Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	harden_v	israel_n	pharaoh_n	2,701	5	10.6543	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91437	The late Assembly of Divines Confession of faith examined. As it was presented by them unto the Parliament. Wherein many of their excesses and defects, of their confusions and disorders, of their errors and contradictions are presented, both to themselves and others.	Parker, William, fl. 1651-1658.	1651 (1651)	Wing P486; Thomason E1229_1; ESTC R203140	216,319	371

upon whom the Lord will not have compassion Answ It is true there are some such persons and such were the incorrigible Edomites before spoken off yet note three things First That the Apostle preoccupates an Objection which some might make out of Gods mercy continued still to Israel but withdrawn from Edom as before What shall we say then Is there unrighteousness with God Secondly That the Apostle answers it not onely with a detestation saying God forbid but also with a Scripture taken out of Exodus 33.9 And I will be gratious to whom I will be gratious and I will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy Thirdly That the Lord speakes there of continuing and enlarging his after mercies and favours to those that walk humbly faithfully and answerably to his first mercy or grace as Moses had done then when he begged of the Lord that he would shew him his glory And not of his first grace withholden from none Whereby the contrary it may be gathered that God will withhold his second mercies from some who refused his first grace as the Edomites had done or should abuse the same afterwards by turning his grace into wantonness Jude 4. Object 13 Rom. 9.16 So then it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Our salvation then is of meer mercy Answ It is granted so to be yet by the way note that man can both wil and run in some sort as this Scripture imports Object 14. Rom. 9.17 18. For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh even for this same purpose have I raised thee up that I might shew my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth Answ First note that here the Lord doth not say for this same purpose have I created thee but raised thee up or brought thee upon the stage Secondly That Pharaoh was known to the Lord to be a proud and obstinate Rebel before he thus called him out Exod 5.2 And Pharoah said who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel go I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go Thirdly That yet the Lord gives him to know his will and gratiously shews him the danger of his disobedience before he sends his plagues upon him Fourthly That he leaves him not till he made him of unwilling willing to let his people go Fifthly That God did not harden Pharaohs heart by infusing any hardness into it but rather used means to soften and bend his heart to obedience Lastly That the Lord destroyed him not till his heart byased and wilfully revolted from that inclination of letting Israel go to which the Lord had brought and wrought him So that the Lords pleasure in hardning whom he will must out of this example be understood of such as are first or last refractory against his grace and gratious requirings monitions c. Object 15. Rom 9.19 Thou wilt say why doth he yet finde fault Who hath resisted his will It seems then his will in condemning the wicked is irresistable Answ The will of God is manifold First voluntas signi that which he would have done by men and that may be resisted or disobeyed Secondly voluntas beneplaciti that which he is pleased to effect and that either absolutely to be done by himself alone or with others which cannot be withstood or conditionally in case the creature will act his part This conditional will may also be repugned so that wicked men cannot excuse themselves by the irresistibility of the first or last mentioned will There is also the unchangeable will of God's irrevocable decree at length passed upon the obstinate and incorrigible sinner which like his powerful or efficacious will is inexpugnable But it is the obdurate mans refractory and inflexible will that hath now made this will or decree of God so peremptory against him So that God hath just cause to fault and blame the man that perisheth but not è contra Object 16. Rom. 9.20 Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus Whence it may seem to follow that God makes the lost ones such as they are Answ Paul intends nothing less then to lay any such aspersion upon God who is onely the Author of their deserved punishment but not of their sins unless of such as are just and severe compensations of their former contumacies Indeed the Apostle here first takes up these murmurers for their audacious and presumptuous obloquies against their Maker in this verse