The Life and Repentance of Mary Magdalene · chunk 27 of 38
Wager, Lewis · published 1566 · first performed or written 1558 [c.1550-1566] (Annals) moral T5 Christian faith, sin and salvation typicality 0.73 · 476 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T5: god, christ, david, sin, holy, israel, lord, mercy, sins, faith.
The holy virtue of Faith I do represent, joined continually with repentance: For where as the person for sin is penitent, There I ascertain him of health and deliverance. Wherefore I am a certain and sure confidence, That God is merciful for Christ Iesus sake: And where as is a turning or penitence, To mercy he will the penitent take: Faith therefore is the gift of God most excellent, For it is a sure knowledge and cognition Of the good will of God omnipotent, Grounded in the word of Christ's erudition, This faith is founded on God's promission, And most clearly to the mind of man revealed, So that of Gods will he hath an intuition, Which by the holy ghost to his heart is sealed. This Faith with the word hath such propinquity, That properly the one is not without the other, Faith must be tried with the word of verity, As the child is by the father and mother. Yea truly, if this faith do from God's word decline, It is no faith, but a certain incredulity, Which causeth the mind to wander in strange doctrine And so to fall at length into impiety. The word to a glass compare we may, For as it were therein, Faith God doth behold, Whom as in a cloud we look upon always, As hereafter more plainly it shall be told. My heart doth believe, and my mouth doth publish. That my lord Iesus is the son of God eternal. I believe that my soul shall never perish, But reign with him in his kingdom supernal. The operation of Faith is not to inquire What God is as touching his proper nature, But how good he is to us to know faith doth desire, Which thing appeareth in his holy Scripture. It is not enough to believe that God is true only, Which can never lie, nor deceive, nor do ill: But true faith is persuaded firmly and truly, That in his word he hath declared his will. And also what soever in that word is spoken, Faith believeth it as the most certain verity, Which by his spirit he doth vouchsafe to open To all such as seek him with all humility. Christ the son of God here hath promised, Forgiveness of sins to you sister Mary, Of his own mercy this to do he hath devised, And not of your merits, thus you see plainly. If in this promise you be certain and without doubt. believing that the word of his mouth spoken He is able, and also will do and bring about, Then that you have Faith it is a token. O Iesu, grant me this true faith and believe, Lord I see in myself as yet imperfection: Vouchsafe to me thy heavenly grace to give, That it may be my governance and direction.
seed 43: T4 · seed 44: T5 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
The holy vertue of Faith I do represent, Ioyned continually with repentance: For where as the person for synne is penitent, There I ascertain him of helth and deliuerance. Wherfore I am a certaine and sure confidence, That God is mercifull for Christ Iesus sake: And where as is a turnyng or penitence, To mercy he will the penitent take: Faith therfore is the gyft of God most excellent, For it is a sure knowledge and cognition Of the good will of God omnipotent, Grounded in the word of Christes erudition, This faith is founded on Gods promission, And most clerely to the mynde of man reuealed, So that of Gods will he hath an intuition, Which by the holy ghost to his heart is sealed. This Faith with the word hath such propinquitie, That proprely the one is not without the other, Faith must be tried with the word of veritie, As the chyld is by the father and mother. Yea truly, if this faith do from Gods word decline, It is no faith, but a certayn incredulitie, Which causeth the mynd to wāder in strange doctrine And so to fall at length into impietie. The word to a glasse compare we may, For as it were therin, Faith God doth behold, Whom as in a cloude we loke vpon alway, As hereafter more plainly it shal be told. My heart doth beleue, and my mouth doth publish. That my lord Iesus is the sonne of God eternall. I beleue that my soule shall neuer perysh, But raigne with him in his kyngdom supernall. The operation of Faith is not to enquire What God is as touchyng his propre nature, But how good he is to vs to know faith doth desyre, Which thing appereth in his holy Scripture. It is not inough to beleue that God is true only, Which can neuer lie, nor deceaue, nor do yll: But true faith is persuaded firmly and truely, That in his word he hath declared his will. And also what soeuer in that word is spoken, Faith beleueth it as the most certaine veritie, Which by his spirit he doth vouchsafe to open To all such as seke hym with all humilitie. Christ the sonne of God here hath promised, Forgiuenesse of synnes to you syster Mary, Of his owne mercie this to do he hath deuised, And not of your merites, thus you see plainly. If in this promise you be certain and without doubt. Beleuing that the word of his mouth spoken He is able, and also will do and bryng about, Then that you haue Faith it is a token. O Iesu, graunt me this true faith and beleue, Lord I see in my self as yet imperfection: Uouchsafe to me thy heauenly grace to geue, That it may be my gouernance and direction.