backe whatsoeuer lights on it S. True but how doe these properties expresse the disposition of mans heart is that also a dead and sensles body M. No but many times it is said to be dead in sin destitute of the life of grace euen whilest aliue to nature in as much as it is altogether vnactiue to the performance of any good nay insensible of any thing that may tend to the spirituall good therof And hence it is that men are said to bee blind deafe in a dead sleepe or slumber to haue grosse fat brawny hearts feared Consciences and as it were a thinke skinne drawne ouer their hearts such as is on the labourers hand and trauailers heele which though it be pinched or pierced scarce feeles any thing For men in such a case though they bee laden with a burden vnsupportable of their own sinnes and Gods wrath yet groane not vnder it nay being euery way most wretched and miserable perceiue it not let the iudgements of God as loud and terrible as thunder-clappes sound in their eares they start not nay beeing brought within view of Gods iudgements yea within the reach of them they neuer stirre or hasten to escape but lie still like Ionas in the tempest or the drunkard on the top of the Mast As for the sweet and gracious promises of God though sweeter then honey to the taste more delightfull then musicke to the eare more pleasant then the sweetest odours to the smell they neither taste nor relish reioyce nor delight in them they are not at all affected with them or moued to long after them Thus are they like Nabal when his heart died in him and he became as a stone altogether dead senslesse frozen in their dregs S. But suppose they are for the present dead and senslesse are they also as a stone vncapable of impression for the time to come M. Surely yes so long as they retaine this disposition of theirs vnchanged except the supernaturall power of Gods spirit in a manner miraculously change them The naturall man saith St. Paul perceiueth not the things of the Spirit of God neither can hee know them hee cannot so long as he continues in his naturall deadnesse and senslesnesse how quicke and apprehensiue soeuer hee bee in other things Neither is hee in himselfe apt to bee wrought vpon or farmed to any good by any means whatsoeuer In which respect hee is more fitly resembled to a stone as the learned obserue then to any other thing for though iron and steele be as hard as stones yet fire will so mollifie them as to make them pliable to any forme or fashion whatsoever onely a stone well it may bee broken or ground to powder it will neuer be softned or made to bough or bend Notable examples hereeof wee haue in Cain in Pharaoh in Ieroboam How little doth Caine relent either by beeing fairely forewarned or after more seuerely called or account How farre is hee from either shame or remorse reuerence of Gods glorious presence or feare of his terrible threatnings The like may be said of the other There is one propertie of a stone behinde which some men also come not short of and that is resisting whatsoeuer fals or is cast vpon it Hence men are compared to the deafe Adder wilfully stopping their eares and that which is vsually rendred the Spirit of slumâ—er is not vnfitly translated by some the Spirit of compunction implying a kind of fretting chafing and violent stirring against the Word rebuking as in those that brast for anger at the Apostles that gnashed with their teeth at Steuen S. Wee haue heard enough of the comparison let vs see now how this is farther illustrated by the contrary M. We shall find the contrary to a hard heart which by the rule of proportion must needs bee a soft and tender heart set forth in Scrpture by sundry properties as that it is a circumcised heart an honest good heart a broken and contrite a fleshy and relenting melting trembling humble and obedient heart sprinkled with the blood of Christ washed by his grace heated and inflamed by his holy spirit All which by the contrary shew what are the properties of an hard and stony heart S. Can you out of all that you haue said gather mee a briefe description of hardnesse of heart M. Yes and I thinke it may fitly bee described thus That it is an indispotion of the soule of man whereby his mind being blinded his wil-peruerted his affections enthrall'd to sin he is prone to commit any wickednesse without reluctance or remorse and to neglect or resist both admonitions from without and the motions of Gods spirit within which might withdraw him therefrom S. Well Sir now I vnderstand reasonably well what this hardnesse of heart is I would willingly learne of you in the next place to whom it is incident M. Before I shew you that I must first aquaint you with the seuerall kindes and degrees of it which as they are different in themselues haue likewise for their residence diuers and very different subiects S. Why are their more kinds of it then one how many I pray and how distinguished M. There are