therefore were they proud, and lords
in their own estimation, and innocent, Jer. ii. 31, 35. They thought the
many good services they did to God might compense all their wrongs, Mic.
vi. 6, 7. They gave a price to justice for their sins, even a confession
of it, by offering a lamb, &c. and a purpose to amend. But, lo! what sense
the prophet hath of all this, "Lord, all our righteousnesses" are filthy
likewise. Albeit we have paid the debt of sins with duties, yet now we see
all these are sins themselves, and must have another sacrifice; so that
all matter of boasting is now removed, and we are stript naked of all
righteousness. We covered our filthiness before with duties, now both the
one and the other is filthy. We would look upon two sorts of
righteousnesses, the natural man's, and the converted man's, upon the
one's civility and fair profession, and upon the other's real or true
grace in discharge of duties, and we shall find good reason to conclude
both the one and the other under filthiness, so that there is no ground of
boasting, no inherent righteousness can make us accepted before God.

_First_, then, Whatever men can do from natural principles, all the flower
and perfection of men's actions, both civil and religious, is but
abominable before God, as long as their persons are unjustified. Every
performance is defiled by the uncleanness of the person; and therefore God
heareth not sinners, (John viii.,) that is, unjustified sinners; though
they pray much, yet God heareth them not. And this is lively expressed by
Hag. ii. 12, 13, 14. As the priest's holy garments and flesh could not
make bread or pottage holy, but the unclean body could make these unclean;
so this nation's and people's performances and holy duties, could not make
them holy, and their persons clean, but their unclean persons and actions
made all their performances unclean. The solemn meeting and sacrifice, &c.
could not make them accepted, but their unclean persons made their solemn
meetings and religious duties vile and abominable in God's sight: and thus
to the unclean all things are unclean, even their mind and conscience,
Tit. i. 15. The unbelieving man, who is born unclean, and defiled with so
much original corruption, and so many actual transgressions, defileth all
things he toucheth. As a dead body, or a leprous garment, under the law,
made all unclean it touched, and nothing could make it holy by touching of
it; so all your civility, all you