Verf. 8. the Ep le to the Romans. 441 Dotirine. Reafon. TradiditRe- harm irfar. fogs r ¡'[i- rAe, serut 'Dew tridi- nu.wrBaby .= mrnda- iumv/nde- pnpbrrati. alupufi. vfe. will not hear them,Prov. I. 26, 27, 28. Zach. 7. 13. Thefe things, howfoever they are matter of grief unto Gods Miniflers, yet aim they Rill bound to do their duty with conftancy and patience, becaufe it pleafeth God to execute his judgements upon the wicked through their infiru&ions, which (hall be frong evidencesagainfl them to convi& their obffinacy. Gods word is a tweet find- ling favour to God, even when it is a fa- vour to death. T r a. How may it be proved, that the word id All to be preached, to harden impeni- tent fnners, to be as a teflimony unto them, and againft them? S i L. By Efrry 6. 9. Ezek. 2. 5. The former place proves, that God ufeth his Miniflers by them to harden fuch as have contemned his word ; and the lat- ter proveth, that even unto the alrea- dy hardened, they are (till to fpeak,that their condemnation may be the more jufand dreadfull. T i M. What it the next inflrudlion from thefe words ? S i L. That Inch as have forfaken God, are given up unto the wicked fpi- rit Satan, by his working more and more to be blinded and obdurated. Thisappeareth Ephef. 2. 2. The fpirit that works in the children of difobe- dience, 2 Cor. 4. 4. 2 Thef. 2. t o, 11. For it is very jut}, that t hey that will not be governed by the word of God, fhould be committed over to the go- vernment of Satan, as a Judge deli - vereth a maleta&or over to the hang- man. As God threatens his people to fet Tyrants over them, when they had been unthankful) for good Princes :': fo he will give the Devill to be their Ruler, that will not be ruled by him- fell. And filch muff needs be driven on to all mil-chief and hell in the end, as have Satan to be their Rider,to hold the reins in his hands; as it hapned to Judas, Cain, and Efau, and innumerable others heretofore,and daily. T i m. W/ at profit is to be made hereof ? S I L. It teacheth the miferable con- dition offuch ftubborn (inners as hate' to be reformed; for they are tinder the power of Satan,and held under his fnares at his pleafure, whatfoever they think to the contrary, 2 7101.2. 26. Secondly, it warns all Chriftians greatly to fear God, which hath filch fearfull executi= ons of his anger. Who would not be afraid to difobey the word of that God which for the cup of mercy, truth, and found Do&rine being defpifed, can,give men to drink a cup of fury, of error, and niadnelle? Not that he powresinto men any naughtineffe, but firs up that which before lay hidden, and which caufeth (inners to drink in more fn greedily, and to delight in doing evill, with continual) chid} in fuch poyfon- full and deadly cups. T' i nt. Proceed now to the fecordpart of the defeription of a hard heart, and tell us what it W tolhave eyes wherewith one cannot fee, and ears wherewith one cannot hear ? S i L. To have eyes and ears unfit to fee or hear, or filch eyes and ears where- with they were not able to fee and hear, as in Mat. 13. 15. ears dull of hearing, and their eyes heavie and flint, as in Efay 6. 10. & 29.10. Men ufe to fay, As good never a whit, as never the better : fo as good not to fee or to hear, as by hearing & feeing to be never the better. But this is not altogether to be meant of bodily ears and eyes, but by a metaphor which tranflateth to the foul,that which is pro- per to the body : and then eyes and ears do fignife here fuch a minde fo blinded with ignorance, as it cannot know the true Do&rive of falvation, and fuch an heart as cannot obey the Gofpell. The fum then hereof is thus much, that the reprobate Jewes, though they had ears and did hear Gods word, and eyes to fee Gods works, with the fenfeof the body ( for they heard Chrift and his Apoi}les, and taw their miracles,) yet not all with the affent of the foul; which was fo far from taking any'proft to amendment and falvation, by that which they taw and heard, ,as they be- came rather blinde in their underfian- dings, and in their wits more perverfe and obflinate. T i M. What are the parts of theft latter words being thus opened ? S I L.
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