Secondly. When a Sinner hardens his own Heart, the Righteous Providence of an Holy GOD, will cast before the Sinner such Objects, as he shall Abuse to strengthen the hardness of his Heart, how Perniciously, how Exceedingly! As the Potter sets his Clay in the Sun, and it is hardened here; so the great God, before ⟨p. 24⟩whom we are, as the Clay before the Potter, [And, whom He will, He hardeneth!] when a Sinner hardens his own Heart, the great▪ God is provoked then to set him in very hardening Circumstances. Perhaps, the Sinner shall now be hardened, by being left in the Hands of Wicked Company. Among all the Engines of Hell, there is not upon the Face of the Earth a greater Hardener! 'Tis from a Dispensation of the Holy God, that the Sinner becomes intimately Acquainted with Company that shall teach him the Arts of Sin, and spur him to the Practice of them; Company that shall instill into him Notions that dispose him to Atheism, and prepare him for all manner of Sin and Blasphemy; Company that shall prejudice him against the Best Men and Things, and so lay the Dark Fetters of Death upon him. So becoming a Companion of such Fools, Sinner, Thy Heart is hardened, and thy Immortal Soul destroyed. But then, there is another dismal Occasion ⟨p. 25⟩which brings an hardness upon the Heart of many a Sinner, which is forever to be deplored. It is in the Scandalous Falls of such as have made a fair and high Profession of Christianity. By the Disposal of God, it comes to pass, that when a Sinner has been hardening his own Heart, his Lot shall be cast, where some that every body thought First-Rate Christians, fall into Scandalous, Amazing, Infandous Actions. The Devil knew, what a Game he should pray, when he drew those Persons into such Actions! The perverse Use the Sinner makes of what he sees, is to conclude; Well, All Religion is a Cheat. If I do the worst Things in the World, I do nothing, but that in which the greatest Pretenders to Religion indulge themselves! The Foolish Sinner is now hardened, and the Bars of the Pit are about him forever!
Secondly. When a Sinner hardens his own Heart, the Righteous Providence of an Holy GOD, will cast before the Sinner such Objects, as he shall Abuse to strengthen the hardness of his Heart, how Perniciously, how Exceedingly! As the Potter sets his Clay in the Sun, and it is hardened here; so the great God, before ⟨p. 24⟩whom we are, as the Clay before the Potter, [And, whom He will, He hardeneth!] when a Sinner hardens his own Heart, the great▪ God is provoked then to set him in very hardening Circumstances. Perhaps, the Sinner shall now be hardened, by being left in the Hands of Wicked Company. Among all the Engines of Hell, there is not upon the Face of the Earth a greater Hardener! 'Tis from a Dispensation of the Holy God, that the Sinner becomes intimately Acquainted with Company that shall teach him the Arts of Sin, and spur him to the Practice of them; Company that shall instill into him Notions that dispose him to Atheism, and prepare him for all manner of Sin and Blasphemy; Company that shall prejudice him against the Best Men and Things, and so lay the Dark Fetters of Death upon him. So becoming a Companion of such Fools, Sinner, Thy Heart is hardened, and thy Immortal Soul destroy'd. But then, there is another dismal Occasion ⟨p. 25⟩which brings an hardness upon the Heart of many a Sinner, which is forever to be deplored. It is in the Scandalous Falls of such as have made a fair and high Profession of Christianity. By the Disposal of God, it comes to pass, that when a Sinner has been hardening his own Heart, his Lot shall be cast, where some that every body thought First-Rate Christians, fall into Scandalous, Amazing, Infandous Actions. The Divel knew, what a Game he should pray, when he drew those Persons into such Actions! The perverse Use the Sinner makes of what he sees, is to conclude; Well, All Religion is a Cheat. If I do the worst Things in the World, I do nothing, but that in which the greatest Pretenders to Religion indulge themselves! The Foolish Sinner is now hardened, and the Bars of the Pit are about him forever!
