is and the Nature of it 432 752 952 1102 The Objects of it 432 435 721 753 952 1102 The Acts of the Soul about Faith 953 The Acts of Faith 433 435 436 1103 The Adjuncts and Qualifications of the Assent of Faith 433 Faith is a Consent and what kind of Consent 435 Implicite Faith what 432 Historical Faith what 434 Temporary Faith what 435 The Properties of Faith 437 Faith apprehends all things present it wants in the Creature 895 The Sight of Faith opened 438 476 Vid. Sight How the Sight of Faith influences the Acts and Effects of Faith 439 What a kind of looking Faith is 754 Light of Faith Vid. Light Instances of a strong Faith 459 Vid. Abraham Canaan Centurion How to judg of the Growth of Faith 432 436 The Relation of the Word to Faith Vid. Word Faith and Love inseparable Companions 430 The Respect Faith Hope and Love have one to another 1104 The Necessity of Faith 752 The Incouragement of Faith ibid. Fallen The Disorder and Danger of a fallen State 1159 Christ hath to do with fallen Sinners 783 He recovers them out of their fallen State by calling 784 Far. Many may go far and yet come short of true Grace 284 Men may go far and yet fall away and the Reasons of it 359 Father God is a Father by Creation or Adoption 1134 It is an Advantage to Patience in Afflictions to eye God as a Father 1134 1137 Fear vanquished by Faith 241 458 Arguments to remove Fear of Danger 1099 Fear of God the kinds of it 1070 Why it is required as the Principle of our Actions ibid. Feasts whether lawful 74 Filled Both the Backslider and the good Man seek to be filled 1110 They both take different ways to be filled 1111 Rightly understood every Man is filled from himself 1115 Finished Christ's Words It is finished opened 1149 In what Respect all was finished on the Cross 1150 Why Christ would not give over till all was finished 1153 Following Christ. What it is to follow Christ 388 Wherein we should follow Christ 346 Vid. Example Motives to follow Christ ibid. Fool. Every carnal Man a Fool 910 Forgiving Enemies a Duty 1143 Vid. Revenge Forsake Why God may sometimes forsake his People 1096 God never totally forsakes his People and why 1095 Objections answered ibid. Three kinds of forsaking 1096 Forsaking all when God calls us so to do 333 Reasons why we must so do 334 Directions to this Duty 335 Future State proved 1216 Light of Nature concerning a future State not to be rejected 1221 Thoughts of a future State Support in Afflictions and Death 1220 G GIfts the kinds of them 250 251 252 258 The Freeness of God's Gifts 250 Every one hath some Gift or other 257 Gifts are not given to all in a like measure 259 Reasons of it 260 Gifts are intrusted as well as given 253 Vid. Trust. God to be thanked for all his Gifts 251 Give Why it was necessary that Christ should give himself 157 Duties inferred from Christ giving himself 160 We are to be thankful that Christ gave himself 159 Glory what it is 1225 Godliness what it is 89 What Graces are necessary to Godliness ib. What are the Ordinances about which it is conversant 91 Godliness to be exercised in Worship in Conversation 93 94 95 Godliness and Holiness and Righteousness how they differ 39 89 Our Abode in the present World is the time to exercise Godliness 98 Reasons of it 100 Trial whether we are godly 96 Motives to Godliness ib. Good Then none is good how not to be understood 295 How it is to be understood ibid. Goodness of God's Nature opened and the Properties of it 298 300 The Goodness of his Bounty opened 300 When God is not honoured as the chief Good 36 Good Man what he is 1110 Good Things Who have their good Things in this Life 988 The Misery of those that have their good Things in this Life 990 How shall we know that Men count temporal things their good Things 988 Good Works the Beginning Increase and Accomplishment of them from God 686 Gospel a means of Salvation and how 15 No better way to save Sinners than that revealed in the Gospel 659 The Wisdom of God in the Gospel 658 The excellent Contrivance of the Gospel to be meditated on 656 Preparative Considerations to such Meditation 657 How we are to meditate on this Contrivance of the Gospel 658 Motives to regard the Gospel 17 No Reason to doubt of the Gospel 948 Government God governs the World by the Hopes and Fears of another Life 1171 Grace Whether they that improve common Grace shall have special Grace 1082 Increase of Grace must be acknowledged as well as the Beginning of it 427 Grace of God how many ways taken 2 Grace and Mercy in God how they agree and how they differ ib. Grace the Original of all Blessings 3 Why Grace is the Original of all Blessings 5 Grace doth not exclude Christ and the means of Salvation 4 What and how much of Grace is discovered in the Gospel 11 Grace but darkly discovered before the Gospel 10 What Reason Believers have to praise the Grace of God above other Men or Angels 9 How the Grace of God is wronged 6 Grace teacheth us Holiness 25 Trial whether we are Partakers of the Grace of God 26 H HAbitation God is the Habitation of his People 897 God's People may have no Habitation on this side God 895 God's being our Habitation is of use to us when we want and when we have a Dwelling-place 900 901 How God is our Habitation when we have a House 902 Vid. Dwelling in God Hardness of Heart sinful The terms of it opened what is meant by Heart what by Hardness 498 The Nature and Properties of it ibid. The Kinds of it 501 The Causes of it 503 The Hainousness of the Sin 505 Some Observations about it 507 Trial of a hard Heart 511 Motives to beware of Hardness of Heart 514 Motives to come out of this State ibid. Directions for the Cure of a hard Heart 515 Tendencies of it to be avoided 532 Hardness of Heart judicial How God may be said to harden 501 523 God's Iustice and Righteousness herein vindicated 524 Causes of God's hardning Sinners 527 Sometimes God may harden finally ibid. The Causes of this 528 God may harden his own People for a time 530 The Causes of it ibid. Means to cure it 531 Observations from the History of Pharaoh's Hardness of Heart 520 Hearing the Word an Ordinance of God 21 Objections against Hearing answered ib. Diligent attending to the Word wherein it consists 1078 Why we should take heed what we hear 1077 How they that hear shall have more given them 1080 Heart of the Wicked what it signifies 1059 The Pravity of it 1060 How the Heart of the Wicked is little worth ibid. Reasons of it 1062 Means to get another Heart or a Heart sanctified 1065 What Men may do towards getting their
