Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulness of sin. The life…Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulnesse of sinne. The life…

Thirdly, we are to note That some things are so essentially Good in themselves, as that they cannot be done, but they must be well and spiritually done; such are those things which take in God into their very performance, and do intrinsically and in the substance of the work respect him. Such are to love, fear, believe, trust, depend upon God; which things, though in regard of the unperfect manner of doing them they may have sin mingled with them, because not done with all that strength as the Law requires, can yet never be totally […], and so unacceptable unto God. Other things may be Good materially, and in common acception, because they are the things which God commands to be done; ⟨p. 240⟩but yet, because the doing of them doth not necessarily and […] take in an aim and respect to God, but is only […] unto him, and that so as that the same thing may be done with other respects, therefore the Goodness is not in the things themselves barely considered, but in the right manner of performing them. Such were Jehu his zeal, the Pharisees praying, the hypocrites fasting, and the like. In one word, somethings are so inherently Good, that though they may be done imperfectly, yet they cannot be do•e profanely; others so good with relation to God, that because they may be done without that relation, and such other conformities as are required in them, therefore they may cease at all to be good; as to preach out of envy, to pray out of hypocrisy, to fast out of opinion of merit, &c.

Thirdly, we are to note That some things are so essentially Good in themselves, as that they cannot be done, but they must bee well and spiritually done; such are those things which take in God into their very performance, and doe intrinsecally and in the substance of the worke respect him. Such are to love, feare, beleeve, trust, depend upon God; which things, though in regard of the unperfect manner of doing them they may have sinne mi•gled with them, because not done with all that strength as the Law requires, can yet never be totally 〈…〉, and so unacceptable unto God. Other things may be Good materially, and in common acception, because they are the things which God commands to be done; ⟨p. 240⟩but yet, because the doing of them doth not necessarily and take in an ayme and respect to God, but is onely unto him, and that so as that the same thing may be done with other respects, therefore the Goodnesse is not in the things themselves barely considered, but in the right manner of performing them. Such were Iehu his zeale, the Pharises praying, the hypocrites fasting, and the like. In one word, somethings are so inherently Good, that though they may be done imperfectly, yet they cannot be doe profanely; others so good with relation to God, that because they may be done without that relation, and such other conformities as are required in them, therefore they may cease at all to be good; as to preach out of envie, to pray out of hypocrisie, to fast out of opinion of merit, &c.