]; for as faith trusts, so
it receives.

See, thus are works forgiven, are without guilt and are good, not
by their own nature, but by the mercy and grace of God because of
the faith which trusts on the mercy of God. Therefore we must
fear because of the works, but comfort ourselves because of the
grace of God, as it is written, Psalm cxlvii: "The Lord taketh
pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that hope in His mercy."
[Ps. 147:11] So we pray with perfect confidence: "Our Father,"
and yet petition: "Forgive us our trespasses"; we are children
and yet sinners; are acceptable and yet do not do enough; and all
this is the work of faith, firmly grounded in God's grace.

[Sidenote: The Source of Faith]

XVII. But if you ask, where the faith and the confidence can be
found and whence they come, this it is certainly most necessary
to know. First: Without doubt faith does not come from your works
or merit, but alone from Jesus Christ, and is freely promised and
given; as St. Paid writes, Romans v: "God commendeth His love to
us as exceeding sweet and kindly, in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us" [Rom. 5:8]; as if he said: "Ought
not this give us a strong unconquerable confidence, that before
we prayed or cared for it, yes, while we still continually walked
in sins, Christ dies for our sin?" St. Paul concludes; "If while
we were yet sinners Christ died for us, how much more then, being
justified by His blood, shall we be saved from wrath through Him;
and if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the
death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved
by His life."

Lo! thus must thou form Christ within thyself and see how in
Him God holds before thee and offers thee His mercy without any
previous merits of thine own, and from such a view of His grace
must thou draw faith and confidence of the forgiveness of all thy
sins. Faith, therefore, does not begin with works, neither do
they create it, but it must spring up and flow from the blood,
wounds and death of Christ, if thou see in these that God is so
kindly affectioned toward thee that He gives even His Son for
thee, then thy heart also must in its turn grow sweet and kindly
affectioned toward God, and so thy confidence must grow out of
pure good-will and love--God's love toward thee and thine toward
God. We never read that the Holy Spirit was given to any one when
he did works, but always what men have heard the Gospel of