A treatise of Mr. Cottons clearing certain doubts concerning predestination together with an examination…A treatise of Mr. Cottons clearing certaine doubts concerning predestination together with an examination…

I have already showed, what that hardening is which is for sin, and wherein it doth consist, not in denying saving grace, which they never enjoyed, but in denying that natural restraint from some foul sin, which formerly they enjoyed, as I exemplified it in that, Rom. 1. 27. That in Rom. 11. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. is nothing for you, where there is no mention of sin as the cause of their obduration. As for that in Psalm. 69. 21. Their blinding is referred to their giving unto Christ Gall in his meat, and in his thirst vinegar to drink. I pray consider: Were they not even then blinded, when they persecuted Christ unto death? And yet notwithstanding some of these were converted, Act. 2.

I have already shewed, what that hardning is which is for sin, and wherein it doth consist, not in denying saving grace, which they never injoyed, but in denying that naturall restraint from some foule sin, which formerly they injoyed, as I exemplifyed it in that, Rom. 1. 27. That in Rom. 11. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. is nothing for you, where there is no mention of sin as the cause of their obduration. As for that in Psalm. 69. 21. Their blinding is referred to their giving unto Christ Gall in his meate, and in his thirst vinegar to drink. I pray consider: Were they not even then blinded, when they persecuted Christ unto death? And yet notwithstanding some of these were converted, Act. 2.

But upon this their opposition unto Christ, God did proceed to blind them more and more, but how? Not by denying saving illumination, for this they never enjoyed, it was denied them, from the first to the last.