Can sin be killed without an interest in the death of Christ, or mortified without the Spirit? If such directions should prevail to change men's lives, as seldom they do, yet they never reach to the change of their hearts or conditions. They may make men self-justiciearies or hypocrites, not Christians. It grieves me ofttimes to see poor souls, that have a zeal for God and a desire of eternal welfare, kept by such directors and directions under a hard, burdensome, outside worship and service of God, with many specious endeavours for mortification, in an utter ignorance of the righteousness of
...more
Sin must be killed by the Spirit. "You must be born again." Otherwise, discipline becomes hypocrasy and righteousness becomes a lie. We can't put our hope in our own strength. Easier said than done. How do I "put my hope in something?"
