The Method of Grace

Neither attributing to it more honour than belongeth to it, nor yet detracting from it that honour and usefulness which God hath given it. It cannot make us righteous; but it can convince us that we are unrighteous; it cannot heal, but it can open and discover the wounds that sin hath given us: which he proves in this place by an argument drawn from his own experience, confirmed also by the general experience of Believers, in whose persons and names we must here understand ⟨p. 348⟩him to speak; For I was alive without the Law once, but when the Commandment came, sin revived, and I died: wherein three particulars are very observable.

First, The opinion Paul had, and all unregenerate men have of themselves before Conversion: I was alive once: by ¹life understand here liveliness, cheerfulness, and confidence of his good estate and condition: he was full of vain hope, false joy and presumptuous confidence, a very brisk and jovial man.

First, The opinion Paul had, and all unregenerate men have of themselves before Conversion: I was alive once: by ¹life understand here liveliness, chearfulness, and confidence of his good estate and condition: he was full of vain hope, false joy and presumptuous confidence, a very brisk and jovial man.

1. 11.

Secondly, The sense and opinion he had, and all others will have of themselves, if ever they come under the regenerating