will fret and soak in more and more 4. Use frequent Recollection and communing with your Hearts Man hath Reason and can talk with himself God that cannot err surveyed every Day 's Work and found it good Cast up your Account at the foot of every Page he that runneth in Debt and never casteth up his Accounts will sink at last A Man is insensibly hardned for want of searching and ransacking his Conscience there is no serious Repentance with it Lam. 3.40 Let us search and try our Ways and turn again to the Lord. God will search you if you leave the Work to him 5. Improve Afflictions It is a Means God hath appointed to shake us out of our Security We are apt to be lulled asleep with the Delights and Pleasures of Sin till we feel the sharp Rod of Afflictions 2 Chron. 28.22 And in the time of his Distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord This is that King Ahaz They are Monsters of Nature and hopeless Wretches that are not reclaimed by Afflictions God sets a Brand on Ahaz like a dogged Servant that will not stir beat him never so much Unprofitableness under the Rod is an ill Presage In Hell Sinners are always suffering and always sinning 6. Beware of those things which are both Steps unto and Causes of hardness of Heart for one Degree is the cause of another as when Sin is committed without Remorse and swallowed without Grief 7. Beware of extenuating Sin of having less Thoughts of it and being less troubled about it At first it seemed a horrible thing a Burden too heavy for us but afterwards it grows less light and the Heart more insensible and Sin more delightful The Burden of Sin encreaseth in the Children of God as Light and Acquaintance with God increaseth that which they made nothing of at first groweth very heavy 8. Keep Grace in a constant Exercise Let the Fire be kept always in that came down from Heaven 2 Tim. 1.6 VVherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the Gift of God that is in thee 9. Frequent the Society of God's People Want of care of our Company is a great Fault for Company hardneth in Sin or humbleth The very Example of God's People will be a great help to you how tender they are how watchful what meltings of Heart they have in Prayer how they make conscience of the least Sin how they complain of themselves O what a hard Heart have I Coals lying together keep Fire This is a means to keep us tender Heb. 3.13 But exhort one another daily while it is called To Day lest any of you be hardned through the Deceitfulness of Sin SERMONS UPON EXODVS IV. 21 SERMON I. EXOD. IV. 21 I will harden his Heart that he shall not let my People go I Have spoken of hardness of Heart as it is proper to Man I shall now speak of that Judicial Hardness which is inflicted by God a notable Instance whereof we have in Pharaoh that was raised up that God might in him make his Power known that is he was born into the World and advanced to Royal Dignity that the World may know what God can do against an obstinate contradicting Creature And accordingly it is applied by the Apostle Rom. 9.17 For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh Even for this same Purpose have I raised thee up that I might shew my Power in thee and that my Name might be declared throughout all the Earth Therefore it is an Instance worth the viewing In this place God acquainteth Moses of it aforehand to fortify him against all Discouragements he was to deal with an obstinate Creature but it was that which God had fore-seen and fore-decreed I will harden his Heart that he shall not let my People go The Point or Head of Doctrine is God's hardning of Sinners You may take it in the form of a Proposition for the help of the weakest Doct. God himself hath an Hand in the hardning of obstinate Sinners About fourteen times is the Hardness of Pharaoh's Heart spoken of and thrice it is said he hardned his own Heart Exod. 8.15 When Pharaoh saw that there was respite he hardned his Heart and hearkned not unto them as the Lord had said So ver 32. And Pharaoh hardned his Heart at that time also neither would he let the People go And again chap. 9.34 And when Pharaoh saw that the Rain and the Hail and the Thunders were ceased he sinned yet more and hardned his Heart he and all his Servants In all the other places it is ascribed to God himself Man hardneth and then God hardneth When God blindeth a Man he first closeth his own Eyes and when God hardneth a Man he first contracteth a Brawn and Stiffness upon his own Heart Pharaoh in hardning himself is charged with two things slighting of the Judgment chap. 7.23 And Pharaoh turned and went into his House neither did he set his Heart to this also And contempt of the Threatning chap. 8.15 He hardned his Heart and hearkned not unto them as the Lord had said And the very same thing also is said to be of God chap. 7.13 He hardned Pharaoh 's Heart that he hearkned not unto them as the Lord had said For the clearing of this I shall I. Give you some Observations from the Story II. Shew you how God hardneth III. The Causes of it I. I shall give you some general Observations from the Story for in the Story of Pharaoh we have the exact Platform of an hard Heart 1. Between the hard Heart and God there is an actual Contest who shall have the better The Parties contesting are God and Pharaoh See the first Sermon on Mark 3.5 pag. 506. 2. The Sin that hardned Pharaoh and put him upon this Contest was Covetousness and Interest of State Iacob's seventy Souls that he brought down to Egypt were grown to six hundred thousand fighting Men besides Children and to â—et such a Company of Men go whom they used as Slaves besides the Prey of their Herds and Flocks seemed hard to Pharaoh Which is not only an Item to Magistrates to retain nothing which God hateth out of Interest and Reason of State but also to private Christians Whatever of Gain and Advantage we may fancy in Sin it will at length prove a certain Loss If God send a Message for our right Eye we must pluck it out or for our right Hand we must cut it off It is dangerous to deny God any thing If he demand Israel and all the Flocks and Herds let them go the sweetest Interests the dearest Pleasures the most gainful Imployments if they are unlawful let them go There is an usual Contest between Interest and Duty between Pleasure and Obedience between Profit and the Command but it is better our own Faith should give the Command the Victory than God's Power 1 Joh. 5.4 This is the Victory that overcomes the World even our Faith He had before spoken of keeping
