A Christian Directory Volume I Part 44

_Direct._ XV. Observe the supernatural effects of the gospel upon the souls of believers: how it planteth on man the image of the holy G.o.d; powerfully subduing both sense and the greatest interest of the flesh, to the will of G.o.d; and making men wise and good; and putting an admirable difference between them and all other men. And then judge whether it be not G.o.d's seal, having his image first upon itself, which he doth use and honour to be the instrument of imprinting his image upon us.[139]

_Direct._ XVI. Mark well the certain vanity of all other religions that prevail on the earth. Idolatry and Mahometanism, which openly bear the mark of their own shame, have shared between them almost all the rest of the earth; for mere deism is scarce any where in possession; and Judaism hath no considerable inheritance; and both of them as sensibly confuted by man's corruption, necessity, and desert.

_Direct._ XVII. Mark the great difference between the christian part of the world, (those that receive christianity seriously and in sincerity,) and all the rest.[140] Those that are furthest from christianity, are furthest from piety, honesty, civility, or any laudable parts or conversations: most of them are beastly and unG.o.dly; and the rest are but a little better: and ignorance and brutishness cannot be the perfection of a man. Nay, among professed christians, the mult.i.tudes that have but the name, and hate the nature and practice of it, are like swine or wolves; and some of the worst, near kin to devils. When all that receive christianity practically into their hearts and lives, are heavenly and holy, and (in the same measure that they receive it) their sins are all mortified, and they are devoted to G.o.d, and possessed with justice, charity, and patience to men, and are carried up above this world, and contemn that which the rest do make their felicity and delight. So that if that be good which doth good, then is the goodness of the christian faith apparent to all, that have any acquaintance, reason, and impartiality to judge.

_Direct._ XVIII. Bethink you what you should have been yourselves, if you had not been christians? Yea, what would yet be the consequent if you should fall from the christian faith? Would you not look at the life to come as doubtful? and resolve to take your pleasure in the world, and to gratify the flesh, and to neglect your souls, and to venture upon almost any vice, that seemeth necessary to your carnal ends? Christianity hath cleansed and sanctified you, if you are sanctified: and if (which G.o.d forbid!) you should forsake christianity, it is most likely you would quickly show the difference, by your dirty, fleshly, worldly lives.[141]

_Direct._ XIX. When you see the evidence of divine revelation and authority, it is enough to silence your doubts and cavils about particular words or circ.u.mstances. For you know that G.o.d is true and infallible; and you know that you are silly, ignorant worms, that are utterly at a loss, when you have not one at hand to open every difficulty to you: and that all arts and sciences seem full of difficulties and contradictions to ignorant, unexperienced novices.

_Direct._ XX. Allow all along in your learning, for the difficulties which must needs arise, from the translation, ambiguity of all human language, change and variety of words and customs, time, place, and other circ.u.mstances, and especially from your own unacquaintedness with all these: that so your own infirmities, and ignorance, and mistakes in reasoning, may not be ascribed to the truth.

_Direct._ XXI. Understand the proper use of holy Scripture, and so how far it is divine; that so you be not tempted to unbelief, by expecting in it that which never was intended, and then finding your causeless expectations frustrate. It is not so divine as to the terms, and style, and order, and such modal and circ.u.mstantial matters, as if all the exactness might be expected in it, that G.o.d could put into a book: nor is it intended as a system of physics, or logic, or any subservient sciences or arts: but it is an infallible revelation of the will of G.o.d, for the government of the church, and the conducting men to life eternal: and it is ordered and worded so as to partake of such human infirmity, as yet shall no way impeach the truth or efficacy of it; but rather make it more suitable to the generality of men, whose infirmity requires such a style and manner of handling. So that as a child of G.o.d hath a body from parents, which yet is of G.o.d, but so of G.o.d, as to partake of the infirmities of the parents; or rather, as Adam had a body from G.o.d, but yet from earth, and accordingly frail; but a soul more immediately from G.o.d, which was more pure and divine: so Scripture hath its style, and language, and method so from G.o.d, as to have nothing in it unsuitable to its ends; but not so from G.o.d, as if he himself had showed in it his own most perfect wisdom to the utmost, and as if there were nothing in it of human imperfection. But the truth and goodness which are the soul of Scripture, are more immediately from G.o.d. The style and method of the penmen may be various; but the same soul animateth all the parts. It is no dishonour to the holy Scriptures, if Cicero be preferred for purity of style, and phrase, and oratory, as for other common uses; but certainly it is to be preferred as to its proper use: that being the best style for an act of parliament, which is next to the worst in an oration. The means are for the end.

