vnyeelding will is a hard heart a dead and dull mind that is not moued with Gods word is a hard heart a seared conscience that neuer smiteth for sinne is a hard heart and finally blockish affections that are not sensible of Gods iudgements are a hard heart Oh now that we would enter application vpon our owne soules and examine what want of grace is in the soule what rebellion in the will what opposition against Gods word in the mind what Numnesse and dumnesse in the conscience And finally what contempt of Gods iudgements in the affections And I doubt that vpon this search it will be found that this hardnes of heart is an epidemicall disease that possesseth the whole body of the land Now if we be sicke of this disease it is meete that in the next place we should proceed to enquire into the cause of this euill And vpon triall it will be found to be within vs for my Text ascribes it to our selues harden not your hearts Which is to be vnderstood of voluntarie or habituall hardnes for there is a naturall hardnesse which we sucke from the tender breasts of our mother all men being borne as with a darke mind so with a hard heart And there is a iudiciarie hardnesse which God as a iust iudge inflicteth as a judgement vpon some notorious offenders Rom. 1 27. Revel 22.11 August for a recompence of their former errours as is meet that they who are filthy may be more filthy Iudicio vtique suo aliquando aperto aliquando occulto semper autē justo Thus God in Scripture is said Percutere amentia scotomate Isa 19.14 Isa 29.10 Isa 6.10 to strike men with maddenesse and blindnesse to mingle among them the spirit of errour and the spirit of slumber to blind their eyes make their eares heauy and their hearts fat Math. 6.13 Rom 1.24.26.28 to leade men into temptation to giue them ouer to vncleanesse to vile affections to a reprobate mind to send strong delusions 2 Thess 2.11 or the efficacie of errours And oftentimes he is said to harden the heart Here there is great question after what manner God hardens the heart whether onely privatiuely as deserendo forsaking them and permittendo not hindering them and non puniendo or per Patientiam and dilatione poenae in not punishing them Or if he concurre to the hardening of the hearts also actiuelie and that either by outward objects and occasions or by themselues giuing them ouer to their owne hearts lusts or by Satan to whose power he deliuereth such hearts for him to worke vpon as a judge deliuereth the malefactor to the hang-man to be tormented Or finally inwardly so working by his inuisible power that their corrupt hearts are more and more hardened Indeed I dare not aduenture to wade into this depth Onely this I must say that the Scripture's words doe manifestly signifie an action and cannot without wresting bee drawen vnto a bare permission Besides it is as injurious to the diuine majestie to robbe him of his power wisdome and prouidence as to accuse his justice And Florinus his blasphemie is not more carefully to be avoided on the one side then the Pelagian Heresie is on the other Therfore we must not cōsider God as an idle beholder of wicked actions like the Poet 's Iupiter who was feasting in Aethiopia while things went out of order but as an omnipotent Creator giuing power and life to all and by his concurrence causing euery motion and action in the creature Also as a most wise gouernour ordering euen that which he made not And finally as a iust judge punishing sinne by sinne Further let vs consider that euen those sinnes which are only sinnes and not also punishments are done by Gods permission Permission hath place in all sins euen in the sinnes of the godlie yea in the first sinne that euer was quia non fieret si non sineret In Enchir c. 100. saith Aust And shall we thinke that God hath no further hand in this judiciarie obduration of wieked men Surely then God might as well be said to steale murther commit adultery as to harden the heart because he permitteth these sinnes to be done Then why should it onely be said of notorious wicked persons and not of all that God hardeneth them Finally then shall not obduration be a punishment as is acknowledged by all euen by Bellarmine himselfe De stat pecc l. 2. c. 14. For punishments are just and from God as they are punishments though they be also sinnes As saith the Master of the Sentences ea quae peccata sunt L. 2. Dist 36. dist 32. poena peccati c. That which is both a sinne and a punishment of sinne is of God as it is a punishment for all punishments are just He giueth instance of concupiscence Concupiscentia in quantum poena peccati Deum habet authorem And Ferus applieth it to this point we haue in hand saying that hardnesse of heart is of God as it is Poena not as it is Culpa And last of all if we respect the consent of the fathers surely S. Austine was resolute in this point that God concurreth in the hardening of the heart Non mod◠secundum permissionē l. 5. cont Iulian vel patientiam sed etiam secundum actionem potentiam To this purpose could I alleage many sentences of the Iesuites and best