he that forbeareth let him forbear for they are a rebellious House As if God should say Let them now do what they will I am at a point Now sometimes their Condition is irreversible which is clear because when God hath given them over how shall they repent and break off their Sin God's Oath is past Psal. 95.11 Vnto whom I sware in my Wrath that they should not enter into my Rest. God standeth sworn to condemn and destroy them If they should have any Anguish of Conscience and Remorse stirred up in them God will have no regard to it Prov. 1.26 27. I also will laugh at your Calamity I will mock when your Fear cometh when your Fear cometh as Desolation and your Destruction cometh as a Whirlwind when Distress and Anguish cometh upon you Hosea 5.6 They shall go with their Flocks and with their Herds to seek the Lord but they shall not find him he hath withdrawn himself from them When Men have neglected God's Seasons and begin to be surprized with Death then they would fain have Comfort and Pardon but instead thereof the Lord puts them off No you would have none of me Psal. 81.11 12. But my People would not hearken to my Voice and Israel would none of me So I gave them up unto their own Hearts Lust and they walked in their own Counsels Instead of Compassion they are mocked and turned over to their evil Courses and carnal Company Joh. 8.21 I go my way and ye shall seek me and shall die in your Sins That this may be before Death appeareth because Grace is confined to a Season Isa. 55.6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is near And that Season is not always as long as Life Luke 19.42 If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy Day the things which belong to thy Peace but now they are hid from thine Eyes The Day of Grace is bright but short We may mourn over many thus when the Measure of their Iniquities is filled up God giveth over calling and expecting and waiting for their Repentance It is true the time is not to be known by any Man of himself nor by others concerning him we cannot state the number of Calls because Circumstances are diverse and Light breaketh in with Warnings in a different degree There is a great deal of variety in the Lord's Dispensations therefore all must use the Means and warn we must to the last We can only say in the general that after God hath done with them and expects no Good from them he may let them live for the Glory of his Justice as after God had hardned Pharaoh's Heart yet he continued his Life that he might shew his Power in him Exod. 9.16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up for to shew in thee my Power and that my Name may be declared throughout all the Earth You may survive your final Hardness as a Monument of God's Justice in the World 2. It is a just Dispensation It is just with God to take the Refusal and be gone and to cease to deal with your Hearts any more when after all the melting Intreaties of his Grace you cast him off he commands and you will not obey he is willing and you are not willing he intreats and you will not hearken He wishes Deut. 5.29 O that there were such an Heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my Commandments always that it might be well with them and with their Children for ever He laments Psal. 81.13 O that my People had hearkned unto me and Israel had walked in my Ways And you will not join with him He is grieved that his Offer of Grace is not received and you will not lament It is but just that a Man should be left to his own Choice that a Man should miss of that Salvation which he cared not for that if after Warnings Convictions and Intreaties he will be filthy he should be filthy still In Hell Conscience will acquit God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have been the cause of all this to my self 3. It is a merciful Dispensation to the rest of the World We are told of these things before-hand not that we may despair that is an ill Consequence but that as we love our Souls we should take heed of resisting Grace and turning our Backs upon our own Mercies It is a merciful and fatherly Warning to strike in betimes and own the God of our Mercies Delay is that that undoeth all the World Now this is the best Cure of Delay 2 dly The Causes of it 1. Sinning away the Light of Nature By Nature Men have some knowledg of Good and Evil. There are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some common Principles as that God is and must be worshipped that we must do wrong to none nor pollute our selves with promiscuous Lusts. The Heart of a Pagan would rise against it Rom. 2.14 15 For when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by Nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto themselves which shew the Work of the Law written in their Hearts Now when Men hold the Light of Nature in Vnrighteousness Rom. 1.18 when they hold poor Truth fettered and bound that it cannot break out into an holy Conversation this provoketh God to give them up to Hardness There are many Sins which Nature discovereth and may be avoided upon such Reasons and Considerations as Nature suggesteth Now when Men put the Finger into Nature's Eye or will not suffer Reason to exercise any Dominion but let loose the Reins to Lust God leaveth them to a carnal and sottish Heart Tho by the Light of Nature Men cannot convert to God yet by the Light of Nature Men may practise many Duties and avoid many Sins The Gentiles were left to an unsound injudicious Mind When Men fall into foul Sins against the Light of Nature Conscience loseth its Feeling and Tenderness Eph. 4.19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto Lasciviousness to work all Vncleanness with greediness Hearts prejudiced against the things of God may grow to very Stones 2. Refusing God's many Calls Prov. 29.1 He that being often reproved hardneth his Neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without Remedy God may bear with us a while after one or two or more Reproofs but when we are often reproved and often convinced and yet will not be reclaimed God may give us over The exact Date of Christ's Patience or the Number of his Calls e're the fatal Period of final Induration cometh we know not but when it is often you are in danger Take heed of forfeiting your own Mercies by refusing the most earnest Motions of the Word and Spirit When God importuneth to be heard and obeyed his Spirit being thus resisted and refused God will be at length wearied and will not give as much Grace as before Isa.