_Direct._ XXII. Consider how great a.s.sistance apparitions, and witchcrafts, and other sensible evidences of spirits conversing with mankind, do give to faith. Of which I have written in the forementioned treatises, and therefore now pa.s.s it over.

_Direct._ XXIII. Consider what advantage faith may have, by observing the nature and tendency of the soul, and its hopes and fears of a life to come, together with the superior, glorious worlds, which certainly are possessed by n.o.bler inhabitants.[142] He that seeth every corner of the earth, and sea, and air inhabited, and thinks what earth is in comparison of all the great and glorious...o...b.. above it, will hardly once dream that they are all void of inhabitants, or that there is not room enough for souls.

_Direct._ XXIV. The ministry of angels, of which particular providences give us a great probability, doth give some help to that doctrine which telleth us, that we must live with angels, and that we shall ascend to more familiarity with them, who condescend to so great service now for us.

_Direct._ XXV. The universal, wonderful, implacable enmity of corrupted man to the holy doctrine, and ways, and servants of Christ, and the open war which in every kingdom, and the secret war which in every heart, is kept up between Christ and Satan through the world; with the tendency of every temptation, their violence, constancy, in all ages, to all persons, all making against Christ, and heaven, and holiness, do notoriously declare that the christian doctrine and life do tend to our salvation; which the devil so maliciously and incessantly opposeth: and thus his temptations give great advantage to the tempted soul against the tempter. For it is not for nothing that the enemy of our souls makes so much opposition. And that there is such a devil, that thus opposeth Christ and tempteth us, not only sensible apparitions and witchcrafts prove, but the too sensible temptations, which, by their matter and manner, plainly tell us whence they come. Especially when all the world is formed as into two hostile armies, the one fighting under Christ, and the other under the devil; and so have continued since Cain and Abel to this day.

_Direct._ XXVI. The prophecies of Christ himself of the destruction of Jerusalem, and the gathering of his church, and the cruel usage of it through the world, do give great a.s.sistance to our faith, when we see them all so punctually fulfilled.

_Direct._ XXVII. Mark whether it be not a respect to things temporal that a.s.saulteth thy belief; and come not with a bia.s.sed, sensual mind to search into so great a mystery. Worldliness, and pride, and sensuality are deadly enemies to faith; and where they prevail they will show their enmity, and blind the mind: if the soul be sunk into mud and filth, it cannot see the things of G.o.d.

_Direct._ XXVIII. Come with humility and a sense of your ignorance, and not with arrogance and self-conceit; as if all must needs be wrong that your empty, foolish minds cannot presently perceive to be right.

The famousest apostates that ever I knew, were all men of notorious pride and self-conceitedness.

_Direct._ XXIX. Provoke not G.o.d by wilful sinning against the light, which thou hast already received, to forsake thee, and give thee over to infidelity. 2 Thess. ii. 10-12, "Because men receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved; for this cause G.o.d sends them strong delusions to believe a lie; that they all might be d.a.m.ned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." Obey Christ's doctrine so far as you know it, and you shall fullier know it to be of G.o.d, John vii. 17; x. 4.

