A treatise of delighting in God from Psal. xxxvij. 4. Delight thy self also…

Which shows, that as that blinding and hardening of eyes and hearts, in some superadded degrees thereof, is the effect of a penal dereliction or retraction of Gods arm, for former obstinate opposition to the external revelation of the Gospel; So that there is a precedent blindness and hardness, not otherwise vincible than by the arm of the Lord; And which, it being penally withheld, will naturally grow worse and worse. And certainly that, upon the with-holding whereof, such things certainly ensue as are ⟨p. 39⟩inconsistent with believing, must needs it self be necessary to it. All which things considered, do so plainly speak the insufficiency of a mere external revelation, and the necessity of an internal besides, unto that Faith, which is the immediate spring of delight in God; that it is not needful to insist upon many plain Texts of Scripture besides, that fully say the same thing.¹ As that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the holy Ghost. And again, Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, ²God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. ³Upon which words, with many more of like import in the sacred Volume, no sense can be put which is tolerable, and not the same with what we have above asserted.

Which shews, that as that blinding and hardening of eyes and hearts, in some superadded degrees thereof, is the effect of a penal dereliction or retraction of Gods arm, for former obstinate opposition to the external revelation of the Gospel; So that there is a precedent blindness and hardness, not otherwise vincible than by the arm of the Lord; And which, it being penally withheld, will naturally grow worse and worse. And certainly that, upon the with-holding whereof, such things certainly ensue as are ⟨p. 39⟩inconsistent with believing, must needs it self be necessary to it. All which things considered, do so plainly speak the insufficiency of a meer external revelation, and the necessity of an internal besides, unto that Faith, which is the immediate spring of delight in God; that it is not needful to insist upon many plain Texts of Scripture besides, that fully say the same thing.