the stargazers, the monthly prog- Sorcerers (among others) are to nosticators stand up, and save thee have their part in the lake which from these things which shall come burneth, &c. -Rev. xxi. 8.

upon thee. Isa. xlvii. 12, 13.

Without are dogs and sorcerers,

The king commanded to call the &c. Rev. xxii. 15.

magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, to shew the king his dreams. - Dan. ii. 2. 10. iv. 7.v.7.

I will cut off witchcraft out of thy hand, and thou shalt have no more soothsayers.-Micah v. 12.

Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the well favoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts. Nahum iii. 4.

CHAP. LXVIII.

OF A HARDENED HEART, AND GOD'S

GIVING MEN UP TO HARDNESS OF
HEART.

THE Lord said unto Moses, &c. See
that thou do all these wonders before
Pharaoh, &c. but I will harden Pha-
raoh's heart, that he shall not let the
people go. -Exod. iv. 21. vii. 13, 14.
viii. 15.

Sihon, king of Heshbon, would

I will be a swift witness against not let Israel pass by him: for the the sorcerers. - Mal. iii. 5.

If I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out?-Luke xi. 19.

There was a certain man called Simeon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one.-Acts viii. 9.

They found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus, &c. who sought to turn away the deputy from the faith, &c. Then Saul said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, &c. -Acts xiii. 6-10.

A certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination (or of Python) met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying, &c. which spirit Paul cast out. --Acts xvi.

16-18.

Lord thy God hardened his spirit, that he might deliver him into thy hand. Deut. ii. 30.

He turned their hearts to hate his people, and to deal subtilely with his servants. --Ps. cv. 25.

O Lord, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear?-Isa. lxiii. 17.

Thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return. Jer. v. 3.

They hearkened not unto me, nor inclined to me, but hardened their neck; they did worse than their fathers. Jer. vii. 26.

Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone.-Hosea iv. 17.

Jesus spake to the wilful Jews in parables, Because (said he) they seeing, see not, &c. for this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest at any time they

Certain of the vagabond Jews exorcists, when they saw Paul cast out evil spirits, attempted to do the same, in the name of the Lord Jesus; but should see, &c. and should be conthe evil spirit overcame them, upon verted, and I should heal them.which many of them which used cu- Matt. xiii. 13-15. Acts xxviii. 25 rious arts, brought their books together and burned them.-Acts xix. 13-16. 18, 19.

The works of the flesh are manifest, &c. witchcrafts. - Gal. v. 19, 20.

-27.

According to which prophecy, their judicial hardness was evident in their persecuting Christ to the death, notwithstanding the apparent evidence

that he was the Son of God, both be- the truth, but had pleasure in unfore his death, in his death, and in his righteousness. -2 Thess. ii. 10-12, By these three was the third part

resurrection.

Jesus said, For judgment I am of men killed, &c. and the rest of the

come into this world, &c. that they which see might be made blind, &c. He said to the Pharisees, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see, therefore your sin remaineth. -John ix. 39. 41.

men which were not killed by these plagues, yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, &c. -Rev. ix. 18. 20, 21.

Men were scorched (or burned) with great heat, blasphemed the name

Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah had said, He hath of God, which hath power over these blinded their eyes, and hardened their plagues, and repented not to give him hearts, that they should not see with glory, &c. They gnawed their tongues their eyes, &c.-John xii. 37. 39, 40. for pain, and blasphemed the God of They are without excuse, because heaven, and repented not of their that when they knew God, they glo- deeds. Rev. xvi. 9-11. 21. rified him not as God, neither were He that is unjust, let him be unjust thankful, but became vain in their still: and he which is filthy, let him imaginations, and their foolish heart be filthy still. Rev. xxii. 11. was darkened, &c. wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, &c. for this cause Godgave them up unto vile affections, &c. and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind (or a mind void of judgment), being filled with all unrighteousness. Rom. i. 21, &c.

God saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, &c. and whom he will he hardeneth. -Rom. ix. 15. 17, 18,

CHAP. LXIX.

OF VAIN CURIOSITY: OR BEING
WISE ABOVE WHAT IS WRITTEN.

