The most wise, righteous, and gracious God does often times leave for a season His own children to manifold temptations and the corruptions of their own hearts, to chastise 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; and to raise them to a more close and constant dependence for their support upon Himself; and to make them more watchful against all future occasions of sin, and for other just and holy ends.¹⁵ So that whatsoever befalls any of His elect is by His appointment, for His glory, and their good.¹⁶

¹⁵ 2 Chron. 32:25–26,31; 2 Cor. 12:7-9
¹⁶ Rom. 8:28

As for those wicked and ungodly men whom God, as the righteous judge, for former sin does blind and harden;¹⁷ from them He not only withholds His grace, whereby they might have been enlightened in their understanding, and wrought upon their hearts;¹⁸ but sometimes also withdraws the gifts which they had,¹⁹ and exposes them to such objects as their corruption makes occasion of sin;²⁰ and withal, gives them over to their own lusts, the temptations of the world, and the power of Satan,²¹ whereby it comes to pass that they harden themselves, under those means which God uses for the softening of others.²²

¹⁷ Rom. 1;24–26,28, 11:7–8
¹⁸ Deut. 29:4
¹⁹ Matt. 13:12
²⁰ Deut. 2:30; 2 Kings 8:12–13
²¹ Ps. 81:11,12; 2 Thess. 2:10–12
²² Exod. 8:15,32; Isa. 6:9–10; 1 Pet. 2:7–8