Romans 5:1-8:17

1599 Geneva Bible

Footnotes

1. Romans 5:1 Another argument taken of the effects: we are justified with that, which truly appeaseth our conscience before God but faith in Christ doth appease our conscience, and not the Law, as it was before said, therefore by faith we are justified, and not by the Law.
2. Romans 5:2 Whereas quietness of conscience is attributed to faith, it is to be referred to Christ, who is the giver of faith itself, and in whom faith itself is effectual.
3. Romans 5:2 We must here know, that we have yet still this same effect of faith.
4. Romans 5:2 By which grace, that is, by which gracious love and good will, or that state whereunto we are graciously taken.
5. Romans 5:2 We stand steadfast.
6. Romans 5:2 A preventing of an objection against them which beholding the daily miseries and calamities of the Church, think that the Christians dream, when they brag of their felicity: to whom the Apostle answereth, that their felicity is laid up under hope of another place: which hope is so certain and sure, that they do not less rejoice for that happiness, than if they did presently enjoy it.
7. Romans 5:2 Our minds are not only quiet and settled, but also we are marvelously glad and conceive great joy for that heavenly inheritance which waiteth for us.
8. Romans 5:3 Tribulation itself giveth us divers and sundry ways occasion to rejoice, much less doth it make us miserable.
9. Romans 5:3 Afflictions accustom us to patience, and patience assureth us of the goodness of God, and this experience confirmeth, and fostereth our hope, which never deceiveth us.
10. Romans 5:5 The ground of hope is an assured testimony of the conscience, by the gift of the holy Ghost, that we are beloved of God, and this is nothing else but that which we call faith: whereof it followeth, that through faith our consciences are quieted.
11. Romans 5:5 Wherewith he loveth us.
12. Romans 5:6 A sure comfort in adversity, that our peace and quietness of conscience be not troubled: for he that so loved them that were of no strength, and while they were yet sinners, that he died for them, how can he neglect them being now sanctified and living in him?
13. Romans 5:6 In time fit and convenient, which the father hath appointed.
14. Romans 5:7 An amplifying of the love of God towards us, so that we cannot doubt of it, who delivereth Christ to death for the unjust, and for them of whom he could receive no commodity, and (that more is) for his very enemies. How can it be then that Christ being now alive, should not save them from destruction, whom by his death he justifieth and reconcileth?
15. Romans 5:7 In the stead of some just man.
16. Romans 5:8 He setteth out his love unto us, that in the midst of our afflictions we may know assuredly, he will be present with us.
17. Romans 5:8 While sin reigned in us.
18. Romans 5:9 From affliction and destruction.
19. Romans 5:11 He now passeth over to the other part of justification, which consisteth in the free imputation of the obedience of Christ: so that to the remission of sins there is added moreover and besides, the gift of Christ’s righteousness imputed or put upon us by faith, which swalloweth up that unrighteousness which flowed from Adam into us, and all the fruits thereof: so that in Christ we do not only cease to be unjust, but we begin also to be just.
20. Romans 5:12 From Adam, in whom all have sinned, both guiltiness and death (which is the punishment of the guiltiness) came upon all.
21. Romans 5:12 By Adam, who is compared with Christ, like to him in this, that both of them make those who are theirs, partakers of that they have into: but they are unlike in this, that Adam deriveth sin into them that are his, even of nature, and that to death: but Christ maketh them that are his, partakers of his righteousness by grace, and that unto life.
22. Romans 5:12 By sin is meant that disease which is ours by inheritance, and men commonly call it original sin: for so he useth to call that sin in the singular number, whereas, if he speaks of the fruits of it, he useth the plural number, calling them sins.
23. Romans 5:12 That is, in Adam.
24. Romans 5:13 That this is so, that both guiltiness and death began not after the giving and transgressing of Moses’ Law, it appeareth manifestly by that, that men died before that Law was given: for in that they died, sin, which is the cause of death, was then: and in such sort, that it was also imputeth: whereupon it followeth that there was then some Law, the breach whereof was the cause of death.
25. Romans 5:13 Even from Adam to Moses.
26. Romans 5:13 Where there is no Law made, no man is punished as faulty and guilty.
27. Romans 5:14 But that this Law was not that universal Law, and that death did not proceed from any actual sin of everyone particularly, it appeareth hereby, that the very infants which neither could ever know nor transgress that natural Law, are notwithstanding dead as well as Adam.
