A DEPRAVED, CORRUPTED MIND---John Owen (1616-1683)

Scripture teaches that man’s will and heart’s desires are corrupt and depraved. This is seen as weakness or impotence and leads to stubbornness and obstinacy. The whole soul lies in a state of spiritual death. Spiritual darkness is in all men and lies on all men until God, by an almighty work of the Spirit, shines into men’s hearts or creates light in them (Mat 4:16; Joh 1:5; Act 26:18; Eph 5:8; Col 1:13; 1 Pet. 2:9)…The nature of this spiritual darkness must be understood. When men have no light to see by, then they are in darkness (Exo 10:23). Blind men are in darkness, either by birth or by illness or accident (Psa 69:23; Gen 19:11; Act 13:11). A spiritually blind man is in spiritual darkness and is ignorant of spiritual things.