Eighteen sermons preached in Oxford 1640 of conversion, unto God. Of redemption, & justification,…

But now we are not only dead, and indisposed to the works of a living man, though this be a very woeful case, and we need no more misery; for this will bring us to be cut down and cast into the fire, if we continue so: But this is not only the case of a natural man, but he's very active and fruitful in the works of darkness, the others ⟨p. 72⟩were sins of omission. Here he is wholly set upon the commission of sins and trespasses, Heb. 6.7. He not only brings not forth meet fruit, or good fruit, or no fruit, but he brings forth thorns and briars; and is therefore rejected, and nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burnt. Thou art not only found a barren tree, and so deservest to be cut down; but thou bringest forth thorns and briars, and deservest to be burnt; not only no good fruit, but noxious, bad and poisoned fruit; and this doth mightily aggravate the matter. Now for us that have lived so long under the Ministry, and the Lord hath watered, and dressed, and hedged us, do we think the Lord expects from us no good fruit? Had we lived among heathens, or where the word is not taught, then so much would not be expected; but we have heard the word often and powerfully taught, and therefore it is expected that we should not only bring forth fruit, but meet fruit, answerable to the means. Where God affords greatest means, there he expects most fruit. If a man live thirty or forty years under powerful means, the Lord expects answerable fruit, which if he bring forth, he shall have a blessing from the Lord. But when a man hath lived long under the means, and brings forth no fruit pleasing to God, but all Gods cost is lost, when notwithstanding the dew and the rain which falls oft upon him, he brings forth nothing but thorns and briars, he is rejected, and nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burnt. The earth which drinketh in the former and the latter rain, &c. if it bring not forth fruit ⟨p. 73⟩answerable to the labour of the dresser, it's nigh unto the curse.

But now we are not onely dead, and indisposed to the works of a living man, though this be a very woful case, and we need no more misery; for this will bring us to be cut down and cast into the fire, if we continue so: But this is not onely the case of a natural man, but he's very active and fruitful in the works of darknesse, the others