Verf 7, 8. Reafönr. 7lje. the Eple to the Romans. God which flail be faved, and him which Thall be for ever condemned, as appeareth , Romans Chapter 9. verte 17, 18. Match. 13. 15. John 57. I. I John g. I8. The reafons hereof be, becaufe it is neither fin, nor the num- ber, nor the long continuance in them, that makes the difference. For in all thefe things, many of the cleft repro- bates are Iike; therefore that which doth it, muflneeds be this univerfall and fi- nail hardneffe of heart, unto which re- probates are given over, and fo are not the cleft. For whom God clefts, into their hearts he puts his Spirit, which changeth their Peony hearts into flefhly, being made pliable by his will : but the ref( (as our Text is) they are hardned and left in their naturall corruption, to -perfif in it to death ; and this is the fe- cond reafon of the do&rine, that the cleft have their naturall flubbornneffe corre&ed by the Spirit of San&ification, which al tereth and reneweth then unto theobedienceoftheword, i Pet ..1. a. 2 Thef. .13. T 1 M. What profit are we to make of the knowledgeof thindelirine? S 1 t. It may ferve to keep us from rah jndgcments, that we never give finall fentence upon any man, to brand him fora reprobate : for who can tell if a wicked man will fo continue unto the end of his life? Some have been cal- led at the nineth houre of the day, tome changed at the eleventh, and one (to wit,the Theefeon the Croffe) conver- ted at the twelfe and late houre. Se- condly, here is a warning to all Chrifti- ans above all things in the world, to flrive again ft hardneffe of heart, and to labour for foit and obedient hearts, Ezek 11. 19, 20. for as this latter heart (to wit) when it is moved and bowed by God to follow his word, is the grea- ten bleffing, being the peculiar note of the childe of God,and a fpeciall fruit of the covenant ; fo the other (to wit), a tiffe and unyeelding heart is the grea- teft curie, being the marke of call- awayes and rejefted perlons : unto which every man is fo much the nearer, the nearer he is unto hardneffe of heart, 437 and fo much the further off, the more loft and contrite his heart is. This admonition will be found fo much the more needful I, if we do duely confider with our felves there two things. Firft, that we live in times of ex- ceeding great cafe, plenty, and profperi- ty : by which manes the hearts of men are molt ufually hardned and made for. getfull of God : as it is written? Deut. 32.15. of the Ifraelites, when they were full and well fed, they forgot the ftrong God that made them, and proved like the ungrìatefull horre, that fpurneth and kickesat his mailer that fed him. Se- condly, that this judgement of hardneffe of heart, bath generally overfpread mot men which now profeffe the Gofpell, all places being full of wilfiull(inners,f which have hearts as hard as the Flint, or the Smithes Anvill,or the Adamant; fuch as no meanes, faire or foule, either benefits or affi&&ions, threatnings or promifes, can neither break, or fo much as bend them. The very word it fare, which fhould be the meanes of foftning thern,through their owne malice, prov a greater means to harden them. There- fore in this generali hardneffe of heart, there is the more cattle for all men to take heed to themfelves to prevent it in themfelves by all good courfes : as namely, befides the confiant tile of the publicke workes of Religion, Prayer, Sacraments, the word read and preach- ed: thefe foute things following,are to be done of all, which delre terefcape an hardned hart. Fiat, in time of any af- fli&ion taworke their hearts carnally to feel Gods difpleafure in it, and their owne finnes wich procured it, aiwayes begging that every affiftion may be effe£tually bleffed, to the humbling of their hearts. In time of their profperity, dayly to confeffe their known fins par- ticularly unto God,withgreat grief for the offence ofGod in them all and every oneof them.Then to meditate often and carnally of Gods judgements againft fin in this world and in hell : all() medi- tate of the pafíìon and death of Chrìff crucified, of their owne mortalitie and death, of the day of judgement. Laftly, Pp 2 to
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