three kinds distinguished by their proper and immediate causes first Naturall secondly Voluntary thirdly Iudiciary or penall S. What hardnesse of heart is that which you terme Naturall M. It is that which men naturally bring with them into the world deriued from the corrupt loines of old Adam who by voluntary Apostasie from his allegiance first hardned his owne heart in sinne and then propagated the same hardnes of heart to all his posteritie making that vnto them hereditary and naturall which was first in him voluntary and personall S. Who are subiect to this natuturall hardnesse of heart M. Euen euery childe of Adam that is all men in the world that euer haue beene are or shall be Christ onely excepted who as hee was supernaturally made of a woman not begotten by the vertue of man after the ordinary course of naturall generation so was in all things like vnto vs sinne onely excepted so that herein both elect and reprobate share alike the one as well as the other being dead in trespasses and sinnes naturally hauing their vnderstandings darkned because of the hardnes of their hearts which being past feeling haue giuen themselues to wantonnesse Whence God makes that promise generally to his chosen who are to be renued by his spirit that hee will take out of their bodies the stonie hearts which they haue by nature and giue them an heart of flesh S. Why but doe we not see many good natures which euen vnrenued are of a milder and more ingenuous temper as if they were euen made of softer mettall me thinkes you should not account these naturally hard-hearted M. This is a common errour
of ours to commed good natures as if there were any goodnesse at all in men by natures indeede all are not in there naturall dispositions equally bad and ther 's some appearance of goodnes in some which yet is not from nature but from restraining grace nor yet that such as argues any true spirituall tendernesse the best being as farre for all their ingenuitie from yeelding to the gracious motions of Gods spirit till they be changed as they that are of more rough and froward natures S. Is there no way then to auoyd or preuent this naturall hardnes of heart M. Truely no expept a man could preuent his being borne or being borne of corrupt and sinfull parents since that which is borne of flesh is flesh S. What say you then to the children of the regenerate are not they freed from their hard and stony hearts as their parents are M. The regenerate indeed are freed in a sort from the naturall hardnesse of their hearts but not entirely onely in part and they beget children not by vertue of that part which is regenerate and spirituall but by the vertue of that naturall power which remaines yet tainted with sinne So that it comes to passe in this case as it doth in the growing of your corne you sow cleane corne threshed winowed and purged from that straw and chaffe that grew vp together with it yet the corne that springs thence growes not without both straw chaffe So albeit it in the regenerate there is a kinde of threshing and winowing away of that naturall corruption that grew vp together with them by the worke of Gods grace yet the issue that proceeds from them receiuing its benig not from grace but from nature retaines the old corruption of nature still S. If there bee no way to â—â—uoyd this contagious euil 〈◊〉 good may the consideration teach vs M. We may learne from the consideration thereof 1. To lay the fault of our obstinacy vpon our selues not on God or any other Agent without vs for howsoeuer God is said to harden yet hence t is euident he doth it not by making hard that which was soft before but onely leauing a man who was hard-hearted naturally to bee farther hardned by Sathan and his owne corruption 2. To bee thankfull with all humilitie vnto God for his grace if wee finde our selues in any measure softned 3. To shew our selues meeke patient and compassionate towards those that yet continue hardned Tit. 3.2.3 4. To Take heed of giuing way to or fauouring our selues this in our naturall hardnes least it proue actuall and voluntary S. What is that hardnesse of heart which you call actuall or voluntary M. This is properly when men hauing meanes of grace yet wilfully abuse them or neglect them securely going on in their sinnes till by custome in sinne they loose all sense and feeling of it or of Gods iudgements against it as Zach. 7.11.12 S. To whom is this kinde of hardnes incident M. It is pecular to those that haue or may haue the meanes of grace but among them common in a sort both to the elect and reprobate but with great difference S. Wherein consist this difference M. In the reprobate this hardnesse of heart is both totall that is in the whole mind will and affections and finall that is euer to continue without all change or alteration In the elect it is otherwise whether we consider them before their conuersion or afterwards 1. Before their conuersion the