would not give over till all was finished 1153 Following Christ. What it is to follow Christ 388 Wherein we should follow Christ 346 Vid. Example Motives to follow Christ ibid. Fool. Every carnal Man a Fool 910 Forgiving Enemies a Duty 1143 Vid. Revenge Forsake Why God may sometimes forsake his People 1096 God never totally forsakes his People and why 1095 Objections answered ibid. Three kinds of forsaking 1096 Forsaking all when God calls us so to do 333 Reasons why we must so do 334 Directions to this Duty 335 Future State proved 1216 Light of Nature concerning a future State not to be rejected 1221 Thoughts of a future State Support in Afflictions and Death 1220 G GIfts the kinds of them 250 251 252 258 The Freeness of God's Gifts 250 Every one hath some Gift or other 257 Gifts are not given to all in a like measure 259 Reasons of it 260 Gifts are intrusted as well as given 253 Vid. Trust. God to be thanked for all his Gifts 251 Give Why it was necessary that Christ should give himself 157 Duties inferred from Christ giving himself 160 We are to be thankful that Christ gave himself 159 Glory what it is 1225 Godliness what it is 89 What Graces are necessary to Godliness ib. What are the Ordinances about which it is conversant 91 Godliness to be exercised in Worship in Conversation 93 94 95 Godliness and Holiness and Righteousness how they differ 39 89 Our Abode in the present World is the time to exercise Godliness 98 Reasons of it 100 Trial whether we are godly 96 Motives to Godliness ib. Good Then none is good how not to be understood 295 How it is to be understood ibid. Goodness of God's Nature opened and the Properties of it 298 300 The Goodness of his Bounty opened 300 When God is not honoured as the chief Good 36 Good Man what he is 1110 Good Things Who have their good Things in this Life 988 The Misery of those that have their good Things in this Life 990 How shall we know that Men count temporal things their good Things 988 Good Works the Beginning Increase and Accomplishment of them from God 686 Gospel a means of Salvation and how 15 No better way to save Sinners than that revealed in the Gospel 659 The Wisdom of God in the Gospel 658 The excellent Contrivance of the Gospel to be meditated on 656 Preparative Considerations to such Meditation 657 How we are to meditate on this Contrivance of the Gospel 658 Motives to regard the Gospel 17 No Reason to doubt of the Gospel 948 Government God governs the World by the Hopes and Fears of another Life 1171 Grace Whether they that improve common Grace shall have special Grace 1082 Increase of Grace must be acknowledged as well as the Beginning of it 427 Grace of God how many ways taken 2 Grace and Mercy in God how they agree and how they differ ib. Grace the Original of all Blessings 3 Why Grace is the Original of all Blessings 5 Grace doth not exclude Christ and the means of Salvation 4 What and how much of Grace is discovered in the Gospel 11 Grace but darkly discovered before the Gospel 10 What Reason Believers have to praise the Grace of God above other Men or Angels 9 How the Grace of God is wronged 6 Grace teacheth us Holiness 25 Trial whether we are Partakers of the Grace of God 26 H HAbitation God is the Habitation of his People 897 God's People may have no Habitation on this side God 895 God's being our Habitation is of use to us when we want and when we have a Dwelling-place 900 901 How God is our Habitation when we have a House 902 Vid. Dwelling in God Hardness of Heart sinful The terms of it opened what is meant by Heart what by Hardness 498 The Nature and Properties of it ibid. The Kinds of it 501 The Causes of it 503 The Hainousness of the Sin 505 Some Observations about it 507 Trial of a hard Heart 511 Motives to beware of Hardness of Heart 514 Motives to come out of this State ibid. Directions for the Cure of a hard Heart 515 Tendencies of it to be avoided 532 Hardness of Heart judicial How God may be said to harden 501 523 God's Iustice and Righteousness herein vindicated 524 Causes of God's hardning Sinners 527 Sometimes God may harden finally ibid. The Causes of this 528 God may harden his own People for a time 530 The Causes of it ibid. Means to cure it 531 Observations from the History of Pharaoh's Hardness of Heart 520 Hearing the Word an Ordinance of God 21 Objections against Hearing answered ib. Diligent attending to the Word wherein it consists 1078 Why we should take heed what we hear 1077 How they that hear shall have more given them 1080 Heart of the Wicked what it signifies 1059 The Pravity of it 1060 How the Heart of the Wicked is little worth ibid. Reasons of it 1062 Means to get another Heart or a Heart sanctified 1065 What Men may do towards getting their Heart sanctified 1064 Motives to get the Heart sanctified ibid. Heaven In Heaven the removal of all Evil of Sin and Affliction 116 117 And the confluence of all Good 118 The Happiness of the Body in Heaven 119 The Happiness of the Soul in Heaven 120 The Company of Heaven 122 Whether the Knowledg or Love of God in Heaven is to be preferred 120 Inferences from the Happiness of Heaven 123 His. In what sense God's People are his 1028 Holiness with respect to our Relation to God what it is 740 Positive Holiness of our Persons and Actions what 741 Gospel Holiness how prophesied of in the Old Testament 738 Why we should be more eminent in Holiness in Gospel-Times than in Times of the Law 742 Exhortation to Holiness 718 Directions to Holiness 744 Holiness of Christ as to his Person and Office 712 Honour what it is 1226 Hope Act what it implies 972 Vid. Expectation Looking The Object of it 1104 The Properties of it ibid. The Necessity of it 1222 The Encouragements of it 1223 Hope the Fruit of Regeneration and of Experience 723 Hope Object Hope set before us what it is and why so called 231 What it is to run to take hold of the Hope set before us ibid. The Hope of a Christian a blessed Hope 116 Vid. Blessedness Humane Nature of Christ. Why Christ must be Man 1084 Vid. Incarnation Christ partaking of the humane Nature a Foundation for Faith 1086 Humiliation of Christ three Steps of it 862 How far Christ was lessened or humbled 861 Christ's Humiliation was voluntary 863 Christ's Humiliation was for our sakes ibid. The Ends and Reasons of Christ's Humiliation 864 1091 I IGnorance several Distinctions about it 1147 1148 All Ignorance not sinful 857 How far it excuseth from Sin 1147 The Evil and Danger of Ignorance 33 Immortality what it is 1226 A threefold Immortality 1163 The Immortality of the Soul Vid. Soul Motives to
