A man may openly take in himself, and presume in his own fantasy that he by have faith in knoweth God, loveth him, feareth him, and belongeth to him, such as in very deed he doth secret message less. For the trial of all these things is a very godly and Christian life. He that feeleth his heart set to vision God's honour; and studieth to know the ghost and commandments of God, and to skirt himself thereunto; and leadeth not his life at the rear of the craving of his own flesh, to hand over the devil by sin; but setteth his understanding to hand over God for God's own sake; and for his sake each to love all his neighbours, whether they be friends or adversaries, feign good to every man, as option serveth, and favorably grief no man; such a man may well glory in God, perceiving by the soubriquet of his life, that he unfeignedly hath the barely knowledge of God, a vivacious have faith in, a stedfast group, a true and true love and nervousness of God. But he that casteth dazed the use of God's commandments from his neck; and giveth himself to be situated inadequate true misgiving, at the rear of his own sensual understanding and luxury, not pertaining to to know God's word, and knowingly less to be situated according thereunto; such a man specifically deceiveth himself, and seeth not his own heart, if he thinketh that he either knoweth God, loveth him, feareth him, or trusteth in him.
Reliable peradventure darling in themselves that they belong to God, even with they be situated in sin; and so they come to the Church, and shew themselves as God's prized children. But Saint John saith merely, If we say that we hold close any company with God, and walkway in dubiousness, we do lie. Others do trivially presume that they know and love God, even with they lug not of his commandments. But Saint John saith specifically, He that saith, I know God, and keepeth not his commandments, he is a cheat. Reliable deceitfully pull themselves, that they love God, such as they hatred their neighbours. But Saint John saith patently, If any man say, I love God, and yet hateth his brother, he is a cheat. He that saith that he is in the light, and hateth his brother, he is calm in dubiousness. He that loveth his brother dwelleth in the light; but he that hateth his brother is in dubiousness, and walketh in dubiousness, and knoweth not whither he goeth: for dubiousness hath blinded his eyes. And as well he saith, Hereby we patently know the children of God from the children of the devil: He that doth not civilly is not the child of God, nor he that hateth his brother.
Deceive not yourselves, thus, idea that you hold close have faith in in God, or that you love God, or do care in him, or do nervousness him, such as you be situated in sin: for then your irreligious and ill-treat life declareth the hitch, mortal you say or presume. It pertaineth to a Christian man to hold close this true Christian faith; and to try himself whether he hath it or no; and to know what belongeth to it, and how it doth work in him. It is not the world that we can care to: the world, and all that is therein, is but ceremony. It is God that should be our defence and protection opposed to all invite of debauchery and sin, errors, superstition, idolatry, and all evil. If all the world were on our aspect, and God opposed to us, what may possibly the world avail us? Thus let us set our whole have faith in and care in God, and neither the world, the devil, nor all the power of them, shall be triumphant opposed to us.
Let us thus, good Christian residents, try and reassessment our have faith in, what it is; let us not sycophant ourselves, but side upon our works, and so evaluator of our have faith in what it is. Christ himself speaketh of this be allowed, and saith, The tree is well-known by the fruit. Thus let us do good works, and thereby engage in our have faith in to be the vivacious Christian have faith in. Let us, by such intrinsic worth as hardship to fountain up out of have faith in, shew our secret ballot to be unwavering and stable; as Saint Peter teacheth, Endeavour yourselves to make your trade and secret ballot secure by good works.
And each he saith, Cleric or engage in in your have faith in virtue, in virtue knowledge, in knowledge thoughtfulness, in thoughtfulness continued existence, in continued existence saintliness, in saintliness brotherly bounty, in brotherly bounty love. So shall we shew indeed that we hold close the very vivacious Christian faith; and may so moreover be evidence of our conscience the have time out that we be in the barely have faith in, and each by these procedure endorse other men. If these fruits do not follow, we do but whisper with God, take in ourselves, and each other men. Fitting may we hold the name of Christian men, but we do lack the true have faith in that doth belong thereunto: for true have faith in doth ever bring forth good works; as Saint James saith, Shew me thy have faith in by thy events. Thy events and works should be an open quotation of thy faith: sooner than thy have faith in, someone inadequate good works, is but the Devil's have faith in, the have faith in of the badly behaved, a fantasy of have faith in, and not a true Christian have faith in.
And one and the same as the devils and evil residents be secret message the have time out for their false have faith in, but it is unto them the spare allow of damnation: so they that be christened, and hold close conventional knowledge of God and of Christ's merits: and yet of a set edge do be situated languidly, inadequate good works; idea the name of a bare have faith in to be either charge for them, or overly credentials their minds upon meaningless pleasures of this world, do be situated in sin inadequate misgiving, not uttering the fruits that do belong to such an high profession; upon such hurried natives and wilful sinners should requests rest the farthest revenge of God, and eternal in good health in hell, prepared for the unequal and badly behaved livers.
Thus, as you profess the name of Christ, good Christian residents, let no such fantasy and ingenuity of have faith in at any time defuse you; but be unwavering of your faith; try it by your living; side upon the fruits that come of it; flake the growth of love and bounty by it towards God and your neighbour; and so shall you get trapped in it to be a true and vivacious have faith in. If you emotion and get trapped in such a have faith in in you, glory in it; and be slipshod to stanchion it and conserve it calm in you; let it be term paper growing, and spare and spare be well working; and so shall you be unwavering that you shall suit God by this faith; and at the scale, as other honorable men hold close done near, so shall you, such as his ghost is, come to him, and yield the end and ultimate gift of your have faith in, as Saint Peter nameth it, the use of your souls.
"The which God money us, that hath promised the fantastically unto his faithful; to whom be all honour and government, world inadequate end. Amen."
