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HARVARD UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

A POSTHUMOUS TREATISE

ON

THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE,

COMPILED FROM THE HOLY SCRIPTURES ALONE;

IN TWO BOOKS:

BY

JOHN MILTON.

BOOK II.

OF THE WORSHIP OF GOD.

CHAP. I. OF GOOD WORKS.

THE subject of the first Book was FAITH, or THE KNOWledge of God. The second treats of THE WORSHIP or LOVE OF GOD.1

The true worship of God consists chiefly in the exercise of good works. Matt. xvi. 27. "then he shall reward every man according to his works." Rom. ii. 13. "not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." Philipp. i. 11. "being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ." iv. 8. "whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things: those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do; and the God of peace shall 1 See Book I. p. 12, note.

VOL. V.

B

may

be

Tit. ii.

be with you." 2 Tim. iii. 17. "that the man of God perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." 11, 12. "the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world." iii. 8. "this is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God may be careful to maintain good works." James i. 22. "be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." 2 Pet. i. 5, &c. "besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge.... &c. for if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

GOOD WORKS are THOSE WHICH WE PERFORM BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD WORKING IN US THROUGH TRUE FAITH, TO THE GLORY OF GOD, THE ASSURED HOPE of our own SALVATION, AND THE EDIFICATION OF OUR NEIGHBOUR.

BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD WORKING IN US. John iii. 21. "that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God." 1 Cor. xv. 10. " by the grace of God I am what I am; and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I laboured more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.' 2 Cor. iii. 5. "not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God." Gal. v. 22. "the fruit of the Spirit is love.... gentleness, goodness, faith." Eph. ii. 10. "we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." v. 9. "the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth." Philipp. ii. 13. "it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."

THROUGH FAITH. John xv. 5. " he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing." Heb. xi. 6. "without faith it is impossible to please him." James ii. 22. "seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?" that is, how faith (to use a logical expression) constitutes the form of the works, and endows them with the

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