Power but also with his Goodness and Mercy and therefore it must needs succeed ill with us Before God breaketh out with Fury he treateth with us in a mild condescending way he beseecheth his own Creature Jer. 13.15 16. Hear ye and give ear be not proud for the Lord hath spoken give Glory to God before he cause Darkness and before your Feet stumble upon the dark Mountains and while ye look for Light he turn it into the Shadow of Death and make it gross Darkness 2. An hard Heart makes us Rebels to God and Slaves to every thing else for we are wedded to some inferiour thing we are our own Pharaohs and will not let our selves go 2 Tim. 3.4 Lovers of Pleasures more than Lovers of God 3. It is in it self the sorest of all Judgments 4. It never goes alone but brings other Judgments along with it 5. It is the great hindrance of the Spiritual Life See Sermon on Mark 3.5 pag. 505 506 507. 2 dly From the Parties whom it may befal not only the open Wicked but in some measure God's own Children for God may harden two ways as a Judg and as a Father by way of Punishment and by way of Correction By way of Punishment again two ways totally and finally Some are totally hardned and have nothing of a soft Heart in them and yet not finally the dreadful Sentence of Obduration is not yet past upon them as it may be upon others and that during Life when God leaveth them to their own Hearts Counsels without any Check or Restraint of Providence or Purpose to reclaim them These three Kinds I must then speak of God's hardning the Wicked in general his final hardning and his hardning in part his own Children SERMON II. EXOD. IV. 21 I will harden his Heart that he shall not let my People go First OF God's hardning wicked Men in general as a Judg. The Causes of it are 1. Ignorance for Light and Love make the Heart tender Light is that which we are now to take notice of Light begets Tenderness as it discerneth Sin and maketh us sensible of it especially the lively Light of the Spirit Rom. 7.9 I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandment came Sin revived and I died Sense of Guilt and Punishment soon flashed in his Face as in a Dungeon the Worms crawl as soon as Light is brought in Jer. 31.19 After I was instructed I smote upon my Thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the Reproach of my Youth Instruction breedeth Remorse and awakneth Men out of their stupid Security but while Men continue in their Ignorance they are stupid and sensless Now thus Men may be for a long time and yet afterwards God may make the Scales fall 〈◊〉 from their Eyes and open their Eyes and turn them from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan unto God Acts 26.18 However affected and vincible Ignorance when Men are willingly ignorant and err in their Hearts that is when Men have powerful and enlightning Motives and yet remain ignorant this is very dangerous And for the present that Ignorance is one cause of their hardning is evident because the worst usually when they come to die are sensible their Mind is then cleared from the Fogs and Steams of Lust and Conscience being awakned they then feel their Load and a great weight of Sin lying upon them and most wish they had lived in a more strict and ready Obedience to God's Will 2. Unbelief There is an Hardness of the Heart against the Light and Offers of the Gospel when Christ is tendred but not received and the cause of that is Ignorance affected Ignorance and there is an hardning of the Heart against the Truth once received out of love of their temporal Peace Liberty and Safety of Life and Estate this cometh from Unbelief and want of a sufficient sense and sight of the World to come Which Hardness is caused by the Veaglement and Importunities of the Flesh craving its Satisfactions in the present World and denying or disbelieving the Blessedness to come If Men did believe Heaven and Hell they would be more pliable to God's Motions and more deaf to the Importunities of the Flesh but that this is a cause of hardning appeareth by Christ's chiding his Disciples for their Unbelief and hardness of Heart Mark 16.14 Afterward he appeared unto the Eleven as they sat at Meat and upbraided them with their Vnbelief and hardness of Heart because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen 3. Sinning against Light either by way of Omission or Commission This provoketh God to give us over to more hardness of Heart By way of Commission is easily granted but it is also by way of Omission Iames 4.17 To him that knoweth to do Good and doth it not to him it is Sin They will find it to be Sin in the sad Effects of it See Sermon on Mark 3.5 pag. 508. 4. Custom in Sinning See on Mark 3.5 pag. 504. 5. Small Sins may occasion this Judgment and harden the Heart as well as great Sins It is not easy to say which doth most indeed great Sins get into the Throne presently but small Sins insensibly and by degrees Psal. 19.13 Keep back thy Servant also from presumptuous Sins let them not have Dominion over me A small Sin may get the upper hand of a Sinner and bring him under in time and after that it is habituated by constant Custom so that he cannot easily shake off the Yoke and redeem himself from the Tyranny thereof as if a Man be addicted to any Vanity and foolish Delight These do not exercise Dominion over the inslaved Soul till they have gotten Strength by many and multiplied Acts. But presumptuous Sins by one single Act weaken the Spirit and give a mighty Advantage to the Flesh even almost to a compleat Conquest So that for the present little Sins do not harden the Heart so much as greater See Sermon on Mark 3.5 pag. 508. Now all these Causes concur to the hardning of the Heart and making it as a Stone but yet out of these Stones God can raise up Children to Abraham Secondly Of God's final hardning when God leaveth Men to perish and will no more treat with them Now here I shall shew 1 st That there is such a Dispensation 2 dly The Causes of it 1 st That there is such a Dispensation 1. It is an usual Dispensation for God to leave Men to perish in their Sins and that irreversibly even before Death and will be intreated no more for them It appears by many places of Scripture Rev. 22.11 He that is unjust let him be unjust still and he which is filthy let him be filthy still Those which remain obstinate after many Warnings and Calls it is usual with God to give them over to their Lusts that they may be ripe for Hell Ezek. 3.27 He that heâ—â—eth let him hear and
