for grace and the gift of God is eternal life. If grace, where is reward? If a gift, where then is merit?

But what shall be said in the mean while unto testimonies that are frequent in the Scriptures, which ofttimes propose great rewards to pious works? First, it is to be considered that by the very name of obedience, debt and duty are implied. Now the obedience we owe, can properly deserve no grace. What man at any time commanding a hired servant to do his duty, bestows grace or praise upon him for that which he owed upon the account of obedience, or therefore doth assign unto him any portion of his inheritance? What does the Lord himself answer to such servants in the gospel? Say ye, We are unprofitable servants, we have done that which was our duty to do. Now then, wherefore are those things called by the name of reward, which God renders unto our good deeds? The answer thereunto is-God proposes rewards: verily so he does: but the same God proposes dangers and combats. The most excellent Master of the wrestlings sees what and how great storms of temptations must be undergone, how many labours must be endured, how many difficulties lie before them. He sees through how many casualties and dangers the strait way to the kingdom must be undertaken by them who are planted in Christ. And therefore, that they may not faint in their minds, but proceed with the greater courage in their undertaken warfare, rewards are showed to them, as certain prizes and recompenses of victory, to stir up their minds; whereby the most gracious Father may mitigate the crosses of his own servants, and comfort them in their sufferings, with proposing hope of rewards.

And hence is that frequent mention of reward and recompenses in the Scriptures. Not that those things which the saints suffer in this life, are worthy of rewards. For the sufferings of this time are not worthy of the glory that shall be revealed in us: but because it so seemed good to the clemency of God, to esteem those merits of ours which are none, as if they were merits indeed; and to crown them, as if they were very great, which deserve no grace at all. For, who hath thanked a servant, as the gospel witnesses, for the service which he owed to his Master after he did his commands? and who would not rather have punished him, if he had not done them? But if he find any praise or reward beyond his merit, he hath cause to give thanks to his master, but not to boast of his own merits. Therefore

Augustine admonishes rightly and understandingly: "If you would be a stranger to grace, boast of your merit." And Bernard was not wholly without sight, though he saw not all things, when he said it was sufficient for merit, to know that merits are not sufficient.

Briefly, that we may express the thing in a word, whatsoever it is, which is called a reward in mystical writings, is nothing else but grace proposed in the place and name of reward. What if this present life, which we enjoy in the flesh, if the conveniency of life, and other ornaments, though transitory and temporary, are very rightly accounted, not to be our merits, but the gifts of God, how much more rightly shall that heavenly and everlasting reward of life, wherewith the most gracious Father crowns us, seem to proceed, not from the dignity of our works, but from his singular mercy and grace. Which though sometimes it takes the name of reward, yet if we rightly consider the matter, we shall find nothing in all this whole fabric of our redemption, but the only and singular grace of God.

First, because he endued thee with faith, and the knowledge of his Son: and because afterwards he washes thee in the saving laver of faith, and because having washed thee, he calls thee forth to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints, translating thee into the kingdom of his Son, whom he freely gives unto thee; and adopts thee for his son together with him, and appoints thee for his heir. Because he promises the hereditary kingdom, and adorns, changes, refreshes, and comforts thee with his Spirit; beautifies thee with virtues, justifies thee by faith, overlooks very many of thy sins, esteems thy good deeds which are very small, as if they were the greatest, and rewards them as if they were eminent.

He brings thee forth to the combat, looks upon thee fighting, adds strength to thee, guards thee with patience, restores thee when fallen, gives thee a way of escape in temptations, and raises thee up when thou art dead, and exalts thee to the mansions of never perishing glory.

What do you contemplate in these, but the boundless and altogether infinite greatness of grace? And to cornprehend all that hath been said of it, whatsoever it is that we are, or shall be, that we move, that we live, and are to live-what is it but the grace of God that showeth mercy? Not of man that willeth or runneth. Examine and search

yourself, and all things that are yours: first consider your vocation, who calls thee to this grace? it regards those only whom divine grace sets apart for itself, not those that are puffed up with human learning, not those that are of the noblest extraction, and dignified with the high titles of their ancestors; but God hath chiefly chosen the base and unpolished things of this world, which seemed contemptible and of small value, according to the vulgar opinion. And that I may express it in a word, those things that were nothing he exalts unto the highest sublimity. Why so, but that he may have all the glory to his own free grace, and no place for glorying left for human endeavours and merits? Of which thing, if any man require more sure examples, let him call to mind the calling of Peter, with the rest of the fishermen, that were his fellow apostles; and chiefly let him admire the stupendous history of Paul's conversion: in whom, if we look at his very original, as Augustine speaks, and seek for his merits, we shall find that they belonged to damnation, not to salvation.

