Part 13
1 since in holy baptism all past debts have been debtors," already forgiven. But whoever tries to persuade us that such a prayer is not proper for faithful members of Christ, does in fact acknowledge nothing else than that he is not himself a Christian. If, again, it is through himself that a man is able to live without sin, then did Christ die in vain. But " Christ is not dead in vain." No man, therefore, can be without sin, even if he wish it, unless he be assisted by the grace of God through our Lord Jesus Christ. And that this perfection may be attained, there is even now a training carried on in growing [Christians,] and there will be by all means a completion made, after the conflict with death is spent, and love, which is now cherished by the operation of faith and hope, shall be perfected in the fruition of sight and possession.
1 Matt. vi. 12.
CHAP. YIII.J DEPAETTEE FROM, AXD LIBERATION OF, THE BODY. 325
Chap. tiii.—(17.) It is one thing to depart from the body, another thing to be liberatedfrom the body of this death ; the recompense of eternal life shall be bestowed on no man icho 7ias not in the present life merited It. He next proposes to establish his point by the testimony of Holy Scripture. Let us carefully observe what kind of defence he makes. " There are passages/' says he, " which go to show that man is commanded to live without* sin." Xow our answer to this is : Whether such commands are given is not at all the point in question, for the fact is clear enough ; but whether the thing which is evidently commanded be itself at all capable of accomplishment in the body of this death, wherein u the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, so
1 Now from this body of death not every one is liberated who ends the present that we cannot do the things that we would.''
life, but only he who in this life has received grace, and given proof of not receiving it in vain by spending his days in good works. For it is plainly one thing to depart from the body, which all men are obliged to do in the last day of their present life, and another to be delivered from the body of this death, —a liberation which God's grace alone, through our Lord Jesus
Christ, imparts to His faithful saints. It is after this life, indeed, that the reward of perfection is bestowed, but only upon those by whom in their present life has been acquired the merit of such a recompense. For no one, after going hence, shall arrive at fulness of righteousness, unless, whilst here, he shall have run his course by hungering and thirsting after it. " Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness ; for they shall be filled."
(18.) The righteousness of this fife comprehended in three parts,—fasting, almsgiving, and prayer ; an enemy must be forgiven if he repents and asks forgiveness. From the Lord's Prayer we find that the faithful are not here perfect, without sin.
As long, then, as we are " absent from the Lord, we walk by faith, not by sight ;
" 3 whence it is said, " The just shall live by his faith." 4 Our righteousness in this pilgrimage of absence is such, that we now press forward to that perfect and plenary righteousness in which love shall be fulfilled, and perfected in the sight of its glory ; [and this we accomplish]
1 Gal. v. 17. 2 Matt, v. 6. 3 2 Cor. v. 6. 4 Hab. ii. 4.
326 ON MAN'S PERFECTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS. [CHAP. VIII.
in the rectitude and perfection of our actual course, by " keeping under our body and bringing it into subjection/' * by doing our alms cheerfully and heartily, while bestowing kindnesses and forgiving the trespasses which have been committed a—and against us, and by u continuing instant in prayer ; " doing all this with sound doctrine, whereon are built a right faith, a firm hope, and a pure charity. This is now our righteousness, in which we pass through our course hungering and thirsting after the perfect and plenary righteousness, in order that we may after all be satisfied therewith. Therefore our Lord in the Gospel (after saying, " Take heed that ye do
3 before men, to be seen of them," not your righteousness that we measure not our course of life by the limit of human glory) goes on to expound the righteousness itself; but He instances only these three [constituents] of it,—fasting, alms, and prayers. Now in the fasting He indicates the entire subjugation of the body ; in the alms, all kindness of will and deed, either by giving or forgiving ; and in prayers He implies all the rules of a holy desire. Now, although by the subjugation of the body a check is given to that concupiscence, which ought not only to be bridled, but to be put altogether out of existence (and which will not be found at all in that state of perfect righteousness, where sin shall be absolutely excluded), yet it often exerts its immoderate desire even in the use of things which are allowable and right. Even in that real beneficence in which the just man consults his neighbour's welfare, things are sometimes done which are prejudicial, although it was thought that they would be advantageous.
Sometimes, too, through infirmity, when the amount of the kindness and trouble which is expended either falls short of the necessities of the objects, or is of little use under the circumstances, then there steals over us a disappointment which tarnishes that " cheerfulness " which secures to the
" giver " the approbation of God.
5 This trail of sadness, how-
1 1 Cor. ix. 27. 2 Rom. xii. 12.
3 For this reading of ^ixatotrvvn* instead of i\in/xo<rv*»v there is high MS.
authority. It is admitted also by Griesbach, Lachmann, Tischendorf, Tregelles, and Alford, and in the margin of our Bibles.
* Matt. vi. 1. 6 2 Cor. ix. 7.
CHAP. VIII.] THE GREATEST GEACE IS LOVE. 327 ever, is the greater or the less, as each man has made more or less progress in his kindly purposes. If, then, these considerations, and such as these, be duly weighed, we are only right when we say in our prayers, " Forgive us our debts,
1 But what we say in our
as we also forgive our debtors."
prayers we must carry into act, even to loving our very enemies ; or if any one who is still a babe in Christ fails as yet to reach this point, he must at any rate, whenever one who has trespassed against him repents and craves his pardon, exercise forgiveness from the bottom of his heart, if he would have his heavenly Father listen to his prayer.
(19.) The commandment of love shall be perfectly fulfilled in the life to come. The lusting of the flesh means that the soul itself lusts in a carnal manner.
And in this prayer, unless we choose to be contentious, there is placed before our view a mirror of sufficient brightness in which to behold the life of the righteous, who live by faith, and finish their course, although they are not without sin. Therefore they say, "Forgive us," because they have not yet arrived at the end of their course. Hence the apostle says, " Not as if I had already attained, either were already perfect. . . . Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be
2 In other words, let us, as many as are running our course to perfection, be thus resolved, that, being thus minded."
not yet perfected, we pursue our course to perfection along the way by which we have thus far run perfectly, in order that " when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part may be done away
3 that is, may cease to be but in part any longer, but become whole and complete. For to faith and hope shall succeed at once the very substance itself, no longer to be believed in and hoped for, but to be seen and grasped. Love, however, which is the greatest among the three, is not to be superseded, but increased and fulfilled, - contemplating in full vision what it used to see by faith, and acquiring in actual fruition what it once only embraced in
1 Matt. vi. 12. 2 Phil. iii. 12-15. 3 1 Cor. xiii. 10.
328 ON MAN'S PERFECTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS. [CHAP. IX.
hope. Then in all this plenitude of charity will be fulfilled the commandment, " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."