difference is not so much in respect of themselues or their present disposition they being then to all seeming euen as reprobates wholy auerse from God with rheir whole hart resisting his will abusing his goodnesse and for the time waxing worse and worse euen by the meanes of grace but onely in Gods purpose who intends not to leaue them thus still but in his good time to reclame them as he did Paul Zacheus and others 2. After their conuersion the difference is more euident their hardnes of heart being then not totall but in part mixt with softnesse and tendernesse euen through euery part of the soule so that though they somtimes resist God indeed neglect the meanes of grace profit not as they should and might doe by his Word and Fatherly corrections yet this is not out of wilfulnesse or with full consent but from ignorance errour ouersight weaknesse of faith frailtie of the flesh the subtitle of Satan and strength of his tentations not without some reluctance for the present and when they come to themselues repentance S. But what is the danger of being in this estate M. The danger hereof is very great and that many wayes 1. In it selfe it may seeme an euill great enough depriuing a man of his Synteresis the light of naturall Principles wherein hee becomes equall to a beast nay of all touch of conscience wherein he is worse then a Deuill And so long as one continues therein he still growes worse and worse without all stay till hee comes to the very height of all impietie In which respect this euill is worse then any outward calamitie Iobs miseries were no way comparable to it for by them hee profited and out of them all he had a gracious issue nay all Pharaohs plagues besides come short of it for had this beene away they all had soone beene at an end Euen a wounded spirit comes somewhat behinde it for though it bee an euill vnsupportable yet it sends a man to Christ for remedie while this lulls him asleepe so that hee perceiues not his misery 2. But it is most aggrauated by the fearfull consequents it being a high way to that vnpardonable sinne Mar. 3.29 and once growne to the height a plaine marke of a reprobate and consequently a forerunner not onely to temporall but to eternall destruction S. What I pray you are the meanes and degrees by which men vsually come to this great and dangerous euil and ascend to the height of it M. The causes of it are many whereof some make way for it others more immediately lead a man into it As 1. Naturall hardnesse of heart is the root of all actuall hardnes so that if that be let alone vnmortified the branches will soone bud forth and shew themselues 2. Ignorance is a great meanes of confirming and increasing that naturall hardnesse specially if wilfull ioyn'd with contempt of knowledge and the meanes thereof blindnesse is vsually accompanied with boldnes 3. Vnbeleife and distrust opens a great gap to farther obstinacy an vnfaithfull heart soone growes an euill heart to depart away from the liuing God ready to bee hardned by the deceitfullnes of sinne 4. Iudging according to sense and reason maruailously strengthens infidelitie as when from present impunitie men take occasion to presume on Gods lenitie as dissoulte scholers beare themselues bold vpon their Masters gentlenes or to despise his threatnings because they are not presently executed as birds doe a scarcrow
stead of due humiliation by the other rather mooued to thinke that God must needs loue vs because hee corrects vs though we are neuer a iot bettered thereby 5. Inward motions of Gods spirt sent to encourage and strengthen vs in good courses then returne voyd when they are not entertained and cherished with good affections and seconded with good endeuours S. Now I pray what should a man doe if by these signes he finde himselfe ouer-taken with this dangerous euill Is there any hope of his recouery M. Yes questionlesse there is hope of his recouery so long as hee hath any sense of his misery any desire to bee freed therefrom God hath appointed a menanes not vtterly to cast out from him him that is expelled In this case therefore it will be good for a man that finds himselfe thus ouer taken with all care to betake himselfe to these remedies following 1. Let him come and bemoane himselfe and his miserable case before God the Cure is in a wonderfull forwardnesse when a man can bring himselfe once to this For besides that our corruptions themselus like theeues or traytors are ready to flie vpon discouery and persuit God is exceeding readie in such a case to bee moued with compassion toward vs to be inâ—â—or troubled in our troubles and bind vp our broken hearts Only here we must be sure 1. That we dissemble not with God but vnfainedly desire the remouall of our owne hard-heartednesse 2. That we be earnest with him presse him instantly with such arguments as hee is accustomed to yeelde vnto 1. his abilitie 2. our necessitie 3. his promise and