but vvhosoever hath not from him shall be taken away even that hee hath vers 12. And againe vers 13. not because seeing they might not see but because seeing they did not see nor understand that is they closed their eyes and would not see as it is expressed vers 15. so that this doth not prove any inability in men to believe the gospel vvhen it vvas preached to them but rather the contrary seeing they vvere blamed for not believing and counted unworthy to partake of further light who vvere so perverse and obstinate against the light they had Againe 1 Sam. 2.25 the latter part of the verse notwithstanding they harkened not to the voice of their Father because or for the Lord vvould or was willing to slay them Here it is conceived that Gods desire of their destruction vvas the cause of their not harkening unto the voice of their Father but this is contrary to what God professeth Ezek. 33.11 and the 18.32 that he hath no pleasure in the death of the vvicked in the death of him that dyeth but that he turne from his sinnes and live now if the repentance of a sinner be more pleasing to God and more vvilled and desired of him then his death then Gods desire or will to slay a sinner cannot be the cause of his not repenting but this word for or because is spoken only by way of demonstration of the truth of what preceeds like unto that which is spoken of Mary in the gospell that much was forgiven her for shee loved much Luk. 7.47 Not that her love was the cause or reason that her sins were pardoned but her love did demonstrate that she apprehended the pardon of many sins for to whom little is forgiven the same loveth little so in this place they harkened not to the voice of their Father because or for the Lord would or was willing to slay them this is the desire willingnes and resolution of God to destroy them vers 34. notwithstanding their Father had reproved and councelled them doth evidently demonstrate that they did not hearken unto their fathers voice for if they had harkened and turned from their wickednes they should have lived they should not have been destroyed according to Ezekiel 33.12 13 14 15 16. verses Againe it is objected from certaine places in Exodus viz. I will harden Pharaoh chap. 7.3 But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you vers 4. And the Lord hardned the heart of Pharaoh that he hearkened not unto them chap. 9.12 From those and the like places men do conclude that God doth positively harden the hearts of some so that they cannot believe and obey the truth for say they God was so farre from enabling Pharaoh to do what he required of him that on the contrary he hardned his heart that he might not do it For answer whereunto consider that as God tempts no man to sin so much lesse doth he harden any man in sin Againe where it is said I will harden Pharaohs heart chap. 7.3 But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you vers 4. It may as truly and more properly be read And I shall hearden Pharachs heart But he will not hearken unto you for shall and will in this place are only signes of the Future Tence serving to expresse somwhat to come For God did not exercise any coercive power upon Pharaoh that kept him from hearkening to his word or from letting the people goe but only did declare what effect the meanes which God intended to use with Pharaoh would take upon him even to harden his heart though the means used did properly and naturally tend to soften it and so God might be said to harden Pharaohs heart because he did that for or before him whereby he knew Pharaoh would take occasion to harden his owne heart as appeares in this that when God sent Moses to Pharaoh to require him to let the people goe God tells Moses that he was sure that Pharaoh would not let them goe but by a mighty hand God knew that instead of obeying his command he would be hardened by it and yet bids Moses to goe and doe the Message Object How can this agree with that love and goodnesse in God which hath bin pleaded for for if God doe that which he knowes will indirectly or by accident make us worse and harden us he might with as much love and goodnes directly doe it Answ The case is farre different for if God had positively or directly hardened Pharaohs heart then so farre Pharaoh had been without fault because God did it and he could not help it and for God to have hardened him in this sence and then to punish him for his hardnes was inconsistent with the justice and goodnes of God But if God do that which is just and good which properly and naturally leads men to do the like is his goodnesse ever the lesse or should he forbeare to doe good because he sees that men will abuse his goodnesse then God must not act like God when men will not act like men but must goe out of his way and doe things unlike himself or cease to do what is suteable and agreeable to his excellent nature to comply with their wickednesse and stubbornesse and so instead of converting evill men and making them like himself he himself would become like to them But let us a little further consider what is here done to Pharaoh Pharaoh doth oppresse afflict and grieve the people of God and their cry and their groaning by reason of their bondage came up unto God and God had a respect unto them and resolves to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them into a good and large Land flowing with Milke and Honey according to his Covenant and promise Now God sends Moses to Pharaoh to desire him to let the Hebrewes goe three dayes journey into the wildernesse to worship yet God knew that he should harden