learned School-men yet such is their malice that they accuse that for heresie and blasphemie in vs which is approued for Catholique doctrine when it passeth from their quill I will not vouchsafe these foule-mouthed Rabsakeh's sent forth to raile on the host of the liuing God any other answere then what Michael the Arch-angell gaue vnto their father The Lord rebuke thee Satan Onely giue me leaue to vindicate Gods Iustice This that hath been said of Gods hardening seemes vnto carnall minded men who measure all things by the crooked rule of their owne reason to cast some aspersion vpon God Therefore will I breifely shew that God cannot be accused for hardening the heart The first reason is because God doeth not make any heart that is soft to become hard but onely that heart which already is hard partly by nature and partly by custome he hardens yet more sealing it vp as it were Rom. 11.35 vnto eternall condemnation 2. Because God is debter to no man so that he is not bound to giue his grace vnto any man or to hinder him from sinne or to abstaine from doing of these things which are good in themselues though man be readie to abuse them vnto euill A third Reason I will borrow from iudicious S. Austin teaching vs that God concurreth in hardening of the heart L. 5. cont Iulian Secundū actionē potentiā non sane per quā fiat immediatè durities ipsius cordis sed per quam multa fiant à quibus peccator vitio suo concipiat
A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE HIS MAIESTY at Windsore the 19. of Iuly 1625. By HENRIE LESLIE one of his MAIESTIES Chaplaines in Ordinary â—â—â—V 28.14 〈…〉 his heart shall fall into Euill IER 45.4 Thus saith the Lord Behold that which I haue built will I breake downe and that which I haue planted will I plucke vp euen this whole land and seekest thou great things for thy selfe OXFORD Printed by I. L. and W. T. for WILLIAM TVRNER Anno Dom. 1625. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE IAMES EARLE OF CARLILE 〈◊〉 OF DONCASTER BARON OF SALEY one of his Majesties most honorable Privy Councell Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter RIght Honourable and my singular good Lord when I preached this Sermon I applyed my selfe to this time of affliction studying more to profite then please yet it did receiue a greater approbation from all than any thing could deserue that proceeded from my weakenesse And your Honour was pleased to demaund a Copie of it which I here humbly present vnto You in a poore and plaine stile as it was preached beseeching your Lordship to take in good part this small offering from him who shall alwayes pray for Your Honours prosperitie in this life and happines hereafter Your Honours in all dutie Henrie Leslie A Table of the Contents The Text diuided 1 the Euil hardnesse of heart which signifies 1 The drynesse of the Soule 2 The stiffenesse of the VVill. 3 the senslesnesse of 1 the mind 1 Not vnderstanding the word 2 Vnderstanding the word but not being moued thereby 3 Being moued but not effectually 4 Being prouoked to doe the contrary 2 the coÌ„science being 1 The broad conscience 2 The sleeping conscience 3 The slumbring conscience 4 The benuÌ„med conscience 3 of the affections which is 1 Carnall securitie 2 Senselesse indolencie 3 Worldly sorrow 2 the cause of this euil diuers according to the diuerse hardening 1 Naturall from our first Parents 2 Iudiciary from God hardening 1 Privatiuely 1 Forsaking them 2 Permitting them 3 Not punishing them 2 Actiuely 1 By outward obiects 2 By themselues 3 By Satan 4 By his invisible power 3 Voluntary from our selues men hardening their hearts by a custome of sinne 3. The Remedies against this Euill which are set downe Eight in number A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE HIS MAIESTY HEB. 3.8 Harden not your hearts THis Apostle was inspired by the Holy Ghost 2 Cor. 7.40 yet here that his words might haue the more authoritie he alleageth the saying of the Holy Ghost Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith To day if ye will heare his voice harden not your hearts This saying of the Holy Ghost is by the mouth of Dauid Psal 95.7 So that the author of this exhortation makes it fit for this place it being the meditation of a King the repetition of it makes it fit for this time time for was such a caveat needfull not only in Davids time but also afterwards in the Apostle's time is it not much more necessary at this time when God by his judgments doth call vs to weeping and to mourning Isa 22.12 and to baldnesse and to girding with sackcloth Giue me leaue therefore to redouble this exhortation vnto you Harden not your hearts Wherein we may consider these three particulars 1 The euill to be auoided and that is hardnesse of heart 2. The cause of this euill which my text seemeth to ascribe vnto our selues saying Harden not your hearts 3 The remedies to be vsed against this euill that our hearts may not be hardened The first will serue for conviction the second for information the third for direction As for the first the euill to be auoided is