Give diligence, reader (I exhort thee) that thou come with a pure mind,
and, as the Scripture saith, with a single eye, unto the words of
health and of eternal life, by the which (if we repent and believe
them) we are born anew, created afresh, and enjoy the fruits of the
blood of Christ. Which blood crieth not for vengeance, as the blood of
Abel, but hath purchased life, love, favor, grace, blessing, and
whatsoever is promised in the Scriptures, to them that believe and obey
God, and standeth between us and wrath, vengeance, curse, and
whatsoever the Scripture threateneth against the unbelievers and
disobedient, which resist, and consent not in their hearts to the law
of God, that it is right, holy, just, and ought so to be.
Mark the plain and manifest places of the Scriptures, and in doubtful
places see thou add no interpretation contrary to them; but (as Paul
saith) let all be conformable and agreeing to the faith.
Note the difference of the Law and of the Gospell. The one asketh and
requireth, the other pardoneth and forgiveth. The one threateneth, the
other promiseth all good things to them that set their trust in Christ
only. The gospel signifieth glad tidings, and is nothing but the
promises of good things. All is not gospel that is written in the
gospel book: for if the law were away, thou couldest not know what the
gospel meant, even as thou couldest not see pardon, favor, and grace
except the law rebuked thee, and declared unto thee thy sin, misdeed,
and trespass.
Repent and believe the gospel, as saith Christ in the first of Mark.
Apply alway the Law to thy deeds, whether thou find lust (1) in the
bottom of thine heart to the law-ward, and so shalt thou no doubt
repent, and feel in thyself a certain sorrow, pain, and grief to thine
heart, because thou canst not with full lust do the deeds of the law.
Apply the gospel that is to say the promises unto the deserving of
Christ, and to the mercy of God and his truth, and so shalt thou not
despair, but shall feel God as a kind and a merciful father. And his
spirit shall dwell in thee, and shall be strong in thee, and the
promises shall be given thee at the last (though not by and by, lest
thou shouldest forget thyself, and be negligent) and all threatenings
shall be forgiven thee for Christ's blood's sake to whom commit thyself
altogether without respect either of thy good deeds or of thy bad.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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