faint when thou art rebuked of him These are the two extreams The sense of our Condition is necessary that we may not sleight the Affliction and the support that we may not faint under it Both may and must stand together for in all worldly cases we must weep as if we wept not 1 Cor. 7.30 And again sorrow not as those without hope 1 Thess. 4.13 and so be without all comfort In short the sense is necessary for improvement the support to make trouble easie 1. If we have not a Sense we cannot make a right use of our Sufferings and Afflictions but our Hearts will be more hardned in Sin God is their Author Repentance is their end and their cause is Sin Lam. 3.39 Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sins And therefore though we be not to droop and languish under our Afflictions yet we must consider the righteous Providence of God and the smart of his displeasure must awaken us to Repentance otherwise the Affliction is frustrated and you leave the thorn in your foot which caused your first pain and soarness If you do not repent of your Sins and no cure is wrought if you still let out your hearts freely to the World and the prosperities and delights thereof this is the high way to security and carelesness of Soul Concernments 2. You must not faint and despair as if all joy and comfort in God were lost For 1. We are not utterly undone as long as we have God for our Portion Lam. 3.24 The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore will I hope in him Though the Creature be blasted he is alive still and should be the joy and delight of our Souls for then we are tryed whether he be so or no. 2. God is a Loving Father when he corrects Our chastisements are effects not only of his Justice but Mercy it is a Rod in the Hand of our Father wherewith we are scourged Iohn 18.11 The cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it And so it is an Act of Love and kindness to us 3. Our Father hath Mercy enough to turn it to our benefit Heb. 12.10 They verily for a few dayes chastned us after their own pleasure but he for our profit that we may be partakers of his Holiness And shall we mourn for that which is for our benefit If we rejoyce in God and Holyness it will not be so If God will stir us up to more Humility contempt of the World confidence in himself and to place our delights in him alone shall we be dejected and displeased as if some great wrong had been done us 4. If this Affliction fits us for Everlasting Happiness there is cause of joy still left 2 Cor. 4.17 For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory One that must have Eternal Glory and Eternal Glory promoted by such a means should not grudge at a little suffering and affliction which is the common burden of the Sons of Adam 2. Prejudice Christ hath pronounced those Blessed that mourn for Sin Matth. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted how then can we rejoyce evermore Answer 1. Mourning for Sin is necessary to cure our vain Rejoycing or delight in carnal vanities and at our entrance into Christianity this is a Duty highly incumbent upon us because of Sin and the Curse which we naturally lie under Certainly while we are out of Christ we have nothing to comfort us nothing to answer to the terrours of the Law or to reply against the Accusations of Conscience and the fears of approaching Misery and Judgment and what should we do if we be sensible of it but bemoan our selves and seek after God with weeping and supplications Gods first work in Conversion is to put Men out of their fools Paradise who are satisfied with the Creature without himself Therefore Humiliation and a broken-hearted sense of Misery is required to deaden the rellish and tast of Sin and that Men may more prize and esteem the healing Grace of Christ and set more by it than all the Pleasures and Riches and Honours of the World Can a Man see himself lost and in danger of Condemnation and not be grieved But all this while joy is in the making and we are providing Everlasting Comfort for our selves for God is ready to ease us assoon as our need requireth and our care will permit Isa. 57 15 16 17. For this saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones For I will not contend for ever neither will I be alwaies wroth for the spirit shall fail before me and the souls which I have made For the iniquity of his covetousness I was wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart And he saith afterwards verse 18. I have seen his wayes and will heal him I will lead him also and restore comfort to him and to his mourners The Lord is ready to come in with sweet and Heavenly Cordials when the Physick worketh but a little kindly Ier. 31.18 19 20. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus thou hast chastized me and I was chastized as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Surely after that I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon the thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth Is Ephraim my dear son is he a pleasant child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy on him saith the Lord. Well then this sorrow may be well allowed because it prevents greater sorrow namely the pains of Hell It is better mourn for a while than for ever better to have healing grief than tormenting grief to mourn now while mourning will do us good then to howl at last when all sorrow will be fruitless and only a part of our punishment not of our cure And besides this sorrow maketh for comfort Matth. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted When the shower is fallen the Sun cleareth up and shineth in his full strength and Beauty The vain rejoycing being deadned we have grounds of Everlasting Joy by considering the means God hath appointed for our deliverance from Sin and Death and the flames of Hell 2. Mourning for Sin and Joy in the Lord may stand well together For Grace and Grace are not contrary but Grace and Sin Those who most mourn for Sin do most rejoyce in the