called hardnesse of hearts And what this is is not easie to be vnderstood For besides that the phrase is metaphoricall this euill is of that nature that it taketh away the sense and knowledge of sinne Eph. 4.18 it is said of the Gentiles their vnderstanding was darkened and why because of the hardnesse of their hearts So that this point of hardening is not vnderstood because our owne hearts are hardened But if we take and weigh it in the ballance of the Sanctuary there we shall finde many equivalent phrases which will helpe vs to finde out the nature and the weight of this euill In Scripture it is called the brasen brow Isa 48.4 The iron sinew ibid. the spirit of perversenesse Isa 19.14 The spirit of slumber or the Spirit of compunction Isa 29.10 The Wine of giddines Psal 60.3 Spirituall drunkennesse Isa 29.9 the seared Conscience 1. Tim. 4.2 the hard necke 2 King 17.14 the stiffenecke Deut. 31.27 the vncircumcised heart and eare Act. 7.58 the face harder then a stone Ier. 5.3 the fatte and grosse heart Isa 6.10 blinded eyes Ioh. 12.40 Dull or heauy eares Isa 6.20 The reprobate mind Rom. 1.28 The stonie heart Ezech. 11.19 The heart of Adamant Zach. 7.12 and finally stubbornesse of heart Ier. 13.10 Now compare we hardnes of heart with these the like phrases and we shall find that a hard heart is nothing else but a soule that is confirmed in sinfull courses But that we may better vnderstand the seuerall kinds and degrees hereof let vs examine from whence this speach is borrowed The heart when it is said to be hard is taken sometimes for the whole soule sometimes for the mind sometimes for the will sometimes for the conscience other whiles for the affections according to the seuerall acceptions of the word hardnes which is the quality ascribed to the heart and that not properly but metaphorically The metaphore is taken either from a stone as the Scripture seemes to imply calling our hearts not only hard but also stonie for the hardnes of a stone is accompanied with great drynesse also the hardnesse of it makes it stiffe and inflexible not apt to bow or bend In all which it greatly resembleth the corruption of the heart Or els the Metaphore is from that Callum or hard thicke skin which couereth the hand of the labourer and the heele of the traveller For as that is void of all sense and feeling so is the heart in this state of corruption And that this is the allusion may appeare by the Phrase must commonly vsed in the New Testament to signifie hardnesse of heart It is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth the thicke skin that couereth the palmes of the hands and the feete or the hardnes that is in the ioynts and the small bones that are the instruments of motion making theÌ„ stiffe senselesse and benummed Hence those members that are thus obdured are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but it matters not whence the Metaphore is taken for certainly it is from things corporall whereof onely hardnesse is an affection And wheresoeuer it is it hath these three properties 1. Drynesse that which is hard is dry not hauing any moisture to soften it 2. Stiffenesse and inflexiblenesse for saith the Philosopher
you a heart of flesh signifying thereby that there is nothing in our corrupt nature that hath affinitie with the diuine nature whereof we are made partakers in our regeneration but that our whole old nature must be taken away and a new giuen vs. A litle mending will not serue the turne a new making is required Thirdly hardnesse of heart is vsed to expresse the vnmoueablenesse and senselessenesse of heart So that a hard heart is a dead heart which nothing can moue neither word nor Sacraments miracles nor motions of the spirit neither sense of sinne nor of Iudgement for sinne L. 5. de Consider So Bernard describeth a hard heart Quid est cor durum ipsum est quod nec compunctione scinditur nec pietate mollitur nec movetur preeibus minis non cedit flagellis duratur ingratum est ad beneficia impavidum ad pericula c. This kind of hardnes according to the difference of the obiect and subiect is threefold 1. a deadnesse of the minde when we are not moued with the meanes of saluation which God hath appointed to soften our hearts 2. a deadnesse of conscience when we are not moued with our owne sinnes 3. a deadnesse of the affections when we are not moued with God's judgements The first which is a deadnesse or dulnesse of the mind is a high degree of hardnesse when the soule is not onely dry and destitute of grace and also inflexible and vnwilling to receiue grace but further it cannot so much as be moued with these meanes God hath appointed to beget grace God's word is sharper then a two edged sword Heb. 4.12 It is like a hammer that breaketh the stones Ier. 23.29 and in that same place it is resembled to fire able to melt the hardest mettals Deut. 3. â— Finally it is compared to dew and raine that watereth so mollifieth the ground And yet this Word this mighty Word cannot pierce it cannot bruise it cannot melt it cannot moisten our hard and stonie our dry and