e dark spark of
nature's light; and so that which nature would have busked(306) itself
with as its ornament, that which they had covered themselves with as their
garment, the duties they had spread, as robes of righteousness, over their
sins to hide them; all this now goeth under the name of filthiness and
sin. They see themselves wrapt up in as vile rags as they covered and hid:
commanded duties and manifest breaches come in one category. And not only
is it some of them which their own conscience could challenge in the time,
but all of them and all kinds of them, moral and ceremonial, duties that
were most sincere, had most affection in them, all of them are filthy rags
now, which but of late were their righteousness.

III. There is an universality, not only of the actions, but of persons;
not only all the peoples or multitudes' performances are abomination; but
all of them, Isaiah, and one and other, the holiest of them, come in in
this category and rank--"we are all unclean," &c. Though the people, it may
be, could not join holy Isaiah with themselves, yet humble Isaiah will
join himself with the people, and come in, in one prayer. And no doubt, he
was as sensible of sin now, as when he began to prophesy; and growing in
holiness, he must grow also in sense of sinfulness. Seeing at the first
sight of God's holiness and glory, he cried "unclean," &c. Isa. vi. 5,
certainly he doth so now, from such a principle of access to God's
holiness, which maketh him abhor himself in dust and ashes.

IV. They are not content with such a general, but condescend to two
special things, two spiritual sins, viz. omission, or shifting of
spiritual duties, which contained the substance of worship. "None calleth
on thee," few or none, none to count upon, calleth on thee; that is,
careth for immediate access and approaching unto God in prayer and
meditation, &c. Albeit external and temple-duties be frequent, yet who
prayeth in secret? or if any pray, that cannot come in count, the Lord
knoweth them not, because they want the Spirit's stamp on them. This
must be some other thing than the general conviction of sin which the
world hath, who think they pray all their days; here people, who though
they make many prayers, Isa. i., yet they see them no prayers, and no
calling on God's name now.

V. To make the challenge the more, and the confession more spiritual and
complete, there is discovered to them this ground of their slackness and
ne