Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	bless_a	lord_n	soul_n	6,252	5	5.0695	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93242	Judgement and mercy: or, The plague of frogges [brace] inflicted, removed. Delivered in nine sermons, by the late reverend and learned divine Mr. Iosias Shute, Arch-deacon of Colchester, and preacher at St. Mary Woolnoth, in London: with his usuall prayers before and after sermon. Whereunto is added a sermon preached at his funerall, by Mr. Ephraim Vdall. Imprimatur. Ja. Cranford. Octob. 29. 1644.	Shute, Josias, 1588-1643.; Udall, Ephraim, d. 1647. Sermon preached at the funerall of Mr. Shute.	1645 (1645)	Wing S3715; Thomason E299_1; Thomason E299_2; ESTC R200245	134,491	230

Judgement and Mercy OR The Plague of Frogges inflicted removed Delivered in Nine SERMONS By that late Reverend and Learned Divine Mr. IOSIAS SHUTE Arch-deacon of Colchester and Preacher at St. Mary Woolnoth in London With his usuall Prayers before and after Sermon Whereunto is added A Sermon Preached at his Funerall By Mr. EPHRAIM VDALL Eccles 12. 10. The Preacher sought to finde out acceptable words and that which was written was upright even words of truth Imprimatur Ja. Cranford Octob. 29. 1644. London Printed for Charles Greene and are to be sold at his Shop in Ivie Lane at the signe of the Gun 1645. To the Christian Reader TO commend persons or things of worth in a perfunctory slight manner is little better then to dispraise them therefore I shall forbeare Encomiums of this worthy Author or his Labours lest I run that hazard Let his own Workes praise him in the gates Prov. 31.31 only lengthen thy patience to the thorow perusall of these ensuing Sermons and thou shalt finde that that may heighten thy esteeme both of him and them I am confident that those who were his usuall Auditors will herein finde his owne vestigia both for matter and phrase And my hope is that by the blessing of God many honest hearts may reape benefit by these his Labours Heb. 11.4 whereby he being dead yet speaketh that had not opportunity in his life time to partake of his indefatigable Ministery As for others as this worthy man once said of the chiefe in Magistracy upon occasion of the death of King Iames that when the body turnes traytor it is just with God to behead it so may I say for the Ministery when God in Mercy shall set up such burning and shining lights and men in stead of walking by them spit at them God is justly provoked to extinguish those lights Jer. 13.6 and leave men to stumble upon the darke mountaines But I shall no longer detaine thee from the worke it selfe but commit it and thee to the blessing of God H. W. Morning Prayer before the SERMON MOst glorious Lord God and mercifull Father in Jesus Christ we poore wretched and miserable sinners doe here prostrate our selves before thee humbly acknowledging that to thee belongs all honour and glory whose pure eyes can behold no iniquity and to us nothing but shame and confusion of face for our manifold transgressions committted against thee If we looke upon our selves as we lye in the loynes of our first parents we are a part of that tainted seed that might justly inherit thy wrath our understandings are darkened and our wills instead of conformity to thine are growne rebellious in as much as that by nature there is not one good thought in us but a pronenesse to all evill whatsoever And if we consider our selves in our actuall transgressions by our sinnes of ignorance our sinnes of infirmity and of doubting our sinnes against our owne knowledge and against our vowes and purposes and promises of better obedience Wee have greatly dishonoured thy glorious name and grieved thy good Spirit and weakened thy graces more and more within us and have justly exposed our selves to thy eternall curse Even at this time Holy Father in the middest of thy Temple we come before thee clogged with so many imperfections that if thou shouldest be extreame to marke what is done amisse the best of us were never able to abide it It is thine infinite mercie that we are not consumed and therefore doe we live to put up this poore imperfect prayer to thee because thy compassions fail not But O God though in our selves we be miserable and weak and forlorne suffer us to cast up our eyes to the hills from whence commeth our helpe to importune thee by the Gracious Name of Father and to intreat thee for the merits of the Sonne of thy love to be mercifull to us Remember thine owne promise that if we confesse our sinnes and leave them and come to thee in the Sonne of thy love we shall finde mercy Lord we renounce our former sinnes it grieves us that we can be no more sorry for the same By the blessed assistance of thy holy Spirit we intend to live more conscionably for the time to come And we come to thee for Christs sake desiring thee to speake peace to our soules through his bloud bury all our sinnes in his grave that they may never rise up in this world to shame us and to be a reproach unto us to terrifie our consciences to desperation to intercept thy blessings or our prayers or in the world to come everlastingly to condemne us And because the foundation of all our comfort stands in the assurance of this Lord multiply to every one of our soules the blessed evidences of this thy reconciliation Send the holy Spirit of thy Son into every of our hearts to renue us to that glorious Image of thine from whence we are fallen and that may worke every saving grace in us True faith in thy promises that though thou kill us we may trust in thee resolution