Four useful discourses viz. ... /Four usefull discourses viz. ... /

Now then I had thought to have opened the Point further, in three Particulars: First, to show what the dealings of God doth use to be with such, in what way he deals so quick with them; Secondly the Reasons of it; and Thirdly to have Answered some Objections about this: but I shall give you but a Word or two of each, and so come to the Application.

Now then I had thought to have opened the Point further, in three Particulars: First, to shew what the dealings of God doth use to be with such, in what way he deals so quick with them; Secondly the Reasons of it; and Thirdly to have Answered some Objections about this: but I shall give you but a Word or two of each, and so come to the Application.

For the First, The way of Gods dealing with such; it is either as you heard the last Day, to take away the Ministry from them, that he doth sometimes; or if not so, the Lord passes a sentence against them, They shall not taste of my Supper: and so a man may live a long time under the Ministry of the Word, under a Sentence.

Or further, That sometimes the Lord gives him up to himself, to his own hearts lusts; for this the Gospel is the Counsel of God, for so it is called in one of the Evangelists: Now mark what Gods dealings was with those that rejected but his Counsels, in Psalm 81. I gave them up to their own hearts lusts, and they walked in their own counsels. And that famous place in Rom. 1. from the middle of it, there the Apostle shows that those that did reject but the very light of Nature, God gave them up to a Reprobate sense; much more those that shall reject the light of the Gospel: that's the way of God to give them up sometimes to the power of their sin; as if God should say, they will have none of Christ, nor of my Grace and Mercy, their Hearts are set upon their Lusts, Lust take them, such a lust of uncleanness take them, such an earthly Lust take full possession of them. The Lord gives them up to their own Hearts Lusts, the Lord saith of them, He that will be filthy, let him be filthy still, as you have it in Revelations the last, he that will be filthy let him be filthy;