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…

And they expostulate with God, for not correcting all this by his grace, as by his Covenant of grace, which he hath made with them, he hath engaged himself hereunto, even to keep them from going astray, like a good Shepherd, and to put his fear into their hearts, that they shall never depart away from him; ¹Which kind of expostulation is nothing answerable to that which the Apostle proposeth to answer, Rom. 9. 16. And I may well wonder what you meant to yoke them together: Non bene inaequales veniunt ad aratra juvencae. The children of God do not expostulate with God for his complaining of their disobedience, unthankfulness, and rebellions against him, though they heartily wish they had never provoked him, and expostulate with him for not preserving them by his grace, from such courses of provocation of him, even of the eyes of his glory. The wicked have no such desire to be preserved from sin and sinful courses, which are unto them as sweet bits, which they roll under their tongues; Although when they hear of the Doctrine of obduration and his power to harden them, and in hardening they may take advantage thereby to blaspheme God, and to plead Apology for themselves; Belike then you acknowledge that God hath power to harden without respect to sin, for to this purpose tends your comparative illustration.

And they expostulate with God, for not correcting all this by his grace, as by his Covenant of grace, which hee hath made with them, hee hath ingaged himself hereunto, even to keep them from going astray, like a good Shepherd, and to put his feare into their hearts, that they shall never depart away from him; ¹Which kinde of expostulation is nothing answerable to that which the Apostle proposeth to answer, Rom. 9. 16. And I may well wonder what you meant to yoke them together: Non bene inaequales veniunt ad aratra juvencae. The children of God doe not expostulate with God for his complaining of their disobedience, unthankfulnesse, and rebellions against him, though they heartily wish they had never provoked him, and expostulate with him for not preserving them by his grace, from such courses of provocation of him, even of the eyes of his glory. The wicked have no such desire to bee preserved from sin and sinfull courses, which are unto them as sweet bits, which they roule under their tongues; Although when they heare of the Doctrine of obduration and his power to harden them, and in hardning they may take advantage thereby to blaspheme God, and to plead Apologie for themselves; Belike then you acknowledge that God hath power to harden without respect to sin, for to this purpose tends your comparative illustration.