Gods husbandry

The means therefore to become fruitful,¹ are these: First, a man must see & lament his former unfruitfulness, freely confessing, that of himself he is dry and barren, and utterly unable to bring forth fruit. Whosoever would live godlily,² must with sorrow observe and confess, that his life hath been far short of that godliness, which he should and might have obtained, and that in him as of himself, there remaineth no power to make himself godly, and to make his conversation holy ⟨p. 140⟩for the time to come. Yea, this must be a means of making him heavy in heart, and base and vile in his own eyes, as that he hath been fruitless; so that he shall remain fruitless still, unless he have a supernatural work of Gods Spirit, to make him fruitful. And for want of this sense & acknowledgement of their own wants, it comes to pass, that most men still remain, and still will remain unfruitful. They think they do already live a godly life; they think they can turn themselves when they lust to a godly life; they are over highly conceited of their own sufficiency, & they dream they have gone further than they have. But would you not be fruitless & barren for hereafter? see then (with sorrow) that you have been so (at least in some measure) heretofore, and know, that it must not be a power dwelling in your selves, which must make you better, but a borrowed power, derived from above.

The meanes therefore to become fruitfull,¹ are these: First, a man must see & lament his former vnfruitfulnesse, freely confessing, that of himselfe he is drie and barren, and vtterly vnable to bring forth fruite. Whosoeuer would liue godlily,² must with sorrow obserue and confesse, that his life hath beene farre short of that godlinesse, which hee should and might haue obtained, and that in him as of himselfe, there remaineth no power to make himselfe godly, and to make his conuersation holy ⟨p. 140⟩