28. Romans 5:14 Our infants.
29. Romans 5:14 Not after that sort as they sin that are of more years, following their lusts: but yet the whole posterity was corrupt in Adam, when as he wittingly and willingly sinned.
30. Romans 5:14 Now the first Adam answereth the latter, who is Christ, as it is afterward declared.
31. Romans 5:15 Adam and Christ are compared together in this respect, that both of them do give and yield to theirs, that which is their own: but herein first they differ, that Adam by nature hath spread his fault to the destruction of many, but Christ’s obedience hath by grace overflowed many.
32. Romans 5:15 That is, Adam.
33. Romans 5:16 Another inequality consisteth in this, that by Adam’s one offense men are made guilty, but the righteousness of Christ imputed unto us freely, doth not only absolve us from that one fault, but from all others.
34. Romans 5:16 To the sentence of absolution, whereby we are quit, and pronounced righteous.
35. Romans 5:17 The third difference is, that the righteousness of Christ being imputed unto us by grace, is of greater power to bring life, than the offense of Adam is to addict his posterity to death.
36. Romans 5:17 Be partakers of true and everlasting life.
37. Romans 5:18 Therefore to be short, as by one man’s offense, the guiltiness came on all men, to make them subject to death: so on the contrary side, the righteousness of Christ, which by God’s mercy is imputed to all believers, justifieth them, that they may become partakers of everlasting life.
38. Romans 5:18 Not only because our sins are forgiven us, but also because the righteousness of Christ is imputed unto us.
39. Romans 5:19 The ground of this whole comparison is this, that these two men are set as two stocks or roots, so that out of the one, sin by nature, out of the other, righteousness by grace doth spring forth upon others.
40. Romans 5:19 So then, sin entered not into us only by following the steps of our forefather, but we take corruption of him by inheritance.
41. Romans 5:19 This word, Many, is set against this word, A few.
42. Romans 5:20 A preventing of an objection: why then did the Law of Moses enter thereupon? that men might be so much the more guilty, and the benefit of God in Christ Jesus be so much the more glorious.
43. Romans 5:20 Beside that disease which all men were infected withall by being defiled with one man’s sin, the Law entered.
44. Romans 5:20 Grace was poured so plentifully from heaven, that it did not only countervail sin, but above measure passed it.
45. Romans 6:1 He passeth now to another benefit of Christ, which is called sanctification or regeneration.
46. Romans 6:1 In that corruption: for though the guiltiness of sin be not imputed to us, yet the corruption remaineth still in us: the which Sanctification that followeth Justification killeth by little and little.
47. Romans 6:2 The benefits of Justification and Sanctification, are always joined together inseparably, and both of them proceed from Christ, by the grace of God: Now sanctification is the abolishing of sin, that is, of our natural corruption, into whose place succeedeth the cleanness and pureness of nature reformed.
48. Romans 6:2 They are said of Paul to be dead to sin, which are in such sort made partakers of the virtue of Christ, that that natural corruption is dead in them, that is, the force of it is put out, and it bringeth not forth his bitter fruits: and on the other side, they are said to live to sin, which are in the flesh, that is, whom the spirit of God hath not delivered from the slavery of the corruption of nature.
49. Romans 6:3 There are three parts of this Sanctification, to wit, the dead of the old man or sin, his burial, and the resurrection of the new man, descending into us from the virtue of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, of which benefit our baptism is the sign and pledge.
50. Romans 6:3 To the end that growing up in one with him, we should receive his strength to quench sin in us, and to make us new men.
51. Romans 6:4 That Christ himself being discharged of his infirmity and weakness, might live in glory with God forever.
52. Romans 6:4 And we which are his members rise for this end, that being made partakers of the selfsame virtue, we should begin to lead a new life, as though we were already in heaven.
53. Romans 6:5 The death of sin and the life of righteousness, or our ingrafting into Christ, and growing up into one with him, cannot be separated by any means, neither in death nor life, whereby it followeth, that no man is sanctified, which lived still to sin, and therefore is no man made partaker of Christ by faith, which repenteth not, and turneth not from his wickedness: for as he said before, the Law is not subverted, but established by faith.
54. Romans 6:5 Insomuch as by the means of the strength which cometh from him to us, we so die to sin as he is dead.
55. Romans 6:5 For we become every day more perfect than others: for we shall never be perfectly sanctified, as long as we live here.