Pharaohs heart thereby or that Pharaoh would harden his heart thereupon which is all one should God have suffered his people to remaine in slavery and sorrow under their Task-masters and not have sent to tell Pharaoh of it because he knew hee would not hearken but be hardened Againe when Moses had delivered his message to Pharaoh and received that answere from him Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice and let Israel goe I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel goe should God now have lest Pharaoh and not by his miracles have manifested himselfe to be the Lord because he knew Pharaoh would be hardened and not set his heart to consider it or when the judgement did soften Pharaohs heart and he desires a removall of it promising to let Israel goe should God refuse to shew mercy to him on his repentance knowing that he would be hardened upon the receipt of it should God cease to bee or doe good because Pharaoh would abuse his goodnesse and thereby take
occasion or liberty to doe evill then God could not manifest to the sonnes of men the riches of his goodnesse and mercy his readinesse to pardon c. Moreover if we take notice of the history we shall finde by divers passages that Pharaoh was free in what he did and that God did not harden him in any evill otherwise then hath been declared nor hinder him from any good For when Moses speakes to Pharaoh of destroying the Frogges from him and his houses he declares this to be the end and reason thereof That Pharaoh might know that there was none like to the Lord their God chap. 8.10 yet in the 15 verse we finde a contrary effect together with the ground and rise of it the effect was that Pharaoh hardened his heart and harkened not unto them as the Lord had said or foretold the rise and ground of it was he saw there was respite the judgement was over and he in stead of turning the grace and goodnesse of God into thankfulnesse and obedience turnes it into deceitfulnesse and stubbornnesse Againe when Moses promiseth Pharaoh to entreat the Lord that the swarmes of flyes might depart from him his servants and from his people He charges Pharaoh that he should not deale deceitfully any more in not letting the people goe to sacrifice unto the Lord vers 29. but if Pharaoh had beene so hardened by the Lord that hee could not hearken and let the people goe he had not dealt deceitfully but on the contrary the deceit had been in God according to this doctrine in commanding Pharaoh upon a great penalty to let the people goe and yet to harden his heart that he could not let them goe but we may find vers 32. that Pharaoh hardened his heart at that time also neither would he let the people goe Againe when the thundring and haile ceased Pharaoh sinned yet more and hardened his heart and would not let the people goe Why he saw the judgement was past and in stead of being thankfull thereupon he is more stubborne chap. 9. 34 35. and yet chap. 10.1 God is said to have hardened Pharaohs heart in that particular whereby it is further evident that God is said to harden him in that sense onely which is already manifested God is said to raise up Pharaoh of purpose to shew his power in him and that his name might be declared throughout all the earth chap. 9. 16. and to harden him that he might shew his signes before him chap. 10. 1. therefore seeing God declares his end in hardening Pharaoh he ownes the act Aus Let us a little consider the places for the first chap 9.16 if we read what goes before and what followes we may see that God did not raise up Pharaoh to shew his power or to declare his name in his destruction as Pharaoh was a man but as he was a wicked proud stubborn stiffe-necked and rebellious man for vers the 14. he saith For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart and upon thy servants and upon thy people to what end to harden him no but that he might know that there was none like God in all the earth And in the 17. verse he saith As yet exaltest thou thy selfe against my people and wilt not let them goe but if God had hardned him in that sence which some men conceive it could not then be said to Pharaoh that he exalted himselfe against God but that God had exalted Pharaoh against himselfe But the meaning of it I conceive to be this God foreseeing that Pharaoh would be a stubborne and rebellious man one that would exalt himselfe against him after many miracles and judgements and much means to humble him raised him up of purpose the being a man for the purpose to shew his power and declare his name in his destruction that others might take notice thereof and not rebell against God as Pharaoh did lest they were plagued and punished as hee was And accordingly the Priests and Diviners of the Philistims Sam. 6.6 when the judgement of God was upon the people for retaining the Arke exhorted them to send it away in these words Why doe you harden your hearts as the Egiptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts when he had wrought wonderfully amongst them did they not let the people goe and they departed whereby we perceive that they better understood the meaning of God in his dealing with Pharaoh and made better use of it to the people then most in our dayes doe whereas if Pharaohs hardnesse had been wrought in him by God his destruction for the hardnesse of his heart had beene very unfit for God thereby to manifest his power and name to all the world unlesse hee would have them to take knowledge of him to bee a God that made men finne and then punished them for it for that Chapter 10.1 it agrees with the former