Nay but O man who art thou that replyest against God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me thus And then in the three next verses for the total silencing of their obmurmuration he asserts first Gods soveraign power vers 21. and then his justice vers 22. with his mercy also vers 23. If the wicked then finding themselves lost at length should cavil against God and say why did he create me with liberty of will and so with a power of falling It is answered that this faculty might be improved to the salvation of the creature as well as to the glory of Gods grace vers 23. Or why did God give us any being since we must be wretched and unhappy for ever It is answered vers 22. that it coming to pass meerly through their own default and wilfulness it was free for our Soveraign Lord thus to glorifie his power and justice against such rebels yea and his incurable enemies also Object 17. Hath not the Potter power over the clay of the same lumpe to make one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour It seems then that God makes some vessels of purpose unto dishonour Answ I. It is certain that God is a wise Potter and not a workman that never had wisdom or hath lost his witts Now such a Potter though he as the event falls out afterwards makes many vessels to be broken yet forms none of set purpose for destruction as we said before Some vessels indeed are made by him for more honourable uses as Salt-sellers drinking-cups c. and some for more dishonorable uses for Chamber-pots the like but none to be destroyed for that were to lose his labour And so hath the Lord appointed both in Church Common-Wealth some to be superiours and some inferiours as hath been shewed but none of the sons of men hath he made of purpose to perdition II. It is evident enough that the Apostle alludeth to Jeremie 18. verse 3.4 5 6. Where observe these things First That the Prophet being sent to the Potters house he found that the vessel in the Potters hand first miscarried and was marred representing man not in the pure but corrupt mass Secondly That the Potter took pains to make it up a new or other vessel Thirdly That the Lord expostulates with Israel

gradually tend towards the world Angelical that they may proceed from glory to glory CHAP. V. Of Providence GOd the great Creator of all things doth uphold a Heb 1.3 direct dispose and govern all creatures actions and things b Dan 4.34 35. Psal 135.6 Act 17.25 26 28. Job 38.39 40 41. Chapters from the greatest even to the least c Mat 10.29 30 31. by his most wise and holy providence d Pro 15.3 Psal 104.24 Psal 145.17 according to his infallible foreknowledge e Acts 15 18. Psal 94.8 9 10 11. and the free and immutable counsell of his own will f Eph 1.11 Psal 33.10.11 to the praise of the glory of his wisdom power justice goodness and mercy g Isa 63.14 Eph 3.10 Rom. 9.17 Gen. 45.7 Psa 145.7 II. Although in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God the first cause all things come to pass immutably and infallibly h Act 2.13 yet by the same providence he ordereth them to fall out according to the nature of second causes either necessarily freely or contingently i Gen 18.22 Jer 31.35 Exod 21.13 with Deut 9 5. 1 King 22.28 34. Esa 10.6 7. III. God in his ordinary Providence maketh use of means k Act 27.31 44. Isa 55.10 11. Hos 2.21 22. yet is free to work without l Hos 1.7 Mat. 4.4 Job 34.10 above m Rom. 4.19 20 21. and against them at his pleasure n 2 Kin 6.6 Dan 3.27 IV. The Almighty power unsearchable wisdome and infinite goodness of God so far manifest themselves in his providence that it extendeth even to the first fall and all other sins of Angels and men o Rom 11.32 33 34. 2 Sam 24.1 with 1 Chr 21.1 1 King 22.22 23. 1 Chr 10.4 13 14. 1 Sam 16.10 Acts 2.23 Act. 4.27 28. and that not by a bare permission p Act 13.16 but such as hath joyned with it a most wise and powerful bounding q Psal 76.10 2 King 19.28 and otherwise ordering and governing of them in a manifold dispensation to his own holy end r Gen 50.20 Esa 10.6 7 12. yet so as the sinfulness 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 sin Å¿ Jam 1.11 14 17. 1 Joh 2.16 Psal 50.21 V. The most wise righteous and gratious God doth oftentimes leave for a season his own children to manifold temptations and the corruption of their own hearts to chastize them for their former sins or to discover unto them the hidden strength of corruption and deceitfulness of their hearts that they may be humbled t 2 Chr 32.25 26 31. 