So long, indeed, as there remains [in our present state] any remnant of the lust of the flesh, to be kept in check by the rein of continence, God is by no means loved with all one's soul. For the flesh does not lust without the soul ; although it is the flesh which is said to lust, because the soul lusts by means of the flesh.
2 In that perfect state the just man shall live absolutely without any sin, since there will be in his members no law warring against the law of his mind,
3 but wholly will he love God, with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his mind,
4 which is the first and chief commandment. For why should not such perfection be enjoined on man, although in this life nobody may attain to it ? The course is a right one, even if it be not known whereunto it must finally run. How, indeed, could it be known at all,
5 Let us thereunless it were pointed out in such precepts ?
fore " so run that we may obtain."
6 For all who run rightly will obtain,—not as in the contest of the theatre, where all indeed run, but only one wins the prize.7 Let us,
[I say,] run, believing, hoping, longing for [the crown] ; let us run, subjugating the body, doing alms cheerfully and heartily, —in giving kindnesses and forgiving injuries; [let us run,} praying that our strength may be helped as we run ; and let us so listen to the commandments which urge us to perfection, as not to neglect running towards the fulness of charity.
Chap. ix.—(20.) Who may be said to walk without spot; damnable and venial sins.
Having premised these remarks, let us carefully attend to the passages which he whom we are answering has produced, as we would ourselves have quoted them. " In Deuteronomy
[it is written,] " Thou shalt be perfect before the Lord thy
8 Again, in the same book, " There shall not be an im-
God."
1 Mente. The Septuagint, however, like the Hebrew, has ^uvapias. A.V. "thy might." Comp. Deut. vi. 5 with Matt. xxii. 37.
2 Carnaliter. 3 Rom. vii. 23. 4 Matt. xxii. 37.
5 See above in Augustine's De Spiritu et Litera, 64.
6 1 Cor. ix. 23. 7 1 Cor. ix 24. 8 Tjeut . xviii. 13.
CHAP. IX.] THE FUTURE STATE SINLESS. 329
1 among the sons of Israel." 2 In like manner the perfect man
Saviour says in the Gospel, "Be ye perfect, even as your
3 So the apostle, in
Father which is in heaven is perfect."
his second Epistle to the Corinthians, says : " Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect." 4 Again, to the Colossians he writes :
" Warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom,
5 And so that we may present every man perfect in Christ."
to the Philippians : " Do all things without murmurings and disputings, that ye may be blameless, and harmless, as the
6 In like manner to the Ephesians
immaculate sons of God."
he writes : " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ ; according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be
7 Then again to the Colosholy and blameless before Him."
sians he says in another passage : " And you, that were sometime alienated, and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through
8 holy and unblameable and unreprovable in His sight."
death ; [therefore] present yourselves
9 In the same strain, he says to the Ephesians : " That He might present to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such
10 So thing ; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
in his first Epistle to the Corinthians he says : " Be ye sober, and righteous, and sin not." n So again in the Epistle of St. Peter it is written : " Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end, for the grace that is offered to you : ... as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance : but as He who hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation ; because it is written,
12 Be ye holy
for I am holy."
13 Whence blessed David likewise says
" Lord, who shall sojourn in Thy tabernacle, or who shall
1 Augustine's word is inconsummatus. The Septuagint term r-Xurxoptvo; (which properly signifies complete, perfect) comes to mean one initiated into the mysteries of idolatrous worship.
2 Deut. xxiii. 17 (Sept.). 3 Matt. v. 48. 4 2 Cor. xiii. 11. 5 Col. i. 28. 6 phi], ii. 14? 15# 7 Eph. i. 3, 4.
8 Exhibete vos. 9 Col. i. 21, 22. 10 Eph. v. 26, 27.
11 1 Cor. xv. 34. I2 Lev. xix. 2. 13 1 Pet. i. 13-16.
330 ON man's perfection in righteousness, [chap. X.
rest on Thy holy mountain ? He that walketh without blame, and worketh righteousness." * And in another passage : " I shall be blameless with Him." 2 And yet again : " Blessed are the blameless in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord."
To the same effect it is written in Solomon : " The Lord loveth holy hearts, and all they that are blameless are acceptable unto
Him." 4 Now some of these passages exhort men who are running their course that they do it perfectly ; others refer to the end thereof, that men may reach forward to it as they run. That man, however, is not unreasonably said to walk blamelessly, who has not yet indeed reached the end of his journey, but who is pressing on towards the end in a blame-
less manner, free from damnable sins, and at the same time j not neglecting to cleanse by _ almsgiving such sins as are
' venial. For the way in whichwe walk, that is, the road by which we reach perfection, is cleansed by holy prayer. That, moreover, is a holy prayer in which we say in truth, " Forgive us, as we ourselves show forgiveness."
5 So that, as there is nothing censured when blame is not imputed, we may hold on our course to perfection without censure, in a word, blamelessly ; and in this perfect state, when we arrive at it at last, we shall find that there is absolutely nothing which requires cleansing bv forgiveness.
Chap. x.—(21.) To whom GooVs commandments are grievous ; and to whom, not. Why Scripture says that God's commandments are not grievous ; a commandment is a proof of the freedom of man's will ; prayer is a proof of grace. He next quotes passages to show that God's commandments are not grievous. But who can be ignorant of the fact that, since the universal commandment is love (for " the end of the commandment is charity,"
6 and " love is the fulfil-
7 ), whatever is accomplished by the operation ling of the law" of love, and not of fear, is not grievous ? They, however, experience toil and labour in the commandments of God, who try to fulfil them by fearing. " But perfect love casteth out; 8 and, in respect of the burden of the commandment, it fear
1 Ps. xv. 1, 2. 2 Ps. xviii. 23 (Sept.). 3 Ps. cxix. 1 (Sept.).
Prov. xi. 20. 6 Matt. vi. 12. * 1 Tim. i. 8.