withered hearts Iob. 41.24 Isa 48.4 for as it is said of Leviathan our heart is harder than the nether milstone To signifie this it is called the brasen browe Ye know a man's forhead is most obvious to stroakes but if the same were of so hard a mettall as brasse it could not easily be broken or peirced But such is the corrupt heart of man though God's Word be like a hammer that breaketh the rockes in pieces and sharper then any two edged sword yet no threatnings admonitions of God's Word can breake it no promises and intreaties can pierce it Yea though this Word be sealed with Sacraments confirmed with miracles accompanied with the inward motioÌ„s of the spirit yet all these are but as an arrow shot against a brasen wall Iob. 41.29 our heart being as the scales of Leviathan Isa 6.10 who laughes at the shaking of the speare This is also well signified by the fat heart for as the heart being couered with a masse of fatnesse cannot seele any thing no more can the mind in this estate of obduration for as the PoeÌ„t saith Triplex circa praecordia ferrum This is likewise vnderstood by the blinded eyes that cannot see Isa 6.10 Act. 6.10 the dull or heauie eares that cannot heare and the vncircumcised heart and eare This dulnes in not being moued with the word Saeraments c. hath foure degrees 1. when a man doth not so much as conceiue what is said hauing his cognitations darkened his eyes couered with the scales of ignorance or if he doe conceiue it yet he doth not attentiuely consider it This is signified in the Parable by the seed that fell by the highwaies side as Christ expounds it Whensoeuer a man heareth the word of the kingdome and vnderstandeth it not the euill one commeth and catcheth away that which was sowen in his heart Matth. 13.19 this is hee who hath receiued the seede by the wayes side The disciples themselues were charged with this dulnesse Mar. 6.52 They cousidered not the miracle of the loaues that is they did not see Gods power in that worke for their heart was hardened A second degree of this dulnesse is when a man though in some measure he vnderstand what is said yet he is not moued thereby God's Word is a hammer this hammer with tenne miracles gaue tenne mighty stroakes at Pharao his heart and yet could not breake it So it was with Ieroboam he heard the commandement of God against the altar he had set vp he saw the altar cleaue asunder and the ashes fall out from it according to the signe giuen by the Prophet his hand which he put forth against the Prophet was dryed vp and after healed by the prayer of the Prophet yet was not he moued at all this When the Prophet cryed to the altar O Altar Altar thus saith the Lord 1 King 13. â— the altar heard and claue asunder but Ieroboam's heart was harder then the altar for he heard the Word and his heart did not breake Act. 7.50 Thus it was with the Iewes being stiffe-necked they did alwayes resist the Holy Ghost namely in the ministrie of the Word The 3d degree of this dulnesse and opposition against the Word is when one is moued thereby but not effectually euen moued in affection but his will is not changed nor heart softened This happeneth diuers wayes for the word stirreth vp sundrie affections euen in wicked and hard-hearted men as astonishment feare joy Sometimes it worketh only astonishment wondring their hearts being convinced hearing the Word that it hath more then humane force This is that effect which many felt hearing Christ when they were astonied at his doctrine Marc. 1.22 Ioh. 7.46 Habac. 1.5 as teaching with authority saying What manner of doctrine is this neuer man spake like this man Thus the wicked wonder and vanish Sometimes the Word preached bringeth not only wonder but feare also not only filleth the eares with sound and the heart with astonishment but moreouer shaketh and terrifieth the conscience This effect did befall Felix Act 24.26 for hearing Paul he trembled and sometimes it goeth further not only rauishing with admiration and striking the conscience with terrour but also delighting the heart with some joy for a time This effect was in Herod who heard Iohn gladly Mare 6.20 And it is in temporarie beleeuers well signified by the seed sowen in stonie ground as Christ expounds it Math. 13.20 therefore the Apostle saith of these temporaries Heb. 6.4 that they tasted of the heauenly gift that is they were affected with some taste of God's goodnes manifested in the Gospell But it was onely a small taste they neuer digested it nor concocted it by the vitall heaâ—e of God's spirit farre lesse were they filled with that sweet peace and joy which the spirit of adoption worketh in the faithfull The last degree is when a man is