_Direct._ x.x.x. Tempt not yourselves to infidelity, by pretended humility in abasing your natural faculties, when you should be humbled for your moral pravity. Vilifying the soul, and its reason, and natural free-will, doth tend to infidelity, by making us think that we are but as other inferior animals, incapable of a life above with G.o.d: whenas self-abasing, because of the corruption of reason and free-will, doth tend to show us the need of a physician, and so a.s.sist our faith in Christ.

_Direct._ x.x.xI. Judge not of so great a thing by sudden apprehensions, or the surprise of a temptation, when you have not leisure to look up all the evidences of faith, and lay them together, and take a full, deliberate view of all the cause. It is a mystery so great as requireth a clear and vacant mind, delivered from prejudice, abstracted from diverting and deceiving things; which, upon the best a.s.sistance and with the greatest diligence, must lay altogether to discern the truth. And if, upon the best a.s.sistance and consideration, you have been convinced of the truth, and then will let every sudden thought, or temptation, or difficulty seem enough to question all again, this is unfaithfulness to the truth, and the way to resist the clearest evidences, and never to have done. It is like as if you should answer your adversary in the court, when your witnesses are all dismissed or out of the way, and all your evidences are absent, and perhaps your counsellor and advocate too. It is like the casting up of a long and intricate account, which a man hath finished by study and time; and when he hath done all, one questioneth this particular, and another that, when his accounts are absent: it is not fit for him to answer all particulars, nor question his own accounts, till he have as full opportunity and help to cast up all again.

_Direct._ x.x.xII. If the work seem too hard for you, go and consult with the wisest, most experienced christians; who can easily answer the difficulties which most perplex and tempt you. Modesty will tell you, that the advantage of study and experience may make every one wisest in his own profession; and set others above you, while you have less of these.

_Direct._ x.x.xIII. Remember that christianity being the surest way to secure your eternal hopes; and the matters of this life, which cause men to forsake it, being such transitory trifles, you can be no losers by it; and therefore if you doubted, yet you might be sure that is the safest way.

_Direct._ x.x.xIV. Judge not of so great a cause in a time of melancholy, when fears and confusions make you unfit. But in such a case as that, as also whenever Satan would disturb your settled faith, or tempt you at his pleasure to be still new questioning resolved cases and discerned truths, abhor his suggestions, and give them no entertainment in your thoughts, but cast them back into the tempter's face. There is not one melancholy person of a mult.i.tude, but is violently a.s.saulted with temptations to blasphemy and unbelief, when they have but half the use of reason and no composedness of mind to debate such controversies with the devil. It is not fit for them in this incapacity to hearken to any of those suggestions, which draw them to dispute the foundations of their faith, but to cast them away with resolute abhorrence; nor should any christian, that is soundly settled on the true foundation, gratify the devil so much as to dispute with him whenever he provoketh us to it, but only endeavour to strengthen our faith, and destroy the remnants of unbelief.

_Direct._ x.x.xV. Remember that Christ doth propagate his religion conjunctly by his Spirit and his word, and effecteth himself the faith which he commandeth. For though there be sufficient evidence of credibility in his word, yet the blinded mind, and corrupt, perverted hearts of men, do need the cure of his medicinal grace, before they will effectually and savingly believe a doctrine which is so holy, high, and heavenly, and doth so much control their l.u.s.ts. See therefore that you distrust your corrupted hearts, and earnestly beg the Spirit of Christ.