consequently his glory 2. Let him vse no other plaister but that which God hath giuen and appointed vnto vs euen the blood of his owne Sonne by which he softens and reconciles vnto himselfe all that are softned and reconciled For as Euah came out of Adams side sleeping so the Church continually proceedeth out of the heart blood of Christ dying For want of this Cain Pharaoh and other reprobats perish in the hardnesse of there hearts 3. Hee must be sure to get that hand which alone can receiue and apply this heauenly plaister Faith by which we looke on him whom we haue pierced and are at once both wounded and healed as the Israelites were cured of the stingings of those fiery serpents by looking on the brazen serpent erected by Moses This softens as well as purifies the heart 4. To this end it wil be needful to make vse of those instruments by which God vsually works faith in our heats those are specially the Word and SacrameÌ„ts the one being that fire by which our hearts are melted new fashioned the other a singular meanes to knit vs nearer vnto Christ from whose fulnesse wee all receiue grace for grace 5. Hereunto if he adde the due obseruation of Gods iudgements both vpon himselfe and others make a holy vse thereof hee shall find a great helpe thereby both to the opening of his eares and to the softning of his heart 6. After all these he must waite for Gods spirit to make all other meanes effectuall without which the two-edged sword of the Word and what euer els may be added for the strengthing therof may proue but as ScaÌ„derbegs sword which was able to do little or nothing with out Scanderbegs arme S. Well suppose I find by these meanes that in some measure God hoth begun to soften mine heart What am I then to doe M. You haue then great cause to be thankeful to God who hath therein giuen you a sure pledge of his loue and an assurance infallible that hee wil neuer forsak you but euer look vpon you with an eye of tender coÌ„passion to bind vp and heale all your wounds to deliuer you froÌ„ all dangers to guide you in all your wayes to abide and dwell in you as in his Temple for euer S. But may I securely rest in this and neuer feare any danger of back-sliding M. By no meanes since 1. we are neuer in greater danger then when we are thus secure as we may see in Dauid and Peter 2. It will be a more difficult thing to recouer out of this danger then to preuent it as appeares by those that being giuen ouer to any sin hardly are brought to reforme it 3. We may prouoke God to inflict on vs that other kind of hardnes of heart called Iudiciary or Penall by which men are vsually sealed vp vnto condemnation S. These indeed are forcible motiues to a man to looke about him and in stead of giuing way to securitie to furnish himselfe with the best preseruatiues against sins dangers But before I come to enquire thereof I would faine know the vtmost of the danger and therefore I pray you tell mee what you meane by that last kinde of hardnesse of heart which you call Iudiciary or penall M. This is when God as a iust angry iudge takes vengeance on mans wilfull rebellion by giuing ouer his heart which was hard by nature farther hardned by voluntary abuse of the meanes of grace to be hardned yet in an higher degree by Satan and his owne corruption there by sealed vp vnto eternall condemnation In this case the soule of a man being wholy infected poysoned and the spirit altogether quenched neither light of nature nor motions of grace priuate councell nor publicke admonitions mercie nor iudgement is euer likely to stay that violence of his sinfull courses wherein he runs on without all scruple or remorse till either God strike him with some exemplary plagues as he did Pharaoh or hee plunge himselfe into the gulfe of despaire with Iudas or death steale on him without repentance as on that rich man Luke 16. S. What sort of men doth this kinde of hardnesse befall M. Only reprobates whom God suffers to lie in wickednesse whereas all the elect being giuen by God vnto Christ and by Christ commended againe vnto his Father are secured from this great euill and in good time endued with that sanctifying spirit by vertue where of they keep themselues so that the wicked one toucheth them not S. But if this befall reprobates onely how doth the Church complaine O Lord why hast thou hardned our hearts from thy feare M. This is not to be vnderstood of all hardnesse of heart for wee haue shewed before that there is a kind of hardnes of heart natural common to al by nature without exception and there is a voluntary or actuall hardnes incident euen to the elect and that in full measure for the present extent before their conuersion and after too in part though then ioyned with some reluctance and of this the Church complaines and desires that God would not leaue her therein for God hath a hand in the ordering of this therby many times chastiseth the neglects and errors of his children But it
