This is not a truth in Divinity, that is to be in a speculative and barren manner disputed about, but we are to descend into our own hearts, to discern the woeful and bitter effects of it upon our own souls: It is not enough for you to be of this saith, That there is original sin, that it is the sin of the whole world, and of all mankind; but you are to take notice of, and to be affected with that particular and proper original sin, which diffuseth it self over thy whole man: Original sin is not one sin, as there is one Sun, and all partake of the light of it; or like one Intellectus agens, as some Philosophers dreamed, but it is in every man that cometh in the world, every one that is born hath his birth-corruption; Therefore David doth not speak of that iniquity, as it is in all mankind, but as it was his case, and as he was born in it: So that it is not enough for you to say, It is true, it cannot be denied, but that all are sinful by nature, but you must come home to your own heart, you must take notice of the dung-hill and hell that is in your own hearts. Thus the Apostle Paul, as you heard, Ephes. 2. 3. to humble them, and to lay them low, that they might see all the unworthiness and guilt that was upon them, before the grace of God was effectual in them, he informeth them not only of those gross actual impieties they had walked in, but that they were by nature the children of wrath. But you may see this duty of bitter and deep humiliation, because of original sin, notably expressed in Paul, Rom. 7. most of that Chapter is spent in sad groans and complaints, because of its still working and acting in him. It was the sense of this, made him cry out, Oh miserable man that I am? Dost thou therefore flatter thy self, as if there were no such law of sin prevailing upon thee, when thou shalt see Paul thus sadly afflicted because of it? Therefore it is, that I added in the Doctrine, We are to bewail and acknowledge it all our lives; For Paul speaks here (whatsoever Papists and Arminians say to the contrary) in the person of a regenerate man, Who did delight in the Law of God in the inward man; and yet these thorns were in his side, Original sin in the lusts thereof, was too active, whereby he could not do the good he would, and when he did, he did it not so purely ⟨p. 66⟩and perfectly, as he ought.
This is not a truth in Divinity, that is to be in a speculative and barren manner disputed about, but we are to descend into our own hearts, to discern the wofull and bitter effects of it upon our own souls: It is not enough for you to be of this saith, That there is original sinne, that it is the sinne of the whole world, and of all mankind; but you are to take notice of, and to be affected with that particular and proper original sinne, which difsuseth it self over thy whole man: Original sinne is not one sinne, as there is one Sunne, and all partake of the light of it; or like one Intellectus agens, as some Philosophers dreamed, but it is in every man that cometh in the world, every one that is born hath his birth-corruption; Therefore David doth not speak of that iniquity, as it is in all mankind, but as it was his case, and as he was born in it: So that it is not enough for you to say, It is true, it cannot be denied, but that all are sinfull by nature, but you must come home to your own heart, you must take notice of the dung-hill and hell that is in your own hearts. Thus the Apostle Paul, as you heard, Ephes. 2. 3. to humble them, and to lay them low, that they might see all the unworthiness and guilt that was upon them, before the grace of God was effectual in them, he informeth them not onely of those grosse actual impieties they had walked in, but that they were by nature the children of wrath. But you may see this duty of bitter and deep humiliation, because of original sinne, notably expressed in Paul, Rom. 7. most of that Chapter is spent in sad groans and complaints, because of its still working and acting in him. It was the sense of this, made him cry out, Oh miserable man that I am? Dost thou therefore flatter thy self, as if there were no such law of sinne prevailing upon thee, when thou shalt see Paul thus sadly afflicted because of it? Therefore it is, that I added in the Doctrine, We are to bewail and acknowledge it all our lives; For Paul speaks here (whatsoever Papists and Arminians say to the contrary) in the person of a regenerate man, Who did delight in the Law of God in the inward man; and yet these thorns were in his side, Original sinne in the lusts thereof, was too active, whereby he could not do the good he would, and when he did, he did it not so purely ⟨p. 66⟩and perfectly, as he ought.