1 Ptom. xiii. 10. s 1 John iv. 18.
CHAP. X.] HOW GOD'S LAWS AEE NOT GRIEVOUS. 331 not only takes off the pressure of its heavy weight, but it actually lifts it up as if on wings. In order, however, that tins charity may be possessed, even as far as it can possibly be possessed in the body of this death, the free exercise of our own will avails but little, unless it be helped by God's grace through our Lord Jesus Christ ; for as it must again and again be stated, it is " shed abroad in our hearts," not by our own selves, but " by the Holy Ghost which is given unto
1 And for no other reason does Holy Scripture insist on us."
the truth that God's commandments are not grievous, than this, that the soul which finds them grievous may understand that it has not yet received those resources [of grace] which make the Lord's commandments to be such as they are commended to us as being, even gentle and pleasant ; and that it may pray in the deep earnestness of sincerity to obtain the
2 For the man who says, " Let my heart be blameless [in Thy statutes ;"] gift of a ready obedience.
3 and, " Order Thou my steps according to Thy word : and let not any iniquity have dominion over me;"
4 and, "Thy will be done in earth,
5 and, "Lead us not into temptation;" as it is in heaven;" and other prayers of a like purport, which it would be too long to particularize, does in effect offer up a prayer for ability to' keep God's commandments. Neither, indeed, on the one hand, would any injunctions be laid upon us to keep them, if our own will had not anything to do in the matter ; nor, on the other hand, would there be any room for prayer, if our will were alone sufficient. God's commandments, therefore, are commended to us as being not grievous, in order that he to whom they are burdensome may understand that he has not as yet received the gift which removes their grievousness and that he may not think that he is really performing them, when he so keeps them that they are grievous to him. For it is a cheerful giver whom God loves.
7 Nevertheless, when a man finds God's commandments grievous, let him not be broken down by indulging despair ; let him rather oblige himself to seek, to ask earnestly, and to knock [at mercy's gate for grace].
1 Rom. v. 5. 2 Facilitatis. 3 Ps. cxix. 80. * Ps. cxix. 133.
5 Matt. vi. 10. 6 Matt. vi. 13. * 2 Cor. Lx. 7.
332 on man's perfection in righteousness, [chap. X.
(22.) He afterwards adduces those passages which represent God as recommending His own commandments as not grievous : let us now attend to their testimony. * Because," says he, " God's commandments are not only not impossible, but they are not even grievous. In Deuteronomy [we read]
' The Lord thy God will again turn and rejoice over thee for good, as He rejoiced over thy fathers, if ye shall hearken to the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments, and His ordinances, and His judgments, written in the book of this law ; if thou turn to the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. For this command, which I give thee this day, is not grievous, neither is it far from thee : it is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who will ascend into heaven, and obtain it for us, that we may hear and do it ? neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who will cross over the sea, and obtain it for us, that we may hear and do it ? The word is close to thee, in thy mouth, and in thine heart, and in thine hands to do it.' * In the Gospel likewise the Lord says : ' Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me ; for I am meek and lowly in heart : and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Tor my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.'
2 So also in the Epistle of Saint John it is written : ' This is the love of
God, that we keep His commandments : and His command-
3 After hearing these testimonies out
ments are not grievous.'"
of the law, and the gospel, and the epistles, let us edify ourselves for that grace which those persons do not understand, who, " being ignorant of God's righteousness, and wishing to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted them-
4 Now, since they
selves unto the righteousness of God."
understand not the passage of Deuteronomy in the sense that the Apostle Paul quoted it,—that " with the heart men believe unto righteousness, and with their mouth make confes-
5 since "they that be whole need not a
sion unto salvation;"
6—they certainly ought (by physician, but they that are sick," that very passage of the Apostle John which he quoted last
1 Deut. xxx. 9-14. 2 Matt. xi. 28-30. 8 1 John v. 3.
* Rom. x. 3. 6 Horn. x. 10. 6 Matt. ix. 12.
CHAP. XI.] PELAGIAN HERMENEUTICS NEGATIVE. 33 o to this effect : " This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments ; and His commandments are not grievous " x to be admonished that God's commandments are never burdensome to God's love, which is shed abroad in our hearts only by the Holy Ghost, not by the power of man's free will, by attributing to which more than they ought, they are ignorant of God's righteousness. This love, however, shall then be made perfect, when all slavish fear of punishment shall be cut off.
Chap. xi.—(23.) Passages of Scripture which, when objected against him by the
Catholics, Cozlestius endeavours to elude by other passages : the first passage.
After this he adduced the passages which are usually quoted against them. He does not attempt to meet these passages, but, by alleging what seem to be contrary statements, he has rendered his questions more difficult to solve.
" For," says he, " there are passages of Scripture which are to be alleged in opposition to those who ignorantly suppose that they are able to destroy the liberty of the will, or the possibility of not sinning, by the authority of Scripture. For," he adds, " they are in the habit of quoting against us what holy Job said : ' Who is pure from uncleanness ? Not one ; even
3 Then if he be an infant of only one day upon the earth.'"
he proceeds to give a sort of answer to this passage by help of other quotations ; as when Job himself said : " For although I am a righteous and blameless man, I have become a subject
4—not understanding that a man may be called for mockery," righteous, who has gone so far towards perfection in righteousness as to be very near it ; and this we do not deny to have been in the power of many even in this life, when they walk in it by faith.
(24.) To be without sin, and to be without blame—how differing. The same thing is affirmed in another passage, winch he has quoted immediately afterwards, as spoken» by the same Job : " Behold, I am very near my judgment, and I know that
I shall be found righteous."' Now this is the judgment of which it is said in another scripture : " And He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the
1 1 John v. 3. 2 Qucestiones arctius illigavit.
3 Job xiv. 4, 5 (Sept.). 4 Job xii. 4 (Sept.). 5 Job xiii. 18 (Sept.).
334 ON MAN'S PERFECTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS. [CHAP. XL noonday." But he does not say, I am abeady there ; but,
" I am very near." If, indeed, the judgment of his which he meant was not that which he would himself exercise, but that whereby he was to be judged at the last day, then in such judgment all will be found righteous who with sincerity pray: "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."
For it is through this forgiveness that they will be found righteous ; on this account that whatever sins they have here incurred, they have blotted out by their deeds of charity. Whence the Lord says: "Give alms [of such things as ye
2 For by and by it shall be said to the righteous, when about to enter have] ; and, behold, all things are clean unto you."
into their promised kingdom : " I was an hungered, and ye
3 and so forth. However, it is one thing to gave me meat," be in this life without sin, which could only be predicated of the Only-begotten, and another thing to be without censure, which might be said of many just persons even in the present life ; for there is a certain criterion of a good man's life, according to which even in our human conversation there could no just blame be possibly laid against him. For who can fairly find fault with the man who harbours no ill-will against any, and who faithfully does good to all he can, and never cherishes a wish to avenge himself on any man who does him wrong, so that he can truly say, "As we forgive our debtors ? " And yet by the very fact that he truly says,
" Forgive, as we also forgive," he plainly admits that he is not without sin.
(25.) Hence the force of [Job's] statement : " There was no injustice in my hands, but my prayer was pure."
