above. In like manner I behold a woman but with a chaste

eye, not lusting after her. This beholding cometh not of the flesh, although it be in the flesh, because the eyes are the carnal instruments of this sight: but the chasteness of this sight cometh from heaven.

Thus a Christian useth the world and all creatures, so that there is no difference between him and the infidel. For in their apparel, in their feeding, hearing, seeing, speaking, gestures, countenances, and such other things, they are like, and in outward appearance they seem to be all one (as Paul speaketh of Christ; "In outward appearance he was found," saith he, "as a man,’ Philip. ii. 8.) yet notwithstanding there is great difference. For I live in the flesh, I grant, but I live not of myself: but in that I now live, I live in the faith of the Son of God. This which I now speak, springeth out of another fountain than that which thou heardest of me before. Paul, before his conversion, spake with the same voice and tongue wherewith he spake afterwards; but his voice and his tongue were then blasphemous, and therefore he could speak nothing else but blasphemies and abominations against Christ and his church. After he was converted he had the same flesh, the same voice and tongue which he had before, and nothing was changed: but his voice and his tongue then uttered no blasphemies, but spiritual and heavenly words, to wit, thanksgiving and the praise of God: which came of faith and the Holy Ghost. So then I live in the flesh, but not of the flesh or after the flesh, but in the faith of the Son of God.

Hereby we may plainly see whence this spiritual life cometh: which the natural man can in no wise perceive, for he knoweth not what manner of life this is. He heareth the wind, but whence it cometh, or whither it goeth, he knoweth not. He heareth the voice of the spiritual man, he knoweth his face, his manners, and his gestures: but he seeth not whence those words, which are not now wicked and blasphemous as before, but holy and godly, or whence those motions and actions do come. For this life is in the heart by faith, where the flesh is killed, and Christ reigneth with his Holy Spirit, who now seeth, heareth, speaketh, worketh, suffereth, and doth all other things in him, although the flesh do resist. To conclude, this is not the life of the flesh, although it be in the flesh: but of Christ the Son of God, whom the Christian possesseth by faith.

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VERSE 20. Who loved me, and gave himself for me. Here have ye the true manner of justification set before eyes, and a perfect example of the assurance of faith. He that can with a firm and a constant faith say these words with Paul, "I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me," is happy indeed. And with these words Paul taketh away the whole righteousness of the law and works, as afterwards we will declare. We must therefore diligently weigh

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and consider these words: "The Son of God loved me, and gave himself for me." It was not I then that first loved the Son of God, and delivered myself for him: as the sophisters dream, that they love the Son of God and deliver themselves for him. For they teach that a man, ex puris naturalibus, that is, of his own pure natural strength, is able to do meritorious works before grace, and love God and Christ above all things. These fellows pervert the love of God and Christ: for they do that is in them, say they, that is, they do not only fulfil the commandments, but also they observe the counsels, they do the works of supererogation, and sell their superfluous merits to laymen, and so, as they dream, they give themselves for Christ, and thereby save both themselves and others, turning the words of Paul," which loved me," &c. clean contrary, and saying: we have loved Christ, and given ourselves for him. Thus when the wicked, being puffed up with the wisdom of the flesh, imagine that they do what in them lieth, they love God, they deliver themselves for Christ, what do they else but abolish the gospel, deride, deny, and blaspheme Christ, yea, spit upon him, and tread him under foot? They confess in words that he is a justifier and a saviour: in very deed they take from him the power both to justify and save, and give the same to their own will-works, their ceremonies and devotions. This is to live in their own righteousness and works, and not in the faith of the Son of God.

Wherefore this is not the true way to attain justification, to do that which in thee lieth: as the Popish sophisters and school-doctors do teach, which affirm, that if a man doth what in him lieth, God will undoubtedly give unto him his grace; but this saying may not be straitly urged, say they; for if we do those works which may be approved by the judgment of any good man, it is enough; for then grace shall surely follow, because God, in that he is good and just, must needs give grace as a recompence for such good works. And hereof cometh this verse:Ultra posse viri non vult Deus ulla requiri. That is,

God will no more require of man,

Than of himself perform he can.