is that total finall hardnesse which to naturall voluntary rebellion hath ioyned an vniuersall giuing ouer of God which is more properly termed Iudiciary or Penall that befals only the reprobate A thing hardly to be discerned for the present in as much as that other voluntary hardnesse incident to the elect especially before their conuersiō comes very neare it for the present yet in part to be guessed at by these properties accompanying it 1. Obstinate disobedience against the knowne warnings of God not in one but many things that constantly 2. Sensles securitie without all manner of relenting by promises or threatnings benefits or corrections 3. Waxing worse and worse more careles to please God more desperate in offending him after all meanes vsed either in mercy or iudgement continually S. Why but wee see few or none thus hardned euen the most obstinate that euer were haue discouer'd some relenting Cain hangs downe his head Esau weepes Pharaoh yeelds Balaam desires to die the death of the righteus Ahab puts on sackeloth Iudas repents Felix trembles and Simon Magus desires to be prayed for M. 1. All reprobates doe not fall into this kinde of hardnes of heart but onely such as haue abused the meanes of grace and stubbornly resisted Gods working by them 2. All that are hardned come not to this height some stay in lower degres yet sufficient to seale thē vp to cōdemnation 3. Those that doe come to this doe it not suddenly but by degrees 4. Those that are alreadie come thereunto may yet perhaps haue now and then some flashes pangs fits of better motions like the sweating of a stone in moyst weather which yet retaines its naturall hardnesse and drinesse But 1. these proceeed not from any true tendernesse of heart as fruits of Christs spirit but only from some passion touch of consceience slauish feare or present feeling of Gods iudgements no argument of grace but rather a taste of hell 2. Being once ouer they leaue no impression but they that had them returne presently like a stone to their naturall drinesse God iustly giuing them ouer thereunto 1. That they who will not bee guided by his gracious Spirit holy Word may bee sway'd by the tyrannical gouernment of Satan and their own corrupt natures as Saul by his wicked spirit Rehoboam by his young Councellors and after by Shishag 2. That they may bee plagued in thath very thing wherein they went a bout to anger him a singular means to meet with mens vnthākfulnes and to discouer their folly madnesse in resisting God S. But God neuer giues ouer the elect in this manner so that if a man be once assured of his election hee may rest himselfe secure and neuer feare this dangerous down-fall M. It is true indeed the elect are freed from possibilitie of falling thus farre yet they that take themselues to be assured of their election were not best set vp their rest in such a resolution For 1. This feare care is a special means appointed by God to keepe vs from this danger into which the best might easily fall had they no better a keeper then themselues as we may guesse by their often looking and readines to goe the same way with wicked men That any man sits not downe in the scorners chaire he is to ascribe it to the free grace of God who with-holds him according to his good purpose Now God accomplisheth his good purposes toward his children by working in thē desires care endeuours answerable thereunto Hence are those admonitions Rom. 11.20 2. Cor. 7.1 Eph. 4.30 Phil. 2.12 3.13 2. Tim 2.19 1. Pet. 1.17 And to this end God sets before vs the examples of reprobats as Magistrates hang vp malefactors in chaines and parents tell their children of executions yea makes vs in some degrees see feele the terrors of hell for the preuenting of those dangers whereinto the wantonnesse of our flesh might otherwise carry vs. 2. For want hereof God may giue ouer his children so farre that they may see but little oddes betweene themselues and the veriest reprobates seeming to themselues vtterly destitute of all spirituall life as if rhey had neuer tasted of the grace of God nor felt the quickning power of his spirit And in this case they may endure many a bitter pang many a perplexed thought euen to the renting of the heart and breaking of the bones as it were before they can come backe to the state wherin they were at first Who would buy the sweetest pleasures of sin at such a rate Who would not rather keepe himselfe sound whole then cast himselfe into a dangerous disease in hope of recouery though he were neuer so sure of it 3. Such desperate resolutions are hardly to bee found in Gods children It is the Deuils Logicke that makes such gracelesse inferences Let vs cōtinue in sin that grace may abound and Soule take thine ease for thou hast much good layd vp for many yeares Gods spirit rather concludes in the hearts of the regenerate Hauing such precious promises let vs finish our sanctification in the feare