too, that of himself he has no power to deliver himself from inward defilement. He is ashamed and almost in despair because of his outward and inward wickedness, which becomes all the more evident to him when he contrasts himself with the sinless Lord Jesus. Christ the light ¹ of the world has come, the Sun of righteousness ² has risen upon that man's soul. The light shows ³ all the ugliness and evil that lurks in man's heart and life and manifests to him the full wickedness of his sins. He becomes conscious that he has offended very grievously against the will and commandments of the All-Holy and loving God who has bestowed upon him so many favours and so much kindness, since 'Every ⁴ good gift and every perfect boon is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.' He says to himself, 'It was because of my sins that the Lord Jesus Christ suffered pain and death:' and with all his heart he thanks God that of His infinite goodness, He has given His only Son to bear the heavy weight of men's sins and to atone for the sin of the whole world. The Christian praises God for the gift of salvation and eternal life through Christ.

All this is the effect of true faith. Whoever, therefore, does not find in his heart this repentance, humility, love of God and hatred of sin, let him know that his is not a true and life-giving faith at all. From living faith in Christ springs hatred

and abhorrence of sin and the full resolve to avoid it by God's grace. The believer loves God with all his heart and earnestly desires and strives to obey His will in all things, for this is the proof that his repentance is sincere. If a man has not become ashamed and despairing by reason of his sins, has not planted by the fountain of his own heart the tree of God's love and good will, and has not plucked its pleasant fruits and with them satisfied the hunger and quenched the thirst of his own soul, then he has not yet attained the true faith upon which depends salvation. Even if he lays claim to faith, his faith is as yet merely intellectual and not spiritual, and such faith neither gives salvation, nor cleanses a man's heart, nor directs his walk aright. And since true repentance is dependent upon a living faith in Christ, therefore many verses in the holy Scriptures speak of repentance and faith in close union with one another. Thus in St. Mark's Gospel it is written that the Lord Jesus preached the Gospel (البشارة) of God and said: 'Repent ¹ ye; and believe in the gospel.' And St. Luke tells us that Christ Jesus, after His resurrection, said to His disciples: 'Thus it is ² written, that the Christ should suffer, and rise again from the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name unto all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.' Again, when the Jews asked Peter the Apostle what they should