Besides this, reprobates have some prerogatives of God: kas that lie is patient towards them: that before he will destroy them, he useth many means to win them, that they commonly spend all the days of their lives in prosperity: insomuch, that it is said of them in the Psalm:l that they go in continual prosperity unto their death, and pine not away as the children of God do. mBut after a certain time God in his just judgement hardeneth their hearts, blindeth the eyes of their minds, he maketh their heads giddy with a spiritual drunkenness, & by the strength of their inward lusts, as also by the effectual operation of Satan, they fall to open infidelity, & contempt of Gods word, and so run headlong to their own damnation, and perish finally. And in this they are like to hawks, which so long as they live are carried on the hands of noble men: but when they are dead, they are cast on the dunghill. nJulian the Apostate was first a ⟨p. 582⟩man learned and eloquent, and professed the religion of Christ; but afterward, he fell and wrote a book against the religion of Christ, answered by Cyril: & on a time, in a battle against the Persians, was thrust into the bowels with a dart, no man then knew how, which dart he pulled out with his own hand, & presently blood followed, which as it gushed out, he took it in his hand, and flung it into the air, saying, Vicisti Galilee, vicisti. O thou Galilean (meaning Christ) thou art the conqueror: thou art the conqueror: thus he ended his days in blaspheming Christ whom he had professed. The reason of this apostasy is evident. oSeed, that is not deeply rooted in the earth, at the beginning of the year, springeth up; it is green, and bringeth forth leaves & flowers, and (it may be) some kind of fruit too: when the heat of summer cometh, it parcheth the earth, and the corn wanting deep rooting, and therefore wanting moisture, withereth away. Gods word is like seed; which that it may bring forth fruit unto everlasting life, it must be first received of the ground: secondly, it must be rooted: the receiving of it, is when the mind understandeth it, and remembereth it: he rooting of it, is when being believed, it pierceth to the heart, and taketh hold of the affections. This rooting is of two sorts:
Besides this, reprobates haue some prerogatiues of God: kas that lie is patient towards them: that before he will destroy them, he vseth many meanes to win them, that they commonly spend all the daies of their liues in prosperitie: insomuch, that it is said of them in the Psalme:l that they goe in continual prosperitie vnto their death, and pine not away as the children of God doe. mBut after a certain time God in his iust iudgement hardneth their hearts, blindeth the eyes of their minds, he maketh their heads giddy with a spiritual drunkennes, & by the strength of their inward lusts, as also by the effectuall op•ration of Satan, they fall to open infidelitie, & contempt of Gods word, and so run headlong to their own damnation, and perish finally. And in this they are like to hauks, which so long as they liue are caried on the handes of noble men: but when they are dead, they are cast on the dunghill. nIulian the Apostata was first a ⟨p. 582⟩man learned and eloquent, and professed the religion of Christ; but afterward, he fel and wrote a booke against the religion of Christ, answered by Cyril: & on a time, in a battell against the Persians, was thrust into the bowells with a dart, no man then knew how, which dart he pulled out with his owne hand, & presently blood followed, which as it gushed out, he tooke it in his hand, and flung it into the ayre, saying, Vicisti Galil•e, vicisti. O thou Galilean (meaning Christ) thou art the conquerour: thou art the conquerour: thus he ended his daies in blaspheming Christ whom he had professed. The reason of this apostasie is euident. oSeede, that is not deepely rooted in the earth, at the beginning of the yeare, springeth vp; it is greene, and bringeth forth leaues & flowers, and (it may be) some kind of fruit too: when the heat of sommer commeth, it parcheth the earth, and the corne wanting deepe rooting, and therfore wanting moysture, withereth away. Gods word is like seede; which that it may bring forth fruit vnto euerlasting life, it must be first receiued of the ground: secondly, it must be rooted: the receiuing of it, is when the minde vnderstandeth it, and remembreth it: he rooting of it, is when being beleeued, it pierceth to the heart, and taketh hold of the affections. This rooting is of two sorts:
- kRom. 9.22. and 2.4,5. Gen. 6.3.
- lPs. 13. 12.
- m2. Pet. 2. 22. 1. Tim. 1.4. 2. Thes. 2. 6. Esa. 6.10.
- nTheod. lib. 3. Hist. cap. •5. I• cob, Berg. chron.
- oMat. 13. 28.
