Page:ThePathToHeaven.djvu/23

 thanks to  God  for  his  gifts  to  them,  and  we  beg  a share in their  prayers. We communicate  with  all  the  saints  upon earth in  the  same  sacraments,  and  sacrifice,  and  in  a  holy union of  faith  and  charity. And we  communicate  with  the faithful, who  have  departed  this  life  in  a  more  imperfect  state, and who,  by  the  law  of  God's  justice,  are  for  a  while  in  a place  of  suffering,  by  offering  prayers  and  alms  and  sacrifice to God  for  them.

12. We  must  believe  also  the  necessity  of  divine  grace, without which  we  cannot  make  so  much  as  one  step  towards heaven; and  that  all  our  good  and  all  our  merits  are  the  gift of God;  that  Christ  died  for  all  men;  that  God  is  not  the author of  sin;  and  that  his  grace  does  not  take  away  our  free will.

13. We  must  believe  that  Jesus  Christ  will  come  from heaven at  the  last  day  to  judge  us  all;  that  all  the  dead,  both good and  bad,  shall  rise  from  their  graves  at  the  sound  of  the last trumpet,  and  shall  be  judged  by  him  according  to  their works; that  the  good  shall  go  to  heaven  with  him,  body  and soul, to  be  happy  for  all  eternity  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  Sovereign Good;  and  that  the  wicked  shall  be  condemned,  both body and  soul,  to  the  torments  of  hell,  which  are  most  grievous and  everlasting.

1. Every  Christian,  in  order  to  life  everlasting,  must  worship God  as  his  first  beginning  and  last  end. This worship is to  be  performed,  first,  by  faith,  which  makes  both  the  understanding and  the  will  humbly  adore  and  embrace  all  those truths which  God  has  taught,  however  obscure  and  incomprehensible they  may  be  to  our  weakness. 2dly, By  hope,  which honours the  infinite  power,  goodness,  and  mercy  of  God,  and the truth  of  his  promises;  and,  upon  these  grounds,  raises the soul  to  an  assured  expectation  of  mercy,  grace,  and  salvation, through  the  merits  of  Jesus  Christ. 3dly, By  charity, which teaches  us  to  love  God  with  our  whole  hearts,  for  his own sake,  and  our  neighbours  as  ourselves,  for  God's  sake. 4thly, By  the  virtue  of  religion,  the  chief  acts  of  which  are adoration, praise,  thanksgiving,  oblation  of  ourselves  to  God, sacrifice, and  prayer,  which  ought  to  be  the  daily  employments of a  Christian  soul.

2. We  must  fly  all  idolatry,  all  false  religions  and  supersti-