8 Eighthly, Know that if Gods Name be not Sanctified in it, the end that God hath appointed it for, will be turned quite contrary to thee; The proper end that God hath appointed His Word for, it is to save souls: but now, where Gods Name is not Sanctified it is turned quite contrary, so the Apostle in 2 Cor. 2.16. To the one we are the savour of death unto death, and to the other the savour of life unto life: It is a dreadful thing that the good word of God in which there is such treasures of Gods mercy, wherein the counsels of God, concerning mans eternal estate comes to be revealed, that this should prove to be the savour of death unto death unto any soul, that is, to have such an efficacy in it, as to kill them by the very scent of it as it were; As some things have such a poison in them, as the very scent is enough to poison one; So saith the Apostle, to some our word hath that efficacy being turned quite to the contrary end some souls are saved, and are and shall be blessing God to all eternity for the Word, and thy soul is damned by the Word, so as thou wilt hereafter curse the time that ever thou camest to hear it: That will be a dreadful thing that the same word that others shall be blessing of God eternally in heaven for; that thou shalt be cursing eternally in hell for, it will be turned to the quite contrary end, If it works not in the right way it will work the other, the truth is, it hardens mens hearts if it brings them not to God; there is nothing that doth harden the hearts of men more than the Ministry of the Word: yet by accident, not by it's self, there is no men in the world have such hard hearts as those that are wicked under the Ministry of the word; It is not only an argument that their hearts are hard, but they are hardened by it: That in Isa. 6.9, 10. is remarkable for this, and the rather because I find it so often quoted by Christ, I think it is quoted three or four times in the Gospel, And he said, Go and tell this people, hear ye indeed, but understand not, and see ye indeed, but perceive not; Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert ⟨p. 206⟩and be healed. This is a strange Scripture, what must a Prophet go to them, to make their hearts fat, and to shut their eyes, Why?
8 Eightly, Know that if Gods Name be not Sanctified in it, the end that God hath appointed it for, will be turned quite contrary to thee; The proper end that God hath appointed His Word for, it is to save souls: but now, where Gods Name is not Sanctified it is turned quite contrary, so the Aposte in 2 Cor. 2.16. To the one we are the savour of death unto death, and to the other the savour of life unto life: It is a dreadful thing that the good word of God in which there is such treasures of Gods mercy, wherein the councels of God, concerning mans eternal estate comes to be revealed, that this should prove to be the savour of deah unto death unto any soul, that is, to have such an efficacy in it, as to kill them by the very scent of it as it were; As some things have such a poyson in them, as the very scent is enough to poyson one; So saith the Apostle, to some our word hath that efficacy being turned quite to the contrary end some souls are sav'd, and are and shal be blessing God to al eternity for the Word, and thy soul is damn'd by the Word, so as thou wilt hereafter curse the time that ever thou camest to hear it: That will be a dreadful thing that the same word that others shal be blessing of God eternally in heaven for; that thou shalt be cursing eternally in hell for, it wil be turned to the quite contrary end, If it works not in the right way it will work the other, the truth is, it hardens mens hearts if it brings them not to God; there is nothing that doth harden the hearts of men more than the Ministry of the Word: yet by accident, not by it's self, there is no men in the world have such hard hearts as those that are wicked under the Ministry of the word; It is not only an argument that their hearts are hard, but they are hardened by it: That in Isa. 6.9, 10. is remarkable for this, and the rather because I find it so often quoted by Christ, I think it is quoted three or four times in the Gospel, And he said, Go and tell this people, hear ye indeed, but understand not, and see yee indeed, but perceive not; Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert ⟨p. 206⟩and be healed. This is a strange Scripture, what must a Prophet go to them, to make their hearts fat, and to shut their eyes, Why?
