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be never so upright and blameless) whether he be in the favour of God or no, And this sentence, commonly received, was a special principle and article of faith in the whole papacy, whereby they utterly defaced the doctrine of faith, tormented men's consciences, banished Christ quite out of the church, darkened and denied all the benefits of the Holy Ghost, abolished the whole worship of God, set up idolatry, contempt of God, and blasphemy against God in men's hearts.

Augustine saith very well and godly, that "every man seeth most certainly his own faith, if he have faith." This do they deny. God forbid (say they) that I should assure myself that I am under grace, that I am holy, and that I have the Holy Ghost, yea, although I live godly, and do all good works. Ye which are young, and are not infected with this pernicious opinion, (whereupon the whole kingdom of the Pope is grounded,) take heed and fly from it, as from a most horrible plague. We that are old men have been trained up in this error, even from our youth, and have been so nusled therein, that it hath taken deep root in our hearts. Therefore it is to us no less labour to unlearn and forget the same, than to learn and lay hold upon true faith. But we must be assured and out of doubt that we are under grace, that we please God for Christ's sake, and that we have the Holy Ghost: "For if any man have not the spirit of Christ, the same is none of his." (Rom. viii. 9.)

Wherefore, whether thou be a minister of God's word, or a magistrate in the commonwealth, thou must assuredly think that thy office pleaseth God: but this thou canst never do, unless thou have the Holy Ghost. But thou wilt say, I doubt not but that my office pleaseth God, because it is God's ordinance; but I doubt of mine own person, whether it please God or no. Here thou must resort to the word of God, which teacheth and assureth us, that not only the office of the person, but also the person itself pleaseth God. For the person is baptized, believeth in Christ, is purged in his blood from all his sins, liveth in the communion and fellowship of his church. Moreover, he doth not only love the pure doctrine of the word, but also he is glad, and greatly rejoiceth when he seeth it advanced, and the number of the faithful increased. Contrariwise, he detesteth the Pope and all sectaries, with their wicked doctrine, according to that saying of the Psalm: "I hate them that imagine evil things, but thy law do I love." (Psal. cxix. 113.)

We ought, therefore, to be surely persuaded, that not only our office, but also our person pleaseth God; yea, whatsoever it saith, doth, or thinketh particularly, the same pleaseth God, not for our own sakes, but for Christ's sake, who was made under the law for us. Now, we are sure that Christ pleaseth God, that he is holy, &c. Forasmuch, then, as Christ pleaseth God, and we are in him, we also please God, and are holy.

And although sin do still remain in our flesh, and we also daily fall and offend, yet grace is more abundant and stronger than sin. The mercy and truth of the Lord reigneth over us for ever. Wherefore sin cannot terrify us, and make us doubtful of the grace of God which is in us. For Christ, that most mighty giant, hath quite abolished the law, condemned sin, vanquished death, and all evils. So long as he is at the right hand of God, making intercession for us, we cannot doubt of the grace and favour of God towards us.

Moreover, God hath also sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, as Paul here saith. But Christ is most certain in his spirit that he pleaseth God, &c.; therefore we also, having the same spirit of Christ, must be assured that we are under grace for his sake which is most assured. This I have said concerning the inward testimony, whereby a Christian man's heart ought to be fully persuaded that he is under grace, and hath the Holy Ghost. Now, the outward signs (as before I have said) are, gladly to hear of Christ, to preach and teach Christ, to render thanks unto him, to praise him, to confess him, yea, with the loss of goods and life: moreover, to do our duty according to our vocation as we are able: to do it (I say) in faith, joy, &c. Not to delight in, nor to thrust ourselves into another man's vocation, but to attend upon our own, to help our needy brother, to comfort the heavy hearted, &c. By these signs, as by certain effects and consequents, we are fully assured and confirmed that we are in God's favour. The wicked also do imagine that they have the same signs, but they have nothing less. Hereby we may plainly perceive that the Pope with his doctrine doth nothing else but trouble and torment men's consciences, and at length driveth them to desperation. For he not only teacheth, but also commandeth men to doubt. Therefore, as the Psalm saith, "There is no truth or certainty in his mouth," (Ps. v. 9.) And in another place: "Under his tongue is iniquity and mischief," (Ps. x. 7.)