are the staires that lead vnto the chambers of death and the steps whereby the wicked doe descend into this pit of obduration But as S Austin saith in another case if the towne be on fire we should not be so curious to know how it came in as carefull to put it out Therefore in the last place let vs bethinke our selues of a salue for this soare Indeed it is a most dangerous desperate disease The stone in the heart is a great deale worse than the stone in the bladder for after hardnes commeth the heart that cannot repent Rom. 2.5 and without repentance there can be no saluation So that he who hardeneth his heart shill fall into euill Prov. 28.14 Eccles. 3.27 and as the Wisâ—man saith Cor durum habebit malè in navissimo It shal be in an ill case at the last day Therfore you see that as when God would shew mercy to a people he hath no more forcible meanes to expresse the same then to say I will take away the stonie heart so when he would take vengeance on any he hath no more grieuous way to doe it then by hardening of their hearts or giuing them vp to the hardnes of their hearts It is no maruell then that the Scripture doth so carefully dehort vs from this hardnes of heart and on the other part doth so earnestly recommend vnto vs the contrary to a hard heart Deut 10.16 Luc. 6.15 Iâ—s 51.17 Isa 66.2 2. King 22.19 Ezech. 36.26 which is set forth in Scripture by sundry properties as that it is a circumcised contrite heart a good and honest heart a broken and contrite heart a relenting melting trembling heart a poore humble and obedient heart a tender heart a new heart sprinkled with the blood of Christ washed by his grace heated inflamed by his holy spirit In a word a heart of flesh or a soft heart that is soone checked controlled soone pierced soone made to bleed soon stirred vp to amendment Now that we may get such a heart these remedies are to be vsed which will be like a pretious balme to soften and supple our hearts 1. We must beware of frequent sinning and learne to make conscience of euery sinne since customable sinning is that which hardens the heart In the next place let vs labour after true ill mination for the hardnesse of our heart is from the blindnes of our mind vnlesse the mind be first inlightened the heart can neuer be softened After this we must lay our hearts open and naked to all admonitions threatnings exhortations of the word applying them to our owne conscience for that is the hammer that breaketh the stones it is the fire that melteth the hardest mettals it is the two edged sword that pierceth to the diuiding asunder of the soule and spirit This Recipe is prescribed by the Apostle a litle after exhort one another daily while it is called to day v. 13. lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne Fourchly we must often enter into a consideration of our own estates for we perish for want of consideration because we mind not what we doe or in what case we stand to Godward No man repented saith Ieremie but why No man said what haue I done but as thâ— horse rusheth into the battaile so they into their sinnes Therefore it behooueth vs to examine our wayes to erectan inquisitioÌ„ keep an audit in our hearts looking vpon our selues continually in the glasse of the Law and therein meditating often vpon the Iustice of God his greathatred against sin vpoÌ„ the truth of God's threatnings vpon the last judgement and the fearefull torments prepared in hell for hard-hearted sinneâ—s And if thou thus strike the rock of thy heart with the rod of the Law riuers of Water will gush forth 5. But lest after that in the Law we haue seen our miserable desperate estate we should presently raue rage against the Lord we must laboâ—r with the sight of our sinnes to get a sight of Gods mercie reuealed in the Gospell The remembrance of his fathers house made the heart of the Prodigall to relent so will the consideration of Gods mercies towards vs worke vpon our hearts when once our hearts are inflamed with the sense of Gods loue towards vs oh then the working of our bowels the stirring of our affections the melting and relenting of our repenting hearts Sixtly let vs obserue duelie the judgements of God for all afflictions whether vpon our selues or vpon others should stirre vs vp and make vs looke about vs. The famine the sword the pestilence are Gods three Champions to fight his battails to revenge his quarrels but especially the Pestilence that is called Bellum Dei contra homines These three should be vnto vs as the three arrowes which Iona. than shot to forewarne Dauid of the Kings displeasure As Dauid vnderstood thereby that the King was angry and so got vp and made hast to be gone So may we by those darts that come from Heauen fall so neere vnto this place perceiue that the wrath of God is kindled against vs And therefore we shall doe well to get vp as Dauid did and make hast to flee from the face of an angry God whose wrath is a consuming fire hiding our selues in the holes of that rocke Christ Iesus who is a propitiation for our sins But this is not all to perceiue by Gods judgements that he is angry In the next place we shall doe well to looke backe into our selues and enquire what we haue done that hath prouoked the Lord to wrath for he neuer strikes without a cause â— Sam. 21.1 So Dauid when the famine was vpon the land consulted with the Lord and he found that it was for the bloud of the Gibeonites shed by Saul Yea so much deuotion we may learne