4 For the purity of his prayer arose from this circumstance, that it was not improper for him to ask forgiveness in prayer, when he really bestowed forgiveness himself.
(26.) Why Job was so great a sufferer.
And. when he says concerning the Lord, " For many bruises
5 observe that his hath He inflicted upon me without a cause," words are not, He hath inflicted none with a cause; but,
1 Matt. vi. 12. 2 Luke xi. 41. 3 Matt. xxv. 35.
* Job xvi. 18 (Sept.). 5 Job ix. 17.
CHAP. XL] TRIAL OF JOB'S PATIENCE. 335
"many without a cause." For it was not because of his manifold sins that these many bruises were inflicted on him, but in order to make trial of his patience. In respect of his sins, indeed, while acknowledging in another passage that he was certainly not free from them, he yet judges that he ought to have suffered less.
(27.) WJw may be said to keep the icays of the Lord ; what it is to decline and departfrom the icays of the Lord.
Then again, as for what [Job] says, " For I have kept His ways, and have not turned aside from His commandments, nor
1 [let us remember that] he keeps
will I depart from them,"
God's ways who does not so turn aside as to forsake them, but makes progress by running his course therein ; although, weak as he is, he sometimes stumbles or falls, onward, however, he still goes, sinning less and less until he reaches the perfect state in which he will sin no more. For in no other way could he make progress, except by keeping God's commandments. The man, indeed, who declines from "these, and becomes an apostate at last, is certainly not he who, although he has sin, yet never ceases to persevere in fighting against it, until he arrives at the home where there shall remain no more conflict with death. "Well now, it is in our present struggle therewith that we are clothed with the rio-hteousness in which o we here live by faith,—clothed with it as it were with a
2 Judgment also we take on ourselves ; and even when it is against us, we turn it round to our own behalf; breastplate.
for we become our own accusers and condemn our sins whence that scripture which says, " The righteous man
3 Hence also accuses himself at the beginning of his speech."
[Job] says : " I put on righteousness, and clothed myself with judgment like a mantle."
4 Our vesture at present no doubt is wont to be armour for war rather than garments of peace, while concupiscence has still to be subdued ; it will be different by and by, when our last . enemy death shall be
5 and our righteousness shall be full and complete, destroyed, without an enemy to molest us more.
1 Job xxiii. 11, 12 (Sept.). 2 Eph. vi. 1 1. * prov# xviii. 17 (Sept.).
4 Job xxix. 14 (Sept.).
336 ON man's perfection in righteousness, [chap. XL
(28.) When our heart may be said not to reproach zts; when good is to be perfected.
Furthermore, concerning these words of Job, " My heart shall not reproach me so long as I live," * [we remark,] that it is in this present life of ours, in which we live by faith, that our heart does not reproach us, when the same faith whereby we believe unto righteousness does not neglect to rebuke our sin. On this principle the apostle says : " The good that I would I do not ; but the evil which I would not,
2 Now it is a good thing to avoid concupiscence, and this good the just man would do, who lives by faith that I do."
and still he does what he hates, because he indulges con-
4 which if he has ever done, he has himself really done it at the moment, cupiscence, although " he goes not after his lusts," so as to yield to, and acquiesce in, and obey the desire of sin. His heart then reproaches him, because it is even it, and not his sin which dwelleth in him, that is the rebuker. But whensoever he suffers not sin to reign in his mortal body to
5 and yields not his members as
obey it in the lusts thereof,
6 sin no doubt is instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, inherent in his members, but it does not reign, because its desires are not obeyed. Therefore, while he does that which he would not,—in other words, while he wishes not to lust, but still lusts,—he consents to the law that it is good :
7 for what the law would, that he also wishes ; because it is his desire not to indulge concupiscence, and the law expressly
8 Now in that he wishes what
says, " Thou shalt not covet."
the law also would have done, he no doubt consents to the law : but still he lusts, because he is not without sin ; it is, however, no longer himself that does the thing, but the sin which dwells within him. Hence it is that " his heart does not reproach him so long as he lives ;" that is, so long as he has faith, because the just man lives by faith, so that his faith is his very life. He knows, to be sure, that in himself dwells nothing good,—even in his flesh, which is the dwelling-place of sin. By not consenting, however, to it, he lives by faith, wherewith he also calls upon God to help him in his contest
1 Job xxvii. 6. 2 Rom. vii. 15. 3 Hab. ii. 4. 4 Ecclus. xviii. 30.
8 Rom. vi. 12. 6 Rom. vi. 13. * Rom. vii. 16. 8 Ex. xx. 17.
CHAP. XII.] JOB MISUNDERSTOOD. 337 against sin. Moreover, there is present to him the will that no sin at all should he in him, hut then how to carry out this good wish is heyond his present power. It is not the mere doing of a good thing that is not present to him, hut the perfect accomplishment of it. For in the fact that he yields no consent [to evil,] he does a good thing; he does good again, when he hates his own lust ; he does good also, in not ceasing to give alms ; whenever, too, he forgives the man who sins against him, he does a good thing; in the very fact, moreover, of his asking forgiveness for his own trespasses, sincerely avowing in his petition that he also forgives those who trespass against himself, and praying that he may not he led into temptation, but he delivered from evil,—he does a good thing. But how to give full effect to the good is not in his present power ; it will he, however, in that final state, when the concupiscence which dwells in his members shall exist no more. His heart, therefore, does not reproach him, when it reprehends the sin which dwells in his members ; nor has it the unbelief which it censures in him. Thus " so longr as he lives,"—that is, so long as he has faith,—he is neither reproached by his own heart, nor convinced of not being without sin. And Job himself acknowledges as much as this concerninp; himself, when he says, "Not one of my sins hath escaped Thee ; Thou hast sealed up my transgressions in a bag, and marked if I have done iniquity unawares."
1 With regard, then, to the passages which he has adduced from the book of holy
Job, we have shown to the best of our ability in what sense they ought to be taken. He, however, has failed to explain the meaning of the words which he has himself quoted from the same Job : " Who then is pure from uncleanness ? Not one; even if he be an infant of only one day upon the earth."
Chap. xii.—(29.) The second passage. Who may be said to abstainfrom every evil thing.
" They are in the habit of next quoting," says he, " the passage : ' Every man is a liar.' " 3 But here again he offers no solution of words which are quoted against himself even by himself; all he does is to mention other apparently opposite passages before persons who are unacquainted with
1 Job adv. 16, 17. 2 Job xiv. 4, 5 (Sept.). 3 Ts. cxt. 2 (Sept.).
338 ON man's perfection in righteousness, [chap. XII.
the sacred Scriptures, and thus to divide the word of God contentiously. This is what he says : " We tell them in answer, how in the book of Numbers it is said, ' Man is x While of holy Job this eulogy is read : ' There was true.'
a certain man in the land of Ausis, whose name was Job that man was true, blameless, righteous, and godly, abstaining from every evil thing.'"