56. Romans 6:6 All our whole nature, as we are conceived and born into this world with sin, which is called old, partly by comparing that old Adam with Christ, and partly also in respect of the deformation of our corrupt nature, which we change with a new.
57. Romans 6:6 Our corrupt nature is attributed to Christ, not in deed, but by imputation.
58. Romans 6:6 That naughtiness which sticketh fast in us.
59. Romans 6:6 The end of sanctification which we shoot at, and shall at length come to, to wit when God shall be all in all.
60. Romans 6:7 He proveth it by the effects of death, using a comparison of Christ the head with his members.
61. Romans 6:10 Once for all.
62. Romans 6:10 With God.
63. Romans 6:12 An exhortation to contend and strive with corruption and all the effects thereof.
64. Romans 6:12 By reigning, Saint Paul meaneth that chiefest and high rule, which no man striveth against, and if any do, yet it is in vain.
65. Romans 6:13 To sin, as to a Lord or tyrant.
66. Romans 6:13 Your mind and all the powers of it.
67. Romans 6:13 As instruments to commit wickedness withall.
68. Romans 6:14 He granteth that sin is not yet so dead in us that it is utterly extinct: but he promised victory to them that contend manfully, because we have the grace of God given us which worketh so, that the Law is not now in us the power and instrument of sin.
69. Romans 6:15 To be under the law and under sin, signifiy all one, in respect of them which are not sanctified, as on the contrary side, to be under grace and righteousness, agree to them that are regenerate. Now these are contraries, so that one cannot agree with the other: Therefore let righteousness expel sin.
70. Romans 6:17 By nature we are slaves to sin, and free from righteousness, but by the grace of God we are made servants to righteousness, and therefore free from sin.
71. Romans 6:17 This kind of speech hath a force in it: for he meaneth thereby that the doctrine of the Gospel is like a certain mold which we are cast into to be framed and fashioned like unto it.
72. Romans 6:20 Righteousness had no rule over you.
73. Romans 6:21 An exhortation to the study of righteousness and hatred of sin, the contrary ends of both, being set down before us.
74. Romans 6:21 The reward or payment.
75. Romans 6:23 Death is the punishment due to sin, but we are sanctified freely, unto life everlasting.
76. Romans 7:1 By propounding the similitude of a marriage, he compareth the state of man both before and after regeneration together. The law of matrimony, saith he, is this, that so long as the husband liveth, the marriage abideth in force, but if he be dead, the woman may marry again.
77. Romans 7:3 That is, she shall be an adulteress, by the consent and judgment of all men.
78. Romans 7:4 An application of the similitude thus. So, saith he, doth it fare with us: for now we are joined to the spirit as it were to the second husband, by whom we must bring forth new children: we are dead in respect of the first husband, but in respect of the latter we are as it were raised from the dead.
79. Romans 7:4 That is, in the body of Christ, to give us to understand how straight and near that fellowship is betwixt Christ and his members.
80. Romans 7:4 He calleth the children, which the wife hath by her husband, fruit.
81. Romans 7:4 Which are acceptable to God.
82. Romans 7:5 A declaration of the former saying: for the concupiscences (saith he) which the law stirred up in us, were in us as it were an husband, of whom we brought forth very deadly and cursed children. But now since that husband is dead, and so consequently being delivered from the force of that killing law, we have passed into the governance of the spirit, so that we bring forth now, not those rotten and dead, but lively children.
83. Romans 7:5 When we were in the state of the first marriage, which he calleth in the next verse following the oldness of the letter.
84. Romans 7:5 The motions that egged us to sin, which show their force even in our minds.
85. Romans 7:5 He saith not, of the law, but by the law, because they spring of sin which dwelleth within us, and take occasion to work thus in us, by reason of the restraint that the law maketh, not that the fault is in the law, but in ourselves.
86. Romans 7:5 Wrought their strength.
87. Romans 7:6 As if he said, The bond which bound us, is dead, and vanished away, insomuch, that sin which held us, hath not now wherewith to hold us.
88. Romans 7:6 For this husband is within us.
89. Romans 7:6 Satan is an unjust possessor, for he brought us in bondage of sin and himself deceitfully: and yet notwithstanding so long as we are sinners, we sin willingly.
