of Sit~nes of lgnsr,snu:J: produce great heat in the heart ; yea its the opinion of fomt' Learned men, That the pratl:ical dictates of the underfiand~ ing arc fo forcible and cogent, that the Will doth necelfariJy, , follow in obedience : But that lcannot fubfcribe to; how– foever this is certain,.. That cle~r ,and certain illumination of the mindc is v.cry ,apt arid potent to turn about the whole– heart; and tbcrefore in converfion, God d'oth firft give light to the underftanding , and the Spirit of9od doth firfr c~nvinct Bf fin, a11d then ~f righteoufnefs. Hence it is that Davidd·ocb fo often pray to have his eyes ~pened; and dte C~urch is advi· fed to get tJt·faive, Rev. 3-· u a,fpecial way to recover out. of finne ;, n .en as on the contrary, darkndfe in the under~ O:anding, and blindneife ofm:nde,doth caufc men to fiumble and f:lll ; therefore wick-ed men arc fa id not to know God, bccaufc the ~c~owledging of truth ll[ter godlineffe, would' ., make new heavens and a.new earth)as it werc,within us. · 2 . 1 .• Gods gr.tt~ce k!epeth m from "'WilfHII jinne.r, by corrobor•~ By corr~bcr1- ting, ~nd./frengthening tbcWill, that it Will not, e~~fil.JJieldand ting and confent HNto jinne. And this is a precious mercy, whenour ftrengr~ening ftrength is aot dcJ?.arted from us. The ApofUe prayeth that th~ ~~I a-. they may be {lrengthened With grace in the inner man, Eph. 3· g_am · ·ane. at:Id he faith, . He c11ndD 11/i thiNgs through Chrift that ftrength-- tns him. lt~s weakncffe and fecbleneffe of heart many times,. that makes-the godly fall into the mire: P.eter w2nted fpiri·– tuall fortitude within, when he denied Chrilt Tbofe then whom God prefervetb from prefumptuous finning)he vouch– fafetb courage and boldnclfe unto them ; they are like moNHt Zion, P f. 125 .x. that the windesand.fi-orms c.annot ftir them. out of their_ places. . . 3:. ~ 3. Grace preforveth from pre/umptnomJinner-, 'bJ making the , By:makingtbe heart tender and pliotble, mollifiedand foft, As at our firfi con- . heart tender. ver fion God removeth the flone out of the heart, and giveth / it u:ndernelfe and foftmclfe, fo that we may not apoftatize ot fall off-from God again, fo it prefenrech the fame tenderncfs in us. Jo[ephs heart was in a tender, fenfible apprehenfion, ' when he faid, How can 1dothu' anajinneagainfl· G~d! On the other fide, t~e more benumm~d and fiupifie'd any mans heart ·· i~" , the more: dc(£cratc a. man is ia finning. There is no wic- , _ I • kt:,dnefs,
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