Human nature in its fourfold state ... In several practical discourses

It may be, thou art zealous against sin in others, and dost admonish them to their duty, and reprove them for their sin; and they hate thee, because thou dost thy duty. But I must tell thee, God hates thee too, because thou dost it not in a right manner; and that thou canst never do, whilst thou art not born again. Lastly, All thy struggles against sin, in thine own heart and life, are naught. The proud Pharisee afflicted his body with fasting, and God struck his soul in the mean time with a sentence of condemnation, Luke xviii. Balaam struggled with his covetous temper to that degree, that though he loved the wages of unrighteousness, yet he would not win them by cursing Israel, but he died the death of the wicked, Numb. xxxi. 8. All thou dost while in an unregenerate state is for thyself: and therefore it will fare with thee, as with a subject, who having reduced the rebels, put the crown on his own head; and therefore loseth all his good service, and his head too.

Object. If it be thus with us, then we need never perform any religious duty at all. Ans. The conclusion is not just No inability of thine can loose thee from the duty God's law lays on thee: and there is less evil in thy doing thy duty, than there is in the omitting of it. But there is a mids betwixt omitting of duty, and the doing of it as th•u dost it. A man ordereth masons to build a house: if they quite neglect the work, that will not be accepted; if they fall on, and build upon the old rotten foundation, neither will that please; but they must raze the old foundation, and build on firm ground Go thou and do likewise. In the mean time, it is not in vain for thee, even for thee, to seek the Lord: for tho' he regards thee not, yet he may have respect to his own ordinance, and do thee good thereby, as was said before.

Obj•ct. If it be thus with us, then we need never perform any religious duty at all. Ans. The conclusion is not just No inability of thine can loose thee from the duty God's law lays on thee: and there is less evil in thy doing thy duty, than there is in the omitting of it. But there is a mids betwixt omitting of duty, and the doing of it as thu dost it. A man ordereth masons to build a house: if they quite neglect the work, that will not be accepted; if they fall on, and build upon the old rotten foundation, neither will that please; but they must raze the old foundation, and build on firm ground Go thou and do likewise. In the mean time, it is not in vain for thee, even for thee, to seek the Lord: for tho' he regards thee not, yet he may have respect to his own ordinance, and do thee good thereby, as was said before.