But it is very natural for unregenerate men, even when the Promise of a new heart lies fair before them in the Scripture, to acquiesce in the old frame, as much of Hell and Death as they carry about with them. All's well and in peace; but when Faith comes, Original Sin is felt to the quick; God shines from Sinai, the Law is up in the heart in its pure Spirituality, and all the foul corners there, which before lay in the dark, discover themselves in their ugly hue; the Spirit of Life enters into the Man, and the Wounds and Ulcers, which, whilst he was Spiritually dead, broke not his rest, breath out anguish in every part, and make him cry out, [Greek or Hebrew], Oh wretched man that I am! Rom. 7.24. Oh, this blind, rebellious, unbelieving, earthly Heart of mine! who shall deliver me from it! That corruption should be universal all over the Soul, like the Plagues of Egypt, all over the ⟨p. 259⟩Land, That the dead should be in every faculty, the lusts every-where croaking, even in the Kings Chamber, in the noble faculties of Reason and Will, and all the streams of the Heart, the Thoughts, Wishes, Resolves, Choices, Desires, and Delights there, should be smitten and turned into bloody Iniquity, is an amazing consideration; That a Rational Creature, with an Immortal spark in his bosom, whose natural instinct is after Happiness, should yet without a new Creation, not be able so much as by a holy thought to aspire after the great unspeakable blessedness in the Gospel, or to give a serious look towards the pure undefiled Religion leading thither; and after he is new made by Grace, that yet there should be a black fountain within ready to flow out at every sense, taint every work, and derive a damp, a deadness, a wretched indisposedness upon all his holy things, is an astonishing thought; That the holiest Man on Earth, who mourns and sighs over the horrible Wickednesses abroad, should be forced to lament at home; and say, there is aliquid intus, somewhat in my own heart answering to all these, were I but dimissus libero arbitrio, left to my own self, I might fall into Jonabs pet against the Great God; or roll in Davids Adultery and Blood; or, Peter-like, deny my Lord, and do it cursing and damning of my self, as the Original imports; or turn a Julian, a total final Apostate, and art up my bloody blasphemies against Hea•en at my dying hour; is wonderfully prodigious.
But it is very natural for unregenerate men, even when the Promise of a new heart lies fair before them in the Scripture, to acquiesce in the old frame, as much of Hell and Death as they carry about with them. All's well and in peace; but when Faith comes, Original Sin is selt to the quick; God shines from Sinai, the Law is up in the heart in its pure Spirituality, and all the foul corners there, which before lay in the dark, discover themselves in their ugly hue; the Spirit of Life enters into the Man, and the Wounds and Ulcers, which, whilest he was Spiritually dead, broke not his rest, breath out anguish in every part, and make him cry out, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, Oh wretched man that I am! Rom. 7.24. Oh, this blind, rebellious, unbelieving, earthly Heart of mine! who shall deliver me from it! That corruption should be universal all over the Soul, like the Plagues of Egypt, all over the ⟨p. 259⟩Land, That the dead should be in every faculty, the lusts every-where croaking, even in the Kings Chamber, in the noble faculties of Reason and Will, and all the streams of the Heart, the Thoughts, Wishes, Resolves, Choices, Desires, and Delights there, should be smitten and turned into bloody Iniquity, is an amazing consideration; That a Rational Creature, with an Immortal spark in his bosom, whose natural instinct is after Happiness, should yet without a new Creation, not be able so much as by a holy thought to aspire after the great unspeakable blessedness in the Gospel, or to give a serious look towards the pure undefiled Religion leading thither; and after he is new made by Grace, that yet there should be a black sountain within ready to flow out at every sense, taint every work, and derive a damp, a deadness, a wretched indisposedness upon all his holy things, is an astonishing thought; That the holiest Man on Earth, who mourns and sighs over the horrible Wickednesses abroad, should be forced to lament at home; and say, there is aliquid intus, somewhat in my own heart answering to all these, were I but dimissus libero arbitrio, left to my own self, I might fall into Jonabs pet against the Great God; or roll in Davids Adultery and Blood; or, Peter-like, deny my Lord, and do it cursing and damning of my self, as the Original imports; or turn a Julian, a total final Apostate, and art up my bloody blasphemies against Hea•en at my dying hour; is wonderfully prodigious.
