300 OfGood Works. Sa or. VI. above ourreach till the fpirit of God lift us up. Oh that unregenerate men did re- ceive this Truth as ingraffed intheir fouls; I have livedthis long andhave not done one good work, yet I havebeen without Chrift,deftitute ofhisfpirit,& fo a branch feparated from she vine : Oh how little, or no hope at all have I ! What (hall I . do ? Have pity uponme all yethat knowme , and pray for me : not one good work in all my life time I but a continual finning hath run through my conver(ati- on. And thiseveryunregenerateman mu(t fay, though not prophane, but very ci. vil and ingenuous , yet if not anew creature, he is not created to any good work. We are created to it : our free will or moral education cannot prepare us for them ; to thatthough the name ofgood worksbeoften inour mouths , yet thea. étions themfelvesarerarely performed, becaufe feware endued with thefpirit of God. Hencethat is called the holy Spiric,becaufe without it there is no holinefr; as there is nolight from the heavens but by the fun, the ftars fhining,as theyfay, by its light. 3. Andchat Thirdly, Goodworks arefetchwhich have the concurrence of all circomflances t have the con- There muffbe a good caute, a good manner, a good end, and if any oneof their be current of all circumítances. wanting, it is not a good work. Bariumaft ex integrâcaufâ: 7Jatab did not a goodwork , for God was fodifpleafed, that he (truck him dead fuddenly for it, though he had a verygood intention , and all becaufe the manner was not good. Cains Sacrificewas not doing well, for thenhe had been accepted, as God told becaufe his per(on wasnot good : So thatit is eafie to commit evil, but diffi- cult to do that which is good , beeaufe a man malt every timehit the mark; if he fails inone circum(tance, if onefiring be broken, themufical harmony is fpoiled. Oh what a roofingTruth is this ? How Ihould this chafeaway all (ecurity, all trufl. ing in thy good heart, and good works? For whereare they ? God indeed looked on all he did , and taw they were exceeding good ; but mayft not thou look over all thoudidit ever finer thou waft born, and fee all exceeding evil? You think youdo good works, butit is ignorance; you knownot howmany things are requi. red toa good aélion, andone dead fly fpoileth the whole box of oyntment. This bitter herb makes death in the duty, which otherwifewould bring life. This made thePfalmi(t pronounce ofevery man by nature, There ie none that doth good, no Pfe2.14.3 not one. What anuncharitable cenfure doth this Item to be inhumane reafon? None dotbgood, not one in all mankinde till quickened and enlivened by grace. f befeech you lay this deep in your hearts ; Iamgoodfir no goodwork: I amwholly evil, and all that I do is whollyevil. `Paulthat had fome good in him, becaufe of the mixtureof evil,cryed out, Omiferableman that Iam, Who willdeliverme? how much rather haveI caufe to bid all comforts [rand aloof off, and tobe alone,crying out , Who Will deliverme? teeing I am nothing but evil, nothing but ulcers and totes all over me.There is nothingwill boner driveyouout you amazed atyour felves,andcaufe you tocry out,Help Lordelfe tae perifh,as to think, not onegood workbath ever been done by us yet. 4.Agood work Fourthly, GoodWorks mollflow fromagood heart within.Froma purified Fountain mutt flow and fweet,do iffue (wert(creams: When cildoJes vehemently required of the people from a good hears. of Ifrael, to obey the commandsof god, whichwas nothing but to do good works; the peopleprefently made a ready promife, that they would doall: But markwhat Mofes replyeth , Ob that there werefnchan heart inthem ;this is all : It is not for thee to fay and promife, I willjet upona good life,Iwillbe diligent in good dunes: But oh that there were fuch anheart in you. Hence our Saviour comparech the good heart ofa man toagoodtreafare fromwhence all things flow. Thus that great promife of regeneration fir(t begins with the heart, !wißtakeaway the heart of(tone andgive an heart of f!e¡Jj ; and Iwed!writemy law in the inward parts, Ezek. 36. and what then ? ThenIwißmake them to walk in my commandments: Thus elfo the commandment, Those ¡halt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and foal, &c. As the wickedneffeof an evil man lyeth mothin hisheart, fo the goodnefle of a good man is aloft in theheart. Now this particular alto is not attended to; men never
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