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…

Indeed there were no cause of any such objection as that, Rom. 9. 29. if so be God hardens no man but for sin, and withal it is just with God to harden men in their sine, and less cause of such an answer, Rom. 9. 20, 21, 22. No man, I think, makes any doubt but that the objection, Why doth he complain? for who hath resisted his will? ariseth from the 18 ver. where it is said, that God as he hath mercy on whom he will, so he hardeneth whom he will, even as he hardened Pharaoh; but yet you do not shape the objection right, when you shape it thus; What fault is there in me to be hardened? which is in effect as if you would shape it thus; Wherein then have I deserved to be hardened? For the negative to this, namely, that God doth not harden upon desert, is that which the Apostle avoucheth; Like as neither doth he show mercy upon desert. But like as upon the mere pleasure of his will, he shows mercy on some: So, according to the good pleasure of his will, he hardeneth others. But well might he say, why then doth he complain of the hardness of my heart, and my impenitency; or rather the Apostle proposeth it, in reference to the fruits of mans hardness of heart and impenitency, such as God complains of, Esa. 1. I have nourished and brought up a people, and they have rebelled against me. And Esa. 56. All the day long have I stretched out mine hands to a rebellious people, that walk in a way which is not good, even after their own imaginations. Or as if Pharaoh, hearing of this ministry of Gods providence, should say, Why doth he complain of the hardness of my heart in not letting Israel go, when he hath hardened my beart that I should not let Israel go, and who hath resisted his will?

Indeed there were no cause of any such objection as that, Rom. 9. 29. if so bee God hardens no man but for sin, and withall it is just with God to harden men in their sine, and lesse cause of such an answer, Rom. 9. 20, 21, 22. No man, I think, makes any doubt but that the objection, Why doth hee complain? for who hath resisted his will? ariseth from the 18 ver. where it is said, that God as hee hath mercy on whom hee will, so hee hardneth whom hee will, even as hee hardned Pharaoh; but yet you doe not shape the objection right, when you shape it thus; What fault is there in mee to bee hardned? which is in effect as if you would shape it thus; Wherein then have I deserved to bee hardned? For the negative to this, namely, that God doth not harden upon desert, is that which the Apostle avoucheth; Like as neither doth hee shew mercy upon desert. But like as upon the meere pleasure of his will, hee shews mercy on some: So, according to the good pleasure of his will, hee hardneth others. But well might hee say, why then doth hee complain of the hardnesse of my heart, and my impenitency; or rather the Apostle proposeth it, in reference to the fruits of mans hardnesse of heart and impenitency, such as God complains of,