The application of redemption

The answer to this may be expressed in several particulars that that way of God and the work of his spirit may more distinctly be discovered.

The answer to this may be expressed in severall particulars that that way of God and the work of his spirit may more distinctly be discovered.

There is a weakness, impotency and insufficiency in the understanding to reach this right discovery of sin, for §1however there remains so much glimmering in the twilight of Natural reason, and so much sensibleness in the stupid benumbedness of the corrupt conscience of a carnal man, that it can both see and sensibly check for some grosser evil, or some such sins, or venom of sin, as crosseth his own peace and Comfort, or those ends which he sets up as the chiefest good at which he aims ⟨p. 44⟩but to search into the entrails of sin, and discern the spiritual composition of the accursed nature thereof, he can in no wise attain this by all the labour and light he hath, 2. Pet. 1. 9. He that lacketh these things (that is these heavenly graces whereof the chief were faith and heavenly knowledge mentioned before) he is blind and cannot see afar of, he may (like a purblind-man) give guess, or have a confused conceiving of things, after a dim and dazzling fashion, if the things be near, as the man in the gospel saw men walking like Trees, but there be secrets in sin, depths in the distempers of mens hearts, which are far removed from outward appearance and ordinary apprehension, these he cannot perceive.

There is a weakness, impotencie and insufficiencie in the understanding to reach this right discovery of sin, for §1however there remaynes so much glimmering in the twilight of Natural reason, and so much sensibleness in the stupid benummedness of the corrupt conscience of acarnal man, that it can both see and sensibly check for some grosser evil, or some such sins, or venom of sin, as crosseth his own peace and Comfort, or those ends which he sets up as the chiefest good at which he aymes