2 I am surprised that he has brought forward this passage, which says that Job " abstained from every evil thing," wishing it to mean " abstained from every sin ;
3 that sin is not a real thing, because he has argued already but an act. He should recollect that, even if it is an act, it may still be called a real thing. That man, however, abstains from every evil thing, who either never consents to the sin, which is always with him, or, if sometimes hard pressed by it, is never oppressed by it ; just as the wrestjing champion, who, although he is sometimes caught in a fierce grapple, does not for all that lose the prowess which constitutes him the better man. We read, indeed, of a blameless man, of one who deserves no censure ; but we never read of a sinless man, except in the case of the Son of man, who is also the only-begotten Son of
God.
(30.) " Every man is a Uar," owing to himself alone ; but " every man is true" by help only of the grace of God.
" Moreover," says he, " in Job himself it is said : ' And he
4 Again We read in Solomon, touching wisdom : maintained the wonderful character of a true man.'
f Men that are liars cannot remember her, but men of truth shall be found in
5 Again in the Apocalypse : ' And in their mouth was her.'
6 To all these found no guile, for they are without fault.'
statements we reply with an admonition to our opponents, how that a man (who is, owing to himself no doubt, a liar) can only be called true when instructed by the grace and truth of God. Whence it is said : " Every man is a liar."
1 If this refer to Num. xxiv. 3, 15 (as the editions mark it), the quotation is most inexact. The Septuagint words b avSpcovro; b a,Xn8ivZ>s bpuv is not a proposition equal to "homo verax," as an antithesis to the proposition "oinnis homo mendax."
2 Job i. 1 (Sept.). 3 See above, (1.)
4 Et miraculum tenuit veracis hominis. [We cannot verify this quotation.]
5 Ecclus. xv. 8 [for the first clause]. 6 Rev. xiy. 5. 7 Ps. cxv. 2 (Sept.).
CHAP. XIII.] PAST DARKXESS, PRESENT LIGHT. 339
As for the passage also which he has quoted in reference to wisdom, when it is said, " Men of truth shall be found in her," we must observe that it is undoubtedly not " in lier" but in themselves that men shall be found liars. Just as the case stands in respect of another passage : " Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord."
1 "When [the apostle, in the former clause,] said, "Ye were darkness," he; " pn the latter clause,] however, did not add, " in the Lord after saying, "Ye are now light," he expressly added the phrase, "in the Lord," for they could not possibly be "light" in themselves ; " he therefore who glorieth must glory in the
2 The " faultless " ones, indeed, in the Apocalypse, are
Lord."
so called because " no guile was found in their mouth." They did not say they had no sin : if they had made such a pretension, they would deceive themselves, and the truth would not be in them
4 and if the truth were not in them, guile and untruth woidd be found in their mouth. If, however, to avoid odium, they said they were not without sin, although they were sinless, then this very insincerity would be a lie, and the character given of them would be untrue : " In their mouth was found no guile [or lie]" Hence; " for as they have forgiven indeed " they are without fault those who have done them wrong, so are they purified by
God's forgiveness of themselves. Observe now how we have to the best of our power explained in what sense the quotations he has in his own behalf advanced ou^ht to be understood. But how the passage, " Every man is a liar," is to be interpreted, he on his part has altogether omitted to explain nor is an explanation within his power, without a correction of the error which makes him believe that man can be true without the help of God's grace, and merely by virtue of his own free will.
Chaf. xiii.— (31.) The third passage. It is one thing to depart, and another thing to have departed, from all sin. " There is none that doeth good,"—of whom this is to be understood. He accordingly propounded another question, as we shall proceed to show ; but he failed to solve it, nay, he rather rendered it more complex and difficult, by first stating the
1 Eph. v. 8. 2 1 Cor. i. 31. 3 Rev. xiv. 5. 4 1 John i. 8.
340 ON man's perfection in righteousness, [chap. XIII.
testimony that had been quoted against him : * There is none that doeth good, no, not one j" 1 and then resorting to seemingly contrary passages to show that there are persons who do good. This he succeeded, no doubt, in doing. It is, however, one thing for a man not to do good, and another thing not to be without sin, although he at the same time may do many good things. The passages, therefore, which he adduces are not really contrary to the statement that no person is without sin in this life. He does not, for his own part, explain in what sense it is declared that " there' is none that doeth good, no, not one." These are his words : " Holy David indeed says, ' Hope thou in the Lord and be doing good.' " 2
But this is a precept, and not an accomplished fact ; and such a precept as is never kept by those of whom it is said, " There is none that doeth good, no, not one." He adds : " Holy
Tobit also said, ' Fear not, my son, that we have to endure poverty ; we shall have many blessings if we fear God, and depart from all sin, and do that which is good.' " 3 Most true indeed it is, that man shall have many blessings when he shall have departed from all sin. Then no evil shall betide him nor shall he have need of the prayer, " Deliver us from evil."
Although even now every man who progresses [in spiritual life,] advancing ever with an upright purpose, departs from all sin, and becomes further removed from it as he approaches nearer to the fulness and perfection of the righteous state because even concupiscence itself, which is sin dwelling in our flesh, never ceases to diminish in progressing [Christians,] although it still remains in their mortal members. It is one thing, therefore, to depart from all sin,—a process which is even now in operation,—and another thing to have departed from all sin, which shall happen in the state of future perfection. But still, even he who has departed already from evil, and is continuing to do so, must be allowed to be a doer of good. How then is it said, in the passage which he has quoted and left unsolved, " There is none that doeth good, no, not one," except that the Psalmist there censures some one nation, amongst whom there was not a man that did good, wishing to remain " children of men," and not sons of God, by
1 Ps. xiv. 3. 2 Ps. xxxvii. 3. 3 Tobit iv. 21. 4 Matt. vi. 13.
CHAP. XIV.] GOD'S GOODNESS UNIQUE. 341 whose grace man becomes good, in order to do good ] For we must suppose the Psalmist here to mean that "good" which he describes in the context, saying, " God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did
1 Such good then as this, seeking
understand, and seek God."
after God, there was not a man found who pursued it, no, not one ; but this was in that class of men which is predestinated
2 It was upon such that God looked down in His foreknowledge and passed sentence.
to destruction.
