By nature through the fall of Adam, are we the children of wrath, heirs of the vengeance of God by birth, yee and from our conception, we have our fellowship with the damned devils under the power of darkness and rule of satan, while we are yet in our mother's wombs, though we shew not forth the fruits of sin, yet are we full of the natural poison where of all sinful deeds spring, and cannot but sin outwards (be we never so young) if occasion be given, for our nature is to do sin, as is the nature of a serpent to sting. And as a serpent yet young, or yet un-brought forth is full of poison, and cannot afterward (when the time is come and occasion given) but bring forth the fruits there of. And as an edder, a toad, or a snake is hated of man, (not for the evil that it hath done, but for the poison that is in it and hurt which it cannot but do) So are we hated of God for that natural poison which is conceived and born with us, before we do any outward evil. And as the evil, which a venomous worm doeth, maketh it not a serpent: but be cause it is a venomous worm. Therefore doeth it evil and poisoneth. And as the fruit maketh not the tree evil: but because it is an evil tree, therefore bringeth it forth evil furit, when the season of fruit is. Even so do not our evil deeds make us evil: but because that of nature we are evil, therefore we both think and do evil, and are under vengeance, under the law, convicted to eternal damnation by the law, and are contrary to the will of God in all our will, and in all things consent to the will of the land.
By grace (that is to say by favour) we are plucked out of Adam the ground of all evil, and grafted in Christ the root of all goodness. In Christ God loved us his elect and chosen, before the world began, and referred us unto the knowledge of his son and of his holy gospell, and when the gospell is preached to us he openeth our hearts, and giveth us grace to believe and putteth the spirit of Christ in us, and we know him as our father most merciful, and consent to the law, and love it inwardly in our heart, and desire to fulfill it, and sorrow because we cannot, which will (sin we of frailty never so much) is sufficient till more strength be given us, the blood of Christ hath made satisfaction for the rest: the blood of Christ hath obtained all things for us of God. Christ is our satisfaction, redeemer, deliverer, saviour from vengeance and wrath. Observe and mark in the pistels of Paul, and Peter, and the gospell and pistels of Ihon what Christ is unto us.
((faith, love, works))
By faith are we never with out love and good works, yet is our saving imputed neither to love nor unto good works, but unto faith only. For love and works are under the law which requireth perfection, and the ground and fountain of the heart, and damneth all imperfections. Now is faith under the promises, which damn not: but give all grace, mercy and favour, and whatsoever is contained in the promises.
((Righteousness other wise justifying or justice))
Righteousness is divers; Blind reason imagineth many matter of righteousnesses. As the just ministration of all manner of laws, and the observing of them, and moral virtues were in philosophers put their felicity and blessedness, which all are nothing in the sight of God. There is in like manner the justifying of ceremonies, some imagine them their own selves, some counterfeit other, saying in their blind reason: such holy persons did thus and thus, and they were holy men, therefore if I do so like wise I shall please God: but they have none answer of God, that that pleaseth. The jewes seek righteousness in their ceremonies which God gave unto them, not for to justify: but to describe and paint Christ unto them, of which jewes testifieth Paul saying how that they have affection to God: but not after knowledge, for they go about to stablish their own justice, and are not obedient to the justice or righteousness that cometh of God. The cause is verily, that except a man cast away his own imagination and reason, he cannot perceive God, and understand the virtue and power of the blood of Christ. There is the righteousness of works (as I said before) when the heart is away, they feel not how the law is spiritual and cannot be fulfilled, but from the bottom of the heart. There is a full righteousness, when the law is fulfilled from the ground of the heart. This had neither Peter nor Paul in this life perfectly: but sighed after it. They were so far forth blessed in Christ, that they hungered and thirsted after it. Paul had this thirst, he consented to the law of God, that it ought so to be, but he found an other lust in his members contrary to the lust and desire of his mind, and therefore cried out saying: Oh wretched man that I am: who shall deliver me from this body of death, thanks be to God thorow Iesus Christ. The righteousness that before God is of value, is to believe the promises of God, after the law hath confounded the conscience. As when the temporal law oft times condemneth the thief or murderer and bringeth him to execution, so that he saith nothing before him but present death, and then cometh good tidings, a charter from the King and delivereth him. Likewise when God's law hath brought the sinner into knowledge of him self, and hath confounded his conscience, and opened unto him the wrath and vengeance of God, then cometh good tidings, the Evangelion sheweth unto him the promises of God in Christ, and how that Christ hath purchased pardon for him hath satisfied the law for him, and appeased the wrath of God, and the poor sinner believeth, laudeth and thanketh God, thorow Christ, and breaketh out into exceeding inward joy and gladness, for that he hath escaped so great wrath, so heavy vengeance, so fearful and so everlasting a death, and he hence forth is an hungered, and at thirst after more righteousness, that he might fulfill the law, and mourneth continually commending his weakness unto God in the blood of our saviour Christ Iesus.
Here shall ye see compendiously and plainly set out
the order and practice of every thing afore rehearsed.
(Adam bringeth us to bondage.)
The fall of Adam hath made us heirs of the vengeance and wrath of God, and heirs of eternal damnation; And hath brought us into captivity and bondage under the devil; And the devil is our lord, and our ruler, our head, our governor, our prince, yee and our god. And our will is locked and knit faster unto the will of the devils, then cond an hundred thousand chains bind a man unto a post. Unto the devils' will consent we, with all our hearts, with all our minds, with all our might, power, strength, will and lust. With what poisoned, deadly, and venomous hate, hateth a man his enemy; With how great malice of mind inwardly do we slay and murder; With what violence and rage, ye and with how fervent lust commit we advoutry, fornication, and such like uncleanness: with what pleasure and delectation inwardly serveth a glutton his belly; With what diligence deceive we; How busily seek we things of the world; Whatsoever we do, think, or imagine, is abominable in the sight of God. And we are as it were asleep in so deep blindness, that we can neither see, nor feel in what misery, thralldom, and wretchedness we are in, till Moses come and wake us, and publish he the law. When we hear the law truly preached, how that we ought to love and honour God with all our strength and might, from the low bottom of the heart: and our neighbours (yee our enemies.) as our selves inwardly from the ground of the heart, and to do whatsoever God biddeth, and abstain from whatsoever God forbiddeth, with all love and meekness, with a fervent and a burning lust, from the center of the heart, then beginneth the conscience to rage against the law, and against God; No less (be it never so great a tempest) is so unquiet. It is not possible for a natural man to consent to the law, that it should be good, or that God should be righteous, which maketh the law. Man's wit, reason, and will, are so fast glued, yee nailed and chained unto the will of the devil. Neither can any creature lowse the bonds, save the blood of Christ.
(( Christ letteth us at liberty ))