Here I must take occasion to tell you, there are five faults will be found in heaven, with your best fruits. (1.) Their bitterness; your clusters […] bitter, Deut. xxxii. 32. There is a spirit of bitterness, where with some come before the Lord, in religious duties, living in malice and envy; and which some professors entertain against others, ⟨p. 170⟩because they out-shine them, by holiness of life, or because they are not of their opinion or way. This, wheresoever it reigns, is a fearful symptom of an unregenerate state. But, I do not so much mean this, as that which is common to all the branches of the old stock; namely, the leaven of hypocrisy, Luke xii. 1. which sowers and embitters every duty they perform. The wisdom that is full of good fruits, is without hypocrisy, James iii. 17. (2.) Their ill savour. Their works are abominable, for themselves are corrupt, Psal. xiv. 1. They all savour of the old stock, not of the new; it is the peculiar privilege of the saints, that they are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, 2 Cor. ii. 15. The unregenerate man's fruits savour not of love to Christ▪ […] of the blood of Christ, nor of the incense of his intercession; and therefore will never be accepted of in heaven. (3.) Their unr•peness. Their grape is an unripe grape, Job xv. 33. There is no influence on them from the Sun of Righteousness, to bring them to perfection. They have the shape of fruit, but no more. The matter of duty is in them; but they want right principles and ends: their works are not wrought in God, John iii. 21. Their prayers drop from their lips, before their hearts be impregnate with the vital sap of the Spirit of supplication: their tears fall from their eyes, ere their hearts be truly softened: their feet turn to new paths, and their way is altered; while yet their nature is not changed. (4.) Their lightness. Being weighed in the balances, they are found wanting, Dan. v. 27. For evidence whereof, you may observe, they do not humble the soul, but lift it up in pride. The good fruits of holiness bear down the branches they grow upon, making them to salute the ground. 1 Cor. xv. 10 I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. But the blasted fruits of unrenewed men's performance, hang lightly on branches towering up to heaven, J• xvii. 13.
Here I must take occasion to tell you, there are five faults will be found in heaven, with your best fruits. (1.) Their bitterness; your clusters 〈…〉 bitter, Deut. xxxii. 32. There is a spirit of bitterness, where with some come before the Lord, in religious duties, living in malice and envy; and which some professors entertain against others, ⟨p. 170⟩because they out-shine them, by holiness of life, or because they are not of their opinion or way. This, wheresoever it reigns, is a fearful symptom of an unregenerate state. But, I do not so much mean this, as that which is common to all the branches of the old stock; namely, the leaven of hypocrisy, Luke xii. 1. which sowers and embitters every duty they perform. The wisdom that is full of good fruits, is without hypocrisy, James iii. 17. (2.) Their ill savour. Their works are abominable, for themselves are corrupt, Psal. xiv. 1. They all savour of the old stock, not of the new; it is the peculiar priviledge of the saints, that they are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, 2 Cor. ii. 15. The unregenerate man's fruits savour not of love to Christ▪ 〈…〉 of the blood of Christ, nor of the incense of his intercession; and therefore will never be accepted of in heaven. (3.) Their unr•peness. Their grape is an unripe grape, Job xv. 33. There is no influence on them from the Sun of Righteousness, to bring them to perfection. They have the shape of fruit, but no more. The matter of duty is in them; but they want right principles and ends: their works are not wrought in God, John iii. 21. Their prayers drop from their lips, before their hearts be impregnate with the vital sap of the Spirit of supplication: their tears fall from their eyes, ere their hearts be truly softened: their feet turn to new paths, and their way is altered; while yet their nature is not changed. (4.) Their lightness. Being weighed in the balances, they are found wanting,