in all good causes feare and reverence of thy glorious Majesty a groaning and daily mourning under our owne imperfections that ever we offended so good a God and so gracious a Father a good use making of all the afflictions and chastisements upon others And teach every one of us upon whom these dayes of our peace and prosperity and health are renewed who know not how soone we may be drawn to a reckoning to prepare our selves that whensoever thou shalt come neare us either by that generall or more particular judgements wee may be able to stand in the day of our visitation And because thou of thine infinite wisdome hast set apart the Ministery of thy Word to fit us for that time Lord blesse it at all times and at this time enable me that am to speake it the most unworthy of all the sonnes of Levi Lord cover all my sinnes and manifold imperfections in that mercy of thine that hath no measure and be pleased so to assist me by thy more particular helpe that I may deliver thy word boldly truly feelingly and sincerely Circumcise the hearts and eares of this people that they may heare attentively treasure it up in their hearts carefully and bring forth the fruit in their lives and conversations conscionably to thy glory and the assurance of their owne salvation in the day of Jesus Christ To whom with thee O Father and thy Blessed Spirit be ascribed as due is all honour and glory both now and for evermore Amen Evening Prayer before the Sermon O Lord our God great in Majesty and infinite in Power and in Jesus Christ our most mercifull and loving Father we poore and wretched sinners are here again by thy providence assembled in thy Sanctuary to be made partakers of the good of thy house But Lord what are we that we should tender any petition to thee unworthy we are to

behold this blessed light that shines to us much more unworthy to enjoy these conveniences and opportunities of meeting in thy house to know the way and means to a better life But most worthy of all thy plagues to be powred down upon us both in this life and that which is to come For besides that originall corruption wherein wee were borne and conceived and which like a leprosie hath over spread all the powers faculties both of soul and body we have heaped up a numberles number of actuall transgressions There is not any of thy holy Commandements but in thought word and deed most grievously and frequently we have violated And which advanceth our iniquity and heightens our rebellion these evills have not only escaped us in the times of ignorance but even since it hath pleased thee to inlighten us with the knowledge of thy truth so that notwithstanding thy mercies thy judgements the motions of thy good Spirit the blessed light of thy Gospell afforded to us we have continued the course of our rebellion against thee yea that we may be yet more vile in thy presence even at this time when we come before thee we are clogged with so many imperfections that if thou shouldest be extreame to marke what is done amisse how mightest thou plague us in our bodies in our goods in our good names how mightest thou fill us with the fury of an unpacified conscience and write bitter things against us and a wounded spirit who can beare How mightest thou give us up to a reprobate sence to commit sinne with greedinesse and punish one evill with another and after all this cast us into that place of torment to sucke out the dregs of thy vialls O God in all this thou shouldest be justified and clear when thou are judged and we deservedly punished Our sinnes our sinnes O Lord call to heaven for vengeance the pit is ready to shut her mouth upon us if thou wert not the Lord of mercies But thou hast opened a way for poore distressed sinners to come to thee through thy Son We flye to the horns of the Altar and intreat thee for Jesus Christ sake to be mercifull to us And thou sweet Saviour of the world whose name imports mercy and whose worke brought salvation for the sons of men thou knowest that we are but flesh and remembrest that we are but dust Thou that art a High Priest touched with our infirmities that knowest the power strength of old Adam how it leads us captive to sin and wickednes stand between us the wrath of thy offended Father mediate our cause with thy Father that all our iniquities may be done away by thy sufferings that we may ever finde to our comfort that though we have done ill we have an advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous And doe thou dear Father every day more and more assure and perswade our souls that thou art reconciled to us in thy Son by sending his Spirit into our hearts to renue us to that glorious Image of thine from whence wee are fallen and which may enable us to performe every good duty that as heretofore we have given our bodies and soules to be weapons of unrighteousnesse so in every part and power of them we may glorifie thee our God and Saviour and as much time as remains in the flesh worke out our salvation with feare and trembling And be cause thou of thine infinite wisdome hast set apart the Ministery of thy Word for this purpose good Lord blesse it to us at all times and at this time Enable me that am to speake the most unworthy of all the sons of Levi Lord cover all my sins and manifold imperfections in that mercy of thine that hath no measure and be pleased so to assist me by thy more particular helpe that I may deliver thy word boldly truly feelingly and sincerely Circumcise the hearts and eares of this thy people that they may heare attentively treasure it up in their hearts carefully