SECRET things belong unto the Lord
our God, but those things which are
revealed belong unto us and to our
children for ever, that we may do all
the works of this law. Deut. xxix. 29.
Manoah said unto the angel of the
Lord, What is thy name? &c. that we
may do thee honour. And the angel

Israel hath not obtained that which of the Lord said unto him, Why askest he seeketh for, but the election hath thou thus after my name, seeing it is obtained it; and the rest were blinded secret (or wonderful).--Judges xüi. (or hardened) according as it is writ- 17, 18.

ten, God hath given them the spirit Jesus said unto them, It is not for of slumber; eyes that they should you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in

not see. Rom. xi. 7-10.

If our gospel be hid, it is hid to his own power. -Acts i. 6, 7. them that are lost. In whom the god These things, brethren, I have in a of this world hath blinded the minds figure transferred to myself, and to of them which believe not, lest the Apollos, for your sakes, that you light of the glorious gospel of Christ, might learn in us not to think of men &c. should shine unto them.-2 Cor. above that which is written.-1 Cor. iv. 3, 4.

iv. 6.

CHAP. LXX.

Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved; and for this cause God shall OF GOD'S PROVIDENCE IN THE DIS

send them strong delusion, that they

POSAL OF ALL EVENTS.

should believe a lie, that they all THINE, O Lord, is the greatness, and might be damned who believed not the power, &c. both riches and ho

nour come of thee, and thou reignest Boast not thyself of to-morrow; over all, and in thine hand is power for thou knowest not what a day may and might, and in thine hand is to make great, and to give strength unto all.-1 Chron. xxix. 11, 12.

He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise: he taketh the wise in their own craftiness; and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong. They meet with darkness (or cannot perform any thing) in the daytime, and grope in the noonday as in the night. -Job v. 12-14.

The Lord, &c.in whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind, &c. behold he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.-Job xii. 10.14.

The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought, he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, &c.-Ps. xxxiii. 10, 11.

Promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west: but God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. -Ps. lxxv. 6, 7. Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain: it is vain for you to rise up early, &c. Ps. cxxvii. 1, 2.

Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help: his breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth, and that very day his thoughts perish.-Ps. xlvi. 3, 4.

A man's heart deviseth his way; but the Lord directeth his steps, &c. The lot is cast into the lap: but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Prov. xvi. 9. 33.

Man's goings are of the Lord: how can a man then understand his own way?-Prov. xx. 24.

bring forth.-Prov. xxvii. 1.

Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might: let not the rich man glory in his riches. Jer. ix. 23.

There is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel, against the Lord.-Prov. xxi. 30.

O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. -Jer. x. 23.

God, that made the world, &c. hath made of one blood all nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitations. -Acts xvii. 24. 26.

I will not see you now by the way, but I trust to tarry awhile with you, if the Lord permit.-1 Cor. xvi. 7.

But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, &c. him, therefore, I hope to send, &c. But I trust in the Lord, that I also myself shall come shortly.-Phil. ii. 19. 23, 24.

Now God himself, and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.-1 Thess. iii. 11.

Go to now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy, and sell, and get gain: whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this or that.James iv. 13-15.

CHAP. LXXI.

OF RESIGNATION TO, AND CONTENT-
MENT WITH, ALL GOD'S DISPEN-

SATIONS.

ISRAEL's murmuring and discontent for want of flesh in the wilderness, was reckoned amongst their sins, and said to be a tempting God in their heart, by asking meat for their lust. -Ps. lxxviii. 18. Numb. xi. 4-10. When Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, were devoured by fire for Egypt, where we shall see no war, their sins, &c. Aaron held his peace. &c. then that all those judgments -Levit. x. 1-3.

Job, when he had lost all, said, I have learned in whatsoever state Naked came I out of my mother's I am, therewith to be content: I know

both how to be abased, and how to abound; every where, and in all things, I am instructed; both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ, who strengtheneth me. Phil. iv. 11-13.

Godliness with contentment is great gain: for we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out; and having food and raiment, let us be therewith content.-1 Tim. vi. 6-8.

Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.--Heb. xiii. 5.

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, &c.-James i. 12. Submit yourselves therefore to God: resist the devil, &c.-James iv. 7. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may

Rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee; give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser.Prov. ix. 8, 9.

The wise in heart will receive commandments, &c. In the lips of him that hath understanding, wisdom is found, &c. wise men lay up knowledge, &c. He that uttereth a slander is a fool. In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin; but he that refraineth his lips, is wise. Prov. x. 8.13, 14. 18, 19.

He that winneth souls is wise.Prov. xi. 30.

A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of under- is right in his own eyes, but he that