90. Romans 7:6 As becometh them, which after the death of their old husband are joined to the spirit: as whom the spirit of God hath made new men.
91. Romans 7:6 By the letter he meaneth the law, in respect of that old condition: for before that our will be framed by the holy Ghost, the law speaketh but to deaf men, and therefore it is dumb and dead to us, as touching the fulfilling of it.
92. Romans 7:7 An objection: what then? are the law and sin all one, and do they agree together? nay, saith he: Sin is reproved and condemned by the law. But because sin cannot abide to be reproved, and was not in a manner felt until it was provoked and stirred up by the law, it taketh occasion thereby to be more outrageous, and yet by no fault of the law.
93. Romans 7:7 By the word, Lust, in this place he meaneth not evil lusts themselves, but the fountain from whence they spring: for the very heathen philosophers themselves condemned wicked lusts, though somewhat darkly, but as for the fountain of them, they could not so much as suspect it, and yet it is the very seat of the natural and unclean spot and filth.
94. Romans 7:8 Though sin be in us, yet it is not known for sin, neither doth it so rage, as it rageth after that the law is known.
95. Romans 7:9 He setteth himself before us for an example, in whom all men may behold, first what they are of nature before they earnestly think upon the law of God: to wit, blockish, and ready to sin and wickedness, without all true sense and feeling of sin, then what manner of persons they become, when their conscience is reproved by the testimony of the law, to wit, stubborn, and more inflamed with the desire of sin, than ever they were before.
96. Romans 7:9 When I knew not the law, then me thought I lived in deed: for my conscience never troubled me, because it knew not my disease.
97. Romans 7:9 When I began to understand the commandment.
98. Romans 7:10 In sin, or by sin.
99. Romans 7:12 The conclusion: That the law of itself is holy, but all the fault is in us which abuse the law.
100. Romans 7:12 Touching not coveting.
101. Romans 7:13 The proposition: That the Law is not the cause of death, but our corrupt nature, being therewith not only discovered, but also stirred up, and took occasion thereby to rebel, as which, the more that things are forbidden it, the more it desireth them, and from hence cometh guiltiness, and occasion of death.
102. Romans 7:13 Beareth it the blame of my death?
103. Romans 7:13 That sin might show itself to be sin, and bewray itself to be that, which is in deed.
104. Romans 7:13 As evil as it could, showing all the venom it could.
105. Romans 7:14 The cause of this matter, is this: Because that the Law requireth a heavenly pureness, but men, such as they be born, are bondslaves of corruption, which they willingly serve.
106. Romans 7:15 He setteth himself, being regenerate, before us, for an example, in whom may easily appear the strife of the Spirit and the flesh, and therefore of the Law of God, and our wickedness. For since that the Law in a man not regenerate bringeth forth death only, therefore in him it may easily be accused: but seeing that in a man which is regenerate, it bringeth forth good fruit, it doth better appear that evil actions proceed not from the Law, but from sin, that is, from our corrupt nature: And therefore the Apostle teacheth also, what the true use of the Law is, in reproving sin in the regenerate, unto the end of the chapter, as a little before (to wit, from the seventh verse unto this fifteenth) he declared the use of it in them which are not regenerate.
107. Romans 7:15 The deeds of my life, saith he, answer not, nay they are contrary to my will: Therefore by the consent of my will with the Law, and repugnancy with the deeds of my life, it appeareth evidently, that the Law and a right ruled do persuade one thing, but corruption which hath her seat also in the regenerate, another thing.
108. Romans 7:15 It is to be noted, that one selfsame man is said to will and not to will, in divers respects: to wit, he is said to will, in that, that he is regenerate by grace: and not to will, in that, that he is not regenerate, or in that, that he is such an one as he was born. But because the part which is regenerate, at length becometh conqueror, therefore Paul sustaining the part of the regenerate, speaketh in such sort as if the corruption which sinneth willingly, were something without a man: although afterward he granteth that this evil is in his flesh, or in his members.
109. Romans 7:17 That natural corruption, which cleaveth fast even to them that are regenerate, and not clean conquered.
110. Romans 7:18 This vice, or sin, or law of sin, doth wholly possess those men which are not regenerate, and hindereth them or holdeth them back that are regenerate.
111. Romans 7:18 This doth indeed agree to that man, whom the grace of God hath made a new man: for where the Spirit is not, how can there be any strife there.
