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O

f

hardneffe

of

heart.

493

elf

repentance

which we

delire

in

great

meafizre,for

the

Lórd

ei}eemeth

the

will for

the

deed,and

the

affe&ion

for

the

ahi-

on,and

we

may

afhure

our

felues

that

if

on our part

we

be

not

wanting

in

the

vfe

ofthe

meanes, the

Lord

will

not

be

wan-

ting

on his

part to

fupply

our wants, and

to

fatisfie all

our

godly

defies.

Ofthis

hardneffe

ofheart,which

verle

often

befalleth

the

dearefl

of

Gods

children,

wee haue

many examples.

The

Examples

of

Prophet

Dauia

thus

complaineth,Pfal.77.2.

In

the

day

efmy

this

harelnefre

trouble

1

ou

ht

the

Lord,

my

ore

ranneand

cea

ed

not in

the

o;

heart.

.i

y

f

.

1

taim.77.s.

night,

my

foule

refuf

d

comfort. 3.

I

did

thinke

upon God

and

was

troubled,

l

prayed,and

my Fpirít zras

full

of

angui

h.

4.

Thom

keepefl

mine

eies

2raking;

I

was

of

onied

and

couldnot

fpeake.

So

the

Church complaineth thus,

Cant.3.i..

In

my

bed

I

fought

Cant.3.1.

him

by

night

r-horn

my

¡oule

/cued.

I

fought

him,but

I

found

him

and S.6.

not.

And chap.e.

verf.6.

I

opened to

my

welbeloued,

but

my

me'belaued waegone

and

pa¡l

: mine

heart

was

gone

when bee

did

f

ekrk

;

l

fought

him ,but

I

couldnot

fndebim;

I

called

him,but

he

anfweredmeenot.

Whereby it

is

manifefl,that

euen

the deare

Saints

ofGod

arc

often

tines

deffitute

of

all

comfort

and

voide

of

all

feeling

of

Gods

fauour, and

of

the powerfull

working

ofthe

graces

ofGods

fpirit

which they

haue

recei-

ued,

though

they

vfe

the

meanes

appointed

ofGod

for

the

furring

vp

and

increaíng

of

grace

in

them;

which

commeth

topaffe,

byreafon oftheirhardneflè

of

heart, and drowfie

dulneffe

offpirit

in thefe

fpirituall exerciíes..

And hence

it

is

that

many

ofGods

children do grieuoufly

aflli6

their

follies, becaufe

they

fee

thefe their corruptions

and

imperfections, and hereby

oftentimes

are

mooued

to

thinke

that

they

are

deí}itute

offairh,and

ofaI

failing graces

of

Gods

fanglifying fpirit, becaufe

though

they

vfe

the

meanes

ordained

of

God

for the

begetting

and increa-

fing

of

grace

in

them, yet they cannot

perceiue any

fruite

that

commeth

thereby, nor

feele

in

their

foules,.any

true

.

comfort

!or

ioy in

thefe

fpirituall

exercifes.

For

example

form

complaine

that

though they continually

heare

the

word,

yet

they

feele

no increafe

ofany

grace,no

more

know

-

ledge,no

more

faith,no morezeale-ofGods

glory,

no

more

mortification