The real Christian, or, A treatise of effectual calling wherein the work of God…

The necessity of this work appears,

First, From that darkness which is upon all our understandings naturally. Darkness was upon the face of the deep, Gen. 12. in the first Creation. It is as true in the new Creation; the Spirit findeth much darkness upon our Souls; the Prince of darkness holds us under his power by this darkness that is in our understandings. I do not mean only by this, but in great part: Ephes. 5.8. For ye were sometimes darkness: Ephes. 4. Having their understanding darkened; that is the reason why we walk so in the vanity of our minds, ver. 17. Neither is this the condition only of those, who sit in darkness and shadow of death, Matth. 4.16. Where the medium is dark, as it was in the Egyptian darkness, where no Scripture-light shines, but of those who dwell in Goshen, where Scripture, yea, Gospel-light, shines clear, there is darkness enough in some mens eyes; though the Sun shine never so bright, Bartimeus cannot see. When Paul was converted, the holy Story tells us, Scales fell from his eyes when he was healed of his blindness, Acts 9.18. Paul's understanding had scales of darkness upon it, whatever he thought of himself while a Pharisee: Christ set up a light there, the Commandment came, sin revived, and I died, Rom. 7.9. Eli's sons, brought up under a godly father, and Priests also, so dealt in things appertaining to God, yet sons of Belial, they knew not God, 1 Sam. 2.17. Who then should know him, if the Priests who ministered before him did not know him? though they had the Scripture-light, yet they were dark in their understandings. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, (no wonder then he doth not receive them, if his dark understanding looks on them as foolishness) neither can he know them, (and why not?) because they are spiritually discerned,