No payment of your own
And what will you do to appease the wrath of God, to atone for all your sins, and to escape the punishment you have so justly deserved? Alas, you can do nothing. Nothing that will in any way make amends to God for one evil work, or word, or thought. If you could now do all things well, if from this very hour, until your soul should return to God, you could perform perfect, uninterrupted obedience, even this would not atone for what is past. Not increasing your debt would not discharge it. It would still remain as great as ever.
Yes, the present and future obedience of all the men upon earth, and all the angels in heaven, would never make satisfaction to the justice of God for one single sin. How vain, then, was the thought of atoning for your own sins by anything you could do? It costs far more to redeem one soul than all mankind is able to pay. So that, were there no other help for a guilty sinner, without doubt he must have perished everlastingly.
1771 text
5. And what wilt thou do to appease the wrath of God, to atone for all thy sins, and to escape the punishment thou hast so justly deserved? Alas, thou canst do nothing: nothing that will in any wise make amends to God, for one evil work, or word, or thought. If thou couldst now do all things well, if from this very hour, till thy soul should return to God, thou couldst perform perfect uninterrupted obedience, even this would not atone for what is past. The not increasing thy debt would not discharge it. It would still remain as great as ever. Yea, the present and future obedience of all the men upon earth, and all the angels in heaven, would never make satisfaction to the justice of God for one single sin. How vain then was the thought, of atoning for thy own sins by any thing thou couldst do? It costeth far more to redeem one soul, than all mankind is able to pay. So that were there no other help for a guilty sinner, without doubt he must have perished everlastingly.