_Direct._ x.x.xVI. Labour earnestly for the love of every truth which you believe, and to feel the renewing power of it upon your hearts, and the reforming power on your lives; especially that you may be advanced to the love of G.o.d and to a heavenly mind and life. And this will be a most excellent help against all temptations to unbelief; for the heart holdeth the gospel much faster than the head alone. The seed that is cast into the earth, if it quicken and take root, is best preserved; and the deeper rooted the surer it abideth; but if it die, it perisheth and is gone. When the seed of the holy word hath produced the new creature, it is sure and safe; but when it is retained only in the brain as a dead opinion, every temptation can overturn it. It is an excellent advantage that the serious practical christian hath, above all hypocrites and unsanctified men: love will hold faster than dead belief. Love is the grace that abideth for ever; and that is the enduring faith which works by love. The experienced christian hath felt so much of the power and goodness of the word, that if you puzzle his head with subtle reasonings against it, yet his heart and experience will not suffer him to let it go. He hath tasted it so sweet that he will not believe it to be bitter, though he cannot answer all that is said against it. If another would persuade you to believe ill of your dearest friend or father, love and experience would better preserve you from his deceit than reasoning would do. The new creature or new nature in believers, and the experience of G.o.d's love communicated by Jesus Christ unto their souls, are constant witnesses to the word of G.o.d: he that believeth hath the witness in himself; that is, the Holy Ghost which was given him, which is an objective testimony or an evidence, and an effective. Of this see my "Treatise of Infidelity." Unsanctified men may be easilier turned to infidelity; for they never felt the renewed, quickening work of faith; nor were ever brought by it to the love of G.o.d, and a holy and heavenly mind and life. They that never were christians at the heart, are soonest turned from being christians in opinion and name.

_Quest._ By what reason, evidence, or obligation, were the Jews bound to believe the prophets? Seeing Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, &c. wrought no miracles, and there were false prophets in their days; how then could any man know that indeed they were sent of G.o.d, when they nakedly affirmed it?

_Answ._ I mention this objection or case, because in my book of the "Reasons of the Christian Religion" (to which for all the rest I refer the reader) it is forgotten; and because it is one of the hardest questions about our faith.

1. Those that think every book of Scripture doth now prove itself to be divine _propria luce_, by its own matter, style, and other properties, will accordingly say, that by hearing the prophets then, as well as by reading them now, this intrinsic, satisfactory evidence was discernible. All that I can say of this is, that there are such characters in the prophecies as are a help to faith, as making it the more easily credible that they are of G.o.d, but not such as I could have been ascertained by (especially as delivered by parcels then) if there had been no more.

2. Nor do I acquiesce in their answer who say that, Those that have the same spirit, know the style of the spirit in the prophets. For, 1.

This would suppose none capable of believing them groundedly that had not the same spirit; 2. And the spirit of sanctification is not enough to our discerning prophetical inspirations, as reason and experience fully prove. The gift of discerning spirits, 1 Cor. xii. 10, was not common to all the sanctified.

3. It is much to be observed that G.o.d never sent any prophet to make a law or covenant on which the salvation of the people did depend, without the attestation of unquestionable miracles. Moses wrought numerous open miracles, and such as controlled and confuted the contradicters' seeming miracles in Egypt; and Christ and his apostles wrought more than Moses.

So that the laws and covenants by which G.o.d would rule and judge the people were all confirmed beyond all such exception.

4. It must be noted that many other prophets also wrought miracles to confirm their doctrine, and prove that they were sent of G.o.d, as did Elias and Elisha.

5. It must be noted, that there were schools of prophets, or societies of them, in those times, 1 Sam. x. 10; xix. 20; 1 Kings xx. 35, 41; xxii. 13; 2 Kings ii. 3, 5, 7, 15; iv. 1, 38; v. 22; vi. 1; ix. 1; 1 Cor. xiv. 32; who were educated in such a way as fitted them to the reception of prophetical inspirations, when it pleased G.o.d to give them. Not that mere education made any one a prophet, nor that the prophets had at all times the present, actual gift of prophecy; but G.o.d was pleased so far to own men's commanded diligence, as to join his blessing to a meet education, and at such times as he thought meet, to illuminate such by visions and revelations above all others: and therefore it is spoken of Amos as a thing extraordinary, that he was made a prophet of a herdsman.

