of religion, reading pious books, hearing the word of God, and the like. (2.) That as none of these helps can be of benefit to ourselves, nor can any of these means used by us to others, be of any service to them, except God be pleased to accompany them with his internal grace, we ought, therefore, to be extremely careful, upon all such occasions, to pray earnestly to God beforehand for his benediction; for "Paul may plant, and Apollo may water, but it is God alone that gives the increase," Philip. ii. 13.

SECTION II.

OF SANCTIFYING GRACE.

Q. 28. What is sanctifying grace?

A. St. Peter calls it a "participation of the divine nature," 2 Pet. i. 4. And St. Paul calls it in one place the charity of God which is poured abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost," Rom. v. 5.; and in another, "the justice of God by faith of Jesus Christ upon all them that believe in him," Rom. iii. 22. The Wise Man calls it a vapour of the power of God, and a certain pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty; and that no undefiled thing can come near it." Wisd. vii. 25. From all this it appears, that the sanctifying grace of God is a communication which God makes to our souls of himself; and it is called gráce, because it is a free gift of his mercy through the merits of Christ; it is called justice, because by it our sins are washed away from us, the disorders of our souls are rectified, and our souls rendered just and holy in his sight; and it is called charity, because it enables us to love God above all things, and our neighbour as ourselves.

Q. 29. Can this be explained by any examples?

A. The two following exampless are used for this purpose: First, that of iron and fire; iron of its own nature is of a blackish ugly colour, is very cold, and very hard; but when it is heated in a strong fire it loses all its ugly appearance, and becomes bright and shining like the fire itself. It also becomes burning hot, and, at the same time, soft and ductile, so as easily to be formed into any shape the workman pleases. In like manner, a soul in the state of sin is ugly and hateful in the sight of God, cold and tepid towards all that is good, and of itself hard and obdurate in its evil ways; but, when the great God communicates himself to such a soul, by his justifying grace, all her defilements are washed away, and she becomes just and beautiful before him. She is also warmed with his holy love and true devotion, and becomes pliable to his blessed will in obedience to his commandments. And this explains what St. Paul means when he says, As many of you as have been baptized in Christ, have put on Christ," Gal. iii. 27.; because, by the grace of justification received in baptism, the justice and sanctity of Christ is poured forth into our souls, which makes us resemble him, as the iron inflamed with the fire, resembles the fire itself. The other example is of the soul and the body of man: a dead body, without the soul, is a loathsome spectacle, incapable of doing any vital action, and tending of itself to nothing but rottenness and corruption; but when the soul is united to the body, it becomes alive, and has all the beauty of the human form, easily performs all the actions of life, and is preserved from corruption. In like manner, a soul in the state of sin is a dead soul, and loathsome to behold in the eyes of God and of his holy angels. She is incapable by any strength of her own, of performing any vital action of the spiritual

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life conducive to her eternal salvation, and of herself, tends only to run farther and farther into the corruption of sin; but, when the grace of God is poured down into such a soul, she becomes alive, and beautiful in his sight, can easily perform the duties of the spiritual life, meritorious of eternal salvation, and is strongly fortified against all the corruption of sin. Hence this grace of God is called habitual grace, because it remains constantly in the soul, unless it be destroyed by mortal sin; because his spirit dwelleth in you," Rom. viii. 11. It is also called sanctifying grace, because it sanctifies the soul, that is, makes it holy and pure before God; and it is called justifying grace, because it justifies, that is, cures the disorders of the soul, and renders us just and upright in the eyes of God.

Q. 30. What is meant by justification?

A. It is when the soul passes from the state of sin to the state of grace ?

Q. 31. What is meant by being in a state of sin ?

A. To be in a state of sin is to be polluted by the guilt of mortal sin, deprived of the grace of God, and at enmity with God.

Q. 32. What is it to be in the state of grace? A. It is to be cleansed from the guilt of sin, adorned with the grace of God, and in friendship with God.

Q. 33. What are the effects which sanctifying grace produces in the soul?

A. They are many and most excellent, (1.) It washes away all the stains and guilt of sin from ⚫ the soul, through the merit of the blood of Christ, which it applies to the soul, according to that, "the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin," 1 John i. 7. See above chap. xvii. Q. 41.

(2.) It cures all the deadly infirmities of the soul, as the prophet declares in these words: "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and never forget all he has done for thee; who forgiveth all thy iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases," Psal. cii. 2. And hence our Saviour calls himself the physician of souls, when he says "They that are in health need not a physician: but they that are ill...... for I am not come to call the just, but sinners,' Matth. ix. 12. Not that grace takes away all the effects of sin from the soul; for concupiscence, or that proclivity to sin which followed upon the loss of original justice still remains; neither does it destroy those bad habits which we have contracted by actual sin; but it strengthens the soul against both, and enables us to fight against them, and overcome them: for these effects of sin are not sins in themselves, except in as far as we consent to them; but when we faithfully resist them they cannot hurt us, but are the field of our victory, and the increase of our crown.

(3.) It beautifies the soul, and renders us agreeable and delightful in the eyes of our Creator; resembling Jesus Christ by the union we have with him through grace; just as the fire when it thoroughly penetrates a piece of iron, not only takes away all its natural blackness, but makes it shining and bright, and glowing like the fire itself. Hence the Scripture says, "he hath chosen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and unspotted in his sight in charity," Eph. i. 4. "And on this account the Lord loveth the just," Psal. clxv. 8. "For his soul pleased God," Wisd. iv. 14.; and why? "How beautiful is the chaste generation with glory!" Wisdom iv. 1.

(4.) It makes us temples of the Holy Ghost, who dwells in a particular manner in the soul of 2 H

VOL. I.

the just. "Know you not," says the apostle, "that you are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you ? for the temple of God is holy, which you are," 1 Cor. iii. 16. "Know you not that your members are the temple of the Holy Ghost, who is in you, whom you have from God," 1 Cor. vi. 19.

(5.) It makes us the adopted children of God; "for whosoever are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God- -you have received the spirit of adoption of sons, whereby we cry (Abba) Father; for the Spirit himself giveth testimony to our spirit, that we are the sons of God," Rom. viii. 14.; because by the inward motions of divine love, and the peace of conscience which the children of God experience, they have a kind of testimony of God's favour, which strengthens their hope of salvation, and their confidence in God as their loving Father. St. John speaks of this dignity with amazement: "Behold," says he, "what manner of charity the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called, and should be the sons of God!" 1 John iii. 1.

(6.) It makes us heirs of the kingdom of heaven, giving us a right and title, as sons, to that eternal inheritance; for, "if sons, heirs also; heirs indeed of God, and joint-heirs with Christ," Rom. viii. 17. "And because you are sons, God hath sent the spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore he is now no more a servant, but a Son; and if a Son, an heir also, through God," Gal. iv. 6.

(7.) It adorns the soul with the habits of all Christian virtues, according to the riches of his grace, "which hath superabounded in us in all wisdom and prudence," Eph. i. 7.; and particularly in these divine virtues of faith, hope, and charity; for thus the word of God describes the