Secondly, By convincing him of the sin of his nature; he opens to him that fountain of iniquity, that sinning sin; and if this be once opened by the Spirit, it will take down the pride of any self-Justiciary; let him that feeleth this, talk of his righteousness, duties, works, if he can; if he doth, I know what his language must be. When I read men denying original sin, I do not wonder at all their proud Opinions, and self-advancing Doctrines: Whence did these men descend? Not from our father Adam surely: there is talk now of another World in the Moon; the inhabitants there came not from the stock we did; certainly these men dropped out of that world, and therefore deny this sin of our nature, they find it not in their nature: This I am sure of, say these men what they please, I know nothing that doth so abuse a man, beats him out of himself, and all conceits of his own righteousness, that makes a man see himself loathsome, undone, damned for ever in himself, as the discoveries and sense of this sin of sins. Take a man who hath committed the vileir actual sins, could I suppose that man to be guilty only of them, and without this original sin, I should not judge that man so sinful as he that is defiled with this original sin, though by the restraining Providence of God he be kept from breaking out into actual gross evils: I do more adore the riches of Gods grace in pardoning this sin, then in pardoning any actual sin, except Adam's first sin; yet his grace deserves to be adored for pardoning actual sins. Though Christ did beat Paul down to the earth with that miraculous light and voice which he heard, yet I conceive he had not beat him out of his Pharisaical righteousness, had not another light discovered this woeful sin of his nature, which makes the unspotted blameless Pharisee cry out and confess, In me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing, Rom. 7.18. Before there was no evil, now there is no good: ⟨p. 103⟩Thus I agree (as I said before) with Mr. Shepherd; if a man (like Paul whom he mentions) have trusted to his own goodness, duties, honest conversation, righteousness, and here have found his rest; if ever God show mercy to such a one, then in the first stroke of Conviction, he rips up this Monster; he shall need no more, I warrant him, to make him change his thoughts, and make him see the need of another righteousness, and a strong Redeemer.
Secondly, By convincing him of the sin of his nature; he opens to him that fountain of iniquity, that sinning sin; and if this be once opened by the Spirit, it will take down the pride of any self-Justiciary; let him that fecleth this, talk of his righteousness, duties, works, if he can; if he doth, I know what his language must be. When I read men denying original sin, I do not wonder at all their proud Opinions, and self-advancing Doctrines: Whence did these men descend? Not from our father Adam surely: there is talk now of another World in the Moon; the inhabitants there came not from the stock we did; certainly these men dropped out of that world, and therefore deny this sin of our nature, they find it not in their nature: This I am sure of, say these men what they please, I know nothing that doth so abuse a man, beats him out of himself, and all conceits of his own righteousness, that makes a man see himself loathsome, undone, damned for ever in himself, as the discoveries and sense of this sin of sins. Take a man who hath committed the vileir actual sins, could I suppose that man to be guilty only of them, and without this original sin, I should not judge that man so sinful as he that is defiled with this original sin, though by the restraining Providence of God he be kept from breaking out into actual gross evils: I do more adore the riches of Gods grace in pardoning this sin, then in pardoning any actual sin, except Adam's first sin; yet his grace deserves to be adored for pardoning actual sins. Though Christ did beat Paul down to the earth with that miraculous light and voice which he heard, yet I conceive he had not beat him out of his Pharisaical righteousness, had not another light discovered this woful sin of his nature, which makes the unspotted blameless Pharisee cry out and confess, In me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing, Rom. 7.18. Before there was no evil, now there is no good: ⟨p. 103⟩Thus I agree (as I said before) with Mr. Shepherd; if a man (like Paul whom he mentions) have trusted to his own goodness, duties, honest conversation, righteousness, and here have found his rest; if ever God shew mercy to such a one, then in the first stroke of Conviction, he rips up this Monster; he shall need no more, I warrant him, to make him change his thoughts, and make him see the need of another righteousness, and a strong Redeemer.
