The sinne of hardnesse of heart: the nature, danger, and remedy of it. Opened in a sermon, preached to the Honorable House of Commons, July 28. 1648. being the day of their solemne monethly fast. By Stephen Marshall, B.D. minister of Gods Word at Finchingfield in Essex. Published by order of that House.

The sinne of hardnesse of heart: the nature, danger, and remedy of it. Opened in a sermon, preached to the Honorable House of Commons, July 28. 1648. being the day of their solemne monethly fast. By Stephen Marshall, B.D. minister of Gods Word at Finchingfield in Essex. Published by order of that House.

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Title page

TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL The Lady Trevor, Wife to my most worthy and approved Friend, Sir Iohn Trevor.

A SERMON PREACHED TO THE HONORABLE House of COMMONS upon their solemne Monethly Fast.

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THE SINNE OF Hardnesse of Heart: THE Nature, Danger, and Remedy of it.

Opened in a SERMON, PREACHED TO The Honorable House of Commons, July 2 [...]. 1648. being the day of their Solemne Monethly Fast.

By STEPHEN MARSHALL, B. D. Minister of Gods Word at Finchingfield in Essex.

Published by order of that House.

Psalme 95. 7, 8.

To day if you will heare his voyce, harden not your hearts, &c.

Prov. 29. 1.

He that being often reproved hardneth his neck, shall suddenly bee destroyed, and that without remedy.

London Printed by R. Cotes, for Stephen Bowtell, at the Signe of the Bible in Popes-head Alley, 1648.

TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL The Lady Trevor, Wife to my most worthy and approved Friend, Sir Iohn Trevor.

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Madam,

YOu have been long taught of God, and therefore are not ignorant that spirituall sicknesses differ many wayes from bodily, this one is notable, The more any spirituall disease increaseth, the lesse it's felt, and the more any soule is sensible of it, the lesse power it hath over him; This is found most true of the greatest of spirituall plagues, the sinne of hardnesse of heart, none more confident of the goodnesse of their heart, then the most obstinate and rebellious sinner, where as the most tender-hearted Christian complaines most of hardnesse, the spirit that is most flexible to God, most laments its obstinacy; Madam, I may apply this to your selfe, all such servants of God who know and converse with you can discerne that God hath in great measure taken out of you the heart of stone and given you a heart of flesh, upon the ta [...]les whereof he hath written his holy Law, and that it is your delight to walke with him, to live to him and please [Page] him in all things; yet did I never heare you bestow one good word upon your heart, but rather upon every occasion you are declaming against it, and complaining of its hardnesse and obstinacy. But Madam to feele hardness of heart is softness of heart, and did you but cleerly understand how much the Lord delights in such a frame of spirit as hee hath given you, you would cease to bee so suspitious as you are of your owne spirituall condition, and would spend the rest of your dayes rejoycing in your portion and serving him without feare: I hope this plaine Sermon may through Gods blessing bee some helpe to make you judge more rightly of that grace which God hath so plentifully bestowed on you, and to blesse his Name who hath in great measure delivered you from this destroyer, even this plague of a hard heart; I humbly present it unto you, as a pledge of my thankefulnesse, for all the many and great refreshings I have found in your family, where I have constantly found your respect and tendernesse towards mee more like that of a mother then a stranger: The good Lord pardon my unfruitfulnesse among you, and requite you and your good husbands love toward me a thousand fold into your bosomes, and multiply his favours upon your whole family, and continue to guide you by his counsell till you come to his glory.

Your La. most obliged, STEPHEN MARSHALL.

A SERMON PREACHED TO THE HONORABLE House of COMMONS upon their solemne Monethly Fast.

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BEloved in the Lord, some mistake concerning one of the Preachers that should have supplied the worke of this day, is the occasion of my standing here at this time, at shorter warning, then is fit for such a service, but I have learned to receive encouragement from a call; and therefore without any further Apologie, I beseech you attend to the Word of God, which you shall find written in the

7. of ZACHARIAH Vers. 12.‘Yea they made their hearts as an Adamant stone, lest they should heare the Law, and the words which the Lord of host hath sent in his spirit, by the former Prophets, therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts.’

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MY Text is part of an answer to a case of conscience, The Text opened, the occasion, coherence and parts of it. propounded in the beginning of this Chapter, from the fourth Vers. of this Chapter to the end of the next Chapter is contained the full answer to that case of conscience; the case of conscience was this; They sent unto the house of God, [Page] Sherezer, and Regem-melech, and their men, to speak to the Priest, and to know of him, and of the Prophets whether they should weep in the fifth moneth, as they had done these 70. yeers; this was the case propounded; now because my subject matter this day must very much relate unto this case, give me leave a little to open it to you; The Jewes after it had pleased God to bring upon them the Babylonian captivitie, did set apart foure dayes every yeer, which they kept as solemne dayes of humiliation, one of them was in the fifth moneth, another was in the seventh moneth, another was in the tenth moneth, and another was in the fourth moneth, upon these occasions: In the tenth moneth did Nebuchadnezzars Army, first beleaguer Ierusalem, as you'l finde it in the 25. Chapter of the second book of the Kings, that day that Nebuchadnezzars Army first sat downe before the Citie, did they keep 2 Kings 25. 1. a fasting day all those 70. yeers: In the fourth moneth of the yeere following, they broke into the Citie and took 2 Kings 25. 3. Vers. 8. Vers. 25. it, the day that the Citie was taken, did they keep as a solemn fasting day; In the fifth moneth Nebuzaradan came and burnt the Temple; the day that the Temple was burnt, did they also keep as a fasting day; In the seventh moneth Gedaliah, the sonne of Ahikam, was kill'd, murder'd by Ishmael, and all the rest that were left, were scatter'd into Egypt, and that day likewise did they keep as a fasting day; and these foure dayes they kept threescore and ten yeers; Now the Temple being built againe, at least in a good forwardnesse, they send to know whether the fast of the fifth moneth should continue; concerning the other fasts they make no mention of them, probably conceiving that the occasion of those fasts did continue still; but they would know whether the Lord would not have them lay aside the fast of the fifth moneth, which was kept in reference to the Temple, because the Temple [Page] was now built, or in a great forwardnesse; this case of conscience was sent, some think, by the Jewes that remain'd still in Babylon, that they sent Sherezer and Regemmelech, and the rest of them, as their Embassadors; others thinke they were sent from all the Jewes, that were return'd from their Captivity, but by whom soever the message was sent, this was the case that I have read to you; Now the Prophet comes to answer this case, and in the answer hee takes notice of all the foure dayes of fasting, though they mention but one of them, because they all hung upon one hinge, and the answer of the Prophet to this case, so much of it as is contained in this Chapter is a meere slighting of the case propounded; and there are two things wherein the Prophet expresses the Lords contempt of their Embassage, one,

That the Lord tooke no notice of any such thing; Did you fast to me? (saith he) you speake of dayes of fasting, 1. that you have kept 70. yeers, did you fast to mee? Did I either appoint them? or doe I accept them? or have you carried them as you should doe? the meaning is, you play the hypocrites with mee, you would make a great deale adoe about a solemne Embassage, to have a case of conscience determin'd, which is first, but a ceremony at the best, and besides it is a ceremony of your own inventing, and in it you have howled and mourned for your afflictions, but never tooke notice of your sinnes, that have caused those judgements to come upon you; you fasted sometimes, and feasted sometimes, but when you have fasted, you fasted not to me, & when you did eate and drink, you did eate and drinke to your selves, and not to mee; that is the first, a slighting of it, as a keeping a coile about a trifle, when there were greater matters concerned them which they regarded not.