6. Therefore a prophet among the Jews was known to be such, usually, before these recorded prophecies of theirs, which we have now in the holy Scriptures: 1. The spirits of the prophets which are subject to the prophets, were judged of by those prophets that had indeed the Spirit, and so the people had the testimony of the other prophets concerning them. 2. The Lord's own direction to know a true prophet by, Deut. xviii. 22, is the coming to pa.s.s of that which he foretelleth. Now it is like that before they were received into the number of prophets, they had given satisfaction to the societies of the prophets, by the events of things before foretold by them. 3. Or they might have wrought miracles before to have satisfied the members of the college of their calling, though these miracles are not all mentioned in the Scripture. 4. Or the other prophets might have some divine testimony concerning them, by visions, revelations, or inspirations of their own. So that the people were not left to the credulity of naked, unproved a.s.sertions, of any one that would say that he was sent of G.o.d.

7. There were some signs given by some of the prophets to confirm their word. As Isaiah's predictions of Hezekiah's danger, and remedy, and recovery, and of the going back of the shadow on Ahaz's dial ten degrees, &c.; and more such there might be, which we know not of.

8. All prophecies were not of equal obligation. The first prophecies of any prophet who brought no attestation by miracles, nor had yet spoken any prophecy that had been fulfilled, might be a merciful revelation from G.o.d, which might oblige the hearers to a reverent regard, and an inquiry into the authority of the prophet, and a waiting in suspense till they saw whether it would come to pa.s.s; and the fulfilling of it increaseth their obligation. Some prophecies that foretold but temporal things (captivities or deliverances) might at first (before the prophets produced a divine attestation) be rather a bare prediction than a law; and if men believed them not, it might not make them guilty of any d.a.m.ning sin at all, but only they refused that warning of a temporal judgment, which might have been of use to them had they received it.

9. But our obligation now to believe the same Scripture prophecies is greater; because we live in the age when most of them are fulfilled, and the rest are attested by Christ and his apostles, who proved their attestations by manifold miracles.

10. When the prophets reproved the known sins of the people, and called men to such duties as the law required, no man could speed ill by obeying such a prophet, because the matter of his prophecies was found in G.o.d's own law, which must of necessity be obeyed. And this is the chief part of the recorded prophecies.

11. And any man that spake against any part of G.o.d's law (of natural or supernatural revelation) was not to be believed, Deut. xiii.; xviii.; because G.o.d cannot speak contrary to himself.

12. But the prophets themselves had another kind of obligation to believe their own visions and inspirations, than any of their hearers had; for G.o.d's great extraordinary revelation, was like the light, which immediately revealed itself, and constrained the understanding to know that it was of G.o.d: and such were the revelations that came by angelical apparitions and visions. Therefore prophets themselves might be bound to more than their bare word could have bound their hearers to; as, to wound themselves, to go bare, to feed on dung, &c.: and this was Abraham's case in offering Isaac. Yet G.o.d did never command a prophet, or any by a prophet, a thing simply evil, but only such things as were of a mutable nature, and which his will could alter, and make to be good. And such was the case of Abraham himself, if well considered.

PART II.