place and as I conceive is thus to bee understood God willing to declare to Phoraoh and to all the World by his signes and miracles that hee was a great and mighty God and that there was no resisting of him and that he would punish such as did abuse his grace and turn it into wantonnesse and stubbornnesse did take occasion upon his fore-knowledge of Pharaohs wickednesse and deceitfullnesse to manifest the same in him for in the 9 chap. 27 28. verses wee find Pharaohs repentance for refusing to let the people goe and hee said unto them I have sinned this time the Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked intreat the Lord for it is enough that there bee no more mighty Thunderings and Haile and I will let the people goe and yee shall stay nolonger Now this repentance of Pharaohs was cordiall though afterwards he dealt deceitfully and hardened his heart and God who is rich in mercy ready to pardon and forgive upon repentance and submission did cause the Thundering and Haile to cease now God may be said from one consideration to remove the Judgment from Pharooh and his people to save them and yet from another consideration he may be said to remove the same judgement to the end he may destroy them for when God speakes of intending the good and salvation of such men as perish in the meanes and mercies he bestowes on them hee declares that end which the means doth properly and naturally lead unto but when hee speakes of intending the punishment evill or ruine of men in the meanes and mercies hee bestowes on them then hee speakes in reference to their neglecting refusing or abusing thereof Now this latter is not his proper and immediate end considering what the person is when he bestowes these mercies and means on him but it is his end in reference to what the person will bee or doe upon the receite of the mercies and meanes being grounded upon his foreknowledge of their wickednesse and perversnesse and somwhat in the like sence Christ speaks when he saith he
were to declare by Gods loving Jacob and hating Esau that God had elected some men to eternall life and reprobated others to eternall death without relation either to good or evill in them and that this objection ariseth from thence Is there unrighteousnesse with God then I would faine know what satisfaction Paul gives in his answer God forbid for he saith I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy c. The objection is whether God be not unrighteous in so doing The answer is No for he saith he will so doe It was as well proved before in shewing that God did it as it was after in shewing that he said he would doe it In the 16. verse hee sums up what he had spoken in this conclusion so then it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy that is though Moses did and I doe desire your salvation and though you desire and seeke salvation in your owne way yet that will not effect it for for it is not of him that willeth and though you labour never so much to establish your owne righteousnesse that will not doe for it is not of him that runneth but it is of him that is mercifull even of God and therefore you must seeke after the righteousnesse of God which is by faith then Paul proceeds further to manifest and demonstrate the truth of what he had spoken for the Scripture saith unto Pharoah even for this same purpose have I raised thee up that I might shew my power in thee and that my name might bee declared throughout all the earth Verse 17. In these words wee may consider first the end propounded Gods shewing of his power and the declaring of his Name throughout all the Earth then the way and meanes by which hee brought this to passe hee raised up Pharoah God would manifest his power and name to all the world that there was none like unto him in all the earth so great and so mighty a God that hee would destroy all such as did despise and harden their hearts against him though hee might beare long with them therefore God raised up Pharoah a wicked man one that he knew would harden his heart against him Exod. 3.19 and brings plague after plague upon him and then at last when no meanes would prevaile with him he cuts him off and this hee did that all men should take notice of his power and feare his great name and not despise and harden their hearts against his word least he destroy them in like manner Exod. 15.26 and seeing God would have this thing taken notice of throughout all the Earth Paul concludes that hee would have the Jewes take notice of it aswell as others that if they hardened their hearts against him they also should be destroyed though they were the naturall seed of Abraham but if God did necessitate Pharaoh by an inevitable power or providence to doe what hee did then hee would declare himselfe to all the world by such a name as this that hee was a God that did harden the hearts of mente doe evill and then punish them for so doing but this is very unsuitable to what God professeth of himselfe Then in the 18. verse Paul drawes this conclusion therefore hath hee mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom hee will hee hardeneth that is therefore it is manifest by what hath been said that those that feare him and seeke him in his owne way as he should be sought shall find mercy but those that follow their own wayes and resist him shall be hardened and perish bee they Jewes or Gentiles As concerning the manner of Gods hardening I shall declare that in another place Then he makes another Objection vers 19. Thou wilt then or therefore say unto me why doth he yet find fault for who hath resistea his