234 General) direaions fora inbred corruption,' inf.:Ilion of hellifh poyfon, and lull curie of Godgrowes into fuch a prodigious rocke : That no croffe or created power ; not the foftefl eloquence , or fevereft courfe ; nay, not the waight of the whole Word, were it all preft upon it, can pofftbly mollifieor redaime it. It will ne- ver yceld or relent, or be rent from itsdarling delight,but dye in its deadneffe, and bee defperately hardened for the very depthof Hell ; except the Almighty Spirit take the hammer of the Word intohis owne hand, that by his fpeciall unrefi- liable power, and mercifull violence, he may firfl breake it in pieces with legal! remorle, and after by the fprinkling and powerful! application of Chrifis blood, refolve it into teares of trueEvangelicall repentance ; that foonely by a gracious miracleof divine mercy, it may be foftned,fanaified, and la- ved. The flubborne )ewes wereheavily loader) with an ex- traordinary varietyofmolt grievous croffes and afflidions. There was nothing wanting to make them outwardly mite- rabic; andnomifery inflioted upon them, but uponpurpofe tohumble and takedowne their rebellious hearts. The Pro- phet Ifaiah, Chap.'. paints out to the life, the rufull Efate of their frefh bleeding defolations ; Thewhole head (faithhee) lieke, andthe whole heart io heavy, &e. (for theplace is meant, not as fome take it, of their finnes, but of their for- rowes. ) But all thefe blowes and preffures were fo farre frommelting them, that they made them harder Wherefore aotild_yorst befmittess any more, foryefall away more andmore What created power can poffibly have more power upon thefoules of men, then the facred Sermons of the Sonne of God, who fpake as never man fpake ? And yet Hisdeare in- treaties, and melting invitations, which fweetly and tender- ly flowed from that heart, which was refolved to fpill its warmefl and inmort blood for their fakes,moved thofe fliffe- necked Iewes never aJot : Ierrafalcm, lerufalem, bow often worldI, andymwooildnot ? Matth, 23.37. Ifitiah, that Noble Prophet ; whole matchleffe aile, incomparably furpaffeth the utmoft pOffibility ofall humane invention ; and to which the choifeft cleganciesof prophane Writers, are parebarba- rifme,
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