Indeed this is a good saying if it be used rightly, and in place convenient: that is, in the government of commonweals or families. As if I being in the kingdom of reason, do execute the office of a magistrate, or govern a family, doing that in me lieth, I am excused. This kingdom hath its bound and limits: to the which also these sayings do pertain: to do what in us lieth: to do as much as we are able. But the Papists apply these sayings to the spiritual kingdom, wherein a man can do nothing else but sin: for he is "sold under sin," (Rom. vii. 14.) But in external things (such I mean as pertain to civil and household government) he is not a servant, but a lord and a ruler. Wherefore they have done wickedly in applying these sentences to the church, which properly pertain to the government of com

monwea's and families. For the kingdom of man's reason and he spiritual kingdom must be separate far asunder.

Moreover, they say, that nature is corrupt, but the qualities of nature notwithstanding are sound and uncorrupt, which also they attribute even unto devils. Upon this ground they reason after this manner: if the natural qualities of man be sound and uncorrupt, then is his understanding and his will sound and uncorrupt, and so consequently all other qualities of nature are pure and perfect in him. To know these things, it is necessary for you, that ye may hold the sincerity of the doctrine of faith. Where they say then that the natural qualities of man are sound and uncorrupt, and therefore do infer, that a man is able of himself to fulfil the law, and to love God with all his heart, applying these qualities to the spiritual kingdom, I deny the consequence. And here I make a distinction between the natural and the spiritual qualities, (which they confound and mingle together) and I say, that the spiritual qualities are not sound, but corrupt, yea, utterly quenched, through sin both in man and devil, so that there is in them nothing else but corrupt understanding, and a will continually striving against the will of God, which can think nothing else but that which is altogether against God. Notwithstanding, I grant that the natural qualities are uncorrupt. But what qualities are they? That a man drowned in sin and iniquity, and a bondslave of Satan, hath will, reason, and power, notwithstanding, to execute the office of a magistrate, to govern a family, to guide a ship, to build a house, and to do such other things as are subject unto man: for these things are not taken from him. We do not then deny but that these sentences are true in the corporal kingdom: but if ye wrest them to the spiritual kingdom, I utterly deny them; for there, as I said, we are clean overwhelmed and drowned in sin. Whatsoever is in our will is evil: whatsoever is in our understanding is error. Wherefore in spiritual matters man hath nothing but darkness, errors, ignorance, malice and perverseness both of will and understanding. How then shall he work well, fulfil the law, and love God?

Wherefore Paul saith here that Christ first began and not we. "He, even he (saith Paul) loved me, and gave himself for me." As if he said, he found in me no good will or right understanding: but this good Lord had mercy upon me. He saw me to be nothing else but wicked, going astray, contemning God, and flying from him more and more: yea, rebelling against God, taken, led, and carried away captive of the devil. Thus of his mere mercy preventing my reason, my will, and my understanding, he loved me, and so loved himself for me, to that he me, gave the end that I might be freed from the law, sin, the devil, and death.

Again, these words, "The Son of God loved me, and gave himself for me," are mighty thunderings and lightnings from heaven against the righteousness of the law and all the works

thereof. So great and so horrible wickedness, error, darkness, and ignorance was in my will and understanding, that it was impossible for me to be ransomed by any other means than by such an inestimable price. Why do we then vaunt the integrity and soundness of nature, of the rule of reason, of free-will, and of doing what in us lieth? Why do I offer, to pacify the wrath of God, who, as Moses saith, "is a consuming fire," this my rotten stubble and straw, yea horrible sins, and claim of him to reward me with grace and everlasting life for them, since here I learn such wickedness to lie lurking in my nature, that the whole world and all creatures therein were not able to countervail the indignation of God, but that the very Son of God himself must needs be delivered for the same?