Here we may see, what great infirmity is yet in the faith of the godly. For if we could be fully persuaded that we are under grace, that our sins are forgiven, that we have the spirit of Christ, that we are the children of God, then, doubtless, we should be joyful, and thankful to God for this inestimable gift. But because we feel contrary motions, that is to say, fear, doubtfulness, anguish and heaviness of heart, and such-like, therefore we cannot assure ourselves hereof: yea, our conscience judgeth it a great presumption and pride to challenge this glory. Wherefore, if we will understand this thing rightly, and as we should do, we must put it in practice; for without experience and practice it can never be learned.

Wherefore, let every man so practise with himself, that his conscience may be fully assured that he is under grace, and that his person and his works do please God. And if he feel in

himself any wavering or doubting, let him exercise his faith, and wrestle against this doubting, and let him labour to attain more strength and assurance of faith, so that he may be able to say, I know that I am accepted, and that I have the Holy Ghost: not for mine own worthiness, my work, my merit, but for Christ's sake, who, of his inestimable love towards us, made himself thrall and subject to the law, and took away the sins of the world. In him do I believe. If I be a sinner and err, he is righteous and cannot err. Moreover, I gladly hear, read, sing, and write of him, and I desire nothing more than that his gospel may be known to the whole world, and that many may be converted unto him.

These things do plainly witness, that the Holy Ghost is present with us and in us. For such things are not wrought in the heart by man's strength, nor gotten by man's industry or travel, but are obtained by Christ alone, who first maketh us righteous by the knowledge of himself in his holy gospel, and afterwards he createth a new heart in us, bringeth forth new motions, and giveth unto us that assurance, whereby we are persuaded that we please the Father for his sake. Also he giveth us a true judgment, whereby we prove and try those things which before we knew not, or else altogether despised. It behoveth us, therefore, to wrestle against this doubting, that we may daily overcome it more and more, and attain to a full persuasion and certainty of God's favour towards us; rooting out of our hearts this cursed opinion, that a man ought to doubt of the grace and favour of God, which hath infected the whole world.

VERSE 6. Crying, Abba, Father.

Paul might have said, "God sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts," calling, Abba, Father. He saith not so, but crying "Abba, Father," that he might shew and set forth the temptation of a Christian, which yet is but weak, and weakly believeth. In the eighth to the Romans, he calleth this crying an unspeakable groaning. Likewise he saith: "The spirit helpeth our infirmities: for we know not how to pray as we ought, but the spirit maketh intercession for us, with unspeakable groanings," &c.

And this is a singular consolation when he saith, "that the spirit of Christ is sent into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father:" and again, "that he helpeth our infirmities, making intercession for us with unspeakable groanings." He that could assuredly believe this, should never be overcome with any affliction, were it never so great. But there are many things that hinder this faith in us. First, our heart is born in sin: moreover, this evil is naturally grafted in us, that we doubt of the good-will of God towards us, and cannot assure ourselves that we please God, &c. Besides all this, the devil our adversary rangeth about with ter

rible roarings, and saith: Thou art a sinner; therefore God is angry with thee, and will destroy thee for ever. Against these horrible and intolerable roarings, we have nothing whereupon to hold and stay ourselves, but only the word, which setteth Christ before us as a conqueror over sin and death, and over all evils. But to cleave fast to the word, in this temptation and these terrors of conscience, herein standeth all the difficulty. For then Christ appeareth to no sense. We see him not; the heart feeleth not his presence or succour in temptation; but rather it seemeth that he is angry with us, and that he forsaketh us. Moreover, when a man is tempted and afflicted, he feeleth the strength of sin, and the infirmity of the flesh, he doubteth, he feeleth the fiery darts of the devil, the terrors of death, the anger and judgment of God. All these things cry out horribly against us, so that we see nothing else but desperation and eternal death. But yet, in the midst of these terrors of the law, thunderings of sin, assaults of death, and roarings of the devil, the Holy Ghost (saith Paul) crieth in our hearts, "Abba, Father!" And this cry surmounteth the horrible cries of the law, sin, death, the devil, &c.; it pierceth the clouds and the heavens, and ascendeth up into the ears of God.

