eh' Letterdg4rnfl hardnesofhart. 233 through your owne default. Fief}, therefore knowe you for a certaintie that this is no other tentationthan filch as dmcrs ofGods children haue berne humbled with , and afterwardhaue had agood iflùe outof it : and if it pleafc God to mooue you to ere- dit me , I my felfe haue kilowen others, as deepely this way plunged as youcan be. Re- t.Corao, member therefore, that God is faithful!, and will not fuffer you to be tempted about r3. that which you Thal( be able to beare . And yet further to confirmc you secreto , the holy Scriptures doe record , that this way God heretofore bath humbled his owne people : in whofe perfon the Prophet .Efay lamentably complaineth: O Lord, looke douse from heauen , behold from the.dwelling plaice' of thy holineffe , and of thy glorie. F.ú}.634: VVhereis thy zealeand thy ffrength, the multitude ofthy mercies , and of thy comp.fions? They are re3lrained from-me. And afterwards t OLord,mhyhnfdthoumade vs to erre from thy waies , and hardened our heart,- from thy feast? And in the next Chapter, verle 6. VVee haste been all as an vncleane thing,andall our righteoufneffe is as filtitieclouts s andwe alldoe fadeasa leafe,and our iniquitiesas the wind dolls takevs away o and there is nonethat calleth vpon thy name, neither that Iirretbvp himlelfè totake hold-:On thee : for thou hag hidrhy facefrom vs , and hall confirmed vs , becaufe of our iniquities. And before : Wee grope forthemall likethe blend, andmegropeasone without tier, roe roare like Braceo,and mourn Losses. So complainethEzechiasrn the bitterneflèof hisfoule. LibeaCrane oraSaai-Efay.g9.to lowfodull chatter, Ididmournas aDoue. And when Dauüd crieth : Crest inme,0God , a 1, G.; t,r4, cleaae heart,renue in merrrghtfp iris : Re37ore tome the ioy ofthyfaluation,effablifb mewith thy Pfal s r. o freefpirit :Dot)) henotdeciare that hisheartwas vncieine,his fpirit crooked, the ioy of his ialuatronlolt,andhimfelfe frier 't to the fpirit of bondage? to that wantingthelprrit of irbertie or adoption, hecould neither cryAbbot Father, norhaue any power again.} trnptat on Ibff, fine. Thus you fee ho . odschildrenmaybe. blinded inmind, and hardenedinheart for a time, fo that theyfeele in thenifelrres the graceof the holy fpirit to be as it were pc- rifhed anddead. Further torelievethe infirmiticof your judgement in this cafe ( becaufe Iknow it may rmokrsds of, muchcliftrcfTeyou) yousnuff vnderftaird that there be two kinds of hardnes ofheart : the hard,æs of onewhich is not felt nor perceiued ; the other, percciuedand felt : and ofthe former that 1,"'. there be two forts,the first (which is molt fearefull) when any doe purpofcly refit} the ne?zcífelt,oY motions of Gods fpirit, and wilfully refufe the meanes of their faluacion ; of which z.Prcrúrd theProphet Zacharie 1peaketh:7.1 r. They refxfed tohearken, andpulled away their fhoulder, andfe!t, andflopped theirtares that theyfheuld not heart: yea,they made their heartsasan adcmaat f oneY'. einro forts, leafftheyebouldheere the lam, and thewords which the Lord of holïes fens in his f irit by the too1i;ì¢ad finne The óutragious ofthefemen, the ProphetLfty ex- mct:onr. prelfethin thelè their owne fearefullteannes : VVehastemadea covenantwith death,and with ,,, see,,-ety .^a hell weare at agreement:though afcourge renne suerand page through it frailnot comeat v,-_for negligently to mehauemsd: fal/boodossrrefuge,andvndervanitit are rtehidden. fhis was a fearefull ci:atc indeed, yet for all thatno mancan fay, but Lorne ofchafe having hardened their;arts, 'L`"'rerned might be, andwere afterward concerted. The otherkinde of hardneflè of heart which efnarelpresof is not felt nor perceiued,*or ifperceiued yetnot felt ; ( which albeit it is lefe feare- be-artsot folt, full, yet is it dauneerous enough) is in futir , as although they wilfully refill riot Kate the fpirit in good meanes ; yet Iccurely , careletly, and willingly they lie in finne rrnce berwcen without anie remorfe of it, or true tafte of good things. Such was David, hiseflate fertçeisredand for the fpace of a yeare before Nathan the Prophet carne to reprooue him, and rouze a kindefbard- him from his lulled ileepe. Both theft kindes I lam perfwaded you arc free from; ter percetaed otherwife than in temptation Sathan may fometimcsmoue yet thereunto . The o- sod loirir of they kinde of hardnelle of heart which is percciued and felt , is of two forts ; die rwofort,-. one in them which are defirous of meanes , whereby they may be relieved, although Efaycg. they doefindfinall or no eafe at all in themfelues for a time. Ofthis kind the Prophet Efay (in the nameof Come of Gods people) complained. And fuch was Dauids hate. After that/Vat/owhad reprooued him, and Gods fpiritbegan toworke with him, yethe crieth met ( as yeheard before) of the lolie of Gods graces : and when he faith , that God will accept of no facrifices bee they neuer fo many X 3 slot 1
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=