_Directions against Hardness of Heart._

It is necessary that some christians be better informed what hardness of heart is, who most complain of it.[143] The metaphor is taken from the hardness of any matter which a workman would make an impression on; and it signifieth the pa.s.sive and active resistance of the heart against the word and works of G.o.d, when it receiveth not the impressions which the word should make, and obeyeth not G.o.d's commands; but after great and powerful means remaineth as it was before, unmoved, unaffected, and disobedient. So that hardness of heart is not a distinct sin, but the habitual power of every sin, or the deadness, unmovableness, and obstinacy of the heart in any sin. So many duties and sins as there be, so many ways may the heart be hardened against the word, which forbiddeth those sins, and commandeth those duties. It is therefore an error, that hath had very ill consequences on many persons, to think that hardness of heart is nothing but a want of pa.s.sionate feeling in the matters which concern the soul; especially a want of sorrow and tears. This hath made them over-careful for such tears, and grief, and pa.s.sions, and dangerously to make light of the many greater instances of the hardness of their hearts. Many beginners in religion (who are taken up in penitential duties) do think that all repentance is nothing but a change of opinion, except they have those pa.s.sionate griefs, and tears, which indeed would well become the penitent; and hereupon they take more pains with themselves to affect their hearts with sorrow for sin, and to wring out tears, than they do for many greater duties. But when G.o.d calleth them to love him, and to praise him, and to be thankful for his mercies; or to love an enemy, or forgive a wrong: when he calleth them to mortify their earthly-mindedness, their carnality, their pride, their pa.s.sion, or their disobedience, they yield but little to his call, and show here much greater hardness of heart, and yet little complain of this or take notice of it. I entreat you therefore to observe, that the greater the duty is, the worse it is to harden the heart against it; and the greater the sin is, the worse it is to harden the heart by obstinacy in it. And that the great duties are, the love of G.o.d and man, with a mortified and heavenly mind and life; and to resist G.o.d's word commanding these, is the great and dangerous hardening of the heart. The life of grace lieth, 1. In the preferring of G.o.d, and heaven, and holiness, in the estimation of our minds before all worldly things. 2. In the choosing them, and resolving for them with our wills, before all others. 3. In the seeking of them in the bent and drift of our endeavours. These three make up a state of holiness. But for strength of parts, or memory, or expression, and so for pa.s.sionate affections of sorrow, or joy, or the tears that express them; all these in their time, and place, and measure, are desirable, but not of necessity to salvation, or to the life of grace. They follow much the temperature of the body, and some have much of them that have little or no grace, and some want them that have much grace.

The work of repentance consisteth most in loathing and falling out with ourselves for our sins, and in forsaking them with abhorrence, and turning unto G.o.d; and he that can do this without tears is truly penitent, and he that hath never so many tears, without this, is impenitent still.[144] And that is the hard-hearted sinner, that will not be wrought to a love of holiness, nor let go his sin, when G.o.d commandeth him; but after all exhortations, and mercies, and perhaps afflictions, is still the same as if he had never been admonished, or took no notice what G.o.d hath been saying or doing to reclaim him.

Having thus told you what hardness of heart is, you may see that I have given you directions against it at large before, chap. iii.

direct. vi. and viii.; but shall add these few.

_Direct._ I. Remember the majesty and presence of that most holy G.o.d, with whom we have to do, Heb. iv. 13. Nothing will more affect and awe the heart, and overrule it in the matters of religion, than the true knowledge of G.o.d. We will not talk sleepily or contemptuously to a king; how much less should we be stupid or contemptuous before the G.o.d of heaven! It is that G.o.d whom angels worship, that sustaineth the world, that keepeth us in life, that is always present, observing all that we think, or say, or do, whose commands are upon us, and with whom we have to do in all things; and shall we be hardened against his fear? "Who hath hardened himself against Him, and hath prospered?" Job ix. 4.

_Direct._ II. Think well of the unspeakable greatness and importance of those truths and things which should affect you, and of those duties which are required of you. Eternity of joy or torment is such an amazing thing, that one would think every thought, and every mention either of it or of any thing that concerneth it, should go to our very hearts, and deeply affect us, and should command the obedience and service of our souls. It is true, they are things unseen, and therefore less apt in that respect to affect us than things visible; but the greatness of them should recompense that disadvantage a thousandfold. If our lives lay upon every word we speak, or upon every step we go, how carefully should we speak and go! But oh how deeply should things affect us, in which our everlasting life is concerned! One would think a thing of so great moment, as dying, and pa.s.sing into an endless life of pain or pleasure, should so take up and transport the mind of man, that we should have much ado to bring ourselves to mind, regard, or talk of the inconsiderable interests of the flesh! How inexcusable a thing is a senseless, careless, negligent heart, when G.o.d looketh on us, and heaven or h.e.l.l is a little before us! Yea, when we are so heavily laden with our sins, and compa.s.sed about with so many enemies, and in the midst of such great and manifold dangers, to be yet senseless under all, is (so far) to be dead. Will not the wounds of sin, and the threatenings of the law, and the accusations of conscience, make you feel? He that cannot feel the p.r.i.c.k of a pin will feel the stab of a dagger, if he be alive.

