And that these two ways,
1. Frowardness blinds the minds of men: frowardness bereaves men of their understandings, passion draws a veil before the eyes, God presents before men several encouragements to believe, but those things don t sink into mens hearts when discontented: a man in a discontented frame, is out of frame to consider the weight of those things that God sets before him; discontentedness makes him rashly and inconsiderately to reject encouragements: when God is encouraging him, he don't hearken and regard it, Ex. 6.9. they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit and for cruel bondage: frowardness ⟨p. 346⟩does prejudice men against believing: when a man is in such a frame, he construes all Gods dispensations to be from want of love: he thinks if God had any love for him, he would never have dealt so with him, if God had had a kindness for him, he would have done this for him and prevented this or that evil: but he takes it as a sign that God don't regard him; when froward he puts the worst sense upon every thing: and represents Gods dispensations to himself, as flowing from want of love; he is ready to say as she, how canst thou say, I love thee, Judg. 15.15. yea frowardness makes a man justify his unbelief: it so blinds him, as it did Jonah, that he thinks he does well: & vindicates himself as if he had cause for what he did.
2. Frowardness makes men love to cavil against the encouragements that God sets before them: a man in a froward frame studies objections, and indulges himself in a way of cavilling: there is a great deal of wilfulness in their unbelief: a froward heart humours himself in his raising of objections, men take a pride in cavilling and turning of the calls of God: when the heart is discontented, there is a great deal of a sturdy spirit working in their unbelief: if I had called and he had answered, yet would I not believe that he did hearken unto my voice, for he breaketh me with a tempest, Job. 9.16, 17.
And that these two ways,
1. Frowardness blinds the minds of men: frowardness bereaves men of their understandings, passion draws a vail before the eyes, God presents before men several encouragements to believe, but those things don t sink into mens hearts when discontented: a man in a discontented frame, is out of frame to consider the weight of those things that God sets before him; discontentedness makes him rashly and inconsiderately to reject encouragements: when God is encouraging him, he don't hearken and regard it, Ex. 6.9. they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit and for cruel bondage: frowardness ⟨p. 346⟩does prejudice men against believing: when a man is in such a frame, he construes all Gods difpensations to be from want of love: he thinks if God had any love for him, he would never have dealt so with him, if God had had a kindness for him, he would have done this for him and prevented this or that evil: but he takes it as a sign that God don't regard him; when froward he puts the worst sense upon every thing: and represents Gods dispensations to himself, as flowing from want of love; he is ready to say as she, how canst thou say, I love thee, Judg. 15.15. yea frowardness makes a man justifie his unbelief: it so blinds him, as it did Jonah, that he thinks he does well: & vindicates himself as if he had cause for what he did.
2. Frowardness makes men love to cavil against the encouragements that God sets before them: a man in a froward frame studies objections, and indulges himself in a way of cavelling: there is a great deal of wilfulness in their unbelief: a froward heart humours himself in his raising of objections, men take a pride in cavelling and turning of the calls of God: when the heart is discontented, there is a great deal of a sturdy spirit working in their unbelief: if I had called and he had answered, yet would I not believe that he did hearken unto my voice, for he breaketh me with a tempest, Job. 9.16, 17.
