Chapter XIX. Grace — The Sacraments — Original Sin — Baptism — Its Necessity — Its Effects — Manner Of Baptizing. The grace of God is that supernatural assistance which He imparts to us, through the merits of Jesus Christ, for our salvation. It is called supernatural, because no one by his own natural ability can acquire it. Without Divine grace we can neither conceive nor accomplish anything for the sanctification of our souls. "Not that we are sufficient," says the Apostle, "to think anything of ourselves, as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God."325 "For it is God who worketh in you, both to will and to accomplish"326 anything conducive to your salvation. "Without Me," says our Lord, "you can do nothing."327 But in order that Divine grace may effectually aid us we must co-operate with it, or at least we must not resist it. The grace of God is obtained chiefly by prayer and the Sacraments. A Sacrament is a visible sign instituted by Christ by which grace is conveyed to our souls. Three things are necessary to 325 II. Cor. iii. 5. 326 Phil. ii. 13. 327 John xv. 5.