If God were the immediate Author it would be no Sin for whatever God doth is good How then doth he harden the Heart I answer first Negatively secondly Affirmatively 1 st Negatively In the explication of this Matter we must avoid both Extreams some say too much of it others too little 1. We must not say too much lest we leave a Stain and Blemish upon the Divine Glory 1. God infuseth no Hardness and Sin as he infuseth Grace All Influences from Heaven are sweet and good not sowre Evil cannot come from the Father of Lights God enforceth no Man to do evil 2. God doth not excite the inward Propension to Sin that is Satan's Work He perswadeth it not it hath neither Command nor Approbation nor Influence nor Impulse from Heaven In all these Ways we must look upon Man's Sin All Sin is a Child begotten by that Incubus of Hell on the corrupt Soul of Man it is poured out as Milk into the Womb of their Hearts and there it is curdled as Cheese 2. We must not give it too little God doth not harden by bare Prescience because God foreseeth other Sins and yet they are not ascribed to God he is not said to kill or to steal or to do wrong as he is to harden There is a difference between God's concurrence to this Sin and others It is not only by way of Manifestation that is by his Plagues and Judgments he declareth how hard it is God hardned Pharaoh say some that is by frequency of Judgments shewed how hard his Heart was The Prayer by which we deprecate this Evil sheweth the meaning of it we would not say Lord shew not how hard I am by thy many Judgments upon me but Lord harden not my Heart lead me not into Temptation incline not my Heart to any evil thing And it doth not hold good in other Instances Deut. 2.30 Sihon King of Heshbon would not let us pass by him for the Lord thy God hardned his Spirit and made his Heart obstinate There was no such long Process to make it evident they had hard Hearts So Ioshua 11.20 For it was of the Lord to harden their Hearts that they should not come against Israel in Battel So that there is somewhat besides an evident Manifestation to the World by continued Judgments that it is hard Nor is it by a meer idle Permission for there is besides that his Decree and a Judicial Action of Providence as if God were like the Heathens Iupiter who was feasting in Ethiopia while things were out of order in Greece Or at least such think God hath no more to do than a Man that standeth on the Shore and seeth a Ship ready to be drowned when he might have helped it there is somewhat more than so Nor is it meerly by Desertion and Suspension of Grace it is true this is a part but not all as a Captain leaving his Souldiers in the midst of a Battel may be said to leave them in the Enemies hands God concurreth not only by way of Permission and Patience but by way of Action and Power not making Hardness but Doing and Willing the things whereby the Sinner is hardned Besides his Decrees there is his Judicial Sentence and an active Providence in order thereunto Many things concur to the hardning of the Heart all which God willeth and intendeth but justly the Wicked take these Occasions of their own accord Satan tempteth out of his own Malice but all this cannot be done without the Will of God there is at least a permissive Intention If there were not God's over-ruling it then he were not God Omnipotent there is a Supreme Power over-ruling and ordering every thing that is done in the World It was God's Will that Pharaoh should be hardned that he might dispose of it to the Ends of his Providence Exod. 9.16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up for to shew in thee my Power and that my Name may be declared throughout all the Earth If there were only a naked idle Permission then it may be said that he suffereth the Heart to be hardned rather than hardneth it which is the Phrase used 2 dly Affirmatively how God doth harden The inward Way is wonderful as God's drawing Sinners is secret so is his hardning But if you ask me by what means it is accomplished I answer 1. By Desertion by taking away the Restraints of Grace whereby he letteth them loose to their own Hearts Psal. 81.12 So I gave them up unto their own Hearts Lusts and they walked in their own Counsels Man in regard of his Inclinations to Sin is like a Grey-hound held by a Slip or Collar when the Hare is in sight take away the Slip and the Grey-hound runneth violently after the Hare according to his inbred Disposition Men are held in by the Restraints of Grace which when removed they are left to their own swinge and run into all excess of Riot Thus God took away his good Spirit from Saul 1 Sam. 16.14 But the Spirit of the Lord departed from him and an evil Spirit from the Lord troubled him Take away the Pillar that sustaineth the House and then the House falleth of it self God taketh away his Grace and then all runneth to Ruine as Darkness ensueth upon the withdrawing of Light Now herein God is not to be blamed 1 Because he is Debtor to none He may give his Grace to whom he pleaseth and with-hold it as he will he is not bound to give or continue but is free to bestow or with-hold Man sinneth when he doth not hinder Sin because he is bound to hinder it all that he can Nehem. 13.17 Then I contended with the Nobles of Judah and said unto them What evil thing is this that ye do and profane the Sabbath-day When the People profaned the Sabbath and they did not restrain them 2. He knoweth how to make the best of any Evil to turn the greatest Evil into the greatest Good which Man cannot do and ought not being under a Rule We must not do Evil that Good may come on it Rom. 3.8 And not rather as we be slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say Let us do Evil that Good may come whose Damnation is just 3. There is an actual Forfeiture God is so far from being bound to continue Grace that he is bound in Justice to withdraw what is given When Men stop their Ears God may shut them But 2. By Tradition He delivereth them up to the Power of Satan who worketh upon the corrupt Nature of Man and hardneth it he stirreth him up as the Executioner of God's Curse As the evil Spirit had leave to seduce Ahab 1 Kings 22.21 22. And there came forth a Spirit and stood before the Lord and said I will perswade him And the Lord said unto him Wherewith And he said I will go forth and I will be a lying Spirit in the Mouth of all his Prophets And he said
