CHAPTER XVI
THE FRUITS OF JUSTIFICATION, THAT IS, THE MERIT OF GOOD WORKS, AND THE NATURE OF THAT MERIT
Therefore, to men justified in this manner, whether they have preserved uninterruptedly the grace received or recovered it when lost, are to be pointed out the words of the Apostle: Abound in every good work, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord (30). For God is not unjust, that he should forget your work, and the love which you have shown in his name (31); and, Do not lose your confidence, which hath a great reward (32). Hence, to those who work well unto the end (33) and trust in God, eternal life is to be offered, both as a grace mercifully promised to the sons of God through Christ Jesus, and as a reward promised by God himself, to be faithfully given to their good works and merits (34). For this is the crown of justice which after his fight and course the Apostle declared was laid up for him, to be rendered to him by the just judge, and not only to him, but also to all that love his coming (35). For since Christ Jesus Himself, as the head into the members and the vine into the branches (36), continually infuses strength into those justified, which strength always precedes, accompanies and follows their good works, and without which they could not in any manner be pleasing and meritorious before God, we must believe that nothing further is wanting to those justified to prevent them from being considered to have, by those very works which have been done in God, fully satisfied the divine law according to the state of this life and to have truly merited eternal life, to be obtained in its [due] time, provided they depart [this life] in grace (37), since Christ our Savior says: If anyone shall drink of the water that I will give him, he shall not thirst forever; but it shall become in him a fountain of water springing up unto life everlasting (38). Thus, neither is our own justice established as our own from ourselves (39), nor is the justice of God ignored or repudiated, for that justice which is called ours, because we are justified by its inherence in us, that same is [the justice] of God, because it is infused into us by God through the merit of Christ. Nor must this be omitted, that although in the sacred writings so much is attributed to good works, that even he that shall give a drink of cold water to one of his least ones, Christ promises, shall not lose his reward (40); and the Apostle testifies that, That which is at present momentary and light of our tribulation, worketh for us above measure exceedingly an eternal weight of glory (41); nevertheless, far be it that a Christian should either trust or glory in himself and not in the Lord (42), whose bounty toward all men is so great that He wishes the things that are His gifts to be their merits. And since in many things we all offend (43), each one ought to have before his eyes not only the mercy and goodness but also the severity and judgment [of God]; neither ought anyone to judge himself, even though he be not conscious to himself of anything (44); because the whole life of man is to be examined and judged not by the judgment of man but of God, who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts, and then shall every man have praise from God (45), who, as it is written, will render to every man according to his works (46).
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(30) See I Cor. 15:58.
(31) Heb. 6:10.
(32) Heb. 10:35.
(33) Matt. 10:22.
(34) Rom. 6:22.
(35) See II Tim. 4:8.
(36) John 15:1 f.
(37) Apoc. 14:13.
(38) John 4:13 f.
(39) Rom. 10:3; II Cor. 3:5.
(40) Matt. 10:42; Mark 9:40.
(41) See II Cor. 4:17.
(42) See I Cor. 1:31; II Cor. 10:17.
(43) James 3:2.
(44) See I Cor. 4:3 f.
(45) Ibid., 4:5.
(46) Matt. 16:27; Rom. 2:6; Apoc. 22:12.
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