112. Romans 7:21 The conclusion: As the Law of God exhorteth to goodness, so doth the Law of sin (that is, the corruption wherein we are born) force us to wickedness: but the Spirit, that is, our mind, in that that it is regenerate, consenteth with the Law of God: but the flesh, that is, the whole natural man, is bondslave to the Law of sin. Therefore to be short, wickedness and death are not of the Law, but of sin, which reigneth in them that are not regenerate: for they neither will, nor do good, but will, and do evil: But in them that are regenerate, it striveth against the Spirit or law of the mind, so that they cannot either live so well as they would, or be so void of sin as they would.
113. Romans 7:22 The inner man, and the new man are all one, and are answerable and set as contrary to the old man: neither doth this word, Inner man, signify man’s mind and reason, and the old man, the powers that are under them, as the Philosophers imagine, but by the outward man is meant whatsoever is either without or within a man, from top to toe, so long as that man is not born anew by the grace of God.
114. Romans 7:23 The law of the mind in this place, is not to be understood of the mind as it is naturally, and as our mind is from our birth, but of the mind which is renewed by the Spirit of God.
115. Romans 7:24 It is a miserable thing to be yet in part subject to sin, which of its own nature maketh us guilty of death: but we must cry to the Lord, who will by death itself at length make us conquerors as we are already conquerors in Christ.
116. Romans 7:24 Wearied with miserable and continual conflict.
117. Romans 7:25 He recovereth himself, and showeth us that he resteth only in Christ.
118. Romans 7:25 This is the true perfection of them that are born anew, to confess that they are imperfect.
119. Romans 8:1 A conclusion of all the former disputation from Rom 1:16 even to this place: Seeing that we being justified by faith in Christ, do obtain remission of sins and imputation of righteousness, and are also sanctified, it followeth hereof, that they that are grafted into Christ by faith, are out of all fear of condemnation.
120. Romans 8:1 The fruits of the Spirit, or effects of sanctification, which is begun in us, do not ingraft us into Christ, but do declare that we are grafted into him.
121. Romans 8:1 Follow not the flesh for their guide: for he is not said to live after the flesh, that hath the holy Ghost for his guide, though sometimes he step away.
122. Romans 8:2 A preventing of an objection: seeing that the virtue of the spirit which is in us, is so weak, how may we gather thereby, that there is no condemnation to them that have that virtue? because saith he, that virtue of the quickening spirit which is so weak in us, is most perfect and most mighty in Christ, and being imputed unto us which believe, causeth us to be so accounted of, as though there were no relics of corruption, and death in us. Therefore hitherto Paul disputed of remission of sins, and imputation of fulfilling the Law, and also of sanctification which is begun in us: but now he speaketh of the perfect imputation of Christ’s manhood, which part was necessarily required to the full appeasing of our consciences: for our sins are defaced by the blood of Christ, and the guiltiness of our corruption is covered with the imputation of Christ’s obedience: and the corruption itself (which the Apostle calleth sinful sin) is healed in us by little and little, by the gift of sanctification, but yet it lacketh besides that another remedy, to wit, the perfect sanctification of Christ’s own flesh, which also is to us imputed.
123. Romans 8:2 The power and authority of the spirit, against which is set the tyranny of sin.
124. Romans 8:2 Which mortifieth the old man, and quickeneth the new man.
125. Romans 8:2 To wit, absolutely and perfectly.
126. Romans 8:2 For Christ’s sanctification being imputed unto us, perfecteth our sanctification which is begun in us.
127. Romans 8:3 He useth no argument here, but expoundeth the mystery of sanctification, which is imputed unto us: for because, that the virtue of the law was not such (and that by reason of the corruption of our nature) that it could make man pure and perfect: and for that it rather kindled the disease of sin, than did put it out and extinguish it, therefore God clothed his Son with flesh like unto our sinful flesh, wherein he utterly abolished our corruption, that being accounted thoroughly pure and without fault in him apprehended and laid hold on by faith, we might be found to have fully that singular perfection which the Law requireth, and therefore that there might be no condemnation in us.
