2,2 Religion confi s much PART I. provided ; and to fIir up the pure Minds of the Saints, and quicken their AffeEtions, by often bringing the great Things of Religion to their Remembrance, and letting them before them in their proper Colours, tho' they know them, and have ' been fully in{trueted in them already ; 2 Pet. 1. 12,. 13. And particularly, to promote thofe two Affections in them, which are fpoken of in the Text, Love and `Joy : Chriji gavefame A1pojlles, andfame Prophets, andfame Evan- gels, and fame Paflors and Teachers; that the Body ofChrifl might be edified in Love, Eph. 4. 1 r, I 2, 16. The Apoftle, in in{trusting and counfelling Timothy, concerning the Work of the Miniftry, informs him that the great End of that Word which a Minifter is to preach, is Love or Charity, r Tim. I. 3, 4, 5. And another Affection which God has appointed Preaching as a Means to promote in the Saints, is Joy ; and therefore Nlinifters are called Helpers oftheir foy, 2 Cor. I. 24. Io. 'Tis an Evidence that true Religion, or Holinefs of Heart, lies very much in the AffeHion of the Heart, that the Scriptures place the Sin of the Heart very much in Hardnefs of Heart. Thus the Scrip- tures do every where. It was Hardnefs of Heart, which excitedGrief and Difpleafure in Chrift towards the yews, Mark 3. 5. He looked round about on them with Anger, being grievedfor the Hardnefs of their Hearts. It is fromMen's having fuch a Heart as this, that they trea- lure up Wrath for themfelves. Rom. 2. 5. After thy Hardnefs and impenitent Heart, treafurell up unto thy Pelf Wrath, againfl the Day of Wrath, and Revelation of the righteous yudgment of God. The Reafon given why the Houfe of Ifrael would not obey God, was that they were hard-hearted, Ezek. 3. 7. But theHoufe ofIfrael will not hearken unto thee ; for they will not hearken unto me : For all the Houfe ofIfrael are impudent and hard- hearted. The Vv ickednefs of that perverfe re- bellious Generation in the Wildernefs, is afcribed to the Hardnefs of their Hearts ; Pfal. 95. 7, ---1 o. Ti Day, if ye will hear my Voice, harden not your Heart, as in the Provocation, and as in the Day ofTemp- tation in the Wildernefs ; when your Fathers temptedme, provedme, and fàw my Work : Forty Years long was Igrieved with this Generation,ànd fail it is a People that do err in their Heart, &c.---This is fpoken of as what prevented Zedekiah's turning to the Lord, 2 Chron. 36. r3. He fifened his Neck, and hardned his Heart, from turning to the Lord God of Ifrael.. This Principle is fpoken of, as that from whenceMen are without the Fear of' God, and depart from God's Ways: Ifai. 63. r 7. 0 Lord, why hall thou made us to err from thy Ways, andhard- ned our Heartfrom thy Fear ? And Men's rejee`ting Chrift, and op- poling Chrift anity, is laid to this Principle ; A6ts 19. 9. But when divers were hardned, and believednot, but fpake Evil of that Way before the Multitude ; - - -- God's leaving Men to the Power of the Sin and Corruption
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