Page:Humbleadviceofas00west.djvu/21

 of them, in a manifold dipenation to his own holy ends : yet o, as the infulnes thereof proceedeth only from the creature, and not from God, who being mot holy and righteous, neither is, nor can be the Author or Approver of in.

The moft wife, righteous, and gracious  doth oftentimes leave for a feafon his owne children to manifold temptations, and the cor-ruption of their owne hearts, to chaftife them for their former finnes, or to difcover unto them the hidden rength of cor-ruption, and deceitfulneffe of their hearts, that they may be humbled : and to raife them to a more close and conftant dependence for their fupport unto himfelf, and to make them more watchfull againft all future occaions of in, and for undry other jut and holy ends ,

. As for thoe wicked and ungodly men, whom  as a righteous Iudg, for former innes doth blind and harden, from them he not only withholdeth his grace, whereby they might have been inlightened in their undertandings, and wrought upon in their hearts ; but ometimes alo with draweth the gifts which they had , and expoeth them to uch objects as their corruption makes occaions of in : and withall, gives them over to their own luts, the temptatians of the world, and the power of Satan : whereby it comes to pas that they harden themelves, even under those means, which   ueth for the oftning of others.