return again unto him by true repentance, that he will forgive and forget our offences for his Son's fake, our Saviour Jefus Chrift, and will make us inheritors with him of his everlafting kingdom; and that in the mean time, until that kingdom come, he will be our protector and defender in all perils and dangers, whatsoever do chance: and that though fometime he doth fend us fharp adverfity, yet that evermore he will be a loving Father unto us, correcting us for our fin, but not withdrawing his mercy finally from us, if we trust in him, and commit ourselves wholly unto him, hang only upon him, and call upon him, ready to obey and ferve him. This is the true, lively, and unfeigned Chriftian faith, and is not in the mouth and outward profeffion only, but it liveth, and stirreth inwardly in the heart. And this faith is not without hope and truft in God, nor without the love of God and of our neighbours, nor without the fear of God, nor without the defire to hear God's word, and to follow the fame in efchewing evil, and doing gladly all good works. Heb. xii. Thus faith, as St. Paul defcribeth it, is the fure ground and foundation of the benefits which we ought to look for, and truft to receive of God, a certificate and fure looking for them, although they yet fenfibly appear not unto us. And after he faith, He that cometh to God must believe, both that he is, and that he is a merciful rewarder of well doers. durs. And nothing commendeth good men unto God fo much as this affured faith and truft in him. Of this faith three things are specially to be noted. to be noted First, that this faith doth not lie dead in the heart, but Three is lively and fruitful in bringing forth good works. Se-things are condly, that without it can no good works be done, that of faith. fhall be acceptable and pleasant to God. Thirdly, what manner of good works they be that this faith doth bring forth. For the firft, that as the light cannot be hid, but will Faith is fhew forth itself at one place or other; fo a true faith can- full of good not be kept fecret; but when occafion is offered, it will break out, and fhew itself by good works. And as the living body of a man ever exercifeth fuch things as belong to a natural and living body, for nourishment and prefervation of the fame, as it hath need, opportunity, and occafion; even fo the foul that hath a lively faith in it will be doing alway fome good work, which fhall declare that it is living, and will not be unoccupied. Therefore, when men hear in the Scripture fo high commendations of faith, that it maketh us to pleafe God, to live with God, and to be the children of God; if then they fancy that they be fet at liberty from doing all good works, and may live as they lift, they trifle with God, and deceive thenfelves. And it is a manifeft token that they be far from having the true and lively faith, and alfo far from knowledge what true faith meaneth. For the very fure and lively Chriftian faith is, not only to believe all things of God which are contained in holy Scripture, but alfo is an earneft truft and confidence in God, that he doth regard us, and that he is careful over us, as the father is over the child whom he doth love, and that he will be merciful unto us for his only Son's fake, and that we have our Saviour Chrift our perpetual Advocate, and Prieft, in whofe only merits, oblation, and fuffering we do truft that our offences be continually wafhed and purged, whenfoever we, repenting truly, do return to him with our whole heart, ftedfaftly determining with ourselves, through his grace, to obey and ferve him in keeping his commandments, and never to turn back again to fin. Such is the true faith that the Scripture doth so much commend, the which, when it feeth and confidereth what God hath done for us, is alfo moved, through continual affiftance of the Spirit of God, to ferve and please him, to keep his favour, to fear his difpleasure, to continue his obedient children, fhewing thankfulness again by ob ferving Jer. xvii. ferving or keeping his commandments, and that freely, for true love chiefly, and not for dread of punishment, or love of temporal reward, confidering how clearly, without defervings, we have received his mercy and pardon freely. This true faith will fhew forth itself, and cannot long Habak. ii. be idle for as it is written, The juft man doth live by bis faith. He never fleepeth, nor is idle, when he would wake, and be well occupied. And God by his Prophet Jeremy faith, that be is a happy and blessed man, which bath faith and confidence in God. For he is like a tree fet by the water-fide, and fpreadeth his roots abroad towards the moisture, and feareth not heat when it cometh; his leaf will be green, and will not cease to bring forth his fruit: even fo, faithful men, putting away all fear of adversity, will fhew forth the fruit of their good works, as occafion is offered to do them. Ecclef. YE The Second Part of the Sermon of Faith. E have heard in the first part of this Sermon, that there be two kinds of faith, a dead and an unfruitful faith, and a faith lively, that worketh by charity: the firft to be unprofitable; the fecond, neceffary for the ob taining of our falvation: the which faith hath charity always joined unto it, and is fruitful, and bringeth forth all good works. Now as concerning the fame matter, you fhall hear what followeth. The Wife Man faith, He that believeth in God will bearken unto his commandments. For if we do not fhew ourselves faithful in our converfation, the faith which we pretend to have is but a feigned faith: because the true Chriftian faith is manifeftly fhewed by good living, and not by words only, as St. Auguftine faith, Good living cannot be feparated from true faith, which worketh by love. And St Chryfoftom faith, Faith of itself is full of good works: as foon as a man doth beOperibus, lieve, he fhall be garnished with them. How plentiful de Lege et this faith is of good works, and how it maketh the work of one man more acceptable to God than of another, St. Paul teacheth at large in the eleventh chapter to the Hebrews, faying, that faith made the oblation of Abel better than the oblation of Cain. This made Noah to build the Eccl. xliv. ark. This made Abraham to forfake his country and all bis friends, and go into a far country, there to dwell among ftrangers. So did alfo Ifaac and Jacob, depending or hanging only on the help and trust that they had in Libro de c. ii. Sermo Fide. Heb. xi. Gen xi. God, |