35. The calling of God and his grace, are free and gratuitous, beyond all merits of our works.

Let us come down nearer to ourselves, and now take example from thyself, Christian brother, whosoever thou art. Consider with yourself both what you now are, and what formerly-you have been. You stand in faith; who gave it you? You continue in the faith; who upholds you? You are assaulted by temptations, and do not succumb; who helps you? You are perpetually in danger amongst so great a multitude that perish; who supports you? You sin daily; who forgives you? Dangers, terrors, miseries, weariness, besiege on every side; who gives you help? Moreover, whithersoever you turn yourself, what do you see else, but all arguments of favour and grace, which take away from men all confidence in works, and glorying in merits? And where then is that thrice accursed curse of the Tridentines, whereby all and every one are devoted to the dreadful destruction of damnation, who setting aside the helps, the coadjutorship of merits, assert that the grace of God whereby we are justified, consists only in the favour of God? And whoever dare say that a man is justified by the imputation of Christ's righteousness only, or by the remission of sins only, whilst charity doth not together with it communicate its influence in the

hearts of the godly, and that the grace of working well is not joined thereunto?* Which, if it be true, what should be judged of the prophets, what should be judged of Christ himself, who are of a contrary judgment? We must either acknowledge that those were destitute of the Spirit of God, or else that those Tridentine sanctions are contrary to divine grace. The prophet cries with a loud voice, the apostle also cries, that it is not of him that runneth or willeth, but of God that showeth mercy.

And, will the Tridentine counsellors remonstrate against this that man's salvation consists only in the favour of God? Wherein then?. Running, say they, must be added, and the choice of free-will must be added thereto. Who denies it? We run all of us, each one for his own portion, being placed in our stage by God. For the Christian life is a race, not a play; an exercise, not a vacuity from business; a warfare, not slothfulness. Be it so indeed, yet in this same race how unhappily do we ofttimes run! How often do we stumble! How many ways do we fall, how blind and traversed a way do we often go! And so sometimes we run beadlong, either wandering every one his own way, as the prophet speaks, or with the sheep of the gospel wander sometimes out of the folds. But we return presently, say you, into the way-it is well. But who is it that calls you back? Your own will, or the grace of him that hath mercy? I see that you return, and I praise it; but to whom is this praise due? To the strength of your will, or to free mercy! And now teach me what this running of yours deserves. You only look at how much you proceed in running, but you do not also take heed how much you fail in your race. And, after all, do you yet boast of your merits, as if the reward of the everlasting state were due to your labours?

In these assertions I do not aim to dissolve the pious endeavours of making progress, or to dishearten them by desperation. For the admonition of the apostle is not in vain; So run that ye may obtain. And again; No man is crowned, except he strive lawfully. Let us therefore so strive, that we may be crowned; let us so run that we may obtain. But we do not therefore obtain, because we run; but we do therefore run, because the promise is made to them that run, not to them that slumber. So that the running is not the cause of the promise, but the *Trident. Concil. Sess. 6. Canon 11.

promise stirs up to running, and adds alacrity to the runners. Therefore, the apostle, that he may make them the more valiant in striving, adds this promise, Your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. And, speaking of himself, I have fought, saith he, the good fight; and a crown of righteousness is laid up for me. What then, do you not see that labours well performed have their own reward due to them?·

Be it so, indeed: but we treat not here of the labours of men, but of the merits of labours; we do not ask, with what rewards the goodness of God dignifies us, but what we ourselves deserve to receive? For there is no small difference between gift and merit. If merit is called that to which a recompense of reward is due, by reason of its equality, it is certain there is no equality between those things which we do here on earth, and those things which, being promised, we expect in heaven. The inheritance of the everlasting kingdom is promised, not that which upon the account of hire is due to our works, but that which is promised to our faith by the free gift of God.

Whence Paul, when he said, The wages of sin is death, he doth not add next thereunto, The reward of them that live godly is life eternal: but, The grace, saith he, or the gift of God is eternal life.

And why doth he not as well say, the reward of righteousness is eternal life, but that the difference between gift and reward, between grace and recompense, might be evident? For if it is of grace, then it is not of works: if of works, then it is not of grace. But now, that he might manifest the infinite riches of divine grace towards us through Christ Jesus, he proclaims openly that we are saved, through grace, by faith. And that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. Which also elsewhere inculcating more clearly, he says, Not by works of righteousness which we have done. -How then? But according to his mercy hath he saved

us.

And now what is that mercy, but the favour and lovingkindness of God, which, remitting the rigour of justice, spares those that are unworthy, pardons the penitent, receives into favour them that are undone, which favour or mercy also glories against judgment? All which being so, what should be said of the hypocritical fathers of Trent, who by the public decree of their senate pronounce those