from the Assyrians After the king of Ashur had sent into Samaria new Colonies from Babylon Cutha Ana Hamath and from Sepharuaim there came Lions and destroyed them And they rightly apprehended the cause of it to be for that they did not worship the God of the land but serued idols in that place which the Lord of hosts had sanctified for his owne worship Wherevpon the king gaue order that one of the Preists should be carried backe 2. King 17.24 c. to teach them the manner of the God of the land Belike they knew that the Arke of God Dagon wold not dwel vnderone roof So if we search into the cause that hath prouoked God to wrath we will finde such as this and many more in ourselues So the consideration of Gods judgements will bring vs to the sight of our sinnes which is a good meanes to make our hearts relent Seuenthly let vs bath our hearts in the hot bloud of Iesus for the consideration of his death and passioÌ„ is a most effectuall meanes to make our hearts relent and resolue into the teares of vnfained contrition for did Christ for our sinnes shed his heart bloud did our sinnes make him sweat water bloud should not we ourselues shed bitter teares should not our hearts bleed for them Did the vaile of the Temple rend and the stones cleaue asunder when Christ suffered shall not our stonie hearts breake for whom he suffered Did the earth moue and shall our earthly minds stand immoueable No no if we could be setled in this without doubt that we were the men that crucified Christ as guilty of his death as was Pilat Iudas or the Iewes that our sinnes were the nailes that boared his hands and his seete and the speare which pierced his side and the thornes that pricked his head If I say this meditation could take place in our hearts bitternes of spirit with wailing and mourning should take place in like manner Thus Peter in his sermon Act. 2. strooke the Iewes as with a thunderclap from Heauen when he told them that they had crucified the Lord of glory so that 3000 of them were pricked in their hearts Act. 2.37 and cried Men and brethren what shall we doe Euen so if we be of the number of those vpon whom God hath promised to powre forth his spirit in the last dayes We shall looke vpon him whom we haue pierced and we shall lament for him as one mourneth for his onely son Zach. 12.10 Finally because a soft heart is the gift of God let vs haue recourse vnto him by earnest and frequeÌ„t prayer beseeching him of his fatherly goodnes that according to his promises in the new couenant he would take away this stonie heart from vs and giue vs a heart of flesh which may receiue the stampe of his word be pliable to the operation of his blessed spirit and tremble at his iudgements And vnto prayer we must sometimes adde fasting which is like scouring now theÌ„ to be joyned with ordinary washing When destruction was threatened against Niniveh the King proclaimed a solemne fast so hath our religious King done at this time Not as the king of Niniveh For that king did proclaime the fast vpon the warning of a Prophet but he himselfe gaue warning to the Prophets and like the good Kings of Iuda we haue seene him goe before the Priests in the zeale of Gods seruice I will not forestall the market but reserue the worke of the day for the day it selfe Onely giue me leaue to blow the trumpet in Sion for sanctifying of this fast and to ring a peale this day before giuing you warning that if ye will heare his voice meete the Lord by repentance in that day of humiliation yee must not harden your hearts AMEN
threatnings restraine vs from sinne In the last place he visits our iniquities with the rod our sinnes with scourges knowing that if our case be not desperate we will at least be reclaimed by his judgments Thus the Lord hauing complained much of the rebellion of his people Isa 1. in end he promiseth them mercie and sheweth how he would reforme them euen by casting them into the fierie surnace of affliction thereby to purifie them and consume away the drosse of their sinnes that they might shine againe in their wonted beautie V 25. I will turne my hand vpon thee and purely purge away thy drosse and take away all thy tinne The like promise is Isa 4.4 that he will wash the filthinesse of the daughter of Sion by the spirit of iudgment and by the spirit of burning Likewise Hos 5. both Preists and people all being so corrupt that their case was desperate the Lord resolues what to doe I will goe and returne to my place that is I will withdraw all the testimonies of my loue fauour from them till they acknowledge their offence and seeke my face V. 15. in their affliction they will seeke me earlie Which was accordingly verified in the euent for in the next words the Prophet bringeth theÌ„ in speaking thus in their affliction Come let vs returne vnto the Lord c. Hos â— 1 and finally the Lord promising to incline his Church namely to obedience he sheweth by what meanes he will doe it euen by bringing her into the wildernes Hos 2.14 Behold I will incline her and bring her into the wildernesse or after that I haue brought