will that is let it be granted that God hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and that whom hee will he hardeneth why doth he yet complain of us for he hath made his Covenant with us and his promises belong to us we being Abrahams seed and he hath given us Carcumcision and other Ordinances to be observed by us and therefore in resting herein for life we doe not resist his will this Paul answers in the 20 21. verses c. Nay but O man who art thou that repliest against God as if Paul should have said doest thou demand of me who it is that doth resist the will of God doe but consider who thou art that doest make the question and thou hast answered thy selfe thou that doest labour to establish thine owne righteousnesse and dost rest in the Law when the law it self condemnes thee thou dost resist the will of God for doth or shall the formed say to the forming why hast thou made me thus hath not the Potter power over the Clay of the same lump to make one Vessell to honour and another to dishonour yet you will not allow me to doe with you as the Potter with the Clay to destroy such of you as goe about to establish your owne righteousnesse and oppose the righteousnesse that I have ordained and therein you strive with and resist your Maker though it be a sinfull and a woefull thing for you so to do Isa 45.9 and this is plainely illustrated in Ier. 18.1 c. to the eleventh vers unto which place the Apostle hath reference The word which came to Ieremy from the Lord saying arise and goe down to the Potters house and there I will cause thee to hear my words then I went down to the Potters House and behold hee wrought a worke on the Wheeles and the Vessell that he made of clay was marred in the hands of the Potter so he made it again another Vessell as seemed good to the Potter to make it Then the word of the Lord came unto me saying O House of Israel cannot I doe with you as this Potter saith the Lord behold as the clay is in the Potters hand so are yee in mine hand O House of Israel at what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdome to pluck up and to pull downe and to destroy it if that Nation against whom I have pronounced turne from their evill I will repent of the evill I thought to doe unto them and at what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdome to build and to plant it if it do evill in my sight that it obey not my voice then will I repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit it In which words we may see that God pleads for no other Power or Prerogative over the House of Israel then the Potter doth exercise over the clay That vvhen a Vessell is marred in his hand he makes it again another Vessell as seems good unto him So vvhen God speaks concerning a Nation or concerning a Kingdom to build and to plant
considered not his owne body now dead when he was about 100. yeares old neither yet the deadnesse of Sarahs womb he staggered not at the promise through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God and all from this rationall consideration or conclusion that what God had promised he was able to persorme Rom. 4.19 20 21. So also when he was commanded to offen up his Sonne Isaac the child of promise in whom his seed was to be called yet he doth it readily from this rationall consideration that God was able to raise him up even from the dead from whence also he had received him in a figure Heb. 11.17 18 19. The service of God is a reasonable service Rom. 12.1 and Christ tells the lewes that if he had not done amongst them the works which none other man did they had not been to blame in not believing in him Joh. 15.24 and therefore their condemnation lay in this that they had seen and yet hated him and his Father when Christ blames the unbelief of his Disciples Mat. 16.8 he doth it by argument and reason O yee of little faith why reason yee amongst your selves because yee have brought no bread doe yee not understand nor remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many Baskets full took yee up neither the seven of the foure thousand and how many Baskets yee took up how is it that yee understand not that I speak not to you concerning bread when God would perswade his servants to rest on him for Food and Raiment he bids them to consider how God feeds the foules of the aire and how he cloathes the grasse of the field when we are affrighted with our adversaries he sets before us their vanity and his almighty power Isa 51.12 13. thus I say God doth alwaies endeavour to establish men upon sound and solid arguments to work on their judgments not on their fancies and God speaks not to men in a Language which they doe not understand and so onely makes a noise in their eares but in a language which is plaine easie and very suteable to them which will manifest it self to their hearts and consciences and prevaile with them if they do not resist and rebell against it If these men which perished in unbelief in the midst of means were dead and blind in such sort as men generally conceive they are how could they then be said to cloze their eyes lest they should see who were altogether blind in respect of the object they did shut their eyes against or how could they harden their hearts against the truth if the truth did not manifest it self unto or strive with their hearts how could their evill and sinfull hearts hate the light if they did not discover the purity of it Joh. 3.19 20. It were a needles thing for Satan to blind the eyes of naturall men lest the light of the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ should shine