The works of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emmanuel College in CambridgeThe vvorks of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge

Again, Moral virtues won't do it. The young man that came to Christ, he was a great moralist: when our Saviour told him he should keep the Commandments, that he might obtain eternal life, Lord, ¹(says he) all these have I kept from my youth; and Christ looked upon him and loved him, he was a fine Moralist, but notwithstanding he did not follow Christ, he went away, and was very sorrowful. Bare moral virtues won't do it, for they are dead things: You see how 'tis with a mans shoo, though the Leather be never so thick, yet be going upon the stones and the gravel, the Leather wears thin, and wears out: But if a man goes barefoot, though the skin of his foot be thinner, the skin does not wear out, but grows thicker: as Indians, they go barefoot, and their skin of their feet wears thicker, by going upon the gravel, and upon the stones: What is the Reason? The Leather of a mans shoo is a dead thing, but the foot is a living thing. And so Faith is a living thing, and will carry a man over gravel and stones, and difficulties: but moral virtues, they are but dead things, and though they be never so thick, they will grow thin, and wear out, and come to nothing. Bare moral virtues won't do it.

Againe, Morall vertues won't do it. The yound man that came to Christ, he was a great moralist: when our Saviour told him he should keep the Commandements, that he might obtaine eternall life, Lord, ¹(sayes he) all these have I kept from my youth; and Christ look't upon him and loved him, he was a fine Moralist, but notwithstanding he did not follow Christ, he went away, and was very sorrowfull. Bare morrall vertues won't do it, for they are dead things: You see how 'tis with a mans shooe, though the Leather be never so thick, yet be going upon the stones and the gravell, the Leather weares thin, and weares out: But if a man goes barefoot, though the skin of his foot be tinner, the skin does not weare out, but growes thicker: as Indians, they go barefoot, and their skin of their feet weares thicker, by going upon the gravell, and upon the stones: What is the Reason? The Leather of a mans shooe is a dead thing, but the foot is a living thing. And so Faith is a living thing, and will carry a man over gravell and stones, and difficulties: but morrall vertues, they are but dead things, and though they be never so thick, they will grow thin, and weare out, and come to nothing. Bare morrall vertues won't do it.