[b]One continued dream and delusion
(Thomas Boston, "Human Nature in its Fourfold State")
"There is no one who understands." Romans 3:11
"They are darkened in their understanding and separated
from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in
them due to the hardening of their hearts." Ephes. 4:18
The natural man's apprehension of divine things is corrupt.
The understanding, that leading faculty, is despoiled of
its primitive glory, and covered over with confusion.
Tell them how they may advance their worldly wealth, or how
they may gratify their lusts--and they will quickly understand
these things. But it is very hard to make them know how their
souls may be saved, or how their hearts may find rest in Christ.
They are very stupid and unteachable in the matters of God.
What woeful delusions prevail over them! Do we not often see
those, who in other things are the wisest of men--yet are
notorious fools with respect to their soul's interest?
Many who are eagle-eyed in the trifles of time--yet are like
owls and bats in the light of eternal realities. Nay, truly, the
life of every natural man is but one continued dream and
delusion, out of which he never awakes, until either, by a
divine light darted from heaven into his soul, he comes to
himself--or, in hell he lifts up his eyes in torment!
Sin has closed the windows of the soul; darkness covers the
whole. The prince of darkness reigns there, and nothing but
the works of darkness are framed there. We are born spiritually
blind--and cannot be restored without a miracle of grace.
"For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now
you are full of light from the Lord!" Ephesians 5:8