unto them if they had no eyes to see and receive this glorious light of the gospel when it was declared to them for if it were impossible for men to receive the light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ when it was preached to them then they were as blind as the Divell could make them in point of receiving the gospel and the Divell needed not to adde this second blindnes lest the light of the gospel should shine unto them But indeed men are not blind for want of eyes but for want of light and when light or truth is discovered to them they have faculties so suteable fit and apt to receive it that unlesse the God of this World 2 Cor. 4.4 the love of this Would and pleasure in unrighteousnesse 2 Thes 2.12 blind the eyes of their understandings and possesse them with prejudice that they will not heare nor consider nor shew themselves men Isa 46.8 Heb. 13.22 2 Tim. 4.3 4. Act. 7.57 or unlesse they willfully reject and put from them what they apprehend and see they cannot but submit yeeld obedience to it and therefore the Word of God the truth of God is full of light and power in it self where ever it comes how slightly soever men esteem of it and how meanly soever they through their ignorance speak of it as to call it a dead letter and the like it being none other then the wisdome of God Again God proceeds in such a way which the Sons of Men that are fallen even with Heathens those that never heard of the gospel that they may be without excuse For Gods doing good to men giving them Raine from Heaven and fruitfull seasons filling their hearts with food and gladnes is an evident testimonie of his love and goodnesse Act. 14.17 and Gods eternall power and God-head is clearly seen by the workes which he hath made so that all men were and are without excuse in these respects Rom. 1.20 But if when men had Christ preached to them they were unable to believe then they were not without excuse under that which was the greatest means for God required those which heard the gospel to believe it and not giving them faith they had this excuse that they could not believe and this was such an excuse as would not admit of an accusation from a God of mercie much lesse of such severe punishment as is to be inflicted on such as have disobeyed the gospel Object All men are without excuse in relation to what God gave them in Adam Answ God doth not afford men meanes now they are fallen to leave them without excuse in relation to what hee gave them before they were fallen for all the meanes which God useth with them being fallen leaves them never the more excuselesse in that respect so that the means used to such an end would be vaine and to no purpose Further consider if the losse of Adams Innocency leave all men without excuse that is bring all under the curse of condemnation in Hell then there could be no redemption for any For to the transgression of what the severity of his justice is referred to the obedience of that the goodnes of his mercy must be confined for both respect one object his mercy the obedience his severity the disobedience thereof else God would be divided in himself or rob'd of his Attributes for should he save some in respect of Christ and damne others in respect of Adam simply without respect to the denyall of Christ there could neither be mercy in the one nor justice in the other for both would be void of equity It is unequall to save for that the denyall whereof is not the object of condemnation or to damne for that the obedience whereof cannot be or salvation by it So that if the losse of the state of innocency be the cause for which the equity of his justice leaveth all without excuse and for which its severity executes eternall damnation in Hell then there can be no salvation at all for
it if it doe evill in his sight he may repent him of the good vvherewith he said he would benefit them So that if the House of Israel seek not after his righteousnesse but labour to establish their owne then he may destroy them notwithstanding all the promises he hath made unto them For he is not so bound by any promise that he hath made but he is at liberty to punish those that rebell and doe vvickedly as on the contrary his threatning to inflict judgements on a people hinders him not from shewing mercie to the penitent as yet forty daies and Nineveh shall be destroyed where though no condition be exprest yet this condition vvas implyed it they doe not repent and vvhosoever pleads against this upon vvhat pretence soever pleads against the vvill and counsell of God for vvhat if God vvilling saith the Apostle to shew his vvrath and make his power known indured with much long suffering the Vessels of wrath fitted or made up to destruction and that he might make knowne the riches of his glory on the Vessells of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory even us whom he hath called not of the Jewes onely but also of the Gentiles vers 22 23 24. That is if God will manifest his power and wrath on such as do not believe be they Jevves or Gentiles vvho are fitted for destruction by their vvickednes in abusing all the goodnes and patience of God towards them and the riches of his mercy on such as believe who art thou that thou shouldest resist the vvill of God But whereas it is conceived by some that God doth make some men of purpose to damne and to destroy them and so hardens them that they may bee fitted for him to shew his wrath towards them and all meerly of his will without consideration of any evill in them as this is very contrary to God and the gospel as is elsewhere manifested so