2. Judicando; or by way of penal infliction. After many rebellions against light, God at last gives men up to a reprobate mind, void of all spiritual judgment; to a fat heart, void of all spiritual sense; to a spirit of slumber, such as wakes not under the loud calls and roaring judgments of Heaven; to a [Greek or Hebrew], a brawny hardness and senseless obduration, such as feels nothing, no not the weighty mountains of sin and wrath lying on the soul. And this he doth partly by a tradition to Satan, who rules in darkness and hardness, and hath a wonderful art to promote and aggravate both these in the children of disobedience; partly by a giving them up to their own lusts, which are the most intimate ⟨p. 102⟩Devils of all, and by degrees put out the eyes, and obstinate the hearts of men; partly by presenting such objects as occasionally prove snares and stumbling blocks to them. Hence we find in Scripture an ensnaring table, Psal. 69. 22. a destroying prosperity, Prov. 1. 32. a sin-irritating Law, Rom. 7. 8. a death-savouring Gospel, 2 Cor. 2. 16. an enraging adversity, such as makes them like a wild bull in a net, Isai. 51. 20. with many more like providences, which occasionally harden and blind men into further degrees of sin and wickedness. Now this Judicial hardening and blinding is neither to be found in all Reprobates, but in the grand Rebels; nor yet only in Reprobates, but in the Elect, at least some of them. Hence that out-cry, O Lord! Why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our hearts from thy fear? Isai. 63. 17. Only here is the difference; this Judicial blinding and hardening in the Elect is but partial; all the holy light is not out, all spiritual tenderness is not gone. Wherefore in that place they groan after a return; but in the Reprobate it is more total. Again, in the Elect it is but for a time; through ⟨p. 103⟩auxiliary Grace the closed eyes will open again, the stony heart will melt again: but in the Reprobate it is final, the darkness is upon them till they come to utter darkness, the stone is in them till they come to hellish obstinacy. Wherefore in them 'tis a kind of sealing up of Damnation. Negative blinding and hardening suffices to the permission of final sin, but Judicial is an earnest of final perdition.
2. Judicando; or by way of penal infliction. After many rebellions against light, God at last gives men up to a reprobate mind, void of all spiritual judgment; to a fat heart, void of all spiritual sense; to a spirit of slumber, such as wakes not under the loud calls and roaring judgments of Heaven; to a 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, a brawny hardness and sensless obduration, such as feels nothing, no not the weighty mountains of sin and wrath lying on the soul. And this he doth partly by a tradition to Satan, who rules in darkness and hardness, and hath a wonderful art to promote and aggravate both these in the children of disobedience; partly by a giving them up to their own lusts, which are the most intimate ⟨p. 102⟩Devils of all, and by degrees put out the eyes, and obstinate the hearts of men; partly by presenting such objects as occasionally prove snares and stumbling blocks to them. Hence we find in Scripture an ensnaring table, Psal. 69. 22. a destroying prosperity, Prov. 1. 32. a sin-irritating Law, Rom. 7. 8. a death-savouring Gospel, 2 Cor. 2. 16. an enraging adversity, such as makes them like a wild bull in a net, Isai. 51. 20. with many more like providences, which occasionally harden and blind men into further degrees of sin and wickedness. Now this Judicial hardning and blinding is neither to be found in all Reprobates, but in the grand Rebels; nor yet only in Reprobates, but in the Elect, at least some of them. Hence that out-cry, O Lord! Why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our hearts from thy fear? Isai. 63. 17. Only here is the difference; this Judicial blinding and hardning in the Elect is but partial; all the holy light is not out, all spiritual tenderness is not gone. Wherefore in that place they groan after a return; but in the Reprobate it is more total. Again, in the Elect it is but for a time; through ⟨p. 103⟩auxiliary Grace the closed eyes will open again, the stony heart will melt again: but in the Reprobate it is final, the darkness is upon them till they come to utter darkness, the stone is in them till they come to hellish obstinacy. Wherefore in them 'tis a kind of sealing up of Damnation. Negative blinding and hardning suffices to the permission of final sin, but Judicial is an earnest of final perdition.
