works or deservings: Wherefore, that
we are justified by Faith only, is a most wholesome doctrine, and
very full of comfort."

"XII. _Of Good Works._ Albeit that Good Works, which are the fruits
of Faith, and follow after Justification, cannot put away our sins,
and endure the severity of God's judgment; yet are they pleasing and
acceptable to God in Christ, and do spring out necessarily of a true
and lively Faith; insomuch that by them a lively Faith may be as
evidently known as a tree discerned by the fruit."

"XIII. _Of Works Before Justification._ Works done before the grace
of Christ, and the inspiration of His Spirit, are not pleasant to
God; forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Jesus Christ, neither
do they make men meet to receive grace, or (as the school-authors
say) deserve grace of congruity: yea rather, for that they are not
done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done, we doubt not
but they have the nature of sin."

That is stronger than I ever put it. These Articles say of works
before justification that "they have the nature of sin." I never
called them sin! So you see this is not any new doctrine that we are
preaching. When the church and the world wake up to the fact that
works before salvation go for nought, _then_--and not till then, I
believe--men will come flocking into the kingdom of God by hundreds.
We work from the cross, not to it. WE work because we are saved, not
in order to be saved. We work from salvation, not up to it.
Salvation is the gift of God.

You have heard the Prayer Book: now hear paul; "Abraham believed
God; and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that
worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him
that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly,
his faith is counted for righteousness." Notice what the Apostle
says: "To him that worketh not." That is plain language, is it not?
I may perhaps startle some of you by saying that many of you have
been kept out of the kingdom of God by your good works. Nevertheless
it is true. If you put works in the place of faith, they become a
snare to you. It is "to him that worketh not, but believeth."

I freely admit salvation is worth working for; it is worth a man's
going round the world on his hands and knees, climbing its
mountains, crossing its valleys, swimming its rivers, going through
all manner of hardship in order to attain it. But we do not get it
in that way