Paul signifieth, therefore, by these words, that there is yet infirmity in the godly: As he doth also in the eighth chapter to the Romans, when he saith, "the spirit helpeth our infirmities." Forasmuch, therefore, as the sense and feeling of the contrary is strong in us; that is to say, forasmuch as we feel more the displeasure of God, than his good-will and favour towards us, therefore the Holy Ghost is sent into our hearts, which doth not only sigh and make request for us, but mightily crieth, "Abba, Father!" and prayeth for us according to the will of God, with tears and unspeakable groanings. And how is this done? When we are in terrors, and in the conflict of conscience, we take hold of Christ, and believe that he is our Saviour; but then do the law and sin terrify and torment us most of all. Moreover, the devil assaileth us with all his engines and fiery darts, and goeth about with all his power to take away Christ and all consolations from us. Here we feel ourselves almost gone, and at the point of desperation: for then are we that bruised reed and smoking flax, which Isaiah speaketh of, chap. xlii. 3. Notwithstanding, in the mean season, the Holy Ghost helpeth our infirmities, and maketh intercession for us with unspeakable groanings, (Rom. viii. 28.) and certifieth our spirits that we are the children of God. Thus is the mind raised up in terrors: it looketh unto his Saviour and high bishop, Jesus Christ; it overcometh the infirmity of the flesh; it conceiveth comfort again, and saith, "Abba, Father." This groaning which then we scantly feel, Paul calleth, a crying and unspeakable groaning, which filleth both heaven and earth. Moreover, he calleth it the crying and groaning of the spirit, because the Holy Ghost stirreth up the

same in our hearts when we are weak, and oppressed with temptation and terror.

Although, then, the law, sin, and the devil cry out against us never so much, with great and terrible roarings, which seem to fill heaven and earth, and far to exceed this groaning of our heart, yet can they not hurt us. For the more fiercely they assail us, accuse, and torment us with their cryings, so much the more do we groan; and in groaning lay hold upon Christ, call upon him with heart and mouth, cleave unto him, and believe that he was made under the law, that he might deliver us from the curse of the law, and destroy both sin and death. And thus, when we have taken hold of Christ by faith, we cry through him, "Abba, Father." (Gal. iv. 6.) And this our cry doth far surmount the roaring of the law, sin, the devil, &c.

But so far off is it that we think this groaning, which we make in these terrors and this our weakness, to be a cry, that scarcely we perceive it to be a groaning. For our faith, which in temptation thus groaneth unto Christ, is very weak, if we consider our own sense and feeling; and therefore we hear not the cry. "But he," saith Paul, "which searcheth the hearts, knoweth what is the meaning of the spirit," &c. (Rom. viii. 27.) To this searcher of the hearts, this small and feeble groaning (as it seemeth unto us) is a loud and a mighty cry, and an unspeakable groaning; in comparison whereof, the great and horrible roarings of the law, of sin, of death, of the devil, and of hell, are nothing; neither can they be once heard. Paul, therefore, not without cause, calleth this groaning of a godly afflicted heart, a cry and a groaning of the spirit, which cannot be expressed; for it filleth heaven, so that the angels think they hear nothing else but this cry.

But in us there is a clean contrary feeling. For it seemeth unto us that this our small groaning doth not so pierce the clouds, that there is nothing else heard in heaven of God or his angels. Nay, we think, and especially during the time of temptation, the devil horribly roareth against us, that the heavens thunder and the earth trembleth, that all will fall upon us, that all creatures threaten our destruction, that hell is open and ready to swallow us up. This feeling is in our heart; these horrible voices, and this fearful shew we hear and we see. And this is it that Paul saith, in 2 Cor. xii. 9, that "the strength of Christ is made perfect through our weakness." For then is Christ almighty indeed; then doth he truly reign and triumph in us, when we are so weak that we can scarcely groan. Paul saith, that this groaning is, in the ears of God, a most mighty cry, which filleth both heaven and earth.

But

Christ also, in the eighteenth of Luke, in the parable of the wicked judge, calleth this groaning of a faithful heart, a cry, yea, and such a cry as ceaseth not day and night to cry unto God, where he saith: "Hear what the unrighteous judge saith.

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