and bring it forth in their lives and conversations conscionably to thy glory and assurance of their owne salvation in the day of Jesus Christ to whom with thee O Father and thy blessed Spirit be ascribed as is most due all honour and glory both now and for evermore Prayer after Sermon VVEE returne unto thy Majesty O Lord our God most humble and hearty thankes for all thy mercies most plentifully bestowed upon us as election creation redemption preservation vocation for the time and means thou hast given us of repentance whereas thou mightest have took us away in the middest of our sins O God what are we or what is our fathers house that thou shouldest bee thus mercifull to us to prevent and to follow us with thy kindnesse we are lesse then the least of thy mercies yet suffer us to take the cup of salvation and to praise thy Name accept of our poor acknowledgement adde one mercy more deare God to the common heap grant that we may expresse our thankfulnesse in a godly care of all holy obedience Blesse that part of thy word that we have heard delivered at this time Good Lord make it effectuall to our souls to salvation grant that it may bring forth fruit in some twenty in some thirty in some sixty in some a hundred fold though in some more and in some lesse yet in all some to the henour of thy Name Blesse with us thy whole Church wheresoever dispersed or howsoever distressed on the face of the earth and prosper O God the cause of the same where ever it is maintained in all the world as may be for the confounding of the Kingdom of Sin and antichrist and for the encouragement of all such as professe thy Gospel in sincerity Blesse us in these Kingdomes continue to us our liberty forgive our crying sinnes turne away thy judgements open our eyes at last to see the day of our visitation Blesse thy servant our Sovereigne Charles by thy Grace King of England Scotland France and Ireland in all causes and over all persons as well Ecclesiasticall as Civill next and immediately under thy Son supreme governour Blesse the Queens most excellent Majesty Prince Charles the Princesse Palatine and her issue The Lords of his Majesties most honourable Privy Councell The whole Nobility Blesse thine owne inheritance the Tribe of Levi by what names or titles soever they be called And for a supply of Davids Towers with Worthies blesse all Schooles of Learning the two Vniversities of this Land Cambridge and Oxford Blesse all Congregations this committed to my charge Remember all that are in affliction in mercy whether outwardly in body or inwardly in minde or for the testimony of a good conscience Lord draw neare to every of them according to their desires Receive us Deare God and all ours and all thine into thy love and favour and protection therest of this day and for ever Let thy holy hand protect us let thy blessed

not commended that men commend but that God commendeth One word of approbation from him is worth a thousand Encomiums and large panegyricks of men Surely God will honour those that honour him And such honour have all his Saints When shall I pray for thee Some out of this clause of Moses observe these three things First Moses fitnesse to pray if he will have it done presently hee is content to doe it instantly if hee will Secondly Moses confidence in prayer any time when he will he makes no doubt but God will heare him Thirdly Moses charity when shall I pray for thee and thy people and thy servants Though hee were an enemy to him and used him discourteously yet hee would pray for him First when shall I pray as if he were ready to pray alway Godly people are alway in a good disposition for prayer They keep in themselves a readinesse for the performance of that dutie We have a rule in divinitie that affirmative precepts bind semper but not ad semper that is a man is not tied to the continuall performance of them to doe nothing else A man is not tied all day to pray and continually to give almes or to heare the word of God But he is bound semper that is to have alway a readinesse of disposition to holy duties so here it was in Moses It is fitly said by our blessed Saviour pray alway and by the Apostle pray continually 1 Thes 5.17 There were those that grossely understood this for they thought the strength of that counsell and admonition was that a man should wave preaching and receiving of the Sacrament and all parts of Gods worship meerely for that dutie of prayer Nay they thought a man should intermit the works of his ordinary calling and vocation meerely to be given to prayer Therefore those Euchites those men that pervert this place of whom Austin and others speake they imployed all the time they could gaine from their sleepe and meate to pray It would but squander away the time and ravell it out unprofitably to bestow a large confutation of these people For certainly God never intended that one of his ordinances should justle out another There must be a time for hearing and for praying and for working in a mans calling That Apostle that saith pray continually saith be instant in season and out of season to preach and heare the word and wisheth them to give to the poore and to worke in their callings God never intended his ordinances should enterfere or exclude each other but they must be sorted out in due time and in fit opportunitie But others have not well agreed about these words for praying continually Some understand that this consists in a mans good life he that lives a holy life prayes continually Truely as the Greek father saith good works have a loud voyce in the eares of