Repent, and know yourself

This is the way. Walk in it. And first, repent, that is, know yourselves. This is the first repentance, previous to faith, even conviction, or self-knowledge. Awake, then, you who sleep. Know yourself to be a sinner, and what manner of sinner you are. Know that corruption of your inmost nature, by which you are very far gone from original righteousness, by which the flesh lusts always contrary to the spirit, through that carnal mind which is enmity against God, which is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

Know that you are corrupted in every power, in every faculty of your soul, that you are totally corrupted in every one of these, all the foundations being out of course. The eyes of your understanding are darkened, so that they cannot discern God, or the things of God. The clouds of ignorance and error rest upon you, and cover you with the shadow of death. You know nothing yet, as you ought to know, neither God, nor the world, nor yourself. Your will is no longer the will of God, but is utterly perverse and distorted, turned away from all good, from all which God loves, and prone to all evil, to every abomination which God hates.

Your affections are alienated from God, and scattered abroad over all the earth. All your passions, both your desires and your aversions, your joys and your sorrows, your hopes and your fears, are out of frame. They are either undue in their degree, or placed on undue objects. So that there is no soundness in your soul, but from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot, to use the strong expression of the prophet, there are only wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores.