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

A man cannot tell what is in the sea, what monsters are in the bottom of it, by looking upon the superficies of the water which covers it, so neither canst thou tell all that horrid deformity and wretchedness which is in thy heart, by beholding thine outward impieties. Oh then that you would turn your eyes inward, as it were, an introversion is necessary: Then you will say, O Lord, before I knew the Nature of original sin, I was not persuaded of my vileness, of my foulness! Oh now I see that I am beyond all expression sinful, now I see every day I am more and more abominable! O Lord, formerly I thought all my sin was in some words, in some actions, or in some vile thoughts, but now I see, this was the least part of all that evil that was in me; Now I am amazed, astonished to see what a sea of corruption is within me, now I can never go to the bottom, now I find something like hell within me, sparks of lust that are unquenchable.

A man cannot tell what is in the sea, what monsters are in the bottom of it, by looking upon the superficies of the water which covers it, so neither canst thou tell all that horrid deformity and wretchedness which is in thy heart, by beholding thine outward impieties. Oh then that you would turn your eyes inward, as it were, an introversion is necessary: Then you will say, O Lord, before I knew the Nature of original sinne, I was not perswaded of my vileness, of my foulness! Oh now I see that I am beyond all expression sinfull, now I see every day I am more and more abominable! O Lord, formerly I thought all my sinne was in some words, in some actions, or in some vile thoughts, but now I see, this was the least part of all that evil that was in me; Now I am amazed, astonished to see what a sea of corruption is within me, now I can never go to the bottom, now I find something like hell within me, sparks of lust that are unquenchable.

Fourthly, Where there is not a true knowledge of this native corruption, there our Humiliation, and Repentance can never be deep enough; for it's not enough to be humbled for our actual sins, unless also we go to the cause and root of all. When a godly man would repent of his lusts, of his unbelief, or any other actual transgression, he stayeth not in the confession of, and bewailing those particular sins, but he goeth to the polluted fountain, to the bitter spring, from whence those bitter streams flow, and commonly this is a difference between an Ahab's Humiliation, and a Davids; Ahab humbleth himself only for his actual impieties, and that because of judgments threatened and impending over him; but David, even when he heareth God had forgiven his iniquity, yet hath great humiliation for his sins; and