But let us consider well this price, and let us behold the captive, delivered, as Paul saith, for me; the Son of God, I mean, and we shall see him, without all comparison, to exceed and excel all creatures. What wilt thou do when thou hearest the apostle say, that such an inestimable price was given for thee? Wilt thou bring thy cowl, thy shaven crown, thy chastity, thy obedience, thy poverty, thy works, thy merits? What shall all these do? Yea, what shall the law of Moses avail? What shall the works of all men, and all the sufferings of the martyrs profit thee? What is the obedience of all the holy angels in comparison of the Son of God delivered, and that most shamefully, even to the death of the cross, so that there was no drop of his most precious blood, but it was shed, and that for thy sins? If thou couldst rightly consider this incomparable price, thou shouldst hold as accursed of all these ceremonies, vows, works, and merits before grace and after, and throw them all down to hell. For it is a horrible blasphemy to imagine that there is any work whereby thou shouldst presume to pacify God, since thou seest that there is nothing which is able to pacify him but this inestimable price, even the death and blood of the Son of God, one drop whereof is more precious than the whole world.

VERSE 20. For me.

Who is this me? Even I, wretched and damnable sinner, so dearly beloved of the Son of God, that he gave himself for me. If I then through works or merits could have loved the Son of God, and so come unto him, what needed he to deliver himselt for me? Hereby it appeareth how coldly the Papists handled, yea, how they utterly neglected the holy scriptures, and the doctrine of faith. For if they had considered but only these words, that it behoved the Son of God to be given for me, it had been impossible that so many monstrous sects should have sprung up amongst them. For faith would by-and-by have answered: why dost thou choose this kind of life, this religion, this work? Dost thou this to please God, or to be justified thereby? Dost thou not hear, O thou wretch, that the Son of God shed his

blood for thee? This true faith in Christ would easily have withstood all manner of sects.

Wherefore I say (as I have oftentimes said,) that there is no remedy against sects, or power to resist them, but this only article of Christian righteousness. If we lose this article, it is impossible for us to withstand any errors or sects; as we may see at this day in the fantastical spirits the Anabaptists, and such like: who being fallen away from this article of justification, will never cease to fall, err, and seduce others, until they come to the fulness of all iniquity. There is no doubt but they will raise up innumerable sects, and still devise new works. But what are all these things (though they have never so goodly a shew of holiness) if ye compare them to the death and blood of the Son of God, "who gave himself for me?" Consider well, I pray you, who this Son of God is, how glorious he is, how mighty he is. What is heaven and earth in comparison of him? Let all the Papists and all the authors of sects, yea, though the whole world take their part, be thrown down into hell, with all their righteousness, works, and merits, rather than the truth of the gospel should be blemished, and the glory of Christ perish. What mean they, then, to brag so much of works and merits? If I, being a wretch and a damned sinner, could be redeemed by any other price, what needed the Son of God to be given for me? But because there was no other price either in heaven or in earth, but Christ the Son of God, therefore it was most necessary that he should be delivered for me. Moreover, this he did of inestimable love: for Paul saith, "which loved me."

Wherefore these words, "which loved me," are full of faith. And he that can utter this word "me," and apply it unto himself with a true and a constant faith, as Paul did, shall be a good disputer with Paul against the law. For he delivered neither sheep, ox, gold, nor silver, but even God himself, entirely and wholly, "for me," even for "me," I say, a miserable and wretched sinner. Now therefore, in that the Son of God was thus delivered to death for me, I take comfort and apply this unto myself. And this manner of applying is the very true force and power of faith.

These words (which are the pure preaching of grace and Christian righteousness indeed) Paul setteth against the righteousness of the law. As if he said: be it so that the law is a heavenly doctrine, and hath also his glory; yet notwithstanding it loved not me, nor gave itself for me: yea, it accuseth me. terrifieth me, and driveth me to desperation. But I have now another which hath delivered me from the terrors of the law, sin, and death, and hath brought me into liberty, the righteousness of God, and eternal life; who is called the Son of God, to whom be praise and glory for ever.

Faith therefore, as I have said, embraceth and wrappeth in itself Christ Jesus the Son of God, delivered to death for us, as