of God c as in the fore-mentioned admonitions So that howsoeuer a man hath formerly bin perswaded that hee is one of Gods elect by some sense and experience of Gods renuing grace yet if hee find his heart now giuing way vnto or entertaning such presumptuous conclusions he may wel feare that all his former perswasions were but delusions that the spirit of God neuer ruled in his hart but rather that Prince of darknesse that rules in the children of disobediēce They that are farthest from this danger are most afraid to aduenture on the wayes that lead vnto it And such as feare it least are either already ouerwhelmed with it or most likely to fall into it S. Alas then is my case desperate that am already quite ouer whelmed with this hardnes of heart a plaine signe of a reprobate reicted by God and to be damned for euer M. Soft and faire you are a little too rash hasty in concluding this against your selfe 1. You may mistake in conceiuing your selfe to be farther hardned then indeed you are and so proue guiltie of false witnesse bearing in the highest degree 2. Suppose you be so farre hardned as may bee for present actuall hardnes totally yet are you not certaine that this hardnesse shall bee finall which alone is the marke of a reprobae This is a thing that you cannot know except you could looke into Gods decree of reprobation or had some extraordinary reuelation from him S. Why doe you thinke a man may not iudge of his own or anothers finall estate by this Iudiciary or penal obduration or hardning how then is mans condemnation said to be sealed vp thereby M. It is sealed vp in Gods counsell as mens saluation is in his decree of election 2. Tim. 2.19 but not manifested to vs more then
other future things the knowledge whereof God makes an argument to proue himselfe Iehouah Nay of all future things God sees speciall reason to keepe this from vs. 1. least the knowledge of it should bee a barre to that mutuall societie which hee sees sit to be betweene good and bad in the world 2. that the mouthes of wicked men which otherwise would be more opened then they are against the decree of reprobation might be stopped while they are left without excuse in the neglect of those meanes of grace which during their abode in this life are offred vnto them Whence it is that we find this euer proposed as a thing whereof we are ignorant Who hath knowne the minde of the Lord or beene his Counsellor Who knows if he will repent it may be he will be mercifull vnto the remnant of Ioseph Who art thou that condemnest another mans seruant And the whole time of this life is called The day wherein a man may worke The day of grace the time of Gods mercifull visitation and death onely and the time following after The night wherein no man can worke when the Sunne of righteousnes sets shines no more to men for their conuersion the doore of grace is shut so that as many as are not then alreadie entred are thenceforth for euer excluded and their final doome pronounc'd neuer to be reuersed So that as long as life lastes wee are still to hope for and to endeuour the conuersion of the most desperate praying and waiting if at any time God will giue them repentance And â—f for others certainely much more for our selues S. Alas What comfort can one haue to hope for any good of himselfe that is thus dead and sensles altogether ouer-whelm'd with hardnesse of heart as I am M. Are you more dead then the dust of the earth yet out of that did god form Ada breath into his face the bread of life and he can euen of stones raise vp children vnto Abraham are not all things possible to him and is not his promise that will prore water vpon the thirstie and flouds on the dry ground And what I bray you were all the generation of the iust before their conuersion were they not all as hard-hearted as you imagine your selfe to be See Ezechiel 36.25.26 Isaias 1.10 Ieremy 3. and 4. Chapters Zacary 13.1 Luke 15.11.31 1. Corinthians 6.9.10 Ephesians 2.1.2 T it 〈…〉 .3 And to what end thi 〈…〉 you are these examples Regarded but that Christ might shew his long suffring 〈…〉 m to the ensample and encouragement of all those that in time to come should beleeue in him to euerlasting life S. It is some encouragement indeed to see others 〈◊〉 haue recouered out of those dangers wherein one finds himselfe to be But in the meane time this danger is such as many haue perished in so that I am in great hazard st 〈…〉 ing at length into euerlasting distruction so long as I am in this case and not certaine that I shall recouer out of it M. Your hazard were great indeed if this were your case though euen heerein you might with some hope vse the meanes for your recouery But I haue some better comfort for you then this and that is that you may be deceiued in iudging your selfe thus for the present quite ouer whelmed with hardnesse of heart S. Doe you thinke it possible it should be otherwise with me M. Nay I haue very great