Chap. XIV.— (32.) The fourth passage. In ichat sense God only is good. With God to be good and to be Himself are the same thing.
" They likewise," says he, " quote what the Saviour says
Why callest thou me good ? There is none good save one, that is, God ?
' This quotation, however, he makes no attempt whatever to explain ; all he does is to oppose to it sundry other passages which seem to contradict it. These he adduces to show that man is good. Here are his remarks : " We must answer tins text with another, in which the same Lord says, 'A good man out of the good treasure of his heart
4 And again: 'He maketh His sun to rise on the good and on the evil.' 5 Then in another bringeth forth good things.'
passage it is written, ' For the good things are created from
6 and yet again, 'They that are good shall the beginning;' dwell in the land.' " 7 Now to all this we must say in answer, that the passage in question must be understood in the same sense as the former one, " There is none that doeth good, no, not one," either because all created things, although God made them very good, are yet, when compared with their Creator,
1 Ps. xiv. 2.
2 On this passage Fulgentius remarks {Ad Monimum, i. 5): "In no other sense do I suppose that passage of St. Augustine should be taken, in which he affirms that there are certain persons predestinated to destruction, than in regard to their punishment, not their sin. [That is to say, their predestination is] not to the evil which they unrighteously commit, hut to the punishment which they shall righteously suffer ; not to the sin on account of which they either do not receive, or else lose, the benefit of the first resurrection, but to the retribution which their own personal iniquity evilly incurs, and the divine justice righteously inflicts."
3 Luke xviii. 19. 4 Matt. xii. 35. 5 Matt. v. 45.
6 Ecclus. xxxix. 25. 7 Prov. ii 21.
342 o^ man's perfection in righteousness, [chap. XIV.
not good, being in fact incapable of any comparison with Him. For in a transcendent, and yet very proper sense, He said of
Himself, "I AM that I am."
1 The statement therefore before us, " None is good save one, that is, God," is used in some such way as that which is said of John, " He was not that
5 [or "lamp," 4 ] just as he He says to His disciples : " Ye are the light of the
2 although the Lord calls him "a light," light;" world : . . . . neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel." Still, in comparison with that light which is
" the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into
6 he was not light. Or else, because the very the world," sons of God even, when compared with themselves as they shall hereafter become in their eternal perfection, [have only a qualified goodness,] are good in such a way as still to remain evil. Although I should not have dared to say this of them
(for who would be so bold as to call them evil who have God for their Father ?) unless the Lord had Himself said : " If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him ?" 7 Of course, by applying to them the words, " your Father," He proved that they were already sons of God ; and yet at the same time He did not hesitate to say that they were " evil." Your author, however, does not explain to us how they [whose eulogies he quotes] are good, whilst yet " there is none good save one, that is, God."
Accordingly the man who asked [the Lord] " what good thing
9 by whose
8 was admonished to seek Him he was to do," grace he might become good ; to whom also to be good is nothing else than to be Himself, because He is unchangeably good, and cannot be evil at all.
(33.) The fifth passage.™
c "Who will
" This," says he, " is another text of theirs :
11 And then he produced
boast that he has a pure heart?'"
his answer thereto out of several passages, wishing to show that there may be in man a pure heart. But he omits to
1 Ex. iii. 14. 2 John i. 8. 3 John v. 35.
4 [The word is A^vo,-, not $*s.] 5 Matt. v. 14, 15. 6 John i. 9.
7 Matt. vii. 11. 8 Matt. xix. 16. 9 Luke x. 27, 23.
10 See also his work Contra Julianum, ii. 8. ll Prov. xx. 9.
CHAP. XV.] COXFIDEXCE TOWARDS GOD. 343 inform us how the passage which he paraded as quoted against himself must be taken, so as to prevent Holy Scripture seeming to be opposed to itself in this text, and in the passages which comprise his answer. We for our part indeed tell him, in answer to all his allegation, that the clause, " Who will boast that he has a pure heart ? " is a suitable sequel to the preceding sentence, " whenever a righteous king sits upon
1 For how great soever a man's righteousness may be, he ought to reflect and think, lest there should be found something blameworthy, which has escaped indeed his own notice, when that righteous King shall sit upon His the throne."
throne, whose cognizance no sins can possibly escape, not even those of which it is said, " Who understandeth his trans-
2 "When, therefore, the righteous King shall sit upon His throne, .... who will boast that he has a pure gressions?"
heart? or who will boldly say that he is pure from sin?"
Xot one, except perhaps those who wish to boast of their own righteousness, and not glory in the compassions of the Judge Himself.
xv.—(34.) And yet the passages are true which he goes on to adduce by way of answer. This is what he says : " The Saviour in the gospel declares, ' Blessed are the pure in heart ; for they
4 David also says, 'Who shall ascend into the shall see God.'
hill of the Lord ? or who shall stand in His holy place ? He
5 and that is innocent in his hands, and pure in his heart;' again in another passage, ' Do good, Lord, unto those that
6 So also in Solomon [it is
be good and upright in heart.'
written,] ' Eiches are good unto him that hath no sin [on his conscience] ;' 7 and again in the same book, ' Leave off from sin, and order thine hands aright, and cleanse thy heart from
8 So in the Epistle of John, 'If our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God ; and whatwickedness.'
soever we ask, we shall receive of Him.'" 9 For all this is accomplished in us when we have the will, by the exercise of faith, hope, and charity ; by keeping under the body ; by doing
1 Prov. xx. 8. 2 Ps. xix. 12. 3 Prov. xx. 8, 9.
4 Matt. v. 8. 5 Ps. xxiv.
7 Ecclus. xiii. 24. 8 Ecclus. xxxviii. 10. e 1 John iii. 21, 22.
344 on man's perfection in righteousness, [chap. XV.
alms ; by forgiving injuries ; by earnest prayer ; by supplicating for strength to advance in our course ; by sincerely saying, " Forgive us, as we also forgive others/' and " Lead us
1 By this pronot into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
cess, [I say,] it is certainly brought about that our heart is cleansed, and all our sin taken away ; and what -the righteous
King, when sitting on His throne, shall find concealed in the heart and uncleansed as yet, shall be remitted by His mercy, so that the whole shall be rendered sound and cleansed for seeing God. For " he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath showed no mercy : yet mercy triumpheth against
2 If it were not so, what hope could any of us have ? " When, indeed, the righteous King shall sit upon His judgment."
throne, who shall boast that he hath a pure heart, or who shall boldly say that he is pure from sin ?" Then, however, through His mercy shall the righteous, being by that time fully and perfectly cleansed, shine forth like the glorious sun in the kingdom of their Father.
