An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters…

First, That God hath a time to give over men to themselves, to say Obs. 1 that his Spirit shall no longer strive with them. Oh many a man hath felt the Spirit of God drawing, struggling, striving with him to draw him from such and such a wicked way; he hath felt (I say) Gods Spirit mighty and strong, what will you still go on in this way of wickedness, uncleanness, drunkenness, oppression, injustice, profanation, hypocrisy, self-seeking and the like? but he hath been striving against the Spirit of God and his lusts have even gotten the victory over the Spirit, so that God saith, My Spirit shall no longer strive, I will not struggle in vain, but let him go on and have his own ways; Oh it is dreadful when the Lord shall say of a drunkard, of an unclean person, of an hypocrite, I have been struggling so long with them but yet their hearts have been opposite to me, let them alone in that wicked way and let them go on and satisfy themselves in their wicked devices, Psal. 81.12. They would none of me saith God, they would none of my ways, ⟨p. 206⟩So I gave them up to their own counsels. Oh this is a dreadful gift! Many men that will set their counsels against Gods counsels, and will do it so long as that God at length gives them up to their own counsels: You will set your thoughts against my Truth, your counsels against mine, well, take your counsels, satisfy your selves in your own ways. And you know that place in the latter end of the Revelation, He that will be filthy, let him be filthy still: Saith God, Let him alone; will you be filthy? be filthy then. And that in Ezek. 24.13. Because when I would have purged them they would not be purged, therefore they shall be purged no m•re saith God; I will let them alone, I will never seek either by my word or by my works to do them any further good, they shall be purged no more.

First, That God hath a time to give over men to themselves, to say Obs. 1 that his Spirit shal no longer strive with them. Oh many a man hath felt the Spirit of God drawing, strugling, striving with him to draw him from such and such a wicked way; he hath felt (I say) Gods Spirit mighty and strong, what will you still go on in this way of wickedness, uncleanness, drunkenness, oppression, injustice, profanation, hypocrise, self-seeking and the like? but he hath been striving against the Spirit of God and his lusts have even gotten the victory over the Spirit, so that God saith, My Spirt shall no longer strive, I will not struggle in vain, but let him go on and have his own waies; Oh it is dreadful when the Lord shall say of a drunkard, of an unclean person, of an hypocrite, I have been strugling so long with them but yet their hearts have been opposite to me, let them alone in that wicked way and let them go on and satisfie themselves in their wicked devices,