it cannot be the meaning of this place for when the question is made to Paul why doth he yet complaine for who hath resisted his will if he mean such a will as this that God doth make or raise up some men whom meerely of his will hee hardens and others whom meerly of his wil he softens then Paul doth not answer to the question he himselfe propounds for his answer proves nothing but what is granted in the Objection yea it is the ground of the Objection for the Objection is why doth God complaine the ground of it is seeing he doth whatever he will hee hardens and softens whom he pleaseth Paul answers that God may doe with men what he will as the potter with the clay but though he may doth do what he will yet the objection remains still why doth he then complaine of what is done for as the pot doth not say to the potter why hast thou made mee thus so the potter doth not complaine of the pot which hee hath made according to his will saying why art thou thus made for then the pottter must be angry with and complain of himself that made it so but the reason why God was angry with them was because they sought righteousnesse as it were by the workes of the Law and not by faith and that is given also as the reason why they did not attain to the Law of righteousnesse as is evident in the 31 and 32. verses of this Chapter but Israel which followed after the Law of righteousnesse hath not obtained to the Law of righteousnes wherefore not because they were not elected but because they sought it not by Faith but as it were by the workes of the Law for they stumbled at that stumbling stone c. Novv let us take the advice of the Apostle Peter in his 2. Epistle 3. Chapter and 15 Verse and account the long-suffering of God salvation even as our beloved brother Paul also in all his Epistles saith hee hath Written unto you according to the Wisdome given unto him and though some things in Pauls Epistles as in particularin this Chapt. be difficult and hard to be understood yet let us be carefull that we do not make the patience or forbearance of God destruction to any man for bee is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance as it is in the 9 verse of the forementioned Chapter Ioh. 12.39.40 therefore could they not believe because Esaias said againe hee hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their heart and be converted and I should heale them hence it is inferred that as God affords some men meanes sufficient to beget faith in them so he blinds the eyes and hardens the hearts of others that they cannot believe I Answer first where it is said they could not believe and that God blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts that they should not believe neither of these expressions implies any naturall inability or want of power in them to believe onely it declares that what God fore saw and by his Prophet foretold could not but bee fulfilled For could would and should are signes of one and the same moode and where it is read that they should not c. it may be as truly and more properly be read that they would not And therefore wee may observe that these very persons are exhorted to believe in the 36 verse and in the 37 verse Christ complains that though he had done so many miracles before them yet they believed not on him but if God had hardned their hearts that they could not believe Christ vvould not have admired at their unbeliefe and there were no emphasis in Christs doing so many miracles before them for if their condition were such that though many miracles were done before them they could not believe then one miracle had bin as proportionable a meanes to worke faith in them as many and where Christ did one miracle before them if hee had done a thousand and withall so blinded their eyes and hardned their hearts that they could not believe their unbeliefe had bin no more strange nor no more to bee complained of then if hee had done nothing And for the meaning of the place I conceive it to be none other then this that God fore-seeing and by his Prophet foretelling the unbeliefe and blindnesse of the Jews notwithstanding all the meanes which God had afforded them it could not be but the Scripture and word of God must bee fulfilled as was formerly exprest and in that sence they could not believe as Judas could not but betray his master and as the souldiers could not but part the garments of Christ cast lots for his Vesture and pierce his hands and his feet and the like Obj. But it is said they could not believe because God had blinded their eyes c. Answ God doth not possitively blind the eyes nor harden the hearts of any God doth not
incline nor dispose any mans heart to hardnesse as Iames speaks in the like case let no man say when hee is tempted to evill that he is tempted of God James 1.13 so let no man say when he is hardned in evill that hee is hardened of God for God in so doing should bee contrary to himselfe and it is proper to the Devill to blind the eyes and harden the hearts of men against the truth as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 4.4 that by manifesting the truth they so commended themselves to every mans conscience in the sight of God that if their gospel were hid it was hid to those that perish in whom the God of this World hath blinded the eyes of them that believe not lest the light of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them so it is God that by his ministers discovers the truth and the Devil which hides it from the sons of men But if it should be granted that God did blind their eyes and harden their hearts that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their hearts and be converted yet this would prove an ability in them to see and understand before God had blinded them for he could not be said to blind their eyes that they should not see if they were so blind before that they could not see But the meaning of this place will appeare plainly if wee consider Matth. 