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. 10. 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 that a natural man should do the Lord any pleasing service. He must be first taught of God, Joh. 6. 45. taught to pray, Luk. 11. 1. taught to profit, Isaiah 48. 17. taught to go, Hos. 11. •. 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 it it? Mal. 1. 13. He is ⟨p. 62⟩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 Gods ways, Job 21. 14. He doth not know them, and he doth not care to know them, Psal. 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 con•essions, unless they be the exercises of godly sorrow and unfeigned repentance? What our petitions, unless animated all along with holy desires, and faith in the divine attributes and promises? What our praises and thanks-givings, unless from the Love of God, and a holy gratitude, and sense of Gods 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 misteries as well in the practices, as principles of godliness: now the unregenerate knoweth not the misteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, Mat. 13. 11. 1 Tim. 3. 10. 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 that a natural man should do the Lord any pleasing service. He must be first taught of God, Ioh. 6. 45. taught to pray, Luk. 11. 1. taught to profit, Esay 48. 17. taught to go, Hos. 11. •. 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 it it? Mal. 1. 13. He is ⟨p. 62⟩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 Gods ways, Iob 21. 14. He doth not know them, and he doth not care to know them, Psal. 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 mat•rials, as perform any acceptible 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 conessions, unless they be the exercises of godly sorrow and unfeigned repentance? What our petitions, unless animated all along with holy desires, and faith in the divine attributes and promises? What our praises and thanks-givings, unless from the Love of God, and a holy gratitude, and sense of Gods mercies in the heart? So that a man may as well expect the trees should speak, or look for Logick from the bruits, 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?
