Without strength
But suppose perfect obedience, for the time to come, could atone for the sins that are past. This would profit you nothing, for you are not able to perform it, no, not in any one point. Begin now. Make the trial. Shake off that outward sin that so easily besets you. You cannot. How then will you change your life from all evil to all good? Indeed, it is impossible to be done, unless first your heart is changed. For so long as the tree remains evil, it cannot bring forth good fruit.
But are you able to change your own heart, from all sin to all holiness? To quicken a soul that is dead in sin, dead to God, and alive only to the world? No more than you are able to quicken a dead body, to raise to life the one who lies in the grave. Yes, you are not able to quicken your soul in any degree, no more than to give any degree of life to the dead body. You can do nothing, more or less, in this matter. You are utterly without strength. To be deeply sensible of this, how helpless you are, as well as how guilty and how sinful, this is that repentance not to be repented of, which is the forerunner of the kingdom of God.
1771 text
6. But suppose perfect obedience for the time to come, could atone for the sins that are past, this would profit thee nothing; for thou art not able to perform it; no, not in any one point. Begin now. Make the trial. Shake off that outward sin that so easily besetteth thee. Thou canst not. How then wilt thou change thy life from all evil to all good? Indeed, it is impossible to be done, unless first thy heart be changed. For so long as the tree remains evil, it cannot bring forth good fruit. But art thou able to change thy own heart, from all sin to all holiness? To quicken a soul that is dead in sin? Dead to God and alive only to the world? No more than thou art able to quicken a dead body, to raise to life him that lieth in the grave. Yea, thou art not able to quicken thy soul in any degree, no more than to give any degree of life to the dead body. Thou canst do nothing more or less, in this matter; thou art utterly without strength. To be deeply sensible of this, how helpless thou art, as well as how guilty and how sinful, this is that repentance not to be repented of, which is the fore-runner of the kingdom of God.
About this text
Rendered in modern English, to be read and heard. Open the 1771 text under each part to check the claims and the scripture.
Rendered in modern English. The 1771 panel is his own Pine printing of the Works. It is public domain.
Catalogue & scope
Sermon 7 in the 1771 Works. Mark 1:15.
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. It is not a complete critical edition.