[Page] The second branch of the Prophets answer containes 2. the true reason why all this fasting of theirs was thus slighted by God that is laid downe, First,

More generally in the 6. Verse, wherein the Prophet 1. gives them a sound and a sharpe reproof, you have wept and mourned, but should not you rather have took notice of the words, which the Lord did send by the Prophets? should ye not heare the words that the Prophets cried in former times, when Ierusalem was inhabited, and the Cities thereof round about her? there you might have learned the true way, but that you have no whit regarded; you cry for your afflictions, but you are not one whit sensible of those sinnes that have caused these judgements upon you: That is the generall, then secondly,

Hee proceeds more particularly to open this Ulcer of 2. their hypocrisie, and three things there are which he remembers them of, First,

The Lord remembers them of the counsell that had been given them and their Fathers, how to remove the 1. plagues that lay upon them, (saith hee) Thus speaks the Lord of hosts (in the 9. Verse) execute true judgement, and justice, shew mercy and compassion every man to his brother, oppresse not the widow, the fatherlesse, nor the stranger, let none of you imagine evill against his brother in his heart: this was the counsell which of old was given, how the ruine of Ierusalem might have been prevented; the exercise of justice, and the exercise of mercy; indeed the Prophet there instances onely in two Table duties, but I thinke the reason is, because the Jewes were alwayes very exact in matters of Gods worship, save onely when they fell into Idolatry, and they bore themselves much upon the duties of the first Table; and it is Gods ordinary practise when hee would discover the hypocrisie [Page] of men, that are much in holy duties, to fall upon the duties of the second Table, wherein they ordinarily are carelesse, so the Prophet tells them, that had they walked after this manner, this wrath had never come upon them; but now, which is the second,

See what disobedience they shewed to this, and this disobedience 2. is laid downe in the 11. & 12. Verses: and aggravated from the worst qualitie that disobedience can be accompanied with, that is, wilfulnesse and obstinacy; and this wilfull and obstinate disobedience of theirs, is laid down in foure Metaphors, but all of them signifying one and the same thing, onely the three first doe most immediatly signifie the outward expressions of their disobedience; and the fourth which is the root of all, discovers the very fountaine whence all their disobedience did spring; First saith he,

They refused to hearken, they were like to a man, that when you would doe an errand to him, flings away from you, and saith plainly, hee will not heare what you say; Secondly,

They pull away their shoulder, alluding unto a Beast, a Bullock, that when you would put the yoke upon it, it snatches the shoulder away, and refuses to bee yok'd by you, nay, saith he,

They stopped their eares; alluding to Adder, that (they say of it, it) laies one eare against the ground, and stops the other eare with the taile, that it may not be charmed, or like unto those, that when they would plainly let you see, how much they slight what you say to them, put their finger in their eares, that all may take notice, they will not regard you; But then fourthly, (which is the theame that I purpose to handle by the Lords assistance;)

Here is the cause of all, that is, they made their hearts [Page]like an Adamant stone, yea (saith hee) they made their hearts like an Adamant stone, that they might not heare the Word that God hath spoken; then followes the third branch, the fruit of their disobedience, therefore all this wrath is come upon them. In these words, here are two things to bee handled; First,

The sinne that this people were guilty of; in these 1. words, they made their hearts like an Adamant stone, that they might not heare the word: Secondly,

The judgement that this sinne brought upon them: Therefore saith the Lord, it is come to passe, that as they 2. would not heare me, I would not heare them; but a great wrath is come upon them, and I have scatter'd them among all the Nations, and laid their land desolate. In their sinne, (which is the onely theame I shall insist upon) you have two things: First,

What their sinne was, what the wicked frame of their 1. heart was, their heart was like an Adamant stone; Secondly,

How it came to be so: they made their heart so themselves; 2. they made their heart as an Adamant stone: next open the meaning of this, what is here meant by an Adamant stone? the Hebrew word is variously interpreted, some doe render it a flint, some a stone that will not waste, many with our new translation render it an Adamant, but generally, Criticks doe agree, that it is a stone of the hardest nature, that will not by any toole bee graven or fashioned to any desirable mould: so to make their heart as an Adamant stone, doth plainly meane, they did extreamly harden their heart, that is the English of it, they would not heare, they stopped their eare, they pull'd away their shoulder, yea, they did extreamely harden their hearts: Here are two things further to be interpreted: First,

[Page] What is meant by the heart that is here hardned? And 1. secondly,

What this hardning the heart signifies. 2.

By heart you know is naturally meant that piece of 1. flesh that is in the body, which they say, it is primum vivens, and ultimum moriens: but morally and spiritually by the heart is meant the soule, and usually, the will and the affections are ordinarily in Scripture meant by the heart; so it is here.

What by hardnesse, or hardning; Hardning in the naturall 2. signification of it, is nothing but the withdrawing of moysture form any substance, whereby the parts come to bee condensed and made stiffe, so as not to yeeld to the touch; Durum est quod non cedit tactui, that that will not receive any impression that is hard: this in a naturall sense; but in a morall and spirituall sense, to harden the heart is nothing but to have the will resolutely and unchangeably set upon any purpose, not to be taken off from their enterprise by any meanes that can bee used to change them, that is to harden the heart; and in the Scripture it is sometimes taken in a good sense, a mans heart may be harden'd in a very gratious manner, so Ezekiels Ezekiel 3. 8. was, when the Lord told him, the house of Israel will not hearken to thee, for they are impudent and hard hearted, but (saith God) I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads, thou shalt bee as impudent as they, as an Adamant, harder then flint, &c. thou shalt bee as much hardned in good as they in evill, I have given thee that grace; that shall make thee resolute as they: Paul was, when they came, and wept, and prayed him hee would not goe to Ierusalem, (saith he) you weep in vaine I'le goe though I die for it; his heart was hardned: and so [Page] Luther; when his friends would have perswaded him not to have gone to Wormes; to the disputation there, If all the tiles of the houses in Wormes were Devils, I would goe; that is to have a heart harden'd in a good cause; but ordinarily in the Scripture, to harden the heart, or to have hardnesse of heart, is ordinarily meant in an evill sense; hardening in sin, hardning against God: and so my Text hath it plainely, they made their heart as an Adamant stone, that they might not heare the word that God had sent to them: their heart was resolutely, and unchangeably bent to goe on in their wayes, say or doe what God would, or could to the contrary; that is the sin that is here mentioned; now from hence I shall take up this Lesson; and it is the onely Lesson, which I shall by the Lords assistance handle this day; and in it take in both the sinne, and the judgement together.

That the sinne of hardning the heart against God, is a certain Doct. forerunner of utter destruction;

They made their heart as hard as an Adament stone, therefore came there a great wrath from God; and therefore Hardening the heart, a certain forerunner of destruction. as I called, and they would not answer, when they cryed I would not answer, but I have scatter'd them: so the Lesson is plaine; but before I come to prove it, that Five distinctions about hardnesse of heart, premised forth: clearing of this Doctrine. it may bee rightly stated, I shall premise five distinctions about this sinne of hardnesse of heart; whereby you will more plainly understand the Doctrine that I am to make good out of the Scripture; First,

That there is a naturall hardnesse of heart, which is the 1. case of all men in the world; Secondly, there is an acquired There is a naturall hardnesse of heart, and there is an acquired hardnesse. hardnesse of heart, or a hardnesse that man brings upon himself; There is a naturall hardnesse of heart, the [Page] Scripture is plain in it, that all men in the world, the originall frame of their hearts; is in the Scripture set downe by the expression of a heart of stone, in Ezek. 11. Ezek. 11. 19. when God promises conversion, (saith hee). I will take away the heart of stone, that is in them, and give them a heart of flesh; every man and woman in the world, brings the stone of the heart into the world with them; but then Secondly,

There is an acquired hardnesse of heart, or a hardnesse that men bring upon themselves; so my Text saith, they made their hearts hard, and so it is said of Zedekiah, in the 36. of the 2 Chron. hee hardned his heart against God: that is one; Secondly,

Know that there is a graduall or partiall hardnesse of 2. heart; when the heart is harden'd but in some measure, There is a graduall or partial hardness, and there is a to as hardness. there is some hardnesse in them, and some softnesse in them, and there is a totall hardening of the heart when the whole fram [...] of the heart is given up to hardnesse.

That there is a graduall, and partiall hardness of heart, you may see it in Christs own Disciples, who being new Creatures had a heart of flesh in them, and yet it is said of them, in Mark. 6. 52. They considered not the miracle Mark 6. 52. Mark. 8. 17. of the loaves, because their heart was hardned: and in Mark. 8. Christ saith to them, Have ye your hearts yet harden'd? Christs own Disciples had some degrees of hardnesse of heart, but then

There is a hardnesse, that is a Totall hardnesse; of Jer. 5. 3. Jer. 6. 28. which the Scripture saith, they are all brasse and iron; Thirdly,

There is a hardnesse of heart, that is felt; felt by them 3. that are under it; and there is a hardnesse of heart that is There is a hardness felt and a hardness unfelt. unfelt.

There is a hardnesse that is felt: so the Church saith in [Page] Isaiah 63. ver. 1. Ah Lord, why hast thou harden'd our hearts from thy feare? But Isa 63. 17.

There is likewise a hardnesse of heart, that though it lye upon the soule, yet they feele it not; that they are as dead men under it, like Nabals heart, that was like a stone, and he tooke no notice of it: and this unfelt hardnesse of heart, it proceeds sometimes from ignorance, and sometimes from malice; Fourthly, 4.

Know that there is a hardnesse of heart, that is unwilling, There is an unwilling hardnesse a hardness bemoaned for and striven against; & there is a willing hardnes, a hardness raigning and delighted in. Ier. 31. 18. bemoaned, lamented, groaned under, look'd upon as a judgment, as a misery; and there is a hardnesse of heart that is willing, a willing hardnesse, a pleasing hardnesse, a raigning hardnesse, a hardnesse chosen and delighted in.

That there is an unwilling, bemoaned hardnesse, is plain, in Ephraims case in Ier. 31. who makes this his sorrowfull complaint before God, that his heart was like a Heyfer, like a Bullocke that would not carry Gods yoke, it made him weepe bitterly for it; and so the Church in the forementioned place, of Isaiah 63. O Lord, why are our hearts harden'd from thy fear? shee Isai. 63. look'd upon it as a marvailous great evill, that lay upon them. But then,

There is likewise a hardnesse, that is a pleasing hardnesse; a hardnesse delighted in, a hardnesse raigning, a hardnesse gloried in; that is the hardnesse that my Text mentions: Lastly,

Know that there is a hardnesse of heart, that is Mans worke, and there is a hardnesse of heart that is Gods worke; 5. There is a hardness which is mans work, and there is a judiciary hardness which is Gods work.

The hardnesse of heart that is Mans worke, are all those severall hardnesses, that I have spoke of hitherto, whether naturall, graduall, felt or unfelt, bemoaned, [Page] or gloried in, they are all our owne hardnesses; But then

There is also a hardnesse which is Gods worke; which is a Judiciary hardnesse, a judgement inflicted by God righteously upon men; who when they will harden themselves, God consents that they shall bee harden'd, and concurs to their hardening; so hee is frequently said in Scripture, to harden Pharaohs heart, and to harden whom hee will: but this same Judiciary hardnesse of heart which is Gods worke, you must know it is not by Gods infusing obstinacy and and malice into them, that God doth to none: but it stands in these three things, sometimes,

By taking away from them, or denying them those meanes that might make their heart plyable to God: or 1. Secondly,

In case they doe injoy the meanes, yet God withholding his blessing from the meanes: and Thirdly, 2.

Permitting them, or so far withdrawing the bridle of 3. his restraining grace from them, as to permit them to abuse the meanes that they doe injoy, to their own ruine and further hardening; and thus was Pharaoh and his people harden'd by the Ministery of Moses and Aaron; and thus were the Israelites harden'd by Isaiahs Ministery, as you'le find it in Isaiah 6. the Lord said to him, Goe Isai. 6. 8, 9. to this people, and make their hearts hard; how was that? Hee should preach to them, but they should bee given up to a fat heart, that is, a senslesse, and a heavy eare, that is, a heedlesse eare; God would give them up to a senslesnesse, and heedlesnesse, that the more means they enjoy'd, the more desperate and vile their hearts should grow: now then to draw up all this to my purpose, the Doctrine that I am to handle, wherein [Page] I am to shew you, that hardening the heart against God, is a certain forerunner of destruction; I doe not mean it of that naturall hardnesse, that wee all bring into the world, nor of that acquired hardnesse, that is found in every man, who hath but lived a while upon earth, nor of that partiall or graduall hardnesse, that is in the best of Gods people, much lesse of that felt, bewailed, bemoaned hardnesse, that is look'd upon as a heavy judgement, by them that lye under it; though all these are sinnes, yet these are not the sinnes of my Text; but my Text meanes it of the chosen, voluntary, elected hardnesse, the Totall hardnesse, the Raigning hardnesse, when men doe obstinately, and willingly strengthen, and make firme their hearts in their sinfull wayes against God, and then God in his righteous judgement concurres, and saith bee it so: when men doe thus harden their hearts against God, be it a Family, be it a Kingdome, be it one, or be they many, this hardening the heart against God, is a certaine forerunner of utter destruction; Now you understand what the Lesson is, that The Doctrine proved. I am to handle, and First, I shall make it good, and plainly demonstrate the truth of it, out of the Scripture; and for the proofe turn to three or foure Texts, the one is that knowne signall Text in Prov. 29. 1. read it carefully; Hee that being often admonished, or reproved, hardens his neck; there is my very Doctrine, that after admonitions hardens his neck; what of him? Shall suddainly bee destroyed, and that without remedy; weigh all those words; First,

What it is that is threatned against him, hee that being often reproved, hardens his neck, what of him? He Prov. 29. 1. doth not say, he shall smart for it, he shall be afflicted, but he shall be destroyed; destruction is prepared for him; Secondly,

[Page] Hee doth not say hee is in danger of it, but hee shall bee destroyed; it is decreed in heaven, it is set down for him, hee shall perish; and, Thirdly,

That suddenly, hee shall suddenly bee destroyed; the Vision of his destruction is not for a long time to come, but his damnation sleepeth not, he shall suddenly be destroyed:

Yea and that with out remedy; no power shall rescue him, no mercy shall pardon him, no Mediator shall intercede for him, there is no remedy, all the world cannot helpe it, the man that after many reproofes hardens his heart, shall bee destroyed without any remedy; there is a place like it in the 28. of Proverbs, the very Chapter Prov. 28. 14. before it, and the 14. verse; He is a blessed man that feares alwayes, that is the beginning of the Verse, he is a blessed man, hee lives in a blessed state, whose heart suspects it self; O I shall sinne, I shall offend God, I shall yeeld to my Corruption; hee is a blessed man that feares alwayes, but hee that hardens his heart, hee that dares venture upon ungodly enterprizes, what of him? Hee shall fall into mischief; some render it in malum inprovisum, into unthought of mischief; hazardous men, hard hearted men, are suddainly before ever they thinke of it, caught: and in 2 Rom. 2. 5. the Apostle there Rom. 2. 5. speakes to such a hard hearted wretch as my Text meanes: Thou (saith hee) after thy hardness of heart that cannot repent, treasurest up unto thy self, wrath against the day of wrath; marke yee, the hard heart it is Satans treasury for sin, but it is Gods treasury for wrath; Satan doth not lay up more wickedness in a hard heart, then God layes up vengeance in the Cellars of it, treasurest up to thy self wrath against the day of wrath: & were it needfull I could give you abundance of examples out [Page] of Gods Word; Pharaoh and the Egyptians are a famous one; 600000. Israelites in the Wilderness are another famous example of hardning hearts to ruin, when the hardness of their hearts made them all fall in the Wilderness; as you have it Epitomized in Psalm. 95. and the latter end of it: and so many more in the Old and New Testament, that the time will not allow mee to mention, Iob hath a passage may serve for all, in Iob 9. 4. saith he, Who over harden'd himself against God, and prosper'd? As if he should have said, I challenge all the World to bring an example of any one man that ever harden'd his heart against God, and was not ruin'd by it; that expression, and prospered, is but an Affirmative for a Negative; bring me an example of one that carryed away the victory, that was not lost in the War; but to make it yet more plain to you, bee pleased to observe there are two things meet in this sin of hardness of heart, besides many Two things meet in this sin, which evidently prove that ruine attends it. other that might be said; but I say there are two things that will demonstrate to all the world, that it is a sin that must bring forth certain judgment: The one is,

In the Nature of it, it is rebellion against God, it is 1. the trying of it out with God, whose will shall stand; It is made up of rebellion and not yeelding▪ for God saith plainly to the harden'd sinner, I will have such a thing done, no (saith the t'other) I will have such a thing done; but saith God, if I bee God, I'le have it done; saith the t'other, I am resolved it shall bee thus, and hee tries it out: The sin of hardness of heart is made up of Rebellion and not yeelding, he takes up the bucklers against God here, I will try, and when hee hath done refuses to lay them down upon a Summons, but will stand it out to the utmost; Now (Brethren) it is not imaginable, that any thing but ruine should attend such an one; Gamaliels speech in Acts 5. Beware (saith hee) Act 5. 39. [Page] left yee bee fighters against God; The harden'd sinner enters into the lists to contend with God, and then saith Jer. 44 28. God, if it be come to that it shall be tried, whose word shall stand, mine or theirs; God speakes to the very case of some harden'd sinners, that said to the Prophet Ieremiah they would do what is good in their eyes: well saith God, you have spoken the word, and we will try it out, whether you or I shall carry it; if poor wormes dare enter the lifts and bid defiance to God and refuse to submit, they must perish: Secondly, there is this in this sinne of hardnesse of heart, that,

In the nature of it, it frustrates all the meanes that It frustrates all meanes of salvation. should possibly serve to save the soule from ruine; I say the sin of hardness of heart, in the nature of it, frustrates all those means which should tend to save the soul from ruine; Psal. 95. 7, 8. Heb. 3. 8. and therefore you'l find it ordinarily; If you'l heare Gods voice harden not your heart, in the 95. Psalme; so in Hebrewes 3. 15. To day if you will heare my voyce, harden not your heart, as they did in the Wildernesse; and my Text hath it againe, they made their heart like an Adamant stone, that they might not heare the words that God had said to them; so that this is a sinne that prevents all those Ordinances and meanes, which the Lord hath sanctified and appointed for reducing a soule from the wayes of death; and this is noted of the Israelites in the Wildernesse, that though they had innumerable miracles and administrations of all sorts, they ate miracles, and dranke miracles, and wore miracles, they had whatsoever might possibly doe a people good, all these were lost to that people, how? onely because of the hardnesse of their hearts; and so the Prophet Isaiah expresseth it, in the sixth of Isaiah, the Lord doth by the Prophet, (saith he) John 12. 40. Acts 19. 9. Prov. 2. 19. harden their heart that they may never turne and be healed: [Page] Christ saith the same in Iohn 12. 40. that this was the reason, why all the miracles that he had wrought among them, and all the Sermons that he had preached among them, did them no good, because their hearts were harden'd: it is like a peece of stone, put into a bottles mouth, though you put it into the bottome of a well, no water gets into it, the stopple keeps all out; the sinne of hardnesse of heart keeps the soule from receiving any good, it is like unto the harlot that Solomon speakes of, or rather like them that goe in to the harlot, that none of them ever turne to take hold of the wayes of life; so that because it is a sinne, that is open Rebellion against God, and it is a sinne that in the nature of it, rejecteth all the meanes that might make reconciliation with God, what can bee expected; but the heart that goes on to harden it selfe must needs run into utter ruine.

I have one thing more before I come to the Application, and that is to discover how this sinne of hardnesse of heart may be known, the properties of it, that every soule may bee able, when it comes to the Application, to give a right judgement of its owne condition; and here I beseech you remember, that I doe not come to enquire after hardnesse of heart in generall, there is no living man upon earth, but his heart is harden'd; there is no child of God living, but his heart is harden'd, all the sinfull motions and inclinations that are found in us, they are all the fruits of hardnesse of heart; all that rebellion that Paul speakes of in the seventh to the Romans, a law in the members rebelling against the law of the mind, and leading of him captive, it is all the fruit of hardnesse of heart but all hardnesse is not the hardnesse of my Text; all How this destructive hardnesse may be found. hardnesse of heart is not destructive hardnesse, is not ruining hardnesse; hardnesse felt, hardnesse bemoaned, hardnesse [Page] lamented and striven against is softnesse in Gods esteeme; and is so farre from being a forerunner of ruine, that it is an evidence of salvation; but it is this destroying damning hardnesse of heart, that I would enquire the properties of, and set them before you out of the word of God: and there are six things that I have thought upon, whereby this destroying damning hardnesse of heart doth manifest it selfe, First,

Take that which is most usuall in the Scripture, the 1. Lord ordinarily expresses this devillish hardness of heart, Such an hardned heart is frequently compared to an untamed Bullock. Deut. 9. 19. 32. 15. Jer. 31. 18. 2 Chron. 36. 13. Nehem. 9. 29. Psal. 75. 5. Jer. 7. 26. 17. 23. Exod. 32. 9. 33. 35. Which comparison affords two evidences. If it can possible it will not be yoked. by the comparison of an untamed heifer, of a bullock that refuses to carry the yoke, to draw, or to plow; very often in the booke of God doth the Lord describe this hardned sinner by the comparison of an untamed heifer, in reference to the yoke: Now in an untamed heifer, there are these two things remarkable to my purpose: the one is,

That if it be possible, it will throw off the yoke that you would put upon it, turning away the neck, rinching the shoulder, using its strength, and all that it hath, to keepe the yoke that it may not come upon the neck of it: or secondly,

If you doe get the yoke over the neck, and compell it to be under the yoke, then it pines away, frets and fumes, and bellows, and takes on, but worke it will not; just thus is this harden'd heart, God hath two yokes; The one is, 2 If by force the yoke bee put upon it, it will fret and pine away but not worke.

The yoke of his Commandements, which hee commands every soule to take upon its selfe, this yoke, this hardned wretch throwes away with indignation, that you may say of a harden'd heart in reference to the yoke of obedience, as Iob speaks of the Vnicorne, in the 39. of Iob, Canst thou intreat him to carry thy yoke and to plow thy ground? can thy faire words perswade him to doe it? [Page] (saith hee) so doe you thinke any allurements for God, shall make this wretched man carry the yoke of Gods Commandements? no, hee throwes them off, what God would have him doe he will not doe, but then God hath another yoke, that this creature cannot keep off: and that is,

The yoke of correction, the yoke of judgement, and when the Lord puts that yoke upon him, then hee pines away, frets, swelters himselfe, and as the Prophet Ezekiel expresses it, in the 24. of Ezekiel, You shall not weep, that is, you shall not weep with any godly sorrow, but ye shall Ezek. 24. 23. pine away in your iniquities: and the Lord expresses it in the 51. of Isaiah: Thy sonnes do faint (in the 20. verse) they are like a Bull caught in a net, full of the fury of the Lord, there thy sonnes are fallen, I have yoked them, they would not carry my yoke of obedience, but I have yok'd them with judgement; and how are they under it? there they lie like a Bull in a net, full of the fury of the Lord, yelling and roaring: thus the harden'd heart is like an untamed heifer, the yoke of Gods commandements it will not carry, and the yoke of judgements though it must carry, yet it doth not profit by them, but onely pines away by discontent under them; This first note of a harden'd heart I give onely for your memories sake, because the matter of it will come in the things that follow. And secondly, another property of this harden'd heart that my Text speaks of, is,

That it is an insensible heart; Nabals heart is said to be 2. like a stone, sensible of nothing, though all belonging to A hard heart is an unsensible heart. him was like to come to ruine; Nabals heart had no sense of any thing, so is this wretch, this wretched creature I am speaking of, let Gods wrath bee threatned to him, though hee lie under it, hee feeles it not; let his owne unkindness [Page] be open'd, he is not sensible of it, let heaven shake over him, let the earth shake under him, let his estate shake, let his house quake, nothing moves him, let death bee ready to shake him, hell ready to devoure him, hee apprehends nothing, hee is like the drunkard that Solomon speakes of in the 23. of Proverbs, that lies asleep Prov. 23. 34, 35. upon the top of a mast, they have beaten mee, (saith he) but I did not feele it, they have wounded me, but I did not know it; nothing that the Lord doth to them, or that his word saith to them, makes them sensible of any thing, a harden'd heart is an insensible heart; that is another property of it: Thirdly, this harden'd heart of my Text,

Is an impenitent heart indeed, the hardness of heart is 3. but an aggravation of impenitence, but he is resolutely A hard heart is an impenitent heart. an impenitent person, hee is one that goes on in the wayes of sinne, and will not bee tooke off from the wayes of sinne; A harden'd heart, you may truely say of it, it is a Rock to God, but it is wax to the Devill; it is inexorable to the requests of God, but it is most yeelding to the allurements of the Devill; Gods seed will not grow in this rock, but the Devils seed growes best of all there; they obey not the truth but willingly obey unrighteousness, they are stones to God, but wax to the Devill; indeed to harden the heart, and to goe on resolutely in a way of sinning against God, is al one, take it as the Apostle expresses it in the second of the Romans, thus, (saith hee) Rom. 2. 5. after thy hardnes and heart that cannot repent: a resolute hearted man is like a Blackmore, that cannot change his skin; like a Leopard that cannot change her spots: it is set and bent to goe on in the wayes of sinne; that is another property: Fourthly,

This harden'd heart doth not onely go [...] on [Page] in the wayes of sinne, but goes on in them against 4. all admonition, and all helpes against, and meanes to the A hard heart goes on, notwithstanding all meanes to the contrary. contrary, whatsoever dispensation there is from heaven appearing to take him off from his sinnes, the harden'd heart hath a non abstante, though preached against, though threatned, though allured by promises, though terrified by judgements, the harden'd heart is Sermon-proof, is judgement-proofe; Elies sonnes they were not only wicked, but they hearkned not to the voyce of their Father when hee made them a good Sermon from God, yet because God meant to destroy them, hee had given them up to hardnesse of heart, the counsell of their Father wrought not one whit upon them; so Solomon saith of him in Proverbs 29. hee that having been often reproved, hardens his heart; Ieremy compares him to a wild Ier. 2. 24. Asse, Ier. 2. all that seek to catch him labour in vaine, Israel had loved strangers, and after them hee would goe, if God in his Word mourne to them they will not weep, if the Word pipe to them they will not dance, if he offer to draw them with cords of love, they will not follow, if by his judgements hee stand in their way, as the Angel did against Balaam with a drawne Sword, yet on they will, like the Smiths Dog, they can sleepe when the sparkes fly about their eares; hee is like a man in iron, an armed man, strike him with a staffe, cut him with a Sword, all is one, hee hath armour of proof, keeps out both, men who thus goe on are harden'd to destruction: Fiftly,

Another property of this hardned wretch is, that they make but a mocke and scorne either of the sinnes that 5. they walke in, or of any judgements, or plagues that may A hard heart slights and scornes counsells or threatnings. Gen. 19. 14. betide them for their sinnes; as it is said of Lots sonnes in law, their father told them of their sinnes, and told them of the judgement, but (saith the Text) hee seemed [Page] to his sonnes in law as one that mock'd: they jeered him, and they thought hee jeered them, they are like the Matth. 7. 4. Swine that our Saviour speakes of, throw a pearle before them, they will tread it under their feet; they make a scorne of them, tell them of their offences against God, and of the ruine of their soules, they are like Leviathan that the spirit of God speakes of, in the 41. of Iob come Job 41. 24. 27. upon him with speares and swords, they are but as stubble to him, and strawes, hee laughs at them, he saies, Aha, like the horse in the middle of the battle, neighes and laughs at the danger; so when a heart goes on in a hardened Deut. 29. 19. way it makes a jest, and a scorne of all the evils you can threaten against him, hee saith, Tush, I shall have peace though I adde drunkennesse to thirst, these threatnings are nothing, this wind shakes not my corne; and I'le adde but one more, and that is,

When the heart goes on in this destructive way, it doth 6. oppose and set against all those as enemies who would A hard heart: opposeth and sets against them as enemies who would stop them in their wicked wayes▪ Exod. 10. 28. stop them in their way; and when once the soule is come to that passe, then in truth is Satan set upon his throne, then they are the Devils cushion, or his pillow; and this the harden'd heart ordinarily doth, you may see it in Pharaoh; when Moses still followed him from God, and hee could not be rid of him, then he gave him this answer, come no more to mee, I'le hang you the next time you come, see my face no more, if ever thou commest to mee againe with these messages, thou shalt die for it; and so likewise Amaziah, you may read of him in 2 Chron. 25. when he was fallen into the sinne of Idolatry, God 2 Chron. 25. 16. sent a Prophet to him to admonish him; Forbeare (saith the King to him) who made you of the Kings Councell? hold your tongue, else you'l be smitten, then saith the Prophet, by this I know that God meanes to destroy thee; [Page] when they are like unto them our Lord speakes of, in the seventh of Matthew, not onely as swine, that trample the pearle under their feet, but like Dogs worry them Matth. 7. 4, 5. that offer to bestow the pretious things upon them: in one word, David describes them excellently in the 23. Chap. of the second of Samuel about the sixth and seventh verses: 2 Sam. 23. 6. The sonnes of Belial, that is the hard hearted men of my Text, for a child of Belial is a child without a yoke, that will not carry Gods yoke, marke how hee describes them, the sonnes of Belial are like thornes; thornes that may not bee taken with hands, but the man that touches them, must be fenced with iron, and the staffe of a speare, there is no comming neer them; when men are set upon their wayes, that they hate him that reproves in the gate, and declare themselves opposite unto all those that would bring them in to God; there is the hard heart that my Text mentions, to this passe was Israel and Iudah come, 2 Chron. 36. 15, 16. 2 Chron. 36. 15. They transgressed greatly, and the Lord sent to them by his messengers rising early, because hee had compassion on them. But they mocked his messengers, despised his words, and misused his Prophets, then the wrath of God broke out against them and there was no remedy: so that in a word, when men are come to bee stiffe-necked against God, senselesse, and remorselesse, boldly going on in sinne against all mercies and meanes, and make a scorne of sinne and judgement, and declare themselves enemies to those that would reduce them into a better condition, these are the men that my text meanes, and that fall under this Character, their damnation sleepeth not; I come now to the Application of it; and there are many excellent uses that wee might make of it, three or foure I shall by the Lords helpe communicate at this time; First,

[Page] I earnestly intreat you to examine your owne soules, Ʋse 1. Terrour to all who harden themselves against God. whether none of you fall under this Character; I am assured, there is not a soule in this Assembly, but hath hardnesse of heart in him; I shall bee farre from threatning destruction to every soule that is hardhearted, but I desire you to examine whether you are not one of these harden'd sinners my text speakes of, the Lord helpe you to looke inwardly and say, Lord, is not this my case? say once againe, Art not thou resolved to goe on in thy way, what ever come of it? hath not God enlightned thy conscience, that the wayes that thou walkest in, are the wayes that lead to death? art not thou set notwithstanding to goe on in that way, though God sometimes follow thee with judgements? dost thou not cast the judgements off, if it bee possible, or lie and vex under them, and yet goe on? hath not God oftentimes in the ministery of his word met with thee, in thy wicked wayes, and shew'd thee the evill and the danger of them, and thou resolutely goest on, that thou hast made thy heart like a peece of the nether Milstone, as God saith of Leviathan's? art thou come to this passe? heare a word or two from God, thou miserable wretched man, knowest thou what thou hast undertaken? doest thou understand that thou hast sent a challenge to God? doest thou understand that thou art in defiance with heaven? dost thou understand (I say) that the Lord God almighty is entred the lists against thee? or wilt thou not understand it? or now when thou hearest it, do not thy joynts tremble? art thou able to hold u [...] the weapons, when hee comes to strike? know thou for certaine, that it is the interest of God, to destroy all those that will trie it out with him, hee would even hereby bee knowne to bee Iehovah, in the 40. of Iob, If thou beest God (faith hee) shew thy selfe; Iob 40. 11. [Page] how? pluck downe every proud man, abase them, lay them low, batter them; bee assured of it, thou art a lost man, thou art an unequall match for him, the greatest Kings and Monarchs, the stoutest Champions, the strongest Giants have met with their matches, but the Lord whom thou defyest never met with his match, and I tell thee hee is preparing for thee; God it may be hath not struck yet, but hee is turning his grindstone, hee is sharpening his tooles, hee is preparing his arrowes, he hath them ready at the very face of thee, and thou wretched man wilt bee found to bee but as stubble before Gods devouring fire, thou art an undone man, who ever thou art, that hast dared thus to exalt thy selfe against the Lord, and if any of you that heare this Sermon doe know any who are thus resolutely set to goe on in their wicked wayes, any such insolent worme which dares thus lift up it selfe against its Creator, I'le give you that counsell that Moses did give to the Israelites concerning Korah, Dathan, Numb. 16. 26. and Abiram, who were in the like rebellion, that these men are in, Get you all of you up from the tents of these men, lest you perish with them, get you up from them, have nothing to doe with them; it is the terriblest thing in the world to bee found to fight against God: O that you would all examine your owne hearts upon it: Then secondly,

This lesson doth to my apprehension speake wonderfull 2. sadly concerning our poore distressed England at this Lament the sad condition of England, our obstinacy against God a sadder token of ruine then all other judgments which lie upon us. day; truely the dangers that this kingdome of England is in at this day, are not to be express'd; It pleases God that wee are compass'd round about with mischiefes, and one depth calls to another, and almost every day brings up a new cloud, and for ought mortall man can see, the issue of blood, which wee hoped had been stanched, is [Page] like to bee opened again in as dreadfull a manner as ever, yet it was Ships revolted on one side, others contrary to Leagues and Covenants invading on the other side, tumults in every corner of the Kingdome, that we are all at our wits ends, but (in Gods presence I speak it) I feare the threatning of this doctrine more, then I doe all the revolted Ships, then I doe Duke Hamiltons army, or all others who by Sea or Land are indeavoring to hurt us. The kingdome, the body of the kingdome of England is brasse and iron; let us all, especially you that are the representative body of the kingdome, if wee have any bowels in us, let us joyne and bemoane it now wee speak of it, God hath steeped England in the oyle of mercies, wee are not melted one whit, hee hath ground us under terrible judgements, wee are as hard as ever rock was; wee are broken like a flint stone into 100. peeces, and every piece as hard as the whole stone was; goe from one end of the Kingdome to the other (pardon me if I use the received expressions) let men bee Cavaliers or Roundheads, Royalists or Parliamentiers, give them what stile you wil, all are brasse and iron; the generality of the Kingdome resolutely goes on rebelling against the Lord God; but goe into any towne, goe into the places of publique resort, view the Citie, view the Countries, see whether men bee not every where set upon mischiefe and madnesse, the Ministery of the word overborne, bulrushes as able to stop a current as all the endeavours of that handfull of men that stand for God, are able to stop the inundation of peoples sinnes, lying, swearing, debawchednesse, blasphemy, heresie, prophanenesse of every kind, almost all in rebellion against God, and no man almost layes it to heart: indeed wee have our monethly Fasts kept up, but alas, they are brought to a meere formality; [Page] but so did these Jewes in the Text, threescore yeers and ten together, Fast after Fast, but God loathed them, because they tended the ceremony, and neglected the substance, piety and justice, and turning from wicked wayes, and even so doe wee in the meane time like the Anvile grow harder for all the strokes are upon us; surely Gods wrath is great against us, Pharaohs hard heart was a worse plague then all his other plagues put together, and the obstinacy and hardnesse of heart throughout the land is the greatest plague wee can lie under, and will prove, if infinite mercy prevent it not, the sluce or floodgate to let in destruction, let us sadly lay these things to heart, and mourne before him because of them, and rather wonder at Gods patience then at our plagues; and certainely, if God go on to lay our pleasant land desolate, and to scatter us as with a whirlewind, though now we can lay the cause of our calamities at one anothers doores, God will make us all know that it was our obstinacy of heart against him that hath brought ruine upon us; the Lord teach us to Iay it to heart upon this day of our humiliation; Secondly,

Is the sinne of hardnesse of heart so destroying a sinne? Ʋse 2. Therefore a heart of flesh is an excellent grace▪ 2 Chron. 34. 27. Iob. 23. 16. what cause then have they to blesse the Lord to whom God hath given a tender, soft heart, a heart of flesh, such an heart as Ioshua had, 2 Chron. 34. thy heart was tender, and thou didst humble thy selfe; who can say with Iob, God hath made my heart soft; if any soule in this Assembly hath obtain'd a soften'd heart, let him know that in that one gift God hath given him the quintessence of all the grace of the new Covenant; God made all the new Covenant good in that one promise, I will give you a heart of flesh, to have the heart of stone taken Ezck. 11. 19. away, and to have a fleshy heart in the roome of it, is an unvaluable mercy, God delights to dwell in a house thus [Page] broken, where the floore is soft, where the raine comes in, and you have infinite cause to praise God for it: but because I would not bee mistaken, I pray you know, that all tendernesse and brokennesse is not that heart of flesh that I meane; There is a naturall tendernesse that some men have, a compassionating spirit, so that they can hardly see another in misery, but will weepe with him, and yet it may bee their hearts are as hard against God, as Leviathans is against a Speare; and there is another tendernesse, that is a legall brokennesse, when God it may bee seizes upon the heart with a spirit of trembling, that they are stabbed with the apprehensions of wrath, and so are like unto Cain, that wheresoever he goes, hee was in the land of Nod, that is, in the land of trembling; this trembling heart is a curse threatned, the Lord shall give thee a Deut. 28. 65. Levit. 26. trembling heart, I will send a faintnesse into their hearts in the land of their enemies, and the sound of a shaking leafe shall chase them; I meane neither of these, but that Evangelicall broken heart, that is contrary to the sinne of my Text, is nothing but an heart willing to lay downe the bucklers before God, that saith with Iob, Lord I have How such a heart may be known. done foolishly, I will doe so no more; the heart that yeelds to God: and that will appeare by these foure things, one is, that

To such a heart, the reliques of the hardnesse of their hearts is a most uncomfortable burden, the stone in their 1. It's a heart complaining of its hardnes. bladder, or the stone in their kidneys, though it afflict their sense more, yet doth not afflict their inward man, their heart, so much as the obstinacy, and obduratenesse, and wretchednesse, that they finde in their owne soule against God; O Lord, why hast thou caused us to erre from thy wayes? and harden'd our hearts from thy feare? so also Ephraim mourned, I have been chastised, but I am like an [Page]untamed heifer that will not carry Gods yoke; a heart that mournes under his hardnesse is a tender heart; to feele and complaine of hardnesse is softnesse, it's an evident signe that there is underneath a living and quick part upon which this hardnesse presses, else there would be no complaining of it: Secondly,

It is a heart that the meditation of Gods kindnesse 2. and its owne unkindnesse maketh relent; the thought It's a heart wrought upon by arguments of love, by Gospel arguments. that God should spare them, pity them, doth most affect them: thus the harden'd Jewes in Zachary, those that had been most hard against God, yet when they look'd upon Christ whom they had pierced, who came to save them, they wept like a child; this Lord we have pierced, we have crucified the Lord of life: If any arguments worke at all upon hardned sinners, they are such as these, Tophet is prepared for you, you are going to a place of blacknesse and darknesse, to a lake burning with fire and brimstone, where you will waile and gnash your teeth, but arguments taken from Gods love and bowels of mercy doe most melt a tender heart, when the Lord had turned and softned that harlots heart; Ezek. 16. this most affected her that hee was reconciled to her whom she had broken with her whorish heart, this Evangelicall, fleshly heart relents, and bleeds at the thoughts of Gods kindnesse and its owne unkindnesse; and then thirdly, it appeares in this,

A Gospel-softned heart is afraid of sinne, a very coward 3. to any evill, this heart hath not courage enough A soft heart is afraid to sinne. to try the power of Gods displeasure, How can I, how dare I doe this wickednesse and sinne against God? hard hearted Iob. 31. 23. men dare venture upon such bloody things, but a softned heart saith with Iob, destruction from the Almighty is a terrour to me, and by reason of his highnesse, I cannot indure; David whose heart was as a Lion, feared not to incounter Prov. 28. 14. [Page] with Lions, Beares, Giants, yet his flesh trembled at any thing which might offend his God; this signe of a gratious tender heart you find, Prov. 28. 14. in the opposition betweene a fearefull heart and a hard heart; Blessed is the man that feareth alwayes, but hee that hardneth his heart shall fall into evill; the heart which feareth alwayes is the heart which out of the love of God would not sinne, yet out of the consideration of its owne pronenesse to evill suspects it selfe, and feares it shall bee surprized, this frame of spirit is thus opposed to a hard heart.

This same fleshly heart, is a heart upon which Gods seale leaves a print, Gods counsell I meane, his Word, threatnings, exhortations, or whatsoever comes from him, leaves a stampe upon him; It is a heart that is wax to God, willing to bee moulded, resignes up it selfe to bee to God what God would have it to bee, as well as it can; if this heart be at any time drawne into sinne when God appeares displeased, it saith, I have done foolishly, I will do so no more, it layes downe the Buckler and yeelds to God, Gods argument prevailes with it, and therefore is ordinarily expressed by having Gods Law written upon the fleshly Tables of their heart, easily moulded to Gods will as much as its frailtie can attaine unto; it saith, Lord I am full of Rebellion, full of distempers, but I would not beare up armes against my God, I would yeeld to him, I would follow him; if it bee thus with thee, thou hast got the grace of the new Covenant, most opposite to the most damnable sinne that can bee found amongst men; oh forget not to blesse God daily for it: The last and prinpall use I intend is, Ʋse 3. Exhortation and direction against this great sinne.

For exhortation; because this sinne of a hard heart is such a destroying sinne, such a ruining sinne, therefore I shall desire to give you some helpes how this great evill [Page] may bee prevented, if wee be not yet come up to it; how it may be cured, if any of us lie under it; And

If the Lord have cured it, how wee may bee preserved, that wee doe not returne to it: But first take a few motives to provoke you to labour and strive against this cursed Motives to strive against it. evill of a hard heart: I pray you consider in the first place;

Wee are all hard by nature, not onely a Pharaoh, a Senacherib 1. or Iulian are hard hearted, but we are all so naturally; We are all hard hearted by nature. and that man that hath the stone by nature, if hee bee not wonderfull carefull, it will grow upon him; our whole family are liable to the Stone saies one, therefore I must bee wary, I must looke to it; and the rather looke to it, because it is not an easie thing to get hardnesse out of a rock; thy heart is a rock, and if thou dost not look to it, thou wilt not get hardnesse out of it, it will grow upon thee, and thou knowest not whither it may come in time; Consider secondly,

That while thou art under the plague of a hard heart, 2. thou art under all the curses of God, God hardens his While wee are under it our condition is miserable. against thee, while thou hardnest thy heart against him, none of all thy services are accepted, thy person is rejected; every thing is accursed, all goes crosse to the soule that is harden'd before God: Consider thirdly, (for I'le but point at things.)

All that God aimes at, by all his dealings towards thee, 3. is but to bring thee upon thy knees, that thou mayst not All Gods strokes tend to soften thee. harden thy selfe against him; why dost thou thinke hee brings thee to Church to heare? why doth hee give thee leave to speake to him in prayer? why doth hee visit thee with afflictions? why doth hee powre upon thee so many mercies? what doth every stroke thinke thou speake? what doth every dispensation speake? nothing [Page] but this, remember the battle, doe so no more, rebell not against thy God, stand not up against him, when all that God aimes at is, to give thee quarter, termes, articles of safetie, and honour to thee, doe not stand out to thy ruine; Againe, consider this,

If thou stand out, it will certainly end ill; I confesse 4. the greatest Monarchs upon earth have sometimes met Thou wilt bee ruined if thou stand out. with their match, but the Lord God never yet met with his match; never any body that stood out against him, that ever made him raise his siege, if he hath once pitched downe before them, it is in vaine; some besieged have first eaten Horse flesh, and afterwards eate Dogs and Cats before they would yeeld, and sometime succour hath come, but when all is done, a breach will bee made on thee, and thou wilt bee taken; Gideon told the Princes of Succoth who refused his request; when hee came backe, hee would teare them with Briars and Thornes of the Wildernesse, and he made his word good; beleeve it, God will teare thee with Briars and Thorns, if thou yeeld not to him; yet know for certaine;

If thou lay downe thy weapons and refuse standing 5. out obstinately against God, hee will bee cordially If thou yeeld the quarrell is ended, and thou wilt bee spared. reconciled, all quarrels will bee ended if once thou give over hardning thy heart against him, his heart will be tender toward thee, the Lord expresses it excellently in the 27. Chap. of Isaiah; who would set Briars and Thornes in battle against mee? what man Esay 27. 4. would be so mad, to set Briars and Thornes to fight with devouring fire? well, if they will doe it, if they make that choice, I shall goe thorough them, and burne them up, but (saith hee) rather let him lay hold upon my strength, that hee may make peace, and hee shall make peace with me, fury is not in me; though thou hast hitherto harden'd thy [Page] selfe against him, hee is yet to bee wonne, mercy may yet be found, lay hold upon his strength, say unto him, Lord, here I lay downe my weapons, I have been a wretch, a rebell, I have sinned, I am guilty, but I come with my halter about my neck, hee will make peace, hee will grant thee very honorable quarter; Elihu sets forth this notably in Iob 33. after God hath battered the strong holds of a sinner by preaching, by visions, by dreames, by corrections and judgements to withdraw man from his sinfull purposes, yet if when hee is ready to perish, when his soule drawes nigh to destruction, hee will but yeeld and call for an interpreter, one of a thousand to shew him righteousnesse, Then will God bee gratious to him and deliver him from going downe to the pit.

To prevent this killing sinne, if as yet thou bee not under Meanes how to prevent this sinne of hardnesse of heart. the dominion of it: First,

Beware lest yee be harden'd through the deceitfulnesse of sinne; marke yee, there is a deceitfulnesse in sinne, 1. that will harden men before they are aware; many a man Take heed of the deceitfulnesse of sinne. Heb. 3 12. thinkes thus, shall I heare armes against God? God forbid, I had rather bee struck dead from heaven with a thunderbolt, then ever harden my heart against God; this is his thought, but sinne cozens him into it, hee is cheated into it, as in our civill troubles, many a man is wrapped into an engagement, that if hee saw the bottome of it, he would die before ever hee would yeeld to it; but when hee is once in, hee knowes not how to get out; so is it here, but beware that sinne doe not cozen and harden you through its deceitfulnesse; though wee are all hard, yet this killing hardnesse comes on by degrees, and the first thing that lets it in, is the pleasure that sinne brings to the soule, the bewitching pleasure of it, and then a mans thoughts are onely to give himselfe content, but meanes [Page] no hurt against God, little thinkes that hee begins to fight against God, but the pleasure of his sinne hath bewitched him, and then that pleasure brings him to repeat it againe and againe, and so to come to a custome of it, and afterwards to defend it, and then in the end to come to a direct opposition of what ever would take him off from it, thus men are intangled by the deceitfulnesse of it; watch therefore against all the alluring baites of that sinfull flesh that dwells in thee: This in generall; but

More particularly there are three sinnes, that you must take marvelous heed of, if you would not be harden'd; More particularly beware the one is,

The sinne of unbeleefe, that which brought all the 1 Of unbeleef. Psal. 9. 5. Heb. 2. 12. 15. 16. Israelites to their hardnesse in the Wildernesse, you have it in the third of the Hebrewes, If yee will heare my voyce harden not your hearts as your fathers did in the Wildernesse, but how came they to be hardned? the holy Ghost tells you the spring of it in the 16. and 18. Verses, for some when they had heard the word provoked him, even they that beleeved not, they would not beleeve God, and so they grew harden'd; therefore the Apostle exhorts in the same place to take heed that there be not an evill heart of unbeleefe; when the Israelites were in the Wildernesse, God had made them many promises, but they did not see them accomplished, hee had made many threatnings and they did not alwayes presently light upon them, and because they saw not Gods word presently fulfilled, therefore they beleeved not, and because they did not beleeve and rest upon Gods word, therefore their hearts grew hard, senselesse, carelesse and bold in sinne, and then,

Pride and high thoughts of our selves, are wonderfull hardning evills; nothing upon earth makes a man so desperate 2 Of pride. in the wayes of sinne as self-conceitednesse; and [Page] therefore in the Scripture very often, the Bullocks stiffe neck, and a proud heart signifie one and the same thing, Lift not up your hornes on high, speak not with a stiffe neck: Psal. 75. 5. Ier. 43. 2. you have a notable example in the 43. of Ieremiah of men who obstinately would go into Egypt against the expresse word of God, and in the 44. Chapter they said they would do that which was good in their own eyes; but who were they? the Prophet tells us, they were all the proud men: And thirdly,

Hypoctiticall and formall attending upon ordinances 3. without attaining the inward power, is one of the greatest Of hypocriticall and formall performances of Religious duties. hardners in the world; you see it in these of my Text, what was it harden'd them all these threescore and ten yeeres? nothing more then their monethly Fasts, their frequent Fasts, and their daily prayings to God. The stubborne, hardned and impudent harlot you read of Prov. 7. what was it made her so bold in her filthinesse that shee will take her fill of love till the morning? why, Prov. 7. 11, &c. this secured her, I have had my peace-offerings this day, and paid my vowes, I have had a day of Fast, or a day of thanksgiving, attended upon ordinances; so when men doe performe ordinary holy duties, and rest in the shell of them, they lick themselves whole with them; though I live in such a sinne, yet I pray, I reade so many Chapters every day, I keepe the Fast as constantly as any man, I goe to Church, this hardens the heart in a way of sinne; this is the first direction, beware that you bee not couzened into hardnesse by the deceit of sinne; secondly, another meanes to prevent hardnesse, is,

To beware of the abuse of Gods patience & bounty: The 2. wretched heart of man being prone to be bold in sinne by Abuse of Gods patience of mercy. Eccless. 8. 11. nature, is made more bold, when it observes God lets men alone to take liberty to sin against him; Solomon expresses [Page] this cleerly in the eighth of Ecclesiastes, Vers. 11. Because (saith hee) sentence against an evill one is not presently executed, God spares him, what then? Therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to doe evill; resolutely set to goe on in a way of sinne, because they see that others scape well enough, as the Souldier when hee first goes into the battle, while he is a fresh water Souldier hee feares and trembles, and dares not be where he heares the bullets whizze about, but hee comes off safe, and it may bee of 1000. men not 100. kill'd, then hee growes bold the next time, and in time dare goe upon the Canons mouth; and so Mariners at Sea, at first quake, but when they come off storme after storme, they thinke they shall come off still; so the wretched heart of man, observing Gods patience and indulgence towards sinfull men, takes libertie to goe on and concludes with that wretched man, Deut. 29. who blesseth himselfe and saith, I shall have Deut. 29. 19. peace though I walk after the lusts of my owne heart, adding drunkennesse to thirst, hee blesseth himselfe when God curseth him, but for the Lords sake, watch you against it, for that is a wofull hardning, when that that should bring a man to repentance, hardens his heart, and of such God protests hee will not spare them, but the anger and jealousie of God shall smoak against him, & all the curses written in the booke of God shall light upon him: And thirdly,

Beware of the examples of others, the common multitude 3. going on in any way of sinne, especially when they Examples of others. that doe it are great men, and it may bee some of them good men, this imboldens men in their evill wayes; it is a wonderfull meanes to make them harden'd in sin, when they see the sin which they commit is common; & we are prone to thinke there is no danger in that which many [Page] men, great men, good men practise; the abominable sinne of Sodome, the sinne for which God destroyed Sodome, they say there is no man almost in the Easterne Countries makes any conscience of it, because it is a common sinne, yet they make conscience of murder, theft, drunkennesse, &c. but because this is a common sinne they regard it not; these things I commend unto you to prevent this sinne of hardning your hearts: But suppose the soule be under it, what is then to be done?

