Their works do follow them.' These are the words of the Spirit concerning the dead who die in the Lord.' We need not fear marring the great truth that not by works of righteousness but by His mercy He saved us,' if we firmly grasp the large assurance which this text blessedly contains. A Christian man's works are perpetual in the measure in which they harmonise with the divine will, in the measure they have eternal consequences in himself whatever they may have on others. If we live opening our minds and hearts to the influx of the divine power that worketh in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure,' then we may be humbly sure that these works' are eternal; and though they will never constitute the ground of our acceptance, they will never fail to secure a great recompence of reward.' To many a humble saint there will be a moment of wondering thankfulness when he sees these his children whom God hath given him' clustered round him, and has to say, Lord, when saw I Thee naked, or in prison, and visited Thee?' There will be many an apocalypse of grateful surprise in the revelations of the heavens. We remember Milton's noble explanation of these great words which may well silence our feeble attempts to enforce them--
Thy works and alms and all thy good endeavourStood not behind, nor in the grave were trod,
But as faith pointed with her golden rod,
So then, life here and yonder will for the Christian soul be one continuous whole, only that there, while their works do follow them,' they rest from their labours.'