wit the redemption of our bodies When we shall know more fully what Honour and Blessedness belongeth to the Children of God now it doth not appear what we shall be So pardon of Sin shall be then compleat Acts 3.19 Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. All pardoned Sins shall never be remembred more our Absolution shall be solemnly pronounced by the Judge upon the Bench. That is the great Regeneration Matth. 19.28 You that have followed me in the regeneration when the son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory ye shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel So for Redemption Eph. 4.30 Grieve not the holy spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption When all the Effects of Sin shall cease for Death remaineth on the Body till that day 7. This Work of taking away Sin is carried on with respect to Christ's threefold Office of King Priest and Prophet 1. As a Priest so he taketh away Sin by his Merit having purchased a Power and a Virtue whereby our Natures may be healed and cleansed and our Peace made with God In this sense it is said 1 Iohn 1.7 The blood of Iesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin 2. As a Prophet so he taketh away Sin by his Doctrine which is fit for such a purpose as it commandeth and requireth Purity and Holiness and inviteth us to it by notable Promises and encourageth us by blessed Examples especially of Jesus Christ himself and the perfect Pattern of his holy Obedience and heavenly Life Iohn 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth 3. As a King so he taketh away Sin by his Spirit So backward are our Minds so bad our Hearts so strong our Lusts so manifold our Temptations that beâ—â— Teaching will not serve the turn without a Spirit of Light Life and Love to open our Eyes and change our Hearts and incline us and bring us back again to God Therefore it is said Titus 3.5 6. Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy-Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our saviour His Merit giveth us Confidence his Word Means and Helps and his sanctifying Spirit maketh all effectual to the Soul III. That this is the great End and Scope of Christ's coming into the World appeareth by sundry Scriptures 1 Iohn 3.5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins and in him is no sin He was manifested in the Flesh and manifested in the Gospel for this end He came as an holy innocent Saviour to take away Sin Matth. 1.21 Thou shalt call his name Iesus for he shall save his people from their sins Not to ease them of their Trouble only but chiefly to destroy Sin with the mischievous Effects of it He is a Saviour that saves us from Sin not in Sin Tit. 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity Not only from the Curse of the Law but from all Iniquity The Mediator's Blessing was not to free us from the Roman Yoke but from the slavery and bondage of Sin Acts 3.26 Unto you first God having raised up his son Iesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities Reasons 1. Sin is the great Make-bate between God and us The first breach was by Sin and still it continueth the distance Isa. 59.2 Your iniquities have separated between you and your God Till Sin be taken out of the way there can be no perfect Communion betwen God and the Creature The Purity of God is irreconcilable to Sin though not to the Sinner and therefore though the Sinner be pardoned the Sin must be taken away 2. Sin is the great Disease of Mankind and the cause of all Misery therefore Christ came to stop Mischief at the Fountain Head Take away Sin and you take away Wrath for when the Cause is gone the Effect ceaseth Those who are most sensible of their true Evil do mainly desire the taking away of Sin Pharaoh said Take away this Plague but the Church saith Take away all iniquity Hosea 14.2 Many seek to get rid of Trouble and Temporal Afflictions but not of Sin because they have a gross sense of Things and measure their Happiness and Misery by their outward Condition Hosea 7.14 They assemble themselves for corn and wine and they rebel against me They sought not God's Favour but Corn and Wine and Oyl Others if they mind Spiritual Things they mind only pardon of Sins and ease of Conscience but not to be freed from the Power of it as if a Man that had broken his Leg should only desire to be eased of the smart but not to have it set again But the true Penitent is troubled with the Stain as well as the Guilt therefore the Promise is suited to such 1 Iohn 1.9 If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness Others if they would be freed from Sin they respect only the preventing the outward Act but you must abstain from the Lust 2 Pet. 2.11 I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. If they look after the Heart and inward Man it is some Branch of Sin not the Root or the Change of the Heart and so die Impenitent Evil Practices do not flow from a present Temptation but an evil Nature All these lose their labour they neither get rid of Trouble nor prevent the Act nor are free from the breach of God's Law but Christ would make a thorough Cure 3. Taking away of Sin is a greater benefit than Impunity or taking away the Punishment Those Means which have a more immediate Connexion with the last End are more noble than those which are more remote The last End is the Glory of God Now the Holiness and Subjection of the Creature is a nearer means to it than our Comfort and Pardon Christ's End was to fit us for God's Use and therefore his End was to sanctifie us and free us from Sin 1 Use Is Caution Let us renounce all Sin that we may not make Christ's coming into the World in vain You go about to frustrate your Redeemer's End and so to put him to shame if you cherish Sin for then you cherish that which he came to destroy 1 Iohn 3.8 For this purpose the son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil that is dissolve unty and loose this Knot The Work of the Devil is to bring us into Sin and Misery and will you tie the Knot the faster If you go about to frustrate his Undertaking you renounce all Benefit by him and slight the Price of