(35.) The Church will be without spot and wrinkle after the resurrection.
Then shall the Church realize, in a full and perfect degree, the condition of "not having spot, or any such thing," 4 because then also will it in a real sense be glorious. For inasmuch as he added the epithet " glorious," when he said,
" That He might present the Church to Himself, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing," [it follows that it shall] then be spotless when it shall be glorious. Because it is not so much when the Church is involved in so many evils [as now befall it,] or amidst such offences, and in so great a mixture of evil of very evil men, and amidst the heavy reproaches of the ungodly, that we ought to say that it is glorious, from the fact that kings serve it,—a fact which only produces a more perilous and a sorer temptation,—but that its glory shall rather then arise, when that event shall come to pass of which the apostle also speaks in the words, " When Christ, who is your life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in
5 For since the Lord Himself, in that form of a serglory."
1 Matt. vi. 12, 13. 2 Jas. ii. 13. 3 Matt. xiii. 43.
4 Epli. v. 27. 5 Col. iiL 4.
CHAP. XV.] GRACE HERE, PERFECTION HEREAFTER. 345 vant by means of which He united Himself as Mediator to the Church, was not glorified without the glory of His resurrection (whence the statement, " The Spirit was not yet given,
1 ), how shall His Church be because Christ was not yet glorified" described as glorious, previous to its resurrection ? He cleanses it, therefore, now " by the laver of the water in the word," washing away its past sins, and driving off from it the dominion of wicked angels ; but then by bringing all its healthy powers to perfection, He makes it meet for that glorious state, where it shall shine without a spot or wrinkle. For " whom He did predestinate, them He also called ; and whom He called, them He also justified ; and whom He justified, them He also glori-
3 It was under this mystery, as I suppose, that that fied."
[remarkable word of His] was spoken, " Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to-day and to-morrow, and the third day I shall be consummated or perfected." 4 For He said this in the person of His body, which is His Church, putting days for distinct and appointed periods, whilst He also signified on "the third day" [the perfection which should accrue to Him] in His resurrection.
(36.) The difference beticeen the upright in heart and the clean in heart.
I suppose, too, that there is a difference between one who is upright in heart and one who is clean in heart. A man is upright in heart when he " reaches forward to those things which are before, forgetting those things which are behind," 5 so as to arrive in a right course, that is, with right faith and purpose, at the perfection where he may dwell clean and pure in heart. Thus, in the psalm, the conditions ought to be severally bestowed on each separate character, where it is said, " Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord ? or who shall stand in His holy place ? He that is innocent in his hands, and pure [or clean] in his heart."
6 He shall ascend, innocent in his hands, and stand, clean in his heart,—the one state in present operation, the other in its consummation. And of them should rather be understood that which is written
1 John vii. 39.
2 Eph. v. 26. [The phrase is lavacro aquce=ru> XovryZ rod titans.] 3 Kom. viii. 30. * Luke xiii. 32. 5 Phil. iii. 13. G Ps. xxiv. 3, 4.
346 ON man's perfection in righteousness, [chap. XVI.
" Eiclies are good unto liim that hath no sin [on his con-
1 ] Then indeed shall accrue the good, or true riches, when all poverty shall have passed away ; in other words, when all infirmity shall have been removed. A man may now indeed " leave off from sin," when in his onward course science."
he departs from it, and is renewed day by day ; and he may " order his hands," and direct them to works of mercy, and
2 [and] be so merciful
" cleanse his heart from all wickedness," that what remains may be forgiven him by free pardon. This indeed is the sound and suitable meaning, without any vain and empty boasting, of that which St. John said : " If our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we shall receive of Him."
3 The warning which he clearly has addressed to us in this passage, is to beware lest our heart should reproach us in our very prayers and petitions ; that is to say, lest, when we happen to resort to this prayer, and say, " Forgive us, even as we ourselves forgive," we should have to feel compunction for not doing what we say, or should even lose boldness to utter what we fail to do, and thereby forfeit the confidence of faithful and earnest prayer.
Chap. xvi.—(37.) The sixth passage. He has also adduced this passage of Scripture, which is very commonly quoted against his party : " For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not." 4 And he makes a pretence of answering it by other passages,—how,
[for instance,] the Lord says concerning holy Job, " Hast thou considered my servant Job ? For there is none like him upon earth, a man who is blameless, true, a worshipper of
5 On this pas-
God, and abstaining from every evil thing."
6 But even he has
sage we have already made some remarks.
not attempted to show us how, on the one hand, Job was absolutely sinless upon earth,—if the words are to bear such a sense ; and, on the other hand, how that can be true which he has admitted to be in the Scripture, "There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not."
1 Ecclus. xiii. 24 2 Ecclus. xxxviii. 10. 3 John iii. 21, 22.
4 Eccles. vii. 20. 5 Job i. 8 (Sept.). 6 See above, cli. xii. (29.)
7 Eccles. vii. 20.
CHAP. XVII.] BLAMELESS MEN. 347
Chap. xvii.—(38.) The seventh passage. Who may be called immaculate. Hoio it is that in God's sight no man is justified.
" They also," says he, " quote the text : ' For in thy sight shall no man living be justified.'" * And his affected answer to this passage amounts to nothing else than the showing how texts of Holy Scripture seem to clash with one another, whereas it is our duty rather to demonstrate their agreement.
These are his words : " We must confront them with this answer, from the testimony of the evangelist concerning holy
Zacharias and Elisabeth, when he says, ' And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and
2 Now both these righteous
ordinances of the Lord blameless.'
persons had, of course, read amongst these very commandments the prescribed method of cleansing their own sins.
For, according to what is said in the Epistle to the Hebrews
3 Zacharias used of ' every high priest taken from among men,' no doubt to offer sacrifices even for his own sins." The meaning, however, of the phrase " blameless" which is applied to him, we have already, as I suppose, sufficiently explained.4
"And," he adds, "the blessed apostle says, 'That we should be holy, and without blame before Him.'" This, according to him, means that we should be so, if those persons are to be understood by "blameless" who are altogether without sin.
If, however, they are " blccmeless " who are without blame or censure, then it is impossible for us to deny that there have been, and still are, such persons even in this present life ; for it does not follow that a man is without sin because he has not a blot of censure. Accordingly the apostle, when selecting ministers for ordination, does not say, " If any be sinless" for he would be unable to find any such ; but he says, " If any be blameless"
6 for such, of course, he would be able to find. But our opponent does not tell us how, in accordance with his views, we ought to understand the scripture, "For in Thy sight shall no man living be justified."
