Of Good Works

Good works are only such as God hath commanded in his holy Word,305 and not such as, without the warrant thereof, are devised by men out of blind zeal, or upon any pretense of good intention.306

These good works, done in obedience to God's commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith:307 and by them believers manifest their thankfulness,308 strengthen their assurance,309 edify their brethren,310 adorn the profession of the gospel,311 stop the mouths of the adversaries,312 and glorify God,313 whose workmanship they are, created in Christ Jesus thereunto,314 that, having their fruit unto holiness, they may have the end, eternal life.315

Their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves, but wholly from the Spirit of Christ.316 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;317 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.318

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, that they fall short of much which in duty they are bound to do.

We cannot, by our best works, merit pardon of sin, or eternal life, at the hand of God, because 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;321 but when we have done all we can, we have done but our duty, and are unprofitable servants:322 and because, as they are good, they proceed from his Spirit;323 and as they are wrought by us, they are defiled and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection that they cannot endure the severity of God's judgment.324

Yet notwithstanding, the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in him,325 not as though they were in this life wholly unblamable and unreprovable in God's sight;326 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.327

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:328 yet, because they proceed not from a heart purified by faith;329 nor are done in a right manner, according to the Word;330 nor to a right end, the glory of God;331 they are therefore sinful, and cannot please God, or make a man meet to receive grace from God.332 And yet their neglect of them is more sinful, and displeasing unto God.333