_Direct._ III. Remember how near the time is, when stupidity and senseless neglect of G.o.d will be banished from all the world; and what certain and powerful means are before you at death and judgment, to awaken and pierce the hardest heart.[145] There are but few that are quite insensible at death; there are none past feeling after death, in heaven or h.e.l.l. No man will stand before the Lord in the day of judgment, with a sleepy or a senseless heart. G.o.d will recover your feeling by misery, if you will lose it by sin, and not recover it by grace. He can make you now a terror to yourselves, Jer. xx. 4; he can make conscience say such things in secret to you, as you shall not be able to forget or slight. But if conscience awake you not, the approach of death it is likely will awaken you: when you see that G.o.d is now in earnest with you, and that die you must, and there is no remedy, will you not begin to think now, Whither must I go? and what will become of me for ever? Will you then harden your heart against G.o.d and his warnings? If you do, the first moment of your entrance upon eternity will cure your stupidity for ever. It will grieve a heart that is not stone, to think what a feeling stony-hearted sinners will shortly have, when G.o.d will purposely make them feel, with his wrathful streams of fire and brimstone! when Satan that now hindereth your feeling, will do his worst to make you feel; and conscience, the never-dying worm, will gnaw your hearts, and make them feel, without ease or hope of remedy! Think what a wakening day is coming!

_Direct._ IV. Think often of the love of G.o.d in Christ, and of the b.l.o.o.d.y sufferings of thy Redeemer, for it hath a mighty power to melt the heart. If love, and the love of G.o.d, and so great and wonderful a love, will not soften thy hardened heart, what will?

_Direct._ V. Labour for a full apprehension of the evil and danger of a hardened heart. It is the death of the soul, so far as it prevaileth: at the easiest, it is like the stupidity of a paralytic member or a seared part. Observe the names which Scripture giveth it: The "hardening of the heart," Prov. xxviii. 14. The "hardening of the neck," Prov. xxix. 10, which signifieth inflexibility. The "hardening of the face," which signifieth impudency, Prov. xxi. 29. The "searedness of the conscience," 1 Tim. iv. 2. The "impenitency of the heart," Rom. ii. 5. Sometimes it is called "sottishness," or "stupidity," Jer. iv. 22. Sometimes it is called a "not caring," or "not laying things to heart, and not regarding," Isa. xlii. 25; v. 12; x.x.xii. 9-11. Sometimes it is denominated metaphorically from inanimates: "A face harder than a rock," Jer. v. 3. "Stony hearts,"

Ezek. xi. 19; x.x.xvi. 26. "A neck with an iron sinew," Isa. xlviii. 4, and "a brow of bra.s.s." It is called "sleep," and a "deep slumber," and a "spirit of slumber," Rom. xiii. 11; xi. 8; Matt. xxv. 5; and "death"

itself, 1 Tim. v. 6; Eph. ii. 1, 5; Col. ii. 13; Jude 12.

