A treatise of original sin ... proving that it is

Thirdly, It is to be aggravated, In the incurableness of it; for though Adam had power to cast himself into this defiled condition, yet he had no power to recover himself out of it; as Austin expresseth it, A living man may kill himself, but when dead he cannot recover himself to life; This (you heard) is made part of the reason why God would not proceed to destroy the world again, although mans corrupt heart is so corrupt, even because there was no hope that any judgments would cure them; They would proceed still further in impieties, all that water did not wash the Blackmore nature of man: hence it is that the grace of God whereby we are quickened out of this death, is wholly supernatural; It's no wonder that they who are doting to set up the Idol of free-will, do begin to lay their foundation in this, that there is no such thing, as this natural pravity in man; But there was no more in man to recover him out of this original filth, then is in the Devils to restore them to their pristine felicity: So that thy actual sins are not alone to be humbled, for were it possible for thee to live with this sin alone, thou didst need the grace of Christ to redeem thee from this bondage.

Thirdly, It is to be aggravated, In the incurableness of it; for though Adam had power to cast himself into this defiled condition, yet he had no power to recover himself out of it; as Austin expresseth it, A living man may kill himself, but when dead he cannot recover himself to life; This (you heard) is made part of the reason why God would not proceed to destroy the world again, although mans corrupt heart is so corrupt, even because there was no hope that any judgments would cure them; They would proceed still further in impieties, all that water did not wash the Blackmore nature of man: hence it is that the grace of God whereby we are quickened out of this death, is wholly supernatural; It's no wonder that they who are doting to set up the Idol of free-will, do begin to lay their foundation in this, that there is no such thing, as this natural pravity in man; But there was no more in man to recover him out of this original filth, then is in the Devils to restore them to their pristine felicity: So that thy actual sinnes are not alone to be humbled, for were it possible for thee to live with this sinne alone, thou didst need the grace of Christ to redeem thee from this bondage.