her into the wildernes by the wildernesse is meant extreame miserie the reby shewing that the Iewes could not be inclined to obedience vntill they were pressed with diuers calamities as it were cast into a desert of desperation So that the Lord dealeth with vs as the Smith with the iron Iron is very hard but the Smith knoweth how to mollifie it and make it flexible by putting it into the fire so our hearts are so hard that when God would make them flexible vnto his obedience he is faine to cast them into the fierie furnace of affliction whereby they are mollified Yet many hearts are so hard that the fire it selfe will not soften them nor God's judgements moue them So the Lord complaineth of his people Isa 9.13 The people turneth not to him that smiteth them And Ier. 8.7 the Storke in the heauen knoweth her appointed times c. but my people know not the iudgments of the Lord. Amos 4. And by the Prophet Amos he reckoneth vp his seuerall judgements wherewith he had afflicted them as famine pestilence the sword and after euery one of them is subjoyned yet haue ye not returned vnto me saith the Lord. This contempt of God's judgments hath three degrees 1. carnall securitie when a man is not moued with God's judgments before they seaze vpon him but although they be threatned against him and he see them already vpon others and he find in himselfe the cause that will procure them yea he perceiue God's instruments set on worke to effect them yet he blesseth himselfe in his heart and hauing made a couenant with death and with hell he sleepes as secure as Ionas did in the ship Thus it was with the old World they ate dranke Math. 24.38 married wiues and knew nothing that is feared nothing till the flood came and tooke them all away Thus it fared with Belshazzar he was feasting with his Princes his wiues and his concubines and carousing out of the holy vessels at the same time when the hand-writing on the wall denounced his destruction so the whore of Babel Dan. 5. euen then when her fall is begunne saith in her heart I sit a Queen Revel 18.7 and am no widow and shall see no sorrow But especially see an example of this securitie in the Israelites Isa 22.12 In that day did the Lord of hosts call to weeping and mourning to baldnesse and girding with sackcloath and behold ioy and gladnes c. If this should be found to be our case we haue great cause for to feare for the Scripture hath alwayes marked this securitie as a certaine fore-runner of destruction and experience hath taught vs that quos perdere vult â—upiter hos occaecat The 2 degree is senselesse indolencie and blockish stupiditie when a man is not affected with greife euen then when Gods hand lieth heauy vpon him but puts off the feeling thereof with desperate contempt labouring to outface his greifes and forget his soares by goeing into merry company gaming feasting reuelling and such other carnall delights who may be compared to Salomons drunkard who sleepes securelie in the middest of the sea and on the top of the mast whom he bringeth in speaking thus Prov. 23.24 they haue stricken me and I was not sicke they haue beaten me and I felt not Amongst the Heathens we haue many examples hereof Aristides was not moued with his banishmeÌ„ts nor Regulus with his exquisit tormeÌ„ts nor Scipio with all those indignities which his ingratefull countrimen offered vnto him nor Paulus Aemilius and Horatius Puluillus with the death of their children This was commended by the Stoicks for great patience but indeed as Seneca saith nulla virtus est quae non sentias perpeti there can be no patience where there is no passion And here there is no feeling for this indolencie is a kind of dead palsie or sleepie lethargie and as S. Austine saith it is stupor morbi De patient â— 23. non robur sanitatis The Israelites are taxed with this Ier. 5.3 Thou hast stricken them but they haue not sorrwed thou hast consumed them but they haue refused to receaue correction The last degree is when a man is moued with Gods iudgements but not effectually Thus there are many who being afflicted mourne too much complaine crie houle and wring their hands and yet the sense of judgement neuer driues them vnto true repentance But either their sorrow is onely naturall for the affliction they say with Pharaoh Take away the plague not with Dauid take away the sinne or els they are so farre from any humiliation for their sinnes that they are rather moued to thinke that God must needs loue them because he corrects them Or finally if the sense of iudgement bring them to the sight of their sinnes yet there followeth no amendment but they are swallowed vp of despaire and hauing a sight of their sinnes in the glasse of the Law without any sense of Gods mercie revealed in the Gospell their hearts are broken and battered but not dissolued and softened Prov. 27.22 So that though thou shouldest bray a foole in a morter yet will not his foolishnesse depart from him Thus haue I discouered this monster with many heads You see that a dry soule that is void of grace is a hard heart a stiffe and