Religion & morality > Human nature in its four-fold state ... in several practical discourses

Head II. a degenerate Stock'. 2$^
ingrafted in Chrift Jefus; God accepts not, nor re¬
gards your Fruits.
Here I muft take Occafion to tell you, there are
five Faults will be found in Heaven, with your heft
Fruits, (i.) Their Bitternefsj your Clufiers are
bitter, Deut. xxxii. 32. There is a Spirit of Bit-
ternefs, wherewith fome come before the Lord, in
religious Duties, living in Malice and Envy ; and
which fome Profeflfors entertain againft others, becaufc
they out-fhine them, byHolinels of Life, or becaufe
they are not of their Opinion or Way. This where-
foever it reigns, is a fearful Symptom of an irregene-
rate State. But I do not fo much mean this, as that
which is common to all the Branches of the old Stock,
namdy, tbe Leaven of Hypocrify, Luke xii. 1. which
fowres and embitters every Duty they perform, fbe
IVifdom, that is full of good Fruits, is without Hy-
pocrify, James iii. 17. (2.) Their ill Savour, tfheir
iVorks are abominable, for themfelves are corrupt,
Pfal. xiv. 1. They all favour of the old Stock,
not of the new. 'Tis the peculiar Privilege of the
Saints, that they are unto God a fweet Savour of
Chrift, 2 Cor. ii. 15. The irregenerate Man’s Fruits
favour not of Love to Chrift, nor of the Blood of
Chrift, nor of the Incenfe of his Interceffton and
therefore will never be accepted of in Heaven. (5.)
Their Unripenefs. Their Grape is an unripe Grape,
Job xv. 33. There is nn Influence on them from
the Sun of Brighteoufnefs, to bring them to Perfe&i-
on. 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 ii. 21. Their Prayers drop
from their Lips, before their Hearts be impregnate
with the vital Sap of the Spirit of Supplication: