The Fountain of Life Opened

Secondly, Man can tender to God no satisfaction of his own for the wrong done by his sin. He finds no way to compensate, and make God amends; either by doing, or by suffering his will.

First, Not by doing. This way is shut up to all the world. None can satisfy God, or reconcile himself to him this way. For its evident our best works are sinful. All our righteousness as filthy rags, Isa. 64.6. And it's strange any should imagine, that one sin, should make satisfaction for another: if it be said, not what is sinful in our duties, but what is spiritual pure and good, may ingratiate us with God. It is at hand to reply, that what is good in any of our duties, is a debt we owe to God; yea, we owe him perfect obedience; and it is not imaginable, how we should pay one debt, by another. Quit a Farmer, by contracting a new engagement: if we do any thing that is good, we are beholding to grace for it. Joh. 15.5. 2 Cor. 3.5. 1 Cor. 15.10. In a word, those that have had as much to plead on that score, as any now living, have quitted, and utterly given up all hopes of appeasing and satisfying the justice of God that way. It's like, holy Job feared God, and eschewed evil as much as any of you; yet he saith, Job 9.20, 21. If I justify my self, mine own mouth shall ⟨p. 133⟩condemn me; if I say I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul; I would despise my life. It may be David was a man as much after the heart of God, as you; yet he said,