GOOD COUNSEL. All praise be given to that Lord of might, Which hath appointed you hither at this present hour; For I trust you will so instruct youth aright, That he shall live according to God's pleasure. JUVENTUS. And I thank Jesus Christ my Saviour, That he is come to my company. KNOWLEDGE. I thank you, my friends, most heartily For your gentle salutation. JUVENTUS. Sir, I will be so bold, by your deliberation, To open my mind unto you now, Trusting that, by your good exhortation, I shall learn those things which I never knew: This one thing chiefly I would learn of you, How I may my life in this my vocation lead, According as God hath ordained and decreed. KNOWLEDGE. The prophet David saith, that the man is blessed, Which doth exercise himself in the law of the Lord, And doth not follow the way of the wicked; As the first psalm doth plainly record:[60] The fourscore and thirteenth psalm thereunto doth accord; Blessed is the man whom thou teachest, O Lord, saith he, To learn thy[61] law, precepts, word, or verity. And Christ in the gospel saith manifestly: Blessed is he which heareth the Word of God and keepeth it; That is, to believe his word and live accordingly, Declaring the faith by the fruits of the spirit, Whose fruits are these, as St. Paul to the Galathi doth write, Love, joy, peace, long suffering, and faithfulness, Meekness, goodness, temperance, and gentleness. GOOD COUNSEL. By[62] these words, which unto you he doth express, He teacheth that you ought to have a steadfast faith; Without the which[63] it is impossible doubtless To please God, as Saint Paul saith: Where faith is not, godly living decayeth; For whatsoever is not of faith, saith St. Paul, is sin, But where a perfect faith is, there is good working. JUVENTUS. It seemeth to me, that this is[64] your meaning, That, when I observe God's commandments and the works of charity, They shall prevail unto me nothing, Except I believe to be saved thereby. KNOWLEDGE. No, no, you are deceived very blindly; For faith in Christ's merits doth only justify, And make us righteous in God's sight. JUVENTUS. Why should I then in good[65] works delight, Seeing I shall not be saved by them? GOOD COUNSEL. Because they are required of all Christian men, As the necessary fruits of true repentance. KNOWLEDGE. But the reward of the heavenly inheritance Is given us through faith, for Christ's deservings; As St. Paul declareth in the fourth chapter to the Romans, Therefore we ought not to work as hirelings: Seeing Christ hath purged us once from all our wicked living, Let us no more wallow therein, But persever, like good branches, bearing fruit in Him. JUVENTUS. Now I know where about you have been: My elders never taught me so before. GOOD COUNSEL. Though your elders were blind, doubt not you therefore; For Saint Peter saith, vain is the conversations Which ye receive by your elders' traditions.