380 GOOD WORKS AND spiritual grace ? Not to insist on them, is to despise the value of those substan- tial evidences which our Lord himself made the criterion by which to judge of men, - " by their fruits ye shall know them." The tree of life is no barren tree ; it bears all manner of fruits. There is, indeed, less necessity than ever to decry good works. Men are not so violently addicted to them, as, by the warnings given against them, one might be led to suppose. To exalt good works as the procuring cause of salvation, is to put them in the place of Christ. To de- preciate good works, is to depreciate such life as Christ has given us both the com- mand, and the example to lead ; that command, of which the language was al- ways one, " ifye love me, keep my com- mandments ;" and that example which presents such a tissue of holy actions, as nothing but Divinity could exhibit, yet enlightened and assisted humanity may and must aspire to imitate. With this command and this example,
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