reason to perswade me that it is otherwise and your present perswasion is a great mistake and grosse delusion S. Oh how happy were I if you could vpon good ground so perswade me I feare this is too good to bee true but I pray what induceth you to conceiue so M. Truely I haue very many strong inducements which perhaps when you shall heare may be a meanes of perswading you too 1. How doe you thinke it should come to passe that you are so sensible of your owne hardnes of heart as you seeme to be A senselesse stone doth not feele its owne hardnesse neither doth he that is soundly asleepe perceiue that hee sleepeth Sense surely is a signe of life and of life in action life in this kind spirituall life is neuer ioyned with totall hardnes That tendernes of heart which you complaine you want what is it but a disposition of the heart apt to perceiue and doe that which tends to ones spirituall good Now it is the light of Gods spirit that discouers to a man his owne darkenesse and conuinceth him of his owne deadnesse this must needs argue at least the beginning of the life of grace which certainly wil not faile of due perfection in the end this very feeling of spirituall wants which is the first act of spirituall life being a great furtherance to the supply of theÌ„ in as much it is vsually accoÌ„panied with care to seeke to which is annexed by Christs promise grace to finde 2. Whence is this complaining of yours doth a hard heart complaine of its owne hardnes or doth nature teach a man to complaine of his naturall corruption Naturall men may feele and complaine of outward temporall calamities but it is only the work of Gods spirit in those that are renued and softned to complaine of spirituall iudgements with Ephraim to lament former sinnes and with sorrow to remember their owne wicked waies while they look on him whom they haue pierced Thousands are in that state that you imagine your selfe to be in and neuer complaine but goe on the broad way with pleasure contentment And surely this very complaining of your hardnes is an argument sufficient that your are not wilfully hardned The childe that cryes to his Mother I fall shewes his danger not his determinination as the Disciples crying to their Master We perish discouer their feare not their porpose and the Church confessing that Shee sleepes her infirmitie not her resolution And here you haue S. Paul ioyning with you in the same complaint being as it seemes in the same case that you are Rom. 7.15 to the end 3. What meanes your strugling praying vsing all meanes against this hardnes of yours to subdue it and to bee freed from it Are not these euidences sufficient that you doe not yeeld to it consequently are not wholy ouer-whelmed with it Yes certainly for it is onely the spirit that lusteth against the flesh and it can bee no other then some taste of the grace of God that makes you so earnestly long after it Christ must first put his hand to the hole of the dore before the Spouses heart is affectioned toward him And God neuer failes both to cherish these desires and in the end to satisfie them yea to giue vs euen aboue beyond our desires So that if you can but prooue your desires sound and sincere you need not feare all
is safe For Firist When God hath a purpose to giue any thing he giues vs a desire to aske he first prepares our hearts and then bends his eare vnto vs and asking thus according to his will how can hee but heare vs Secondly Christs intercession in heauen the requests of his spirit in our hearts euer goe together and therefore cannot possibly faile of speeding All this I trow is sufficient to put a difference betweene your state and the condition of them that are wholy hardned First You being sensible of your owne estate they altogether sensles Secondly You complaining thereof they rather boasting therein making a mocke and a pastime of sinne Thirdly You praying vsing all meanes to bee freed from your present hardnes they desiring stil to rest sleep therin securely and impatient of any thing that might awaken thē S. But for all my feeling complaining striuing I can finde nothing in my selfe but hardnesse of heart no manner of tendernesse at all and therefore surely you are deceiued in your charitable coniecture M. Feeling complaining striuing and yet no tendernes all hard still This is very strange Why this very striuing complaining feeling is tendernes it selfe or the effect of it Neither is it possible to complaine or pray against infidelitie but by faith against hardnes of heart but by the mollifying spirit of God And grace many times is hardly discerned in the beginning or non-age thereof but by such effects as these S. I but what can you say to this that I cannot at all relish the Word of God haue no heart to priuate Conference meditation prayer or any exercise of Religion but altogether loath and distast them Is it possible thinke you that these things should stand with any