God and that man prayes still that is doing good still Chrysostome sticks not to say that good works have the place of prayer with God and impetrate But I think not that that is the meaning of the Apostle If therefore we understand it pray continually that is at set times and observe them with a non obstante So Austin understands it Others understand it Pray continually that is upon all fit occasions lift up your soules to God though but in short ejaculations Others understand it pray continually that is without fainting though you have not the returne of your petitions presently yet pray without wearinesse Lastly Austin lights upon another for our purpose Pray continually that is ever be disposed and fit to pray That wee may say as David O God my heart is ready Surely that David that could pray seven times a day and that Daniel that could pray three times a day in a solemne manner retiring themselves from all occasions to performe that dutie to God wee may well thinke that these people kept themselves in a fit disposition in a readinesse to performe that dutie they were ready upon all occasions that God offered to turne themselves to God I desire for the use of it that according to the example of Moses and of these people wee would be alway ready There is a great defect and it is the worse because it is so necessary a practise for us There be some that are so buried in the cares of the world and so taken up with worldly occasions like Martha they are busie about many things that they have no time with Mary to intend the best things They are so unsetled by worldly occasions that it is a long time before they can put themselves into a course to pray their hearts are untuned they can hardly put them into a way of prayer and supplication And when they come to it as that old father said their bodies are at Church and their minds are at home Others are so taken up with pleasures and recreations that they have no mind to pray There are other Epicurious filthy people that outslip the morning prayer and before the evening sacrifice comes they drown their devotion in drinke that they have more need of sleep then mind to pray There are others that put themselves from a preparation and readinesse to prayer by malice they are so soure of that leaven that they know not how to pray It is not fit they should come to God for peace without peace They make God bind their sinnes because they will not forgive their brethren We should so live as they that looke daily to die and if so then we should be alway fit to pray It is the best preparation for death O there is none like that A spirit full of supplication a soule that is still sending holy ejaculations to God Almighty and that keeps it selfe in a fitnesse for holy duties that soule is fit to be a sacrifice to God that soule can say So come Lord Jesus Therefore I beseech you in the name of God take heed of worldlinesse of Epicurianisme of wantonnesse of gluttony and surfeiting of malice and all grosse sinnes For these grosse sinnes that men accustome themselves to fall into hurt the foot of prayer and lame it that it cannot goe to God keepe your selves from these be ever carefull in holy wayes to walke in the presence of God and then you shall have encouragment to goe to the throne of grace and that with boldnesse and confidence which is the next thing in Moses prayer he comes to God with confidence but so much for this time THE NINTH SERMON Vpon EXOD. CHAP. 8. VERS 10. Be it according to thy Word that thou mayest know that there is none like the Lord our God PHaraoh having pitched on the morrow saith Moses according to thy word be it In the first place he yeelds then hee gives the reason why he so yeelds He yeelds Bee it according to thy Word that is I will observe thine owne time Then he gives the reason why he doth so that thou

they go hence and be no more seen That is the second thing the longanimity of God The third thing is the piety of Moses Beloved I gather it hence Moses is now to goe in to Pharaoh It is like enough God knew well enough his temper or else hee would not have put him upon this service Moses obeyed and his obedience is the more remarkable in that hee was so averse from this imployment in the beginning For when God would send him O by no means he must send by whom he would send and he makes many excuses only to subterfuge this imployment when God had taken away all his objections then he comes to him and when he comes there he soone droopt because the people would not beleeve him for the anguish of their souls and they were more afflicted then he comes and saith to God How shall Pharaoh heare me I am of uncircumcised lips And yet this man that was so averse and fearfull to take the imployment upon him Now God no sooner speakes but he goes in to Pharaoh My observation shall be this What difference there is between men when they enter into a calling and after when they have made some progresse in it What a difference there is betweene a man when hee enters into good wayes and after they have made a progresse in it Noah was commanded of God to build an Arke to condemne the world and to save himselfe you must thinke he had many thoughts in his minde and cast a thousand difficulties yet he set on it and by that time he was well entred into it he goes on amaine and neglects all the reproaches of the unjust world So it was with Gedeon in the beginning of his imployment he was a man wondrous fearfull but afterward being commanded to ruinate the Altar of Baal he doth it readily Iudg. 6. and after puts himselfe upon imployment