7 The meaning of these words is plain enough, receiving as it does additional light from the preceding clause: "Enter not," says the Psalmist,
" into judgment with Thy servant, [0 Lord,] for in Thy sight
1 Ps. cxliii. 2. 2 Luke i. 6. 3 Heb. v. 1. 4 See above, ch. xi. (23). 6 Eph. i. 4. 6 Tit. i. 6. 7 Ps. cxliii. 2.
348 ON man's perfection in righteousness, [chap. XVIII.
shall no man living be justified." It is judgment which he fears, therefore he desires that mercy which triumphs over judgment.
1 For the meaning of the prayer, "Enter not into judgment with Thy servant/' is this : Judge me not according to Thine own attribute, who art without sin ; " for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified." This without doubt is understood as spoken of the present life, whilst the predicate
" shall not be justified " has reference to that perfect state of righteousness which belongs not to this life.
Chap, xviii.— (39.) The eighth passage, In what sense he is said not to sin who is born of God. In what way he who sins shall not see nor know God.
" They also quote," says he, " this passage,
( If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in
2 And this very clear testimony he has endeavoured to meet with apparently contradictory texts, saying thus : " The same St. John in this very epistle says, ' This, however, brethren, us.'
I enjoin on you, that ye sin not. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin ; for his seed remaineth in him : and he
3 Also elsewhere : ' Whosoever is born of God cannot sin.'
sinneth not ; because his being born of God preserveth him, and the evil one toucheth him not/ 4 And again in another passage, when speaking of the Saviour, he says : ' Since He was manifested to take away sins, whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not : whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him.' 6 And yet again : ' 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 towards Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.'"
And yet, notwithstanding the truth of all these passages, that also is true which he has adduced, without, however, offering any explanation of it : " If we say that we have no sin, we
7 Now it follows from the whole of this, that in so far as we are born of God we abide in Him who appeared to take away sins, that is, in deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."
Christ, and therefore sin not, which implies that " the inward man is renewed day by day; 8 but in so far as we are born
1 Jas. ii. 13. 2 1 John i. 8. 3 1 John iii. 9. 4 1 John v. 18.
1 John iii. 5, 6. c 1 John iii. 2, 3. * 1 John i. 8. 8 2 Cor. iv. 16.
CHAP. XVIII.] THE REGENERATE, HOW SINLESS. 349 of that man " through whom sin entered into the world, and
1 we are death by sin, whereby death passed upon all men," not without sin, because we are not as yet freed from his infirmity, [nor indeed shall be,] until by that renewal which takes place from day to day (for it is in accordance with this very [renovation] that we were born of God), that infirmity shall be wholly repaired, wherein we were born after the first man, and in which we are not without sin. Now, while the remains of this infirmity abide in our inward man (for they still continue in us, however much they may be daily lessened in those who are advancing [in the Christian course]), "we deceive ourselves, and have not the truth in us, if we say that we have no sin." Now, however true it is that " whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, nor known Him"
2 (for in respect of the vision and knowledge, which shall be realized in actual sight by and by, no one can in this life see and know Him), yet in respect of the vision and knowledge which come of faith, there may be many who commit sin,—actual apostates, at any rate,—who still have believed in Him some time or other ; so that of none of these could it be said, according to the vision and knowledge which still come of faith, that he has neither seen Him nor known Him. But I suppose it ought to be understood that it is the renewal which awaits perfection that sees and knows Him ; whereas the infirmity which is destined to waste and ruin neither sees nor knows Him. And it is owing to the remains of this infirmity, of whatever amount, which remain firm in our inward man, that " we deceive ourselves, and have not the truth in us, when we say that we have no sin." Although, then, by the grace of renovation " we are the sons of God," yet by reason of the remains of infirmity within us " it doth not appear what we shall be ; only we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." Then there shall be no more sin, because no infirmity shall any longer remain within us or without us. " And every man that hath this hope towards Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure," —purifieth himself, not indeed by himself simply, but by believing in Him, and calling on Him who sanctifieth His
'Kom. v. 12. 2 1 John iii. 6.
K50 ox man's perfection in righteousness, [chap. XIX.
saints ; which sanctification, when perfected at last (for it is at present only advancing and growing day by day), shall take away from us for ever all the remains of our infirm condition.
Chap. xix.— (40.) The ninth passage.
" This passage, too/' says he, " is quoted by them : ' It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God
" 1 And he observes that the answer to
that showeth mercy.'
be given to them is derived from the same apostle's words in another passage : " Let him do what he will." 2 And he adds another passage from the Epistle to Philemon, where, speaking of Onesimus, [St. Paul says] : " Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel. But without thy mind would I do nothing ; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity,; " Likewise," [continues he, we read] " in Deuteronomy : ' Life and death hath He set before thee, and but willingly."
good and evil : . . choose thou life, that thou mayest live.' 4
So in the book of Solomon : ' God from the beginning made man, and left him in the hand of His counsel ; and He added for him commandments and precepts : the precepts, if thou wilt, shall save thee, and [make thee] perform acceptable faithfulness for the time to come. He hath set fire and water before thee : stretch forth thine hand unto whether thou wilt.
Before man are good and evil, and life and death ; poverty and
5 So again in Isaiah we read:
honour are from the Lord God.'
' If ye be willing, and hearken unto me, ye shall eat the good of the land ; but if ye be not willing, and hearken not to me, the sword shall devour you : for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken this.' " 6 Now with all their efforts of disguise they here betray their purpose ; for they plainly attempt to controvert the grace and mercy of God, which we desire to obtain whenever we offer the prayer, " Thy will be done in earth as;" 7 or again this, " Lead us not into temptait is in heaven
8 For indeed why do we pretion, but deliver us from evil."
sent such petitions in earnest supplication, if the result is of him that willeth, and him that runneth, but not of God that showeth mercy ? Not that the result is quite independent of
1 Rom. ix. 16. 2 1 Cor. vii. 36. 3 Pliilem. 13, 14. * Deut. xxx. 15, 19.
5 Ecclus. xv. 14-17. 6 Isa. i. 19, 20. 7 Matt. vi. 10. 8 Matt. vi. 13.
CHAP. XIX.] GRACE FINDS WORK FOR THE WILL. 351 our will, but that our will does not accomplish its aims in action, unless it receive the divine assistance. Now the wholesome effect of faith is this, that it makes us " seek, that we may find ; ask, that we may receive ; and knock, that it may be opened to us." * Whereas the man who gainsays it, does really shut the door of God's mercy against himself. I am unwilling to say more touching so important a matter, because I do better in committing it to the deep sighing of the faithful, than in enlarging on it in words of my own.