He/pes againft Hardnefs of Heart. unexcufable a thing, is a fcnflefs, cueters, negligent ~cart, whe~ God loc~_keth on .us, and Heav.erl: or Ht J1 is a littk' bttOre us? Yea, when ~e are fo heaVIly bden w~rh our hns, and cornpJ~ed.about with fo many rnemils, and in the midll of fuch great an~ mauifold dangers~ to be yet {enflrfi under all is ( fo far ) to be diad. Will nor the wounds of hn, and \he thrcauungs of theLaw, and th~ ac;u( 1 tions of ,onfcicnce make you fed l He that cannot tf.>el the prick ol aPin, will ·feel the Hab · of a 0Jgger, if he be alive. . . 9· 4 : Dirdl. 3· Renumber how near thetime is wben ftupidisy and [enjlcji negldl ofGod wiO be ba- ':Dire[/. 3·· nijhcdfrom all the world l and who~t certain and powtrful mean I are befo~t y:u at dtath and judgement, l.eru:' gr.um· to arvalzw and pitrce tbt h.~rdejl beart. There are but few that ~re qu1te mfenfiblc: at Dtat.h: There :~:J_ v~~~thm . arc:: nom pail: fcdi.ng afrer death, in Heaven or Hell. No ma~ w1ll ftand before. rhe Lor~ m th~ day ~~~~~~;i~1~ra ( ·of Judgement, wnh a fleepy or a fenfltJs heart. God wtll recover your feelmg by m1fery, 1fyou ~ardita.temq; will J1 1 fc: it by fin, and not rccov\.r it by grace; He can make you now a terror to your felvcs, rupf'l~ci(gra· · Jcr. 20 , 4 • He: ~an mak~ conf(:i'ence fay fuch thing<; in fccret to you, ~s y~u 01all. not be able to forgt:t '~n:tf~ com~. 01 1light. But 1f confc1cnct: awake you not, the approach of Death Jts likely Will awake }'OU; wherl'l?rnfa.. VafiH· l'()U lt.·c that God is ~ow in earne~ with you, a11d that dye you J?lufl, and there is no remedy? will ';i:!,y/:. yf u r:ot be£in to thn~k now whtther mufl I go? and_w~at w1ll beco_me of me for ever·? \V1ll you '· z. tht.n harden your ~cart 3gainfl God and his warnings? If you. do, the tirfi rn~mem of your emranee upon Eternity, w·1n cure your fiupidity for ever. lt would gnLVC a hea.rt that ts ~lOt Hone; to think what a fielit~g Hony heartcd ~nntrs wil~ fhonly have: When God w1ll purpo{cly rn;.ke th_ern fe~J, wirh his wrathful Jlr~arns of hrc a11d bnmfiont? When Satan that now hmdereth your fttlmg, will do his worll to make you feel; and Confcicnce, the never 8ying Worm, will gnJW }'Our hearcs, and make thlm fctl without eafe or hope of remedy. Think what a wakening day is ccming. . .§. 5· Dire cr. 4· 7Mnk.. often of tbt !Pve of G,J in Cbrift, and of tht blooJy [ufftringr of thy Re· Dire[/. 4: Jermrr.; for it bath a mighty power to melt the hearr. It Love, and the Love of God, and fo great and wonderfUl a Love, will not foften thy hardncd heart, what will? §. 6. Direct. 5· Labour for a fuU apprehenjion of tbe tvil and danger of" a H<rdned hwt. It is Dire[; 6. the Deatb of the foul, fo hr as it prevaileth: At t~c eafiefi it is like the fiupidity of a panlytical member, or a feared p:art: Obftrvc the names which ~cripturc: giveth ir. The Hardning of tbe luart, Pr.v. 28. 14· Thchordning ol the neck., Prov. 29· IO. which lignilicth lnflixibility : 1he hard· ning the fact, which fignitieth impudency, Prov. 2 I· 29· The fi.;.redntfs of the Cunfciencr, 1 1'im.4.2, Tht Impenitency of the beart : Rom. 2. S· Sometime it is called, {ottijhneji or jlupidiry: Jer. 4· 22. Sometime. it is called a not c.zring, or not laying things to heart ; and not rrgardi·ifg: lil. 42. 