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

And first, The Apostle calls it, the sin, ([Greek or Hebrew]) Because of the propriety, and proper right it hath to us. As a man is said to dwell in his house, because he hath a right to it, and it is his own: This original sin is in every man, as in its proper place, as the stone doth rest in its centre, and will not move further; So that as hell is said to be the proper place of Judas. He went (saith the Text) to his own place; Thus is the heart and soul of a man, the proper and fit subject for all the natural impiety that cleaveth to us; and therefore, though the Devil be also said, To rule in the hearts of wicked men, he dwells also in them, as well as sin, for which he is compared to an armed man, keeping the house; yet this is more extrinsical, and from without; The Devil could not find a room ready swept and garnished for him, but because of this native pollution: Hence the Apostle doth not in this Chapter complain of the Devil, but sin dwelling in him; He doth not say, I would do good, but the Devil hinders me (though that be sometimes true) but sin dwelling in him.

And first, The Apostle cals it, the sinne, (〈non-Latin alphabet〉) Because of the propriety, and proper right it hath to us. As a man is said to dwell in his house, because he hath a right to it, and it is his own: This original sinne is in every man, as in its proper place, as the stone doth rest in its center, and will not move further; So that as hell is said to be the proper place of Judas. He went (saith the Text) to his own place; Thus is the heart and soul of a man, the proper and fit subject for all the natural impiety that cleaveth to us; and therefore, though the Devil be also said, To rule in the hearts of wicked men, he dwels also in them, as well as sinne, for which he is compared to an armed man, keeping the house; yet this is more extrinsecal, and from without; The Devil could not find a room ready swept and garnished for him, but because of this native pollution: Hence the Apostle doth not in this Chapter complain of the Devil, but sin dwelling in him; He doth not say, I would do good, but the Devil hinders me (though that be sometimes true) but sin dwelling in him.

Secondly, This expression of sin dwelling in a man; denoteth, The quiet and peaceable possession it hath in man by nature, it dwells there, as in its own house, nothing to disturb or molest it: Hence it is, That all things are so quiet in a natural man, there is nothing troubles him; he is not disquieted in his conscience; he feeleth no such burden or weight within him, as Paul here complaineth of; so that you would think many civil and natural men in a more holy condition than Paul; They will thank God, They have a good heart, and all is quiet within them; but this is not because original sin doth not dwell, and live, and work in them, but because they are senseless and stupid, sin is in its proper place, and so there is no trouble and restlessness in their conscience; Therefore its thy want of experimental discoveries that makes thee question original sin, otherwise thy own heart would be in stead of all books to thee in this particular. Indeed in godly men, though sin dwelleth in them, yet it hath not peaceable possession, it is as a tyrant in them; Therefore the regenerate part maketh many oppositions, and great resistances; There is praying, watching and fasting against it; They are as solicitous to have it quite expelled, as some were to have Christ cast out the Devils from their possessed friends; otherwise in the natural man original sin prevaileth all over, and there is no noise, no opposition, yea great delight, and content there is in subjection thereunto, so that they resist Grace, and the Spirit of God by the Word, which would subdue sin in them.