Fourthly, That man that by living under the powerful Ministry of the Word, is more hard in heart, and worse in life; if a man grows thus, it is an argument, he is not within the purpose of Gods election. Matth. 13.14, 15. By hearing, you shall hear, but not understand; by seeing, you shall see, but not perceive; this peoples heart is waxed gross, their ears dull in hearing, their eyes shut, lest at any time they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and be converted, and I should save them. Here is the judgement God lays upon such sinners, that they shall have eyes, and not see, they shall be ignorant, their hearts shall wax gross, they shall be uncapable of taking any impression of the word upon them. And what's the end of all this? lest they should be converted, and I should save them; implying, that if God lets you that live under the Ministry, to have dark eyes, and hard hearts, it is an argument God hath no intent to save you, and therefore his purpose is to condemn you. So John 12.40. He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts and be converted. Here it is laid down as an act of ⟨p. 215⟩Gods, that God did harden their hearts, and God did blind their eyes, lest they should be converted; Implying, that if men do live and die, in this temper, that they have lived year after year under a powerful Ministry, and yet they grow more blind in judgement, and more profane in life, and more hard in heart, after 20, 30, 40 years hearing, then they were before; that the word doth but draw out their wickedness, and makes them more profane, and more to oppose godliness; the Lord have mercy upon such souls, for certainly if God leave you thus, it is an argument he never intends to save you; for the Lord doth thus with such, that they might not be saved. There is a passage Rom. 11.7. Israel hath not obtained that which he seeks for, but the election hath obtained, and the rest were hardened. By election is meant the elected, (the Abstract put for the Concrete.) As often in Scripture, Circumcision put for Circumcised; and so here, Election put for elected, The elected have obtained it: what did they obtain? they obtained salvation and glory; but the rest, that were not elected, they were hardened.
Fourthly, That man that by living under the powerfull Ministry of the Word, is more hard in heart, and worse in life; if a man grows thus, it is an argument, he is not within the purpose of Gods election. Matth. 13.14, 15. By hearing, you shall heare, but not understand; by seeing, you shall see, but not perceive; this peoples heart is waxed grosse, their eares dull in hearing, their eyes shut, lest at any time they should see with their eyes, heare with their eares, understand with their hearts, and be converted, and I should save them. Here is the judgement God laies upon such sinners, that they shall have eyes, and not see, they shall be ignorant, their hearts shall waxe grosse, they shall be uncapable of taking any impression of the word upon them. And what's the end of all this? lest they should be converted, and I should save them; implying, that if God lets you that live under the Ministry, to have dark eyes, and hard hearts, it is an argument God hath no intent to save you, and therefore his purpose is to condemne you. So John 12.40. He hath blinded their eyes, and hardned their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts and be converted. Here it is laid down as an act of ⟨p. 215⟩Gods, that God did harden their hearts, and God did blind their eyes, lest they should be converted; Implying, that if men doe live and die, in this temper, that they have lived yeere after yeere under a powerfull Ministry, and yet they grow more blind in judgement, and more profane in life, and more hard in heart, after 20, 30, 40 yeeres hearing, then they were before; that the word doth but draw out their wickednesse, and makes them more prophane, and more to oppose godlinesse; the Lord have mercy upon such soules, for certainly if God leave you thus, it is an argument he never intends to save you; for the Lord doth thus with such, that they might not be saved. There is a passage Rom. 11.7. Israel hath not obtained that which he seeks for, but the election hath obtained, and the rest were hardned. By election is meant the elected, (the Abstract put for the Concrete.) As often in Scripture, Circumcision put for Circumcised; and so here, Election put for elected, The elected have obtained it: what did they obtaine? they obtained salvation and glory; but the rest, that were not elected, they were hardned.