hee grew to that resolution that when his Army did fall from 32000 to three hundred he dares meet the Madianites hand to hand though they were spread upon the ground as Grashoppers See how courage increaseth in the imploymen I knew a man that had good gifts that was afraid to enter into the Ministery and he forecasted the trouble and the labour but after he was entred and had accustomed himselfe that way hee found much comfort and chearfulnesse and was wondrously inabled to doe above all that he conceived And so in the course of Magistracie I will use no more instances but that of regeneration the entring into the spirituall state as a man doth in conversion The new birth is not without many pangs and throws and convulsions and the doore to it is wondrous strait for you must know that our nature is so farre from being disposed to good that it is infinitly prone to ill And then a man hath much adoe to take his leave and to bid adieu to the delights and pleasures that hee inured and accustomed himselfe to And then the Devill opposeth the entring of a man here as Pharaoh did the Israelites when they were to goe out of Egypt he multiplies all his forces against him So he did with the man in the Gospel when he was to be cast out he tore him and rent him and laid him for dead Againe he will raise stormes against a man from the world disgraces and reproaches and trouble which are as untimely frosts to nip the buds of goodnesse All these make the entrance into the wayes of God wondrous difficult but when a man hath entred and spent some time in goodnesse and godlinesse and the exercises of piety how sweet and comfortable doth that way appeare how joyfull what inlargement doth a man finde in it Indeed such that he repents himselfe that he was no sooner there We finde it in Austen when the scales were fallen from his eyes and so in Paul And take the example of Nichodemus for all hee was fearfull at the beginning hee comes to Christ by night some say out of shame because hee that was a teacher would not bee thought to learne some say out of wisdome because the night is the fittest time to learne But the truth is as Eusebius hath it it was out of feare fearing the Jewes lest he should be cast out of the Synagogue well hee that came so fearfully by night he was after so bold that he durst appeare in publicke to speake for Christ So Ioseph of Arimathea he went boldly to aske the body of Christ and tooke it downe when it was contemned of all the world and prepared costly odour for his buriall The way of Religion is called a yoak Mat. 11.29 and Gregory saith well of it Grave cum tollis c. It is grievous when ye take it up but after it is borne a while it is sweet My yoake is easie and my burthen is light saith Christ Saith the Poet A heifer that is not used to the yoake struggles the yoake pincheth the necke but after a while she carries it more gently Even a new suite of cloaths though they be made never so fit for a mans body it is not so easie the first day as after it is worne a while Two milstones though they be made fit doe not grinde so well at the first as afterward The Heathen man could say Ever choose the best course and what by custome and use it will bee made pleasant What saith Solomon by way of incouragement to men that enter into the waves of God Prov. 4.12 When thou art entred thy feet shall not be straitned that is thou shalt finde more and more inlargement And it is the speech of Austen Entertaine the service of the Spirit of God and thou shalt not be straitned but more inlarged and he spake out of experience for saith he Before thou didst come O God I complained of straitnesse but when thou didst fill my soule thou didst exclude not me but that anxiety and perplexity that I was in The Use of it is this That seeing men are apt to bee discouraged in the beginning and yet finde a great deale of latitude after and the way more broad It should teach us in the feare of God not to be troubled too too much with the difficulties that we meet with in the entrance of good works and businesse digest the difficulty in the threshold of the busines for after it will be more easie Saith some man when he is to be converted and is told what will be requited of him What! pray so constantly What! heare the word of God so exactly What! mortifie a mans lusts and bid adieu to his old pleasures What! fast and abstain from the use of the creatures and other things that are required this is a hard speech who can endure it O in the name of God trie it put in to the way my soule for thine after thou art entred into it thou shalt finde it every day more comfortable Moses that was fearfull at the first

Spirit direct us vouchsafe good God to goe in and out before us Keepe in us a purpose never to sin confirm it more and more and upon every suggestion to sin let us call to minde our vowes and promises of better obedience and though we have dealt falsely before now make them more powerfull to restraine us If we fall by infirmity let our hearts smite us speedily restore us by repentance immediately evermore keep us from impenitencie hardnesse of heart and presumption the power of Satan and a downfall into sin Grant us all other things that thou in thy wisdome knowest better that we want then we to aske not for any merits of ours we disclaime them nothing belongs to us but shame and confusion but even for thy Names sake for thy promise sake for Iesus Christs sake the Sonne of thy love and our Saviour in whose Name we further call upon thee as he hath taught us saying Our Father which art c. THE FIRST