Sovereign Grace Church

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would

(GALATIANS 5:17)

There may be a great mistake in our judging of our own fruitfulness. The soul that is indeed candid and right at heart, is taught by grace to judge itself, though fruitful, yet barren upon two accounts:

(1) When it compareth its life to the mercy bestowed upon it. For when a soul doth indeed consider the greatness and riches of the mercy bestowed upon it, then it must needs cry out, “O wretched man that l am!” For it seeth itself wonderfully to fall short of a conversation [manner] becoming one who hath received so great a benefit.

(2) It may also judge itself barren, because it falleth so far short of that it would attain unto; it cannot do the things that it would. The heart of a Christian is naturally very barren, upon which though the seed of grace (that is the fruitfulest of all seeds) be sown, yet the heart is naturally subject to bring forth weeds.