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difpenfation, to his own holy ends"; yet fo, as the finfulness thereof proceedeth only from the creature, and not from God; who being most holy and righteous, neither is nor can be the author or approver of fin".

V. The most wife, righteous and gracious God doth oftentimes leave for a feafon his own children to manifold temptations, and the corruption of their own hearts, to chaftife them for their former fins, or to difcover unto them the hidden strength of corruption, and deceitfulness of their hearts, that they may be humbled';

of the ftout heart of the king of Affyria, and the glory of his high looks.

r1 John 2. 16. For all that is in the world, the luft of the flesh, and the luft of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Pfal. 50. 21. Thefe things haft thou done, and I kept filence: Thou thoughteft that I was altogether fuch a one as thyfelf: but I will reprove thee, and fet them in order before thine eyes. -See alfo, James 1. 13, 14, 17. Let no man fay when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man-But every man is tempted, when he is drawn as way of his own luf, and enticed.-Every good gift, and every red gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with

whom is no variableness, nei ther fhadow of turning.

V. f 2 Chron. 32. 25, 26, 31. But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerufalem. Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the in bitants of Jerufalem, fo, that the wrath of the Lety came not upon them in e days of Hezekiah,-Howeit, in the business of the ambaffadors of the crinces of Babylon, who fet unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him to try him, that he might know all that Tuas in his heart.

2 Cor. 12. 7, 8, 9. And left I fhould be exalted above measure through the abundance

and to raise them to a more clofe and conftant dependance for their fupport upon himself, and to make them more watchful against all future occafions of fin, and for fundry other just and holy ends'.

VI. As for thofe wicked and ungodly men whom God as a righteous judge, for former fins, doth blind and harden', from them he not only with-holdeth his grace, whereby they might have been enlightened in their understandings, and wrought upon in their hearts"; but fometimes alfo

of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the meffenger of Satan to buffet me, left I fhould be exalted above meafure.-For this thing I befought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.-And he faid unto me, My grace is fufficient for thee: for my ftrength is made perfect in weakness. Moft gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Chrift may reft upon me. Pfal. 73. throughout. Pfal. 77. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12. Mark 14. 66th. v. to the end, John 21. 15. 16. 17.

VI. v Rom. 1. 24, 26, 28. & 11. 7, 8. Wherefore God alfo gave them up to unclean. nefs through the lufts of their own hearts, to difhonour their own bodies between them. felves ;-For this caufe God gave them up unto vile af

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fections; for even their women did change the natural use into that which is againft nature:-And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do thofe things which are not convenient-What then? Ifrael hath not obtained that which he feeketh for, but the election hath obtained it, and the reft were blinded--According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of flumber, eyes that they should not fee, and ears that they fhould not hear unto this day.

w Deut. 29. 4. Yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to fee, and ears to hear, unto this day.

x Mat. 13 12. But whofoever hath not, from him fhall be taken away even that he hath. See Mat 25, 29.

withdraweth the gifts which they had; and expofeth them to fuch objects as their corruption makes occafion of fin'; and withal, gives them over to their own lufts, the temptations of the world, and the power of Satan'; whereby it comes to pass that they harden themselves, even under thofe means which God ufeth for the softening of othersa.

y 2 Kings 8. 12, 13. And Hazael faid, Why weepeth my lord? and he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Ifrael: Their ftrong holds wilt thou fet on fire, and their young men wilt thou flay with the fword, and wilt dafh their children, and rip up their women with child, And Hazael faid, But what, is thy fervant a dog, that he fhould do this great thing? And Elifha anfwered, The Lord hath fhew. ed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.

z Pfal. 81. 11, 12. But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Ifrael would none of me,-So I gave them up unto their own hearts' luft; and they walked in their own counfels. 2 Theff. 2. 10, 11, 12. And with all deceivablenefs of unrighteoufnefs in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth; that they might be faved. And for this caufe God

fhall fend them ftrong delufion, that they fhould believe a lie; that they all might be damned, who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteoufnefs.

a Exod. 8. 15, 12. But when Pharoah faw that there was refpite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had faid: And Pharoah hardened his heart at this time alfo, neither would he let the people go. 2 Cor. 2. 15, 16. For we are unto God, a fweet favour of Chrift in them that are faved, and in them that perifh:-To the one we are the favour of death unto death; and to the other, the favour of life unto life. Ifai. 8. 14. And he shall be for a fanctuary; but for a ftone of ftumbling, and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Ifrael, for a gin, and for a fnare to the inhabitants of Jerufalem. See alfo Exod. 7. 3. I Pet. 2. 7, 8. Ifai. 6. 9, 10. with Acts 28. 26, 27.

VII. As the providence of God doth, in general, reach to all creatures; fo, after a most special manner, it taketh care of his church, and dispofeth all things to the good thereof.

CHA P. VI.

Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment thereof.

UR first parents, being feduced by the fub

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tilty and temptation of Satan, finned in eating the forbidden fruit. This their fin God was pleased, according to his wife and holy counfel, to permit, having purposed to order it to his own glory".

VII. b Amos 9. 8, 9. Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the finful kingdom, and I will deftroy it from off the face of the earth; faving that I will not utterly deftroy the house of Jacob, faith the Lord-For to, I will command, and I will fift the houfe of Ifrael among all na tions, like as corn is fifted in a fieve, yet fhall not the leaft grain fall upon the earth. Rom. 8. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to

them who are the called according to his purpose.

I, a Gen. 3. 13.-And the woman faid, The ferpent beguiled me, and I did eat. 2 Cor. II. 3. But I fear left by any means, as the ferpent beguiled Eve through his fubtilty, fo your minds fhould be corrupted from the fimplicity that is in Chrift.

b Rom. II. 32. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

II. By this fin they fell from their original righteousness, and communion with God, and fo became dead in find, and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of foul and body.

III. They being the root of all mankind, the guilt of this fin was imputed, and the fame death in fin and corrupted nature conveyed to all their posterity, descending from them by ordinary generations.

II. c Gen. 3. 7, 8. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked and they fewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves aprons:-And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day; And Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. Eccl. 7. 29. Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have fought out many inventions. Rom. 3. 23. For all have finned and come fhort of the glory of God.

d Eph. 2. 1. And you bath he quickened, who were dead in trefpaffes and fins. Rom. 5. 12. Wherefore, as by one man fin entered into the world, and death by fin; and fo death paffed upon all men, for that all have finned.

e Gen. 6. 5. And God faw that the wickednefs of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts

of his heart, was only evil con tinually. Jer. 17. 9. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? See alfo Rom. 3. 10. to the 19th ver.

III. f Acts. 17. 26. And hath made of one blood, all nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times be fore appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; and Gen. 2. 16, 17. with Rom. 5. 12, 15,16, 17, 18, 19, and 1. Cor. 15.21, 22, 45, 49. For fince by man came death, by man came alfo the refurrection of the dead: For as in Adam all die, even fo in Christ shall all be made alive and fo it is written, The first man Adamı was made a living foul; the laft Adam was made a quickening Spirit.And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we fhall alfo bear the image of the heavenly.

g Pfal. 51. 5. Behold, I was fhapen in iniquity; and in fin did my mother conceive

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