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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	scripture_n	spirit_n	word_n	6,083	5	4.6960	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05342	A sermon preached before his Maiesty at Windsore, the 19. of Iuly. 1625. By Henrie Leslie, one of his Maiesties chaplaines in ordinary	Leslie, Henry, 1580-1661.	1625 (1625)	STC 15494; ESTC S108502	20,921	41

so far from being moued effectually by the word that he is rather prouoked to doe the contrarie Origen for such is the corruption of mans nature vt ea quae prohibentur magis desiderantur Our corrupt nature is like a restie horse who the more he is spurred forward the more he goeth backward and like a streame whch being dammed vp rageth swelleth and ouerfloweth all the bankes therefore is the commandement said to be an occasion of sin and Christ is called a rocke of offence and the Apostles a sauour of death Take an example hereof in Pharaoh he is commanded to let the people goe and the more he is vrged the stiffer and stubborner he is and the more he rebelleth against God And the same may be said of the Iewes God foretelleth what should bee the euent of Isaias ministrie namely that he should make their hearts fat and their eares heauy and shut their eyes So that even the word becommeth vnto them the meanes of hardning As the middle region of the aire is more cold by the Antiperistasis so the heart of a reprobate is more hard by the word though the word in it selfe bee full of vitall heart for to soften the heart As the hammer though it breakes the rockes yet the smithes stithie the more the hammer strikes vpon it the harder it is and as the heate of the sunne though it melt waxe yet it dryeth the clay and as the raine though it mollifie the earth yet hardens sand so the word breaketh melteth and mollifieth the hearts of the Godlie and yet obdurates dryes and hardens the wicked but accidentallie the fault being in their owne disposition Itpleased some to censure me that I did ill to alleadge the spirit of Compunction as a phrase equiualent to hardnesse of heart it being contrary vnto it Therefore vnderstand that I tooke not Compunction passiuely for contrition as when they are said to be compuncti corde Act. 2.37 but actiuely for a fretting against the word And so the Scripture takes it For Rom. 11.8 that which is viually rendred the spirit of slumber is not vnfitly by others translated the Spirit of Compunction And I appeale from their learning to the common sense of the meanest Reader whether in that place it be contrary to hardnesse of heart or all one with it for hauing said that the Jewes were hardned for confirmation thereof hee alleadgeth this as it is written God hath giuen them the Spirit of Compunction and after addes Eyes that they should not see and eares that they should not beare loyning in one two places the of prophesie of Isaiah This in Scripture is called the spirit of compunction which implyeth a kind of fretting chaffing and violent stirring against the word as in those that brast for anger at the Apostles Act. 5.33 That gnashed with their teeth at Stephen Act. 7.54 The second kind of this senselesnesse is in the conscience and respecteth the sinnes which a man committeth when a man is not touched with sense and sorrow for the same 1 Tim. 4.2 Isa 29.9 Psal 60.3 Isa 29.10 This is the seared conscience spirituall drunkennesse the wine of giddinesse or drowsinesse the spirit of slumber or deade sleepe for when any part of the body is seared with a hot iron it looseth all sence life and motion also when a man is drunken he knowes not he careth not what he doth And finallie those who are ouercome with drowsinesse or slumbering cannot easilie with stirring or pricking be awaked So he that is come to this height of hardnesse is without all sense of sinne he neither knoweth nor careth what euill he doth and hee is neuer moued with any stirring or pricking of his conscience Of such the Apostle saith Eph. 4.19 they are Past feeling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This seared conscience hath seuerall degrees There is the broade conscience when a man is not moued with any sinne except it be very heynous There is the sleeping conscience when a man is not touched with the sense of any sinne be it neuer so greivous for a long time Hieron yet at last tranquillitas ista tenpestas est this calme proues a storrne and he is awakened either by the preaching of the law or the terrors of death or some greivous calamitie and there is the slumbering conscience which hath some sense of sinne as Pharaoh had Exod. 9.27 when hee cryed out I haue sinned but neuer any sound sorrow for it he feeles not with Iob the terrors of God fighting against him and the inuenomed arrowes of the almightie sticking fast in his ribs This is but like the sweating of a stone in moist weather which notwithstanding retaines its naturall hardnesse and drynesse finallie their is the benummed consciene when a man hath neither sense of sinne nor sorrow for it but is like a man in a phrensie or one fallen into a pleasant sleepe who though he be exceeding sick yet he feeles no paine and as in some kind of sicknesse a man may die laughing so where this degree of hardnesse is a man may descend into the pit of hell triumphing and reioycing Whereof I will onely say with St. Austin quid miserius misero non miserante seipsum None are so desperately sick as they who feele not their disease when the pulse doth not beat the bodie is in a most dangerous estate that schoole will soone decay where the monitor doth not complaine that army must necessarily be surprised where watches alarums be not kept that towne is dissolute where no clockes are vsed But the conscience is to the soule as the pulse to the body the monitor to the schoole the watch to the armie the clocke to a towne And therefore when it is silent the soule is in a most desperate case The third kinde of this senselesnesse is in the affections and respecteth Gods Iudgements vpon vs for sinne when these cannot worke vpon a soule any good effect but are as it were lost labour as God accounteth them Isa 1.5 Why should yee he stricken any more yee will revoult more and more Indeede affliction is the most effectuall meanes for to make our heart relent and resolue into the teares of vnfained repentance either the crosse will doe it or nothing Moral l. 26. c. 23. as Gregorie saith aurem cordis tribulatio aperit quam saepe huius mundi prosperitas claudit which is the same with that of Elihu Iob 33.16 God openeth the eares of men by their corrections which he had sealed that he might cause man to turne away from his purpose Therefore we find that afflictions are the last meanes which God ordinarily vseth to convert obstinate sinners When neither the oile of his gracious bountie will softenour stony hearts nor his Word which is the sword of the spirit pierce them when neither the sweet sound of his gracious promises will allure vs to obedience nor the terrible thunder of his fearefull

A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE HIS MAIESTY at Windsore the 19. of Iuly 1625. By HENRIE LESLIE one of his MAIESTIES Chaplaines in Ordinary ●●●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 cōscience being 1 The broad conscience 2 The sleeping conscience 3 The slumbring conscience 4 The benūmed 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 thē 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