Chapter 16. Of Good Works

Chapter 16. Of Good Works

I. Good works are only such as God hath commanded in his holy Word,³¹⁵ and not such as, without the warrant thereof, are devised by men out of blind zeal, or upon any pretense of good intention.³¹⁶

II. These good works, done in obedience to God's commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith;³¹⁷ and by them believers manifest their thankfulness,³¹⁸ strengthen their assurance,³¹⁹ edify their brethren,³²⁰ adorn the profession of the gospel,³²¹ stop the mouths of the adversaries,³²² and glorify God,³²³ whose workmanship they are, created in Christ Jesus thereunto,³²⁴ that, having their fruit unto holiness, they may have the end, eternal life.³²⁵

III. Their ability to do good

works is not at all of themselves, but wholly from the Spirit of Christ.³²⁶ And that they may be enabled thereunto, besides the graces they have already received, there is required an actual influence of the same Holy Spirit to work in them to will and to do of his good pleasure;³²⁷ yet are they not hereupon to grow negligent, as if they were not bound to perform any duty unless upon a special motion of the Spirit; but they ought to be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in them.³²⁸

IV. They who in their obedience attain to the greatest height which is possible in this life, are so far from being able to supererogate and to do more than God requires, as³²⁹ that they fall short of much which in duty they are bound to do.³³⁰

V. We can not, by our best works, merit pardon of sin, or eternal life at the hand of God, by reason of the great disproportion that is between them and the glory to come, and the infinite distance that is between us and God, whom by them we can neither profit nor satisfy

for the debt of our former sins;³³¹ but when we have done all we can, we have done but our duty, and are unprofitable servants;³³² and because, as they are good, they proceed from his Spirit;³³³ and as they are wrought by us, they are defiled and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection that they can not endure the severity of God's judgment.³³⁴

VI. Yet notwithstanding, the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in him,³³⁵ not as though they were in this life wholly unblamable and unreprovable in God's sight;³³⁶ but that he, looking upon them in his Son, is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere, although accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfections.³³⁷

VII. Works done by unregenerate men, although for the matter of them they may be things which God commands, and of good use both to themselves and others;³³⁸

yet because they proceed not from a heart purified by faith,³³⁹ nor are done in a right manner, according to the Word,³⁴⁰ nor to a right end, the glory of God;³⁴¹ they are therefore sinful, and can not please God, or make a man meet to receive grace from God.³⁴² And yet their neglect of them is more sinful and displeasing unto God.³⁴³