fruits of good works, for it is an heavenly and divine plant.

Acts, 15:8, 9. St. Peter, speaking of the calling of the Gentiles, says, "God which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us, and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith." Note, that true faith purifies the heart; but the heart cannot be purified without the fire of true charity.

Gal. 5: 6. "In Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love." Note, that when we speak of justifying, we understand this faith which worketh by love.

Verse 24. "6 They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts." The new man hath not been crucified for us, if the old man be not crucified in us. Where there is nothing of charity, there can be nothingof true sanctification.

1 Cor. 1:30. "Of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us, wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." Note, that the Apostle joins sanctification and redemption; because all those whom Christ justifies by his blood, he sanctifies by his Spirit.

Eph. 28, 9, 10. "By grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in

Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that we should walk in them." Note, that the Apostle joins together faith, by which God saveth us, and good works, which are the way by which he leads us unto eternal life.

1 Tim. 5:8. "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” It is manifest from these words, that faith cannot subsist without charity.

Heb. 9:13, 14.

"For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works so serve the living God?" We say, then, that those who are still dead to their trespasses and sins, have not ye embraced Jesus Christ, crucified, by faith: they are not yet sprinkled with the blood of the Lamb without spot.

1 John, 1:6. “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth." But if we say that we have faith, we say that we have fellowship with him. For Christ dwells in our hearts by faith, Eph. 3.

If we say, then, that we have faith, and walk in darkness, that is to say, in evil works, we lie, and there is nothing of truth in us.

1 John, 2:3, 4, 5. "And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we, that we are in Him." He that is in Jesus Christ, loveth God and keepeth his commandments; but he that believeth in Jesus Christ, abideth in Jesus Christ. Verse 6. He that believeth in Jesus Christ then loveth God, and keepeth his commandments.

Chap. 3:2, 3. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." Note, that it is impossible to have a true hope of eternal life without giving up ourselves to holiness. For by the way of hell no man

ever cometh to heaven. And without holiness no man shall see the Lord. Heb. 12: 14.

1 John, 3: 6. "Whatsoever abideth in Him, sinneth not, (that is to say, he doth not make a trade of sin, neither doth he take pleasure in it,) whosoever sinneth, hath not seen Him, neither known Him." "But we all, with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord," 2 Cor. 3: 18. And indeed, if

a dead man revived, having touched the bones of Elisha, (2 Kings, 13:21,) how much more shall they rise again to newness of life which shall have been united by faith to the quickening Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ? We say, then, that those only believe in Jesus Christ who embrace his merit with a penitent heart. For this reason the Scripture ordinarily joins faith and repentance. Their bond is natural and inseparable.

Mark, 1:4. "John did baptize in the wilderness, and preached the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins."

Verses 14, 15.

"After that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent ye, and believe the Gospel."

Luke, 24:46, 47. Jesus speaking to his dis ciples, said unto them-"Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations."

Acts, 20: 20, 21. "I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."

CHAPTER XLVII.

OF GOOD WORKS.

That for a good Work, it is sufficient that the Intention be good. Thomas 1, 2. Quæst. 19. Artic. 7, 8.

In the Holy Bible it is written, Deut. 5: 32. "Ye shall observe to do, therefore, as the Lord your God hath commanded you; ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left." Note, that God doth not only forbid his people to decline to the left hand, that is to say, to actions notoriously wicked, but also forbids them to decline to the right hand, to go after these pretended good intentions, which have some appearance of piety.

God commanded to destroy Amalek utterly; "but Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them." This was done to a good intention: for see how King Saul giveth an account of it to the Prophet Samuel: "The people took of the spoil, sheep, and oxen, the chief of the things, which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal." There could nothing seem more specious, for God had ordained sacrifices of oxen, of sheep, and of lambs. And see