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remission of our sin, and so be reconciled again to his favour, and hope to be his children and inheritors of everlasting life; who worketh these great miracles in us? Our worthiness, our deservings and endeavours, our wits, and virtue? Nay verily, St. Paul will not suffer flesh and clay to presume to such arrogancy, and therefore saith, "All is of God, &c." 2 Cor.

v. 18. Hom. xxix. 3.

And to uphold the truth of this matter against all justiciaries and hypocrites, which rob Almighty God of his honour and ascribe it to themselves, St. Paul bringeth in his belief; "We be not," saith he, "sufficient of ourselves," as of ourselves, once to think any thing, but all our ableness is of God's goodness." Hom. xxix. 1.

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The frailty of man without thee cannot but fall. Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity.

And so replenish him with the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that he may alway incline to thy will, and walk in thy way. Prayer for the King.

Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit. Coll. for Christmas Day.

We humbly beseech thee, that as by thy special grace preventing us thou dost put into our minds good desires; so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect. Coll. for Easter Day.

Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and sanctified. Coll. for Good Friday.

Lord, we pray thee, that thy grace may always prevent and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works. Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity.

Prevent us, O Lord, in all our doings, with thy most gracious favour, and further us with thy continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in thee, we may glorify thy holy name, and finally by thy mercy obtain everlasting life; though Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Occasional Coll.

author and finisher of our faith. Heb. xii. 2. By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 1 Cor. xv. 10. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Phil. iv. 13. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way. Ps. xxxvii. 23. Man's goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way. Prov. XX.

24. O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. Jer. x. 23. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. John xv. 4, 5. Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who hath given you a good will to do all these things, grant also unto you strength and power to perform the same; that he accomplishing in you the good work which he hath begun, you may be found perfect and irreprehensible at the latter day. Ordination Service.

We must needs agree, that whatsoever good thing is in us, of grace, of nature, or of fortune, is of God only, as the only author and worker. Hom. xxix. 1,

pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ. Heb. xiii. 21. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day

of Jesus Christ. Phil. i. 6. For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. Rom. xi. 36.

XI. Of the Justification of Man.

WE are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour

Because all men be sinners and offenders against God, and breakers of his law and commandments: therefore can no man by his own acts, words, and deeds, seem they never so good, be justified, and made righteous before God: but every man of necessity is constrained to seek for another righteousness of justification, to be received at God's own hands; that is to say, the forgiveness of his sins and trespasses, in such things as he hath offended. And this justification or righteousness, which we so receive of God's mercy and Christ's merits, embraced by faith, is taken, accepted, and allowed of God for our perfect and full justification. Hom. iii. 1.

We put our faith in Christ, that we 'be justified by him only ; that we be justified by God's free mercy, and the merits of our Saviour Christ only; and by no virtue or good work of our own that is in us, or that we can be able to have, or to do, for to deserve the same; Christ himself only being the cause meritorious thereof. Hom. iii. 3.

So that Christ is now the righteousness of all them that truly do believe in him. He for them paid their ransom by his death. He for them fulfilled the law in his life. So that now, in him,

a Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference, for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness; that he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law of works? Nay, but by the

law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith, without the deeds of the law. Rom. iii. 20-28. I will raise unto David á righteous branch. And this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Jer. xxii. 5, 6. To make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness. Dan. ix. 24. He made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Cor. v. 20. Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. Acts xiii. 38, 39. Of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 1 Cor. i. 30.

Jesus Christ by faith, and not for our own

and by him, every true Christian man may be called a fulfiller of the law forasmuch as that which their infirmity lacketh, Christ's justice hath supplied. Hom. iii. 1.

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The only mean and instrument of salvation required of our parts is faith that is to say, a true trust and confidence in the mercies of God; whereby we persuade ourselves, that God both hath and will forgive our sins; that he hath accepted us again into his favour; that he hath released us from the bonds of damnation, and received us again into the number of his elect people, not for our merits or deserts, but only and solely for the merits of Christ's death and passion; who became man for our sakes, and humbled himself to sustain the reproach of the cross; that we thereby might be saved, and made inheritors of the kingdom of heaven. This faith is required at our hands. Hom. xxv. 2.

Q. What profit get we of this faith? A. Righteousness before God, by which we are made heirs of eternal life. Nowell, p. 72.

We must flee to the mercy of God, whereby he freely embraceth us with love and good will in Christ, without any our deserving, or respect of works, both forgiving us our sins, and so giving us the righteousness of Christ by faith in him, that for the same Christ's righteousness he so accepteth us, as if it were our own. To God's mercy therefore through Christ we ought to impute all our justification. Q. How do we know it to be thus ? A. By the Gospel, which containeth the promises of God by Christ, to the which when we adjoin faith, that is to say, an assured persuasion of mind and stedfast confidence of God's good will, we do, as it were, take state and possession of this justification. Nowell, p. 72, 73.

St. Ambrose, a Latin author, saith these words; This is the ordinance of God, that they which believe in Christ should be

h Surely shall one say, In the Lord have I righteousness and strength. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory. Isa. xlv. 24, 25. And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. Phil. iii. 9.

c Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works

of the law shall no flesh be justified. Gal. ii. 16. That no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident; for the just shall live by faith; and the law is not of faith. Gal. iii. 11, 12. Therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith. Rom. i. 17. To them that have obtained like precious faith, through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. 2 Pet. i. 1. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Rom. v. 1. He staggered not at the promise of

works or deservings: wherefore that we are

saved without works-by faith only-freely receiving remission of their sins. Consider diligently these words, without worksby faith only-freely-we receive remission of our sins. What can be spoken more plainly, than to say, that freely-without works-by faith only-we obtain remission of our sins? Hom. iii. 2.

Q. Doth not then our own godliness toward God, and leading of our life honestly and holily among men, justify us before God. A. If any man were able to live uprightly according to the precise rule of the law of God, he should worthily be counted justified by his good works. But seeing we are all most far from that perfection of life, yea, and be so oppressed with conscience of our sins, we must take another course, and find another way, how God may receive us into favour, than by our own deserving. Nowell, p. 72. On the moral law, see Article vii.

If any were able to perform it, they should be justified by the law; but we are all of such weakness, that no man in all points fulfilleth his duty. For though we put case, that there be one found that performeth the law in some point, yet shall he not thereby be justified before God; for he pronounceth them all to be accursed and abominable that do not fulfil all things that are contained in the law. Q. Dost thou then determine that no mortal man is justified before God by the law? A. No For the Scriptures do also pronounce the same. Nowell,

man.

p. 30.

God through unbelief: but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded, that what he had promised he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Rom. iv. 20-22. They being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. Rom. x. 3, 4.

all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. Gal. iii. 10. We know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man. 1 Tim. i. 8, 9. If Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God. For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Rom. iv. 2, 3, 5. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us

By grace are ye saved through faith; not of works, lest any man should boast. Gal. ii. 3. Christ is become of no effect unto you: whosoever of you are justified that being justified by his grace, by the law, ye are fallen from we should be made heirs according grace. Gal. v. 4. As many as are to the hope of eternal life. Tit. iii. of the works of the law are under 5, 7. Who hath first given to him, a curse; for it is written, Cursed and it shall be recompensed to him is every one who continueth not in again?

Rom. xi. 35. Who hath

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