desires from them. Now observe what he desires. for them. 'I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might.' What else is this, but that ye faint not? To be strengthened with might,' he says, by his Spirit.' This is the Spirit of Grace. Observe what he desires. He asks from God this very thing which he requires from men; because that God may be willing to give, you also ought to suit your will to receive. How can you be willing to receive the Grace of Divine goodness, who do not open the bosom of your will? He says, 'that he may grant you:' for you háve it not unless he grants it you; That he may grant you to be strengthened with might by his Spirit' for if he grants you to be strengthened with might, then he will grant you not to faint." Vol. 5. p. 797.

"The whole is from God; not however as if we were asleep; not as if we exert no endeavour; not as if we do not will. The righteousness of God will not be in you without your own willwill is your own only; righteousness is God's only. The righteousness of God may be without your will, but it cannot be in you except by your will. What you ought to do, is pointed out. The law has commanded, Do not this, do not

that; Do this, and do that. It is pointed out to you; it is ordered to you; it is open to you; if you have a heart, you have understood what to do; ask that you may do it, if you know the power of the resurrection of Christ; for he was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification (r).' What is the meaning of the words for our justification?' That he may justify us, that he may make us righteous. You will be the work of God, not only because you are a man, but because you are righteous For it is better to be righteous, than that you should be a man. If God made you a man, and you made yourself righteous, you make a better thing than God made. But God made you without yourself; for you did not give any consent, that God should make you. How did you consent, who did not exist? Therefore, he that made you without yourself, does not justify you without yourself. Therefore, he made you without your knowing it, he justifies you when you are willing."-Vol. 5. p. 815.

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Nothing happens in the world by chance. This being established, it seems to follow, that whatever takes place in the world, takes place partly from the appointment of God, partly from our own will. For God is by far and incomparably

(r) Rom. c. 4. v. 25.

parably better and more just than the best and most just man. But a just Being, ruling and governing the universe, suffers no punishment to be inflicted upon any undeserving person; no reward to be given to any undeserving person. But sin deserves punishment, and right conduct deserves reward. But neither sin nor right conduct can justly be imputed to any one, who has done nothing by his own will. Both sin, therefore, and right conduct are in our own free-will." Vol. 6. p. 6.

"

"Because the Apostle Paul, in declaring that a man is justified by faith without works, is not rightly understood by those who so understand these words, that they think that when once they have believed in Christ, although they should act ill, and live wickedly and sinfully, they may be saved by Faith: this passage of this Epistle (St. James's) explains how the sense of the Apostle Paul is to be understood. Therefore he the rather uses the example of Abraham that faith is void if it does not produce good works, because the Apostle Paul also used the example of Abraham, to prove that man is justified by faith without the works of the law. For when he enumerates the good works of Abraham, which accompanied his faith, he sufficiently shews that the Apostle Paul does not so teach, by the in

1

stance of Abraham, that man is justified by faith without works, that good works do not belong to him who shall believe; but rather, that no man should think that by the merit of antecedent works he had arrived at the gift of justification, which is in faith. For in this respect the Jews desired to prefer themselves to the Gentiles who believed in Christ, because they said they had arrived at evangelical grace by the merit of good works which are in the law. Therefore many of those among them who had believed were offended, because the grace of God was given to uncircumcised Gentiles. Whence the Apostle Paul says, that a man may be justified by faith without works, but he means antecedent ones. For how can a person who is justified by faith, do otherwise than perform good works afterwards, although without having performed any previous good works he has arrived at the justification of faith, not by the merit of good works, but by the grace of God, which cannot now be void in him, since it now works by love? But if, after he has believed, he should soon depart from this life, the justification of faith remains with him, good works not going before; because he has arrived at it not by merit, but by grace; nor following, because he is not permitted to remain in this life. Whence it is manifest, that the saying of the Apostle Paul, 'We conclude,

conclude, that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law (s),' is not to be understood, that we should call a person righteous, who should continue alive after he has received faith, although he should lead a bad life. Therefore the Apostle Paul uses the example of Abraham, because he was justified through faith without the works of the law, which he had not received; and James, because he shews that good works followed the faith of this very Abraham, pointing out how the preaching of Paul ought to be understood. For they who think this sentence of the Apostle James is contrary to the sentence of the Apostle Paul, may also think that Paul is contrary to himself, because he says in another place 'Not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified (t);' and in another place, but faith, which worketh by love (u);' and again, 'If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live (r)."" He then quotes many other passages, to prove that a good life is necessary in those who believe.Vol. 6. p. 67.

"To will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good, I find not (y).' By

(s) Rom. c. 3. v. 28.

these

(t) Rom. c. 2. v. 13.

(μ) Gal, c. 5. v. 6.

(x) Rom. c. 8. v. 13.

(y) Rom. c. 7. v. 18.