128. Romans 8:3 Which is not proper to the Law, but cometh by our fault.
129. Romans 8:3 In man not born anew, whose disease the law could not heal it.
130. Romans 8:3 Of man’s nature which was corrupt through sin, until he sanctified it.
131. Romans 8:3 To abolish sin in our flesh.
132. Romans 8:3 Showed that sin hath no right in us.
133. Romans 8:4 The very substance of the law of God might be fulfilled, or that same which the law requireth, that we may be found just before God: for if with our justification there be joined that sanctification which is imputed to us, we are just, according to the perfect form which the Lord requireth.
134. Romans 8:4 He returneth to that which he said, that the sanctification which is begun in us, is a sure testimony of our ingrafting into Christ, which is a most plentiful fruit of a godly and honest life.
135. Romans 8:5 A reason why to walk after the flesh, agreeth not to them which are grafted in Christ, but to walk after the spirit agreeth and is meet for them: because, saith he, that they which are after the flesh, savor the things of the flesh, but they that are after the spirit, the things of the spirit.
136. Romans 8:5 They that live as the flesh leadeth them.
137. Romans 8:6 He proveth the consequent: because that whatsoever the flesh savoreth, that engendereth death: and whatsoever the spirit savoreth, that tendeth to joy and life everlasting.
138. Romans 8:7 A reason and proof, why the wisdom of the flesh is death: because, saith he, it is the enemy of God.
139. Romans 8:7 A reason why the wisdom of the flesh is enemy to God: because it neither will neither can be subject to him. And by flesh he meaneth a man not regenerate.
140. Romans 8:8 The conclusion: therefore they that walk after the flesh, cannot please God: whereby it followeth, that they are not ingrafted into Christ.
141. Romans 8:9 He cometh to the others, to wit, to them which walk after the spirit, of whom we have to understand contrary things to the former: and first of all he defineth what it is to be in the spirit, or to be sanctified: to wit, to have the spirit of God dwelling in us; then he declareth, that sanctification is so joined and knit to our grafting in Christ, that it can by no means be separated.
142. Romans 8:10 He confirmeth the faithful against the relics of flesh and sin, granting that they are yet (as appeareth by the corruption which is in them) touching one of their parts (which he calleth the body, that is to say, a lump) which is not yet purged from the earthly filthiness in death: but therewithall willing them to doubt nothing of the happy success of their combat, because that even the little spark of the Spirit, (that is, of the grace of regeneration) which appeareth to be in them by the fruits of righteousness, is the seed of life.
143. Romans 8:10 The flesh, or all that which as yet sticketh fast in the clefts of sin, and death.
144. Romans 8:11 A confirmation of the former sentence. You have the selfsame Spirit, which Christ hath: Therefore at length it shall die the same in you, that it did in Christ, to wit, when all infirmities being utterly laid aside, and death overcome, it shall clothe you with heavenly glory.
145. Romans 8:11 By the virtue and power of it, which showed the same might first in our head, and daily worketh in his members.
146. Romans 8:12 An exhortation to oppress the flesh daily more and more by the virtue of the Spirit of regeneration, because (saith he) you are debtors unto God, forsomuch as you have received so many benefits of him.
147. Romans 8:13 Another reason of the profit that ensueth: for such as strive and fight valiantly, shall have everlasting life.
148. Romans 8:14 A confirmation of this reason: they be the children of God, which are governed by his Spirit, therefore shall they have life everlasting.
149. Romans 8:15 He declareth and expoundeth by the way, in these two verses, by what right this name, to be called the children of God, is given to the believers: because saith he, they have received the grace of the Gospel, wherein God showeth himself, not (as before in the publishing of the Law) terrible and fearful, but a most benign and loving father in Christ, so that with great boldness we call him Father, that holy Ghost sealing this adoption in our hearts by faith.
150. Romans 8:15 By the Spirit is meant the holy Ghost, whom we are said to receive, when he worketh in our minds.
151. Romans 8:15 Which fear is stirred up in our minds, by the preaching of the Law.
152. Romans 8:15 Which sealeth our adoption in our minds, and therefore openeth our mouths.
153. Romans 8:17 A proof of the consequent of the confirmation: because that he which is the Son of God, doth enjoy God with Christ.
154. Romans 8:17 Partakers of our father’s goods, and that freely, because we are children by adoption.
155. Romans 8:17 Now Paul teacheth by what way the sons of God do come to that felicity, to wit, by the cross, as Christ himself did: and therewithall openeth unto them fountains of comfort: as first, that we have Christ a companion and fellow of our afflictions: secondly, that we shall be also his followers in that everlasting glory.