SERMON Vpon EXOD. CHAP. 8. VERS 1.2 And the Lord spake unto Moses Go unto Pharaoh and say unto him Thus saith the Lord Let my people goe that they may serve me And if thou refuse to let them goe behold I will smite all thy borders with frogs THis Chapter hath three parts according to the three judgements here remembred The first judgement was the frogs from verse 1. to verse 16. The second was of lice from verse 16. to verse 20. The third of flies noysome flyes to the end of the Chapter In this first judgement which is of frogs we are to observe these three things First the denunciation of it Secondly the execution of it Thirdly the event of it The denunciation of it in the first 4 verses The execution in verse 5.6 The event of it is threefold First the Magicians doe the like verse 7. Secondly thence there is a remoovall of this judgement and the meanes of the same from the beginning of verse 8. to the end of verse 15. The third event is the obduration and further hardning of the heart of Pharaoh verse 16. Come again to the denunciation there are two things in it First Moses from God makes a motion to Pharaoh to dismisse his people verse 1. Secondly hee tells him upon his refusall of a judgement and there is First laid down what the judgement should be frogs Then the amplification of it from the generality in all his borders in his bedchamber in their troughs their baking-troughs and their ovens they shall be a vexation to them night and day And then for the noysomenesse of them that they should crawle about in all these places Now for the motion which is laid downe in verse 1. that I may not reciprocari serram as Tertullian speakes I will not draw my saw the same way againe I willingly omit many thinges that might bee observed in this verse First Gods manner of speaking to Moses Secondly Moses going in to Pharaoh Thirdly his manner of speaking to Pharaoh Thus saith the Lord Whereby hee would perswade him that hee was sent by God therefore he that sent him would not brooke a refusall Likewise in the fourth place how equall the motion of God was Let my people goe he requires his owne of Pharaoh And how they were said to be Gods people above all other people in the world To the end that they may goe and serve me The relation that is between God and his people it ties the people of God to serve him to observe him Againe how God would have them goe out of Egypt to serve him that is to offer sacrifice For hee would not have them serve him there where the Egyptians instead of joyning with them would deride them nay not only so but mischiefe them for such was the zeale of the Egyptians against sacrifice All these I willingly and purposely omit Now my beloved in this verse as it is a transition to that that followes I will onely remember you of three things The first is the obstinacie of Pharaoh The second is the longanimity and longsuffering of God The third is the piety and obedience of Moses all which are implied in this first verse First the obstinacie of Pharaoh hee had seene signes already the Rod turned into a Serpent and the rod of Moses devouring the Serpents of the Egyptians He had likewise seene that fearfull judgement the water turned into blood In which judgement both he and the prime of the land it may bee might escape more easily It is likely they might quench their thirst by wine or by some juyce or liquors but we must needs conceive that it went hard with the generality of the people that either must dye for thirst or drinke blood if they forbeare they dye if they drinke in probability they perish blood being so incongruous drinke for the body of man Besides this though he had seene the Magicians doe the like yet they could not remove the judgement the Lord in his meere mercy without any suit of Pharaoh or of his people put an end after seven dayes to that great affliction yet notwithstanding this see the obduration of the wicked mans heart he had need of a new judgement to rouze him My observation is this How many blowes a hard heart will indure before it breake or be mollified See it in Balaam he was not warned by the Asses turning out of the way nor yet by the Asses rushing against the wall to the bruising of his foot nor yet by the Asses lying downe under him and opening his mouth against him his heart was set he loved the wages of unrighteousnesse on he goes So with Balack the King of Moab whom he served The first time he builds seven Altars and sacrificeth on them and the second time seven and the third time seven with more opportunity and though he saw that every time it was like a piece charged against another that recoyled upon himselfe though hee saw how frustranious and empty all his intendments and purposes were yet for all that he goes on in the hardnes of his heart God sought meanes to reclaime him hee defeated his purposes but he would not yeeld as if hee had held it an honour to be tenacious of his resolution against God Thus it was with Saul what a number of blowes did God give that hard heart of his before it would melt Every time he disappointed him in his pursuit of David it was a blow given to molifie his heart if it might have beene yet he goes on to a greater degree of iniquity and impiety and he reinforceth and reneweth his cursed endeavours against an innocent man If the heart of man be but of a mettall that is hard enough God knowes yet it may be melted though it be iron as Gregory Nazianzen saith it will melt in the fire but if the heart of man be that heart of stone Ezek. 11.19 well may it be broken but melt it will not And it is not easily