2 5· & 5· 12. & 3.2· 9, 10, 1•· Sometime it is denommatcd metaphorically from inanirnates, A 1ace. harder than a roe~: Jrr. S•3• Stony hearts, E1ek. I 1·19• & 36. 26. A neck.. rrith ~m lrtJn finer~; ]fa. 48. 4• and a brow of braji. It is called Jletp, and a deep fl•mber, and a Spirit ofJlumber, Rom. •3· JI, & JI, 8. Matth. 25- 5• and Dwb it ft!f, I Tim 5· 6. Ephd: 2•.1· 5· Col.2. 13· Judc I2· 9· 7• Oblcrve alfo how dreadful acafe it is, if it be predorr.inanr, both fymptomati"OJ and cffe· lfivdy. It IS a fo~c-runncr of mifch.rf, PrtJV, 28. 14· h 1S a drcadiult1gn of one that is f<~rmore lllllikdy than others to be converted : when they are alienated from tbe life of God by their iJ!no· ranee, and arc pajl foeling, they aregiven up to worlt unclranm[t with greedinrji, Ephd. 4· •+· Ufu. ally God callerh thofe that he will fave, bttore they are pafl feeling : Though fuch are not boptleji, their hope lyeth in the recovcril1g of the feeling which thel' want : And a h.1rdncd heart, aud Iron neck, and brazen fvrehwl, i• a fadder fign of Gods difplea{ure, than if he had made the Heavens as Brafs, and the Earth as Iron to ycu, or let out the grcattfi diflrefs upon your bodies. When men have eyes and foe net, and tar1 and hear not, and hearts but undtrftand 1101, it is. a fad prognoilick that they are very unlikely to be coHvertcd and forgivtn, Mark 4· I 2· Acts 28. 27.. A h4fdned heart– ( predominantly) 1s garri(oned and fortifi,d by Satan, againH all the means [hat we can ufe tO help them : and none butthe Almighty can cafihim out and deliver them. Let Husband, or Wife, or Parents, or the dearefi friends intreat a hardned finner to be converted, and he will not hear them. Let tht: Iearncdfi,or wifcft, or holicfi man alive both preach, and befeech him, and he will nbt t1.1rn. At a diftanct he may revuence and honour a great Divine, and a learned, or a holy man, c::fpecially when they are dtRd: But let the btft man on earth be the .Minijler of the place where he liverh, and intreat him daily to repent, and he will either hare and perfecute him, or neglect arid difobq' him. What Minifier was ner fo Ieatned, 9r holy, or powerful a Preacher, that had pot fad txperience of this? When the Prophet, !fa-53· I· cryeth out, Who bath belitvtd owrep,ri? And the Apo(iles were , fain to fluke off the dull of their feet againfi: many that rejt'cted them, and were abuted, anilfcorncd; and perfccuted by thofe whofe fouls they would have faved~ay, Jcfus Chrifi himfet( .was refufed by •he moll that heard him: And no Minifier dare compaxe himfdf with Chriil. lf.our Lord and: 1 Mailcr was blafphemed, fcorned and murdered by (inners, what better lhoold hjs ablofiMiniGers <x.~. ped:? St. Augujiint found drunkt.nnds to common in..Aft:icJ?..., that he motiontd 1hata Council might be called for the lupprdlion ol .it : But'if a General Council of all the Learned Bilhops and PaHors in the world were called, they cou.d not convert one hardnrd Iinner, by all thejr Au~hority, Wit or-– diligence, without the powti of the Almighty. God. For will 1hey be converted by Mm, that are bardmd againtl God? What can we devifc to fay to them that cm reach tl~ci_r hc:a"rcs., and get within them, and do th~m good? Shall we,tcll them of the Law and Judgements of the Lord, .and of hi~ wmh againfi them I Why all thcfe things they have heard fo often till they Oecp undet it; or lauj;h at
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