The poor mans advocate, or, A treatise of liberality to the needy. Delivered in…The poore mans advocate, or, A treatise of liberality to the needy. Delivered in…

Reas. 2 This hiding of the ⟨p. 66⟩eyes causeth the Lord at last to make men blind, even to strike them with a spirit of blindness, that they shall be so hood-winked & muffled as the lightest and brightest truth that is, shall never sink into their minds, and so they will be hardened in sin against all reproofs and exhortation and admonitions, that nothing will work them to amendment, and so by utter impenitency and hardness they tumble themselves headlong to the pit of perdition, as you see in ⟨p. 67⟩the Prophet Isay, God saith, Make the eyes of this people blind and their heart fat, that is, as much as if he had said, all thy labour with them shall profit nothing, they shall grow harder and harder, blinder and blinder, the more they be taught and instructed. Why? What is the reason that God will sell them over to their own hardness and blindness? That place alleged also, Mat. 13.14, 15. leads us to the reason, Their eyes have they closed, least at any time they should see and ⟨p. 68⟩convert and be healed. A refusing to know by closing ones eyes against light with fond excuses, that is the true sin which God punisheth even with giving them up to utter impenitency and blindness, so this that is a fruit of guile and procurer of utter hardness is a fearful sin. Now of the last point. He shall have curses enough.

Reas. 2 This hiding of the ⟨p. 66⟩eyes causeth the Lord at last to make men blinde, even to strike them with a spirit of blindnesse, that they shall bee so hood-winked & muffled as the lightest and brightest truth that is, shall never sinke into their mindes, and so they will be hardned in sinne against all reproofes and exhonation and admonitions, that nothing will worke them to amendment, and so by utter impenitencie and hardnesse they tumble themselves headlong to the pit of perdition, as you see in ⟨p. 67⟩the Prophet Isay, God saith, Make the eyes of this people blind and their heart fat, that is, as much as if hee had said, all thy labour with them shall profit nothing, they shall grow harder and harder, blinder and blinder, the more they be taught and instructed. Why? What is the reason that God will sell them over to their owne hardnesse and blindnesse? That place alledged also,