Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity…

And not only so, this is not all, but the flesh resists it: the flesh doth not much resist the form, because there is no great contrariety between the form and the flesh; therefore you see carnal men, Papists, &c. that know not the power of godliness; they will be very exact in all. formal performances of duties. But now the flesh resisteth the power of godliness, it runs with a strong stream against it, it fighteth against it. So that hence it is you see, that the power of godliness is so rare, because that the devil, the world and the flesh, resist the power, and they do not so to the form. And this is the third cause, why the form is so common, and the power and life is so rare, and seldom found amongst us.

And not onely so, this is not all, but the flesh resists it: the flesh doth not much resist the form, because there is no great contrariety between the form and the flesh; therefore you see carnal men, Papists, &c. that know not the power of godliness; they will be very exact in all. formal performances of duties. But now the flesh resisteth the power of godliness, it runs with a strong stream against it, it fighteth against it. So that hence it is you see, that the power of godliness is so rare, because that the devil, the world and the flesh, resist the power, and they do not so to the form. And this is the third cause, why the form is so common, and the power and life is so rare, and seldom found amongst us.

We will add yet one cause more of this general disease, why we have the form without the power: that is, ¹because in men there is a common light which will go so far as to approve of the formality of Religion; but they want so much light as to distinguish of the power and life of Religion, to approve that. I speak now of a mans own heart, not of others. There are two things in Religion; there is a formality, a common care of worshipping God, a form of godliness. And there is besides this, the life and the power: that which is called the new creature, that which is called regeneration, that which is called the change of the heart. Now a man that hath the common light, that is not yet sanctified, he can go so far as to approve the first, to say, it is good in me, and it is good in others, it is fit that God should be worshipped, something should be done. A man hath as much light as the moral Law, and as a common illumination can afford him. And therefore we see men that are not yet regenerate, that are not acquainted with the life of Religion, they can approve of moral honesty, of just dealing between man and man, of a common care of serving of God, which indeed is good and excellent;