Lord also teaches in his parables, several of which imply, that they who do good are accepted, and that they who do evil are rejected; as in the parable concerning the husbandmen in the vineyard, Matt. xxiii. 33 to 44; and concerning the fig tree which did not yield fruit, Luke xiii. 6; and concerning the talents and pounds given to trade with, Matt. xxv. 14 to 31; Luke xix. 13 to 25; and concerning the Samaritan who bound up the wounds of him that fell among thieves, Luke x. 30 to 37; and concerning the rich man and Lazarus, Luke xvi. 19 to 31; and concerning the ten virgins, Matt. XXV. 1 to 12.

3. The true reason why every one, who has any religion, knows and acknowledges that he who lives well will be saved, and that he who lives ill will be condemned, is grounded in the conjunction of heaven with man, who is acquainted by the Word that there is a God, that there is a heaven and a hell, and that there is a life after death; hence is derived that general perception. Wherefore in the doctrine of the Athanasian Creed, which is universally received. throughout all Christendom, what is said

in the conclusion is universally received also, viz. “Jesus Christ who suffered for our salvation, ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father Almighty, whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead; and then they who have done good shall enter into life eternal, and they who have done evil, into everlasting fire."

4. There are many nevertheless in christian churches, who teach, that faith alone is saving, and not any good of life, or good work; they add also, that evil of life or evil work does not condemn those who are justified by faith alone, because they are in God and in grace. But it is extraordinary that although they teach such doctrines, still they acknowledge, (which is in consequence of a general perception derived from heaven) that they are saved who live well, and they are condemned who live ill. That they acknowledge this, is evident from the EXHORTATION, which is publicly read in all churches, both in England, in Germany, in Sweden, and in Denmark, previous to the celebration of the holy supper. That in those kingdoms there are some who teach the doctrine of faith alone, is a well

known fact. The EXHORTATION, which is publicly read in England previous to the celebration of the sacrament of the Lord's supper, is as follows.

5. "The way and means to be received as worthy partakers of that holy table, is, first, to examine your lives and conversations by the rule of God's commandments, and whereinsoever ye shall perceive yourselves to have offended either by will, word or deed, there to bewail your own sinfulness, and to confess yourselves to Almighty God, with full purpose of amendment of life; and if ye shall perceive your offences to be such as are not only against God, but also against your neighbours, then ye shall reconcile yourselves unto them, being ready to make restitution and satisfaction according to the utmost of your power, for all injuries and wrongs done by you to any other, and being likewise ready to forgive others that have offended you, as ye would have forgiveness of your offences of God's hand, for otherwise the receiving of the holy communion doth nothing else but increase your damnation. Therefore if any of you be a blasphemer of God, or hinderer or slanderer of his

Word, or adulterer, or be in malice or envy, or in any other grievous crime, repent you of your sins, or else come not to the holy table; lest after the taking of that holy sacrament, the devil enter into you, as he entered into Judas, and fill you with all iniquities, and bring you to destruction both of body and soul."

7. It was given me to ask some of the English clergy, who professed and preached the doctrine of faith alone, (which was done in the spiritual world,) whether, while they were reading the above exhortation in the church, they believed what is there asserted, viz. that if any do evil and do not repent, the devil will enter into them, as he entered into Judas, and destroy both body and soul? They replied, that in the state they were in, while they were reading the exhortation, they knew and thought no other than that what they read was the truth and essence of religion, but that when they began to conceive and compose their discourses, or sermons, they thought differently, because they then thought about faith, as being the only means of salvation, and about the good of life, as being only accessary thereto in promoting the public good.

But still it was proved to conviction, that they also had a general perception, that whoever lives well is saved, and whoever lives ill is condemned, and that they had this perception, when they were not under the influence of their own proprium, or selfhood.

8. The reason why all religion has relation to life, is, because every one after death is his own life; for it remains the same that it was in the world, and is in no respect changed, inasmuch as an evil life cannot be converted into a good life, nor a good life into an evil life, because they are opposites, and conversion into an opposite is extinction. It is on account of this opposition, that a good life is called life, and an evil life is called death. Hence it is, that religion has relation to life, and that the life of religion is to do good. That man is after death such as his life had been in the world, may be seen in the treatise concerning Heaven and HELL, n. 470 to 484.