The dead saint speaking to saints and sinners living in several treatisesThe dead saint speaking to saints and sinners living in severall treatises

1. Our own, you know is too short; it is called A menstruous rag. A rag, and therefore cannot cover us-Menstruous, and therefore though it should cover us, yet it would but cover filth with filth; as the Prophet speaks, Isa. 30.1.—They cover, but not with the covering of my Spirit, that they might add sin to sin; that is, the sin of their righteousness, to the sin of their unrighteousness. They cover a blot, with a blot; add sin to sin, dung to dung.

1. Our own, you know is too short; it is called A menstruous rag. A rag, and therefore cannot cover us-Menstruous, and therefore though it should cover us, yet it would but cover filth with filth; as the Prophet speaks, Isa. 30.1.—They cover, but not with the covering of my Spirit, that they might adde sin to sin; that is, the sin of their righteousness, to the sin of their unrighteousness. They cover a blot, with a blot; adde sin to sin, dung to dung.

2. Nor will the righteousness of the Law be large enough, if it were supposed that a man were able to fulfil all that righteousness, and keep the whole Law—Present obedience, though supposed to be Adequate to the Righteousness of the Law, will never answer for former offences and disobediences.

The Law indeed is strong enough to damn a thousand, but cannot save one; it can pour Hell, and Wrath, and Condemnation upon a World of sinners; but is not able to pour Grace, or to give Justification to one—The Apostle tells us, Rom. 8.3, 4. —What the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh: God (sending his own son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin) condemned sin in the flesh—The same Apostle also tells us,