Observe also how dreadful a case it is, if it be predominant, both symptomatically and effectively. It is the forerunner of mischief, Prov. xxviii. 14. It is a dreadful sign of one that is far more unlikely than others to be converted; when they are "alienated from the life of G.o.d by their ignorance," and are "past feeling," they are "given up to work uncleanness with greediness," Eph. iv. 14. Usually G.o.d calleth those that he will save, before they are past feeling; though such are not hopeless, their hope lieth in the recovering of the feeling which they want; and a hardened heart, and iron neck, and brazen forehead, are a sadder sign of G.o.d's displeasure, than if he had made the heavens as bra.s.s, and the earth as iron to you, or let out the greatest distress upon your bodies. When men have eyes and see not, and ears and hear not, and hearts but understand not, it is a sad prognostic that they are very unlikely to be "converted and forgiven,"

Mark iv. 12; Acts xxviii. 27. A hardened heart (predominantly) is garrisoned and fortified by Satan against all the means that we can use to help them; and none but the Almighty can cast him out and deliver them. Let husband, or wife, or parents, or the dearest friends entreat a hardened sinner to be converted, and he will not hear them.

Let the learnedest, or wisest, or holiest man alive, both preach and beseech him, and he will not turn. At a distance he may reverence and honour a great divine, and a learned or a holy man, especially when they are dead; but let the best man on earth be the minister of the place where he liveth, and entreat him daily to repent, and he will either hate and persecute him, or neglect and disobey him. What minister was ever so learned, or holy, or powerful a preacher, that had not sad experience of this? when the prophet, Isa. liii. 1, crieth out, "Who hath believed our report?" and the apostles were fain to shake off the dust of their feet against many that rejected them; and were abused, and scorned, and persecuted by those whose souls they would have saved? Nay, Jesus Christ himself was refused by the most that heard him; and no minister dare compare himself with Christ. If our Lord and Master was blasphemed, scorned, and murdered by sinners, what better should his ablest ministers expect? St. Augustine found drunkenness so common in Africa, that he motioned that a council might be called for the suppression of it; but if a general council of all the learned bishops and pastors in the world were called, they could not convert one hardened sinner, by all their authority, wit, or diligence, without the power of the Almighty G.o.d. For will they be converted by man, that are hardened against G.o.d? What can we devise to say to them that can reach their hearts, and get within them, and do them good? Shall we tell them of the law and judgments of the Lord, and of his wrath against them? why all these things they have heard so often till they sleep under it, or laugh at them. Shall we tell them of death, and judgment, and eternity? why we speak to the posts, or men asleep; they hear us as if they heard us not. Shall we tell them of endless joy and torments? they feel not, and therefore fear not, nor regard not; they have heard of all these, till they are weary of hearing them, and our words seem to them but as the noise of the wind or water, which is of no signification. If miracles were wrought among them by a preacher, that healed the sick, and raised the dead, they would wonder at him, but would not be converted. For Christ did thus, and yet prevailed but with few, John xi. 48, 53; and the apostles wrought miracles, and yet were rejected by the most, Acts vii. 57; xxii. 22. Nay, if one of their old companions should be sent from the dead to give them warning, he might affright them, but not convert them, for Christ hath told us so himself, Luke xvi. 31; or if an angel from heaven should preach to them, they would be hardened still, as Balaam and others have been. Christ rose from the dead, and yet was after that rejected. We read not of the conversion of the soldiers that watched his sepulchre, though they were affrighted with the sight of the angels: but they were after that hired for a little money to lie, and say that Christ's disciples stole him away. If magistrates that have power on their bodies, should endeavour to bring them to G.o.dliness, they would not obey them, nor be persuaded. King Hezekiah's messengers were but mocked by the people. David and Solomon could not convert their hardened subjects. Punish them, and hang them, and they will be wicked to the death: witness the impenitent thief that died with Christ, and died reproaching him. Though G.o.d afflict them with rod after rod, yet still they sin and are the same, Psal. lxxviii.; Hos. vii. 14; Amos iv. 9; Jer. v. 3; Isa. i. 5. Let death come near and look them in the face, and let them see that they must presently go to judgment, it will affright them, but not convert them. Let them know and confess, that sin is bad, that holiness is best, that death and eternity are at hand, yet are they the same, and all will not win their hearts to G.o.d; till grace take away their stony hearts, and give them tender, fleshy hearts, Ezek. x.x.xvi. 26.