2 Sam 14.1 and to raise them to a more close and constant dependance for their support upon himself and to make them more watchful against all future occasions of sin and for sundry other just and holy ends u 2 Cor. 12.7 8 9. Psal 73. thoughout Psal 77.1 to 12. Mar. 14.66 to the end with John 21 15 16 17. VI. As for those wicked and ungodly men whom God as a righteous Judge for former sins doth blind and harden w Rom 1.24 26 28. Ro 11.7 8. from them he not only withholdeth his grace whereby they might have been enlightned in their understandings and wrought upon in their hearts x Deu 29.4 but sometimes also withdraweth the gists which they had y Mat. 3.12 Mat 25.29 and exposeth them to such objects as their corruption makes occasions of sin z Deu 2.30 2 King 8.12 13. and withall gives them over to their own lusts the temptations of the world and the power of Satan a Psa 81.11 11. 2 Thes 2.10 11 12. whereby it comes to pass that they harden themselves even under those means which God useth for the softning of others b Exod 7.3 with Ex 8.15 32. 2 Cor 2.15 16. Esa 8.14 1 Pet 2.7 8 Esa 6.9 10 with Act 28.26 27. VII As the providence of God doth in general reach to call creatures so after a most special manner it taketh care of his Church and disposeth all things to the good there of c 1 Tim 4.10 Amos 9.8 9. Rom. 8.28 Esai 43.3 4 5 14. CHAP. V. Of Gods providence examined IN this Chapter not without a specimen or document of Gods divine providence you have testified many things as rightly and truly so with reverence and honor to that wise and holy administration of his yet in two things we crave leave briefly to shew you your defects yet not so great or blameable as some of your former failings First then in your second Section you affirm That although in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God the first cause all things come to pass immutably and infallibly yet by the same providence he ordereth them to fall out according to the nature of the second causes either necessarily freely or contingently Where first you seem to us to make Gods providence not only to jar with his decree but even to thwart the same For this last orders many things to come to pass contingently and freely as you say whereas the former appoints all things to come to pass immutably It is granted that all things come to pass infallibly in regard of the foreknowledge of God but we cannot see how all things should come to pass immutably since many things are decreed but conditionally as we have shewed Chap. 3. and here you confess that all things do not come to pass necessarily which they must necessarily do if all things be immutably decreed but it is evident that God decrees both good and evil towards men Hypothetically Jer. 18.7 8 9 10. At what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdom to pluck up to pull down and to destroy If that Nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them And at what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdom to build and to plant If it doe evil in my sight that it obey not my voice then I will repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them So vers 11.12 Rom. 8.13 and 11.22 23. How could Gods counsel be made voide by men as was said before out of Luk. 7.30 if it were immutable in it self as you affirm Secondly In your sixth Section you say As for those wicked and ungodly whom God as a righteous Judge for former sins doth blinde and harden from them he not onely withdraweth his grace whereby they might have been enlightned in their understandings and wrought upon in their hearts but also sometimes withdraweth the gifts which they had c Wherein besides that you mention not the maine if not onely sin for which God leaves men to themselves to wit mens shutting their eyes against his

It depends upon the seed of God remaining in us but that seed remaines in none unremoveably but those which are born again in Christ after the Spirit or the Saints of the third form and order of whom it is said peculiarly 1 Joh. 3.9 That they cannot sin For all other Saints those of the second form Saints and believers in Christ which are not yet dead and made alive again with him may and do sin as well though not so often as the Saints of the first form or the fathers new begotten ones Lastly you say here That this certainty of perseverance depends upon the nature of the covenant of grace of which there are two parts the one promiseth cleansing grace in and through the blood and Spirit of Christ the other a stedfast and immoveable kingdom to those that are so cleansed See for the first Jerem. 