And he speaks of all men in an estate of nature without Christ, not one doth any good, no not one; All the thoughts and imaginations of such mens hearts are evil, and only evil, and that continually, Gen. 6.1. and Christ saith as much of their words, Matth. 12.33, 34. And so in all our works, A good tree brings forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit, Mat. 7.18. Wherein he shows you, that as we do no good, so we can do no good, not a good thought, nor a good word, nor a good work comes from such a man all his days; and all our speeches are rotten and unsavoury, not any spiritual life in most seeming best duties; we are not able to speak unto any good purpose, let if be truly moulded an it is a precious fruit of righteousness, but if spoke as comes from nature, be it never so well spoken, it is corrupt, either full of pride or self-conceit, or to please others, or the like; nor do we regulate our words by the language of Canaan, nor open our mouths from a spirit of saith, 2 Cor. 4.13. This is true in all natural men; we do not therefore speak because we believe, we speak not, because we believe God hath commanded us so to speak; as our Saviour said, John 14. last. Nor therefore work any thing because God set us awork, or to aim at any service of God, or good to his people in it, so that as our thoughts be, so are our words, evil, and only, and continually evil; and much more all the works of our hands, that require greater strength of grace then either our thoughts or our words do; so that without Christ there is no act of spiritual life comes from us, we would do no good if we could. If God should at any time assist us, and supply us with something more then ordinary, yet we will not be made clean, that we might do well:1 O Jerusalem, wilt thou not be made clean, when will it once be? Jer. 13. last. As if it were a thing never to be looked for, God might wait upon a man from one end of the year to another, and sometimes be asking ⟨p. 163⟩of him, Wilt thou be made clean? and he may ask again, Man, wilt thou be made whole? but if he but say, Wilt thou be made clean, we have many devices to put off God, and we can never find that day, wherein we will say, This day we will hear Gods voice, and be made clean;
And he speakes of all men in an estate of nature without Christ, not one doth any good, no not one; All the thoughts and imaginations of such mens hearts are evill, and only evill, and that continually, Gen. 6.1. and Christ saith as much of their words, Matth. 12.33, 34. And so in all our workes, A good tree brings forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree brings forth evill fruit, Mat. 7.18. Wherein he shewes you, that as we do no good, so we can doe no good, not a good thought, nor a good word, nor a good worke comes from such a man all his dayes; and all our speeches are rotten and unsavoury, not any spirituall life in most seeming best duties; we are not able to speake unto any good purpose, let if be truly moulded an it is a precious fruit of righteousnesse, but if spoke as comes from nature, be it never so well spoken, it is corrupt, either full of pride or selfe-conceit, or to please others, or the like; nor doe we regulate our words by the language of Canaan, nor open our mouthes from a spirit of saith, 2 Cor. 4.13. This is true in all naturall men; we doe not therefore speake because we beleeve, we speake not, because we beleeve God hath commanded us so to speake; as our Saviour said, Iohn 14. last. Nor therefore worke any thing because God set us aworke, or to aime at any service of God, or good to his people in it, so that as our thoughts be, so are our words, evill, and only, and continually evill; and much more all the workes of our hands, that require greater strength of grace then either our thoughts or our words doe; so that without Christ there is no act of spirituall life comes from us, we would doe no good if we could. If God should at any time assist us, and supply us with something more then ordinary, yet we will not be made clean, that we might doe well:1 O Ierusalem, wilt thou not be made cleane, when will it once be? Jer. 13. last. As if it were a thing never to be looked for, God might waite upon a man from one end of the yeare to another, and sometimes be asking ⟨p. 163⟩of him, Wilt thou be made clean? and he may aske again, Man, wilt thou be made whole? but if he but say, Wilt thou be made cleane, we have many devices to put off God, and we can never finde that day, wherein we will say, This day we will heare Gods voyce, and be made cleane;
- 1Jer. 13. last opened.
