My dear friends, what is there in our performance to recommend us unto
God? Our persons are in an unjustified state by nature; we deserve to
be damned ten thousand times over; and what must our performance be?
We can do no good thing by nature: "They that are in the flesh can not
please God."
You may do things materially good, but you can not do a thing formally
and rightly good; because nature can not act above itself. It is
impossible that a man who is unconverted can act for the glory of God;
he can not do anything in faith, and "whatsoever is not of faith is
sin."
After we are renewed, yet we are renewed but in part, indwelling sin
continues in us, there is a mixture of corruption in every one of our
duties, so that after we are converted, were Jesus Christ only to
accept us according to our works, our works would damn us, for we can
not put up a prayer but it is far from that perfection which the moral
law requireth. I do not know what you may think, but I can say that I
can not pray but I sin--I can not preach to you or any others but
I sin--I can do nothing without sin; and, as one expresseth it, my
repentance wants to be repented of, and my tears to be washed in the
precious blood of my dear Redeemer.
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