The riches of Gods love unto the vessels of mercy, consistent with his absolute…The riches of Gods love unto the vessells of mercy, consistent with his absolute…

For is it not Moses his purpose to set before their eyes how little they have profited in obedience and thankfulness unto God, and amendment of life, by all those great works of his, in the way of mercy towards them, and in the way of judgement towards the Egyptians? And what was the cause of all this, but the hardness of their hearts, and the blindness of their eyes? and to what end doth he tell them, that God alone can take away this hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, which hitherto he had not done? Might he not seem to justify them, in walking after the hardness of their hearts by this, and harden them therein by this Doctrine of his? like as this Author casts the like aspersion in part upon the like Doctrine of ours? Yet Moses passeth not for this, so he might set them in a right course, to be made partakers of Gods grace, and that by the ministry of the Law, to humble and prepare them for the grace of God, which is the Evangelical use of the Law. And it is remarkable that in the first verse of this Chapter, these words are said to be the words of the Covenant, which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the Children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the Covenant which he made with them in Horeb. Wherefore seeing the Covenant made in Horeb, was the Covenant of the Law, it followeth that this Covenant is the Covenant of grace, and these words are the words of the Covenant of grace, which is plainly expressed in the next Chapter v. 6. And the Lord thy God, will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, that thou mayest love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live. And what is the usual preparation hereunto but to humble men by convicting them of sin, and of their utter inability to help themselves, and that nothing but Gods grace is able to give them an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear. But yet because we do not speak in the same measure of the spirit, and of power, as Moses and our Saviour did, therefore we labour to decline all harshness as much as lieth in our power, where we see occasion is like to be taken of offence. Therefore first as touching this discourse of Calvins. If you believe not, therefore it is, because you are already destinated unto damnation. I say this is untrue more ways then one.

For is it not Moses his purpose to set before their eyes how little they have profited in obedience and thankfulnesse unto God, and amendment of life, by all those great workes of his, in the way of mercy towards them, and in the way of judgement towards the Egyptians? And what was the cause of all this, but the hardnesse of their hearts, and the blindnesse of their eyes? and to what end doth he tell them, that God alone can take away this hardnesse of heart, and blindnesse of mind, which hitherto he had not done? Might he not seem to justify them, in walking after the hardnesse of their hearts by this, and harden them therein by this Doctrine of his? like as this Author casts the like aspersion in part upon the like Doctrine of ours? Yet Moses passeth not for this, so he might set them in a right course, to be made partakers of Gods grace, and that by the ministry of the Law, to humble and prepare them for the grace of God, which is the Evangelicall use of the Law. And it is remarkable that in the first verse of this Chapter, these words are said to be the words of the Covenant, which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the Children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the Covenant which he made with them in Horeb. Wherefore seeing the Covenant made in Horeb, was the Covenant of the Law, it followeth that this Covenant is the Covenant of grace, and these words are the words of the Covenant of grace, which is plainly expressed in the next Chapter v. 6. And the Lord thy God, will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, that thou maiest love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soule, that thou maiest live. And what is the usuall preparation hereunto but to humble men by convicting them of sinne, and of their utter inability to help themselves, and that nothing but Gods grace is able to give them an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and eares to heare. But yet because we doe not speake in the same measure of the spirit, and of power, as Moses and our Saviour did, therefore we labour to decline all harshnesse as much as lyeth in our power, where we see occasion is like to be taken of offence. Therefore first as touching this discourse of Calvins. If you believe not, therefore it is, because you are already destinated unto damnation. I say this is untrue more waies then one.