The application of redemption

How far the soul is or may be truly said to be active in this work of Contrition, or this §3spiritual sorrow, when it comes to receive the right impression of it for sin as such:

The Answer may be conceived in the following particulars.

There is no power in man to remove that resistance that is in his heart against God & the work of his grace; that which out of its own corrupt principles doth wholly §1resist and cannot but resist, the operation and dispensation of all spiritual means, that would prevail with it for good, that cannot take away the resistance; for resistance cannot take away resistance; it implies a palpable contradiction, as that which is professedly cross to common sense; but the corrupt heart of a natural man while he is in the state of nature, and corruption, doth and cannot but wholly resist, the work of Gods spirit and grace and all the saving operations of all the means thereof. The flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these two are contrary Gal. 5. 17. And what is born of the flesh is flesh John, 3. 7. that is the temper and inward constitution of a soul in its natural condition, its wholly born of the flesh, and therefore nothing but flesh, and therefore can do nothing but resist the spirit; yea it cannot but ⟨p. 386⟩oppose what ever would take that resistance away; for it's a received rule of reason and confessed of all hands, every thing desires the preservation of it self, and its being, otherwise the being and the causes that made up the being should be cross to the thing, if it should endeavour its own destruction, nay a thing should be opposite to it self; Hence it is that the corruption of the heart will put forth all the skill & strength it hath or by the contrivements of carnal reason, can compass to fortify & preserve it self against the spiritual and saving dispensation of the work of Gods spirit in his own ordinances, because wicked men look at the power thereof as that which works the ruin of their lusts; therefore they labour to avoid the light if they can, if not that, to oppose it, and overbear it by their delusions, if not that, to destroy it; they will not hear the truth, or gainsay, what they hear, or abhor and loath what they cannot many times gainsay, nay endeavour to destroy what they so hate and are tormented withal, The wisdom of the flesh cannot be subject to the law.