An unsanctified man cannot work the work of God. 1. He hath no skill in it. He is altogether as unskilful in the work, as in the word of righteousness, Heb. 5. 13. There are great mysteries as well in the practices, as principles of godliness: now the unregenerate knoweth not the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, Mat. 13. 11. 1 Tim. 3. 16. You may as well expect him that never learned the Alphabet to read, or look for goodly Music on the Lute, from one that never set his hand to an instrument, as ⟨p. 51⟩that a natural man should do the Lord any pleasing service. He must first be taught of God, John 6. 45. taught to pray, Luke 11. 1. taught to profit, Isaiah 48. 17. taught to go, Hos. 11. 3. or else he will be utterly at a loss.] 2. He hath no strength for it. How weak is his heart? Ezek. 16. 30. He is presently tired. The Sabbath what a weariness is it? Ma•. 1. 13. He is without strength, Rom. 5. 6. yea stark dead in sin, Eph. 2. 5.] 3. He hath no mind to it; he desires not the knowledge of God's ways, Job 21. 14. He doth not know them, and he doth not care to know them, Psalm 82. 5. He knows not, neither will he understand.] 4. He hath neither due instruments, nor materials for it. A man may as well hew the Marble without Tools; or Limn without Colours, or Instruments, or build without Materials, as perform any acceptable service without the graces of the Spirit, which are both the Materials, and Instruments in the work. Alms giving is not a service of God, but of vain glory, unless dealt forth by the hand of divine love. What is the prayer of the lips without grace in the heart, but the carcass without the life? What are all our confessions, unless they be the exercises of godly sorrow and unfeigned repentance? What our petitions, unless animated all along with holy desires, and faith in divine attributes and promises? What our praises and thanksgivings, unless from the Love of God, and a holy gratitude, and sense of God's mercies in the heart? So that a man may as well expect the trees should speak, or look for Logic from the brutes, or motion from the dead, as for any service holy and acceptable to God, from the unconverted. When the tree is evil, how can the fruit be good? Mat. 7. 18.
An unsanctified man cannot work the work of God. 1. He hath no skill in it. He is altogether as unskilful in the work, as in the word of righteousness, Heb. 5. 13. There are great mysteries as well in the practices, as principles of godliness: now the unregenerate knoweth not the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, Mat. 13. 11. 1 Tim. 3. 16. You may as well expect him that never learn'd the Alphabet to read, or look for goodly Musick on the Lute, from one that never set his hand to an instrument, as ⟨p. 51⟩that a natural man should do the Lord any pleasing service. He must first be taught of God, Iohn 6. 45. taught to pray, Luke 11. 1. taught to profit, Esay 48. 17. taught to go, Hos. 11. 3. or else he will be utterly at a loss.] 2. He hath no strength for it. How weak is his heart? Ezek. 16. 30. He is presently tired. The Sabbath what a weariness is it? Ma•. 1. 13. He is without strength, Rom. 5. 6. yea stark dead in sin, Eph. 2. 5.] 3. He hath no mind to it; he desires not the knowledge of God's ways, Iob 21. 14. He doth not know them, and he doth not care to know them, Psalm 82. 5. He knows not, neither will he understand.] 4. He hath neither due instruments, nor materials for it. A man may as well hew the Marble without Tools; or Limn without Colours, or Instruments, or build without Materials, as perform any acceptable service without the graces of the Spirit, which are both the Materials, and Instruments in the work. Alms giving is not a service of God, but of vain glory, unless dealt forth by the hand of divine love. What is the prayer of the lips without grace in the heart, but the carcass without the life? What are all our confessions, unless they be the exercises of godly sorrow and unfeigned repentance? What our petitions, unless animated all along with holy desires, and faith in divine attributes and promises? What our praises and thanksgivings, unless from the Love of God, and a holy grattiude, and sense of God's mercies in the heart? So that a man may as well expect the trees should speak, or look for Logick from the brutes, or motion from the dead, as for any service holy and acceptable to God, from the unconverted. When the tree is evil, how can the fruit be good?
