Theſe Words of the Prophet are not lefs than five times found in the New Teſtament ( betides by Matthew in theſe Verſes) ap- plied to the Fews - They are taken our of Iſaiah, chap. s. g, 10. where they are found thus : And he ſaid, Go and tell this People ;, Hear you indeed, but underſtand not 5 and fee you, but perceive rot. Make the Heart of this People fat, ard their Ears heauy, and (hut their Eyes, 4e$ they ſee with their Eyes, and hear with their Ears, and underſtand with their Hearts , and convert , and be healed. Ir is quoted, Mar. 4. 12. Luk. 8.10. wherethe Sente of the Words only is quoted more ſhortly, 70h. 12. 40. Affs 28.26. Rom.11.8. more largely, yer with ſome more difference of Phra.e trom thar of rhe Prophet. By all of them ir appeareth , either char God ſpake thoſe Words ro the Propher, as well wich reference to thoſe Fews that were to live in the time of Chriſt,as ro thoſe Zews,who were living, when T/aizh prophefied : Orar leaſt, that the Words were as true of theſe F2ws, as they were of choſe; fo the Pro- pheſie of Iſaiah was fulfilled in chem. But the Words are fo dif- ferently related, that the Prophet, and St. Fohn, chap.12. qo. ſeem ro make God the Cauſe of the Fatneſ$ of this Peoples Hearts, the Heavinels of rheir Ears, and the Blindneſs of tiicir Eyes : There- fore they could not believe , becauſe Iſaias faith again , He hath blinded their Eyes, and hardened thetr Hearts , thut they ſhould not ſee with their Eyes, nor underſtand with their Hearts , and be con- verted, and I ſhould heal them. So alſo Paul ſpeaketh, Rom. 11.8, God hath given them the Spirit of Slumzer ;, Eyes that they ſhould nt ſee, and Ears that they ſhould not hear. Matthew faith, This Peoples Heart is waxed groſs, Matthew leemeth ro ſpeak of the more proximate Cauſe; Iſaiah, Luke, John, and Pail of the higher, but remoter Cauſe ; Matthew of their fintul At preceding, Fohn, Luke, and Paul, and Iſaiah, of the Judicial 4c of God, conſe quenc to their finful AR. God firſt ſenc chem, ſes and the Prophets, by whom they might have ſeen, and known his Will they would nor ſee, nor hear, nor underſtand, nor convert, nor t\> healed. God ac laſt did leave them to the Reprobacy of their own Mind : He willed indeed the Prophet to go and Preach ; bur, faich he, this ſhall be all che Fruic of chy Miniſtry ; ic thall bur make the Heart of this People tar, and their Ears heavy ; they ſhall more and more ſhut cir Eyes ; their time of Converſion and Healing is paſt : Ir is now roo Jatez I will nor Conyerr, I will not Heal them. Now ( faich our Saviour) what was ap- plicable ro the Jews in the time of Jaiah, is in like manner ap- plicable ro you; and the Prophet Tſaiah did foretel what I ſhould meer wich. The Generality of the People, are a People chat have ſo deſpiſed the Grace of God, that their Day of Grace is over. God is reſolved z he will not Converc nor Heal them : They have had Light; they have ſeen me and my Works; they have heard my Sermons and Fohn Baptis?'s; in ſeeing, they would nor ſee; in hearing , they would nor hear, nor underſtand; fo they are fallen under a Fudicial Hardre/s, and Blindneff. They ſhall not now have the Lighr fry have had : My Spiric ſhall
2 AG:
Chap. XI. hath, and maketh uſe of what he hath: And that is plainly ci:e Senſe of ir, Chap. 25. 29. where it is the Epiparabela, or Conclu-
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Chap. XIIL
*Chap. 16. I }.
* PeL.1.10.
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no longer ſtrive with them ; neither ſhall they have an Heart to make 2 due Ute of the Means they have. Thus is doubtleſs the meaning of theſe words : And fo they give a juſt Reaton why he tpake to them in Parables. And thus undoubredly God doth to this Day ; when a People have a long time fare under 2 g20d and 7roficable Miniſtry, wherein their Souls have been dealt withal plainly and faithfully , and they remain ftill ignorant, de: hauch'd, and unbelieving : God, in a righreous Judgment gives them over ro the Blindn={s of Mind, and Hardnets ot Hearr under the Miniſtry ; that tho' it continue never fo go91 amongſt them, yet they are nor Affe@ed with the Word , bu! ſl-ep and han under ir: Somerimes he by his Providence ſutters tuch a Miniſter co come amongſt them as ſpeaketh nothing bur P.rab.es, things which they underſtand not ; or /7299tÞ things, fit to Imourh tem up in their Sintul Courſes, and harden chem 1n cheir Prc- judices againſt Chriſt and Holinets. A moſt rremend-us Judg- ment of God ; when God Antecedently ro tis Contempi, by is Providence ſends ſuch a Miniſtry as may declare his Wiil:ngnels they ſhould be ſaved, and come to the knowledge of his Truci ; and Conſequently ro this Contempt, and deſpifing of his Grace, 10 dealeth with them by his Providence, cither ſuffering their frft ſeeming Afffedtioms, and-edze to abate, (as the Fews are ſa1d tor a while to have rejoyced in the Light 7ohbn brought, ) or ſufferins ſuch a Miniſtry tr come amongſt them as one ivould think God ſent, leſt Men ſhould convert, and be hezled. In rhe mean time Chriſt in this Text excellently ſers out God's Mernod in his dealing wich Souls. 1. He bringeth chem to 5.7 and fee, 2. Then he makes them to undzrſtand and believe. 3. Tnen he comets them, renewerh and changerh their Hearts, 4. Taen he he:!:th them, pardoneth rheir Sins, and accepts cheir Perſons, nor becauſe they are converted, bur ar che ſame time when he works Fiith in them, and giveth them an Heart co Repent,
16 Bur * bleſſed ore your eyes,for they Ice; and your cars, for they hear.
17 For verily I ſay unto you, that * many prophets and righteous men have defired to {ce thoſe things which you ſee. and have not ſeen them; and to hear thoſe things which ye hear, and have nor heard 7hem:.