If thou beest under the sinne of hardnesse of heart, I 2. meane if hardnesse reigne in thee, if thou bee come up to How to cure this sinne of hardnesse of heart. the heighth of it, I have little hope to doe thee good, yet many have very resolutely gone on, and through Gods mercy have beene cured; and there are two wayes to cure the stone in the heart as well as the stone in the bladder; the one is,

To breake it; the other is,

To dissolve it. I shall onely point at them, they cannot bee sufficiently handled in a little peece of a Sermon. 1.

If thou would'st have the stone of thy heart broken, then How to break it. attend upon these three things; the one is,

Study to bee convinced that this is thy condition, 1. search throughly and rest not untill thou say feelingly, I, here lies a stone indeed, I am this harden'd wretch, when the Leper was so farre convinced, that he covers his lips, and goes out and cries, I am uncleane, I am uncleane, he was in the way to a cure, so doe thou, study to bee convinced, Lord I am like an untamed heifer, I am a hard hearted wretch, my heart is set in me to mischiefe; till the Lord convince thee of it, there is no hope that any meanes will ever doe thee good: Secondly,

The ordinances of God, especially the preaching of his 2. [Page] word, and in it the denunciations and threatnings of wrath and vengeance, they are as a hammer to breake this Rock; Is not my word a hammer? (saith God) doe not I Jer. 23. 29. breake the rockes? would'st thou have the stone in thy heart broken? bring it under the bout-hammer of Gods Word, sit thee under a plaine and faithfull Ministery, and apply to [...]hy soule the denunciations of wrath and judgement due to thy sinne, and pray God to set it home to thy soule; leave not till thy heart sink under the stroke of the Word, as the Butcher followes the hard head of the Bullock with blow after blow untill it lie along upon the floore; follow thy heart thus with blow upon blow, read over thy wayes, and thy doings that have not been good, and say not this will bee a very hard taske, thou hadst better doe this then perish, better turne then burne; and besides the Word,

Take the judgements or corrections of God, that are upon thee to breake thee; a good shower and a plough 3. together helpes notably to breake the clods in the fields; Blessed is the man whom God chastiseth, and teacheth; when God followes thee with corrections, consider of them, say thus, God visits mee, my family, my wife, my state, my soule, my children, &c. I am never from under the rod, what is the matter? Lord what is it? Shew mee why thou contendest with mee; Surely; for my iniquity I am smitten, all this is come upon me for my rebellion, O my soule I shall finde it hard striving against the Lord, I doe but kick against prickes in the time of adversity: consider, these are meanes to breake the stone; but

Above all I commend the sweet way of cure, by the dissolving of it; and that is onely by faith in the blood of How to dissolve it. Jesus Christ, lay hold upon Christ by faith: I know not how true it is, but some say, the blood of a Goat will in [Page] time dissolve an adamant, but certainly there is a slaine Goate, the Lord Jesus Christ, whose blood is able to dissolve the heart that is like an Adamant; Christs blood will turne a heart of stone into a heart of flesh; you see it in the Jewes, those hard hearted wretches, that when they were put in choice, whether they would have Christ, or Barabbas, spared Barabbas and crucified Jesus; yet these hard hearted sinners when they come to heare from Acts 2. Peter, that they had crucified the Lord of life who yet was willing to save them, they cry out, Men and brethren, what shall we doe? crucified the Lord of life! Lord are we guilty of such a thing against a Saviour, and in the 12. of Zachariah, which place intends the conversion of Zach. 12 10. the whole nation, They shall looke upon him, whom they have pierced, and shall weepe, as one weepeth for the losse of an onely child; if then thou would'st have thy obdurate heart, thy harden'd heart, if thou woul'dst have it in truth yeeld to God, goe and sit thee with Mary neer Christs Crosse, and heare him say behold thy Saviour, as he spake to Mary, behold thy Sonne, and to Iohn, behold thy Mother; so sit thou and thinke that thou diddest heare Jesus Christ calling to thee, Behold thy Saviour, see the Sonne of God dying, shedding his blood, that thou maist not die, and be damned; though thy sinnes have nail'd mee here, this blood that flowes from me shall wash thee, and shall keepe thee that thou shalt not perish, looke thus upon him, this will doe the deed, this will melt thy heart, this will dissolve it, so that thou canst not chuse but goe alone and say, Ah unkind wretch, that ever I shall beare armes against such a God! This is the way to dissolve the stone, to melt thy heart; I have one thing more; when God hath cur'd it,

Beware that hardnesse grow not upon thee againe; 3. [Page] though thou drive it away once it will turn againe: Know How to keep the softned heart from growing hard againe. all ye people of God, that though a converted man cannot become a rock againe, yet he may become very hard, he may bee frozen as hard as ice; though good ground will never bee a rock, yet good ground may bee very hard Watch against hardning, which steales upon us when for want of plowing, and lose many a season, and it must be torne, and torne againe before ever it will bee fit for seed againe, thou maist bee so farre harden'd, as to have cause to cry out with the Church, Lord, why is my heart harden'd from thy feare? therefore when God hath made thy heart tender, and softned thee, labour to keep it so, watch over thy selfe, that thou doe not depart from it, and to helpe you, remember these few briefe directions;

Observe thy heart very diligently when it growes lazie 1. as the Church did, who when her beloved came, and We grow lazy. would have come to her, she had put off her coat, and shee was loth to foule her feet; when I say, thou findest thy heart grow lazie, thou beginnest to harden.

When thou findest thy appetite gone, that thou dost not relish the Ordinances of God, and communion with 2. Our appetite fails. him, when thou canst turne thy back upon those fellowships, and communions with God, that heretofore have been more pretious to thee then thy life; or

When thou findest thy heart growne selfe-conceited, that thou art some body in thy owne eyes. 3.

When thou growest pettish, and wayward to them that Become selfe-conceited. admonish thee, that thou growest cholerick, and art impatient 4. Or unwilling to be admonished. to be plainly dealt with, then is thy heart hardned, and looke to thy selfe betimes, let it not grow upon thee; doe as men will doe in other diseases, I finde the stone growing upon me, I shall have another terrible fit of it, if I prevent it not, I must take a little timely physick, use the [Page] meanes before prescribed both to breake it and dissolve it, yea before these things grow upon thee, use these former prescriptions for preventing it, and be very much in prayer to thy tender hearted Saviour, to keepe thy heart tender, he onely can doe it, and he will doe it, if thou seeke to him, and rely strongly upon him to doe it, according to his Covenant of Grace, wherein he hath bound himself to take away the heart of stone, and to give his people a heart of flesh, use (I say again) these meanes carefully, otherwise if thou harden thy heart against God, God will harden his heart against thee, and he will make thy heart ake, and thy bones quake before thy peace shall be made, the Lord give you to consider of these things.

There is another Use of this Lesson to the whole kingdom how to prevent our threatned desolation: O how glad would we all be to find some expedient to save the kingdom! why, certainly this would doe it, could we think of a way how this Brasse and Iron, this rock of England might relent before God, and lay down the Bucklers, that would save England, and nothing else will doe it; What might be of use to England over and above what is already spoken, cannot now be delivered, the time being more then spent, nor can my voyce reach England, but our prayers may reach Heaven where our tender Lord is; let us therefore turne what might be spoken in a Sermon to England into a prayer for England.

FINIS.

[Page]

Information about this book

Title statement

The sinne of hardnesse of heart: the nature, danger, and remedy of it. Opened in a sermon, preached to the Honorable House of Commons, July 28. 1648. being the day of their solemne monethly fast. By Stephen Marshall, B.D. minister of Gods Word at Finchingfield in Essex. Published by order of that House.

Marshall, Stephen, 1594?-1655.

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1648

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Text Creation Partnership,

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2009-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A89585

ID [STC]

Wing M783

ID [STC]

Thomason E455_3

ID [STC]

ESTC R204198

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99863869

ID [PROQUEST]

99863869

ID [VID]

116085

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A89585)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 116085)

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Source

— The sinne of hardnesse of heart: the nature, danger, and remedy of it. Opened in a sermon, preached to the Honorable House of Commons, July 28. 1648. being the day of their solemne monethly fast. By Stephen Marshall, B.D. minister of Gods Word at Finchingfield in Essex. Published by order of that House., Marshall, Stephen, 1594?-1655..

Extent

[4], 40 p.

Printed by R. Cotes, for Stephen Bowtell, at the signe of the Bible in Popes-head Alley,. London :: 1648.. (Running title reads: A sermon preached before the Honorable House of Commons upon their solemne monethly fast.) (Reproduction of the original in the British Library.)

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