tendernes of heart or any sanctified affection M. This were a hard case indeed if it proceeded from a mans habituall disposition not from some extraordinary distemper But considering how far a man may be swayed by occasion of some outward cause and how farre he may be deluded in discerning his owne estate it is not alway safe for one to iudge of himselfe by his present sense and feeling but especially in these three Cases 1. In the time of his first conuersion when grace is as seed newly cast into the earth and a Christian like an Infant for want of exercise and experience it may bee scarse knowing what he hath Then as the land newly sowen little differs from other ground in shew so a Christian seemes little different from other men or as childrens complaints are not euer to be taken for Rules so the complainings of such a one doe not infallibly euince the want which he complaineth of 2. After the committing of some grosse sin or neglect of the meanes of grace lying therein without remorse for a time Then a Christian is as on in a swoune or fast asleepe if his life be in him it scarse appeares at least he perceiues it not himselfe the spirit though not extinguished yet intermitting his worke for a time 3. In some vehement perturbation of the mind either by tentation or melancholy which many times is seconded by tentation too whereby Satan labours to blinde the eyes of a Christian that he may not see and take comfort in his owne happines Then as in Warre the noise of a Cannon stupifies the bodily senses so while Satan is continually buzzing in a mans eares his violent and importunate tentations he is not able to hearken to the gracious promises of God or any thing that might sound to his comfort Nay as it fals out sometimes in naturall melancholy that men haue strange imaginations as to thinke themselues dead to haue no heads c. So and much more then so are men deluded when Satan seconds their melancholy conceits with strong delusions which may well take the deeper impression by how much the things conceiued are lesse subiect vnto and consequently hardlier confuted by sense In such cases as these a man may haue grace and yet not discerne it may perswade himselfe and peremptorily stand to it that he hath none at all S. Yea what say you then to that of the Apostle If our heart condemne vs GOD is greater then our heart M. It is true indeede when the conscience rightly informed doth checke accuse condemne there is no hope of auoyding the sentence of God by any close carriage by which we might thinke to shift and hide our selues and our actions from his eyes Yet this hinders not but that sometimes the conscience may condemne where God doth not For though it alway iudge for God and on his side yet it doth not alway iudge with God and according to his direction but sometimes it may be with Iobs friends it makes a lie for God not purposely indeede but through mis-information or preiudice while it lookes on the wrost that appeares as the qualitie of a sinnefull action past or present indisposition of the heart not on the best which is in part concealed the sincere disposition of the heart generally which how weake soeuer might bee supported with that gracious promise of Christ Not to breake the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flax S. Yet by all this you cannot perswade me that I haue any thing in mee but deadnesse and hardnesse of heart since I feele the effects thereof continually in the dying of all good affections in me and the corrupting of all good duties that proceed from me M. It is euen time then to fall from comforting to chiding of you What Must you needs haue such perfection of holines as God affords not to his Church militant or els will you be vnthankefull and impatient Why you must know that our sanctification here is but begun the accomplishment of it is reserued to the state of glory If we here haue any perfectiō it consists in the imptation of Christs righteousnes God gracious acceptāce of our imperfect obedience in cōparison of others or at most in the perfection of parts and sinceritie of our endeuours It is indeed a commendable care that no iniquitie raigne in vs but intolerable pride to thinke strange that any remaines in vs. What madnes were it to burne the corne because some weeds grow amongst it for an vlcer in the skin to thrust a lancer into the heart in punishing the guiltie mother to destroy the innocent babe in her wombe And is it not as bad falling out with the flesh to wrecke your anger on the spirit through hatred of corrupt nature to offer violence to the new creater in a word to giue oueral take no comfort in any thing because all is not as you would haue it What if God be pleased by this present indisposition to labour the cure of some more dangerous disease in you will you quarrel with your Phisician You may remember perhaps there was a time when you had a vaine conceit of free-will naturall