from Jeroboam's sin. For the worship of the calves. favoured his worldly policy; the worshippers of Baal were Ahab's friends, and so were against himself as well as against God.

As love is the life of faith, so with the increase of love, faith increaseth. Even from man towards man, faith and love grow together. The more we love, the more we understand and the more we trust one another. We trust, because we love, and by loving, know God. We can only know God, by loving Him. St. Paul says, "I know in Whom I have believed." Want of love is the cause of all want of faith. Did we fully love God, who could for a moment doubt of Him? Who could repine at any loss, or pain, or want, or sickness, or bereavement, if he loved God with his whole soul and heart and strength? For strong love can have no hard thoughts of God. All mistrust of God implies that He is not All-good or All-wise.

But love liveth by good works. Love cannot live torpid. Even in human love, love which never did. deeds of love would grow chill and die. We love those most, to whom we do most good. Love is perhaps increased more by doing than by receiving good; at least, by doing good out of the love of God. Acts of love do not prove only that we have a living faith; they increase it. For to do good is to use the grace of God; and on the faithful use of grace, more grace is given. "Faith worketh" (literally "inworketh,"" the word means, worketh in the very soul itself) "by love."

But it has been thought, "if faith, on which God

holds us righteous, or justifying faith, have love in it, are we not accounted righteous for something in ourselves?" We are justified, or accounted righteous before God, neither for faith nor love, but for the Merits of our Lord Jesus Christ Alone. And faith and love alike, although in us, are not of us; both are alike the gift of God. So St. Paul says, "to you it hath been given [given, the word means, by grace, and as grace] in behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake,” and again, “By grace ye are saved, through faith, and that [faith] not of yourselves; it [faith] is the gift of God;" even faith whereby we are accounted and made righteous before God, is not our own, lest we should think we had anything of our own; "it" [faith] also, "is the gift of God." But this gift, whether of faith or love, is so given, that it is with us to receive it. We come to God by faith and love. But "no man cometh unto Me" saith our Lord,

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except the Father Which hath sent Me, draw Him." But by both He draws us through our will, not drags us without or against it. The pleasures of sense and of the world draw us one way. God the Father and Christ draw us the other. Neither, irresistibly. "If" says a father," "pleasure draweth, how much more may we say that a man is drawn to Christ, who is delighted by truth, delighted by blessedness, delighted by righteousness, delighted by everlasting life, all which Christ is." "Believe,' and thou comest; love, and thou art drawn. Think not that it is a

a S. Aug. in Evang. Joh. c. 6. Tr. 26. n. 4.

P Eph. ii. 8.

Id. Serm. ad Pop. Serm. 131. n. 2. see p. 586. Oxf. Tr.

rough and painful violence; it is sweet, pleasant; the very sweetness draws thee." The drawing of grace changes nature, and strengthens nature, reforms nature, subdues nature, but only if we be willing to be changed, reformed, subdued, strengthened. We are drawn with the cords of a man, not dragged as brutes. "The drawing of grace raises upwards towards Heaven the will, inclined towards the flesh; allures it, when resisting; strengthens it, when weak; gladdens it, if saddened; gives it, when fearful, a good courage towards good."

It was man's sin that, "When He came unto His own, His own received Him not," but "to as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in His Name." "He gave them power" which by nature they had not and could not have; here is the grace and gift of God; but," to as many as received Him,” here is the will of man, although enabled and receiving power to receive Him, from God. He does not say here, "He made them Sons of God," (although when we receive Him, He doth so make us, for none can make us the sons of God, save God Himself by the Holy Spirit of adoption) but here He goes further back and says "He gave us power." "He wishes,"

says a father, "at the same time to shew thee that not even grace cometh upon us any how, but on those who wish for it, and take pains about it." He doth not give to us, unwilling or careless, but if we ourselves will it and consent and long for it.

How then may we know if we have this faith? How may it grow and be strengthened in us ?-How S. Chrys. Hom. x. n. 2. in S. Joh. i. 12. p. 84. Oxf. Tr.

do we know that our bodies live? 66

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As," says a

holy man, "we discern the life of this body by its motion, so also the life of faith by good works. The life of the body is the soul, whereby it is moved and feels; the life of faith is love; because by it, it worketh, as thou readest in the Apostle, Faith which worketh by love.' Whence also when charity waxeth cold, faith dies; as the body, when the soul departeth. If then thou see a man, earnest in good works, and gladly fervent in conversation, doubt not that faith lives in him. Thou hast undoubted proofs of its life."

Wouldest thou again that thy faith should grow and be strengthened in thee? "If thou art not drawn," says a father," " pray that thou mayest be drawn." If thou canst not pray fervently, pray for the spirit of prayer and supplication, and " the Spirit Himself shall help thine infirmities and make intercession for thee, according to the Will of God." Heed not, if thou seem not at first to be heard. Remember the Syrophenician woman, and take courage. He Who seemed to neglect her, inwardly drew her to persevere, and then crowned her perseverance by the words of blessing, "O woman, great is thy faith, be it unto thee even as thou wilt."

Act faithfully, according to thy degree of light, and what God giveth thee to see; and thou shalt see more clearly. Hearken to the low whispers of His Voice within thee, and thou shalt hear more distinctly. Above all, do not stifle any motions of conscience; for this were to deaden faith.

t S. Bern. in Temp. Res. Serm. 2. n. 1. p. 906. u S. Aug. in S. Joh. 1. c. n. 2.

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If thou art in doubt how to act, set the Day of Judgment before thee, and act now as thou wouldest then wish that thou hadst acted. It sorely injures faith, to act, suspecting that thou art acting amiss. For it is the part of Faith, to act without seeing, in all which it dimly hopes to be according to the Will of God.

Wean thyself from pleasures of sense, if thou wouldest have strong faith. Moses despised the pleasures of a king's court, and so became "a man of God," "faithful in all his house," through faith; the children of Israel lusted after "the leeks and onions and flesh-pots of Egypt," rebelled against God and lost the promised land.

Be not taken up with an earthly future, if thou wouldest look beyond the veil, and "behold Him Who is Invisible."

Be not anxious about little things, if thou wouldest learn to trust God with thine all. Act upon faith in little things; commit thy daily cares and anxieties to Him; and He will strengthen thy faith for any greater trials. Rather, give thy whole self into God's Hands, and so trust Him to take care of thee in all lesser things, as being His, for His Own Sake, Whose thou art.

Meditate daily on the things of Eternity; and by the grace of God, do something daily, which thou wouldest wish to have done, when that day cometh. Eternity fades quickly from sight, amid the mists and clouds of this world. Heaven is above our heads, yet we see it not with eyes fixed on the earth.

Especially, in any temptation of Satan, call quickly to mind Whose thou art, in Whom thou hast be