13.15 where the same Prophesie is related and said by Christ to bee fullfilled in that the Jews themselves had clozed their eyes lest at any time they should see with their eyes and understand with their hearts c. and Paul repeating the same Prophesie makes the same application of it that his master did before him that they did verifie the saying of the Prophet in that they had clozed their eyes lest they should see with their eyes c. Acts 28.27 so then if it be granted that where it is said in Joh. 12.40 that he hath blinded their eyes c. that by he God is to be understood yet it must be in such a sense as they may still bee said to cloze and blind their owne eyes as Matthew records the words of Christ and it must bee in such a sense as is suitable to God and the gospel The question then is how God is said to blind their eyes and harden their hearts and how they are said to blind their owne eyes which I conceive to bee in this sense God blinds their eyes and hardens their hearts accidentally the gospell which was intended of God for life becomes a stumbling to them their table a snare and that which should have been for their good a trap so that they fall and are broken and perish But they harden their owne hearts possitively directly willingly and wilfully so that this makes nothing to prove mens inability to believe the gospel when it is declared to them but only shewes that the gospel which naturally leads men to repentance to thankfulnesse and fruitfulnesse to God doth accidentally through mens wilfulnesse and stubbornnes produce a contrary effect and so whereas if they did bring forth fruit answerable to the meanes they should receive a blessing from God they bringing forth thorns are rejected nigh unto cursing whose end is to bee burned Heb. 6 7 8. Againe Marke 4.11 12. and he said unto them unto you it is given to know the mysterie of the Kingdome of God but unto them which are without all these things are done in parables that seeing they might see and not perceive and hearing they might heare and not understand lest at any time they should be converted and their sinnes bee for given them in which words thus rendred two things are implyed First that the end of Christ in speaking to them in Parables was to prevent or hinder them from being converted and so from having their sinnes forgiven Now what can be more contrary to God then this in all his protestations and professions or to the gospel of his grace to the Sonnes of Men. The second thing implyed is that if Christ had spoken the things of God plainly and not in Parables it was possible if not probable that they had seene understood been converted and so have had their sinnes forgiven them now this would prove an ability in men to see understand and bee converted when the things of God are declared plainely to them which doctrine those that urge this Scripture to prove that God speaks to some men that they may not bee converted will by no meanes allow though indeed it be a foolish thing to conceive that God did speak to those men in parables lest they should see and understand which were so blind that they could not see nor understand though hee had spoken never so plainly but the words may be thus read or rendred to them which are without all these things are done in parables that seeing may see and cannot perceive and hearing may heare and cannot that is will not understand lest at any time they should bee converted and their sinnes should bee forgiven them and this manner of speaking is often times used amongst us for instance when a Master cals upon his Servant and his Servant neglects to answer him or come to him the Master expresseth himselfe by way of reproofe in this manner Cannot you heare cannot you answer cannot you come when you are called implying that hee is able and ought to come and therefore is worthy of reproofe in that hee demeanes himselfe like one that is unable that cannot come so we say of him that neglects some opportunity of doing himselfe good if hee cannot make use of an opportunity when he hath it it is no matter though he misse what he desires Now when we say if he cannot our meaning is if he may or can and do not or will not so these words that seeing may see and cannot perceive and hearing may hear and cannot understand least at any time they should be converted and their sins should be forgiven them are spoken by way of reproof of the Jewes and are given as the reason of Christs speaking to them in Parrables and not as his end in so speaking For the things by vvhich they might have been converted and their sins forgiven them were spoken to them plainly but seeing they might see and did not and might hear and did not therefore Christ vvould not discover those further miseries of the Kingdome vvhich were proper and peculiar to them which had already believed in him And that this is the meaning of the place appeares more plainly if you consider Mat. 13.11 12.13 where the same History being recorded the reason is given by Christ to his Apostles why he thus spake to the unbelieving Jewes in Parrables because they had not improved the light already discovered to them for whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have more abundance