31.32 33 34 c. and for the others Jere. 32.40 but all this is promised conditionally to those that believe Mat. 28.18 19. Mark 16.15 16. to such as persevere unto the end Mat. 24.13 and to him that overcometh Reuel 3.12 So that the stedfast estate and kingdom which cannot be shaken depends upon perseverances in mortification and our immoveable estate upon the receiving of that Kingdom Yet do we not deny but that the perseverance of the Saints whereby they continue in the following of Christ unto their death and their infallible estate from which they cannot afterwards possibly fall away hath very great dependance upon all the things by you named but in such manner as we have spoken In your third and last Section you erre first on the one hand and then on the other For first Whereas you ascribe unto all the Saints upon earth promiscuously a possibility of falling into greivous sins by temptations from Satan and the world the prevalency of remaining corruption and neglect of the means of their preservation whereby they may incur Gods displeasure grieve his Spirit suffer some deprivation of their graces and comforts harden their hearts wound their consciences hurt and scandalize others and bring temporal judgements upon themselves We say That the Saints in the Holy Ghost that are risen again with Christ are past all this 2 Cor. 5.12 Old things are passed away behold all things are become new 1 John 3.9 He that is born of God doth not commit sin but his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God See Revel 2.17 26 27. Revel 3.9 10 11 12. Revel 7.14 15 16 17. Revel 21.3 4 5 6. And I heard a great voice from heaven saying Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any pain to wit spiritual pain for the former things are passed away But on the other hand any other Saint those especially which are in their minority may possibly by the meanes aforesaid not onely faile and suffer after the manner aforesaid but by their wilful and wicked desertion of God fall finally from grace into everlasting perdition and yet no one of those can be plucked out of the Fathers hand by all the enemies of mankind if he will abide with God and his Christ John 10.28.29 But how much safer had it been for you and your hearers if in stead of your thus securing the Saints you had with Saint Paul charged them to work out their salvation with fear and trembling as we said before and with holy David had shewed them what they should do that they might be kept from falling finally Psalm 15.1 2 3 4. and to have set Saint Peters scale before them for the same end likewise 2 Pet. 1.5.10 The high way to that kingdom which cannot be shaken is to get grace into our hearts whereby we may serve God with Reverence and godly fear Heb. 12.28 CHAP. XVIII Of the assurance of Grace and salvation ALthough hypocrites and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions of being in the favor of God and state of salvation a Joh 8.13 14. Mich 3.11 Deut 29.19 Jo 8.41 which hope of theirs shall perish b Matt 7.22 23. yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus and love him in sincerity endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before him may in this life be certainly assured that they are in the state of grace c Joh 3.14 18.19 21 24. Jo 5.13 and may rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God which hope shal never make them ashamed d Ro 5.2 5 II. This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable perswasion grounded upon a fallible hope e Heb 6 1● 19. but an infallible assurance of faith founded upon the Divine truth of the promises of salvation f Heb 6 17 18. the inward evidences of those graces unto which these promises are made g 2 Pet 1.4 5 10 11 1 Joh 2.3 1 Joh 3.14 2 Cor 1.12 the testimony of the Spirit of Adoption witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God h Ro 8.15.16 which spirit is the earnest of our inheritance whereby we are sealed to the day of Redemption i Eph 3.13.14 Eph 4.30 2 Cor 1 21 22. III. This infallible assurance doth not so infallibly belong to the essence of faith but that a true believer may wait long and conflict with many difficulties before he be partaker of it k 1 Jo. 5 13. Isa 50.10 Mar 9.14 Psal 88. througho Psal 77. to v. 12. 1 Cor 2.14 1 Joh 4.13 Heb. 6.11 12 Eph 3.17 18 19. yet being inabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God he may without extraordinary revelation in the right use of ordinary meanes attain thereunto l 1 Cor 2.12 Jo 4.13 Heb 6.11 12 Eph 3.17 18 19. and therefore it is the duty of every one to give all diligence to make his calling and Election sure m 2 Pet. 1.10 that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost in love and thankfulness to God and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience the proper fruits of the assurance n Ro 5 1 2 5. Rom 14.17 Ro 15.3 Eph 1.3 4. Psa 4.6 7. Psa 119 32. so far is it from inclining men to looseness o 1 Jo 2.12 Ro 6.1 2. Tit 2 11 12 14. 2 Cor 7.1 Rom 8.1 12. 1 Jo 3.1 2. Ps 130.4 1 John 1.6 7. IV. True believers may have the assurance of their salvation diverse wayes shaken diminished and intermitted as by negligence in preserving of it by falling into some speciall sin which woundeth the conscience and grieveth the Spirit by some sudden and vehement Temptation by