The plagt1e of Fiard•l)eartednefs. 107 §. 9 . See whlt a Pid:ure of a l>ardned people God giveth to Ezekiel 3· 7• BRt t~e ~ou[e of Ifrael wiUnot bearkpl tothee,; f/Jr they wiU nol heark_tn to me: for aU _Ibe haufe of Ifrael are :.mpude1!t and bard heamd. Obftrvc but what a cafe it is that they are fo •nftn}ible of, and then you will •fee ,, hat a bard biarted jiltntr, paft f!eling: is. . . . /r.lThcy are the fervanrs of hn, lcom. 6. t6. m the power of It; corrupted by It; and yet r1ey feel it not. . •· Th<y have the guilt of many thoufand fins upon them, all IS unpardoncd that ever they com· mitted, and yet they feel it not. . . . . 3 •They have the thrcatnings and_curfes o~ God m force agamR. th~m m h1s ~or~; even wprd~ fo terrible, as you would think might affnght them out of theu. fins qr thCir wtts; and they rake on them to believe this Word of God ; and yet they feel not. . • . 4 l They arc in the power of the Devtl; ruled and dewved by htm, and taken capuve by htm at his will AIJJ 26. t8. 2 Tim. 2· 26. S· The/ may be certain rh~t if they dye in this condition they !hall be damned, and they are uncertain whether they Chall hve another day: they are never fure to be one hour longex out ofHell : a!ld yet tb£y ful not. · 6· They know that they mull dye, and that it is a great change, a.nd.of the greatell endle!S, Feri<mi~ii confequence, t~at death wi_ll make ~ith them, and they knoW that thiS IS {ure andnear, and are re~;::t~1~1~n pall doubt of H , and yet they [tel rt 1zot. czci auum an videntes ; id in vcftr~ m:mu en. · Opt<tre igitur bene mori ( quod ipfum nifi bene vi:<eritis frufi~:t efi.) Opt~te _, inquam, initimini, &quod in , 0 bis d} f:lci!e: reliquum ii:i CCI!'IOittltt; qui vos in h_ane vitam ultro mm vocatos mtullt ; egrcffuns, non nili. voc:uus & rogatus m:mmn dabit. Nonrnuri aucem nuh,tcopure. Pttrarcb. D1al, 107. /. z.. 7 • Th<y mull Chortly appear before theLord, and be judged for all that they have done in·the bo· dy, and bedoomed to their endlcfs 1\ate; and yet they fell not. . 8. They know that life is Chart, and that .they have but a little time to prepare for all this teuible: change, and that it mufi go with them for ever, as they 110w prepare; and yet they fal not. ,r 9· They hear and read of the cafe of hardned wicked men, that have go~e before them , and have refificd grace, and lofi their time, as they now do : and they read or hear of the miferablc end that fuch have come to: and yet they feel not. 10. They have a world of examples continually before them : They fee the filthy lives of many for their warning, and the holy lives ofothers for their imitation, and fee how Chrifi and Satan fhive for fouls ; and yet they feel 11ot. · • I 1 • They are alwayes before the eye ofGod, and do all this before his face: He warneth them, and callcth them to rcpenrance: and yet they feel not. • 12 • They have Chrill as ir were crucified before their eye<, Gal. 3· 1· They hear of his fufferings : Tbty may fee in him what fin is, and what the Love of God is : He pleadeth.with them his blood and futferh1gs againll their obfiinate unkindnefs; aud yet they feel not. I 3· They have tverlafiing joy and glory. offered them, and Heaven fo opened to them in Gods promifes, that they may fee it as in a glafs: 1"Crtr. 13· 12· They take on them to believe, how mach the bldled Spirits there abhorr fuch wick,dnefs as theirS : a~d yet they ful not. '4·Thcy have theTorments of Hell oj><ned to them i"n the Word of God: They read what ifn· penitent fo~ls mutl fuffer to all ete~}ty_,: ~They h~a~ feme in d~fpair in this life_roarin~ in the mi– f<ry of thm fouls: They he.ar the 10}'1~l tbanksgwtngs of behevers, that Chnl\ dehvereth rhein from thofc torments; and yet tkey feel not. · ... IS· All the promifcs ofSalvation in the Gofpcl, do put in an exception again!\ thefe men, unlefs they be conv£rtcd: Theyt~re made to the pwitmt, and not to the impenitent: There is Jufii~cation and life; but not for them. 1here i1 no condemnation to them th#t are in Chri{l JifuJ, tbat wall(_ .not after tbe flcp,, but after the Spirit: Rom. 8. I • But IJC that btlicvetb not, is condemned already: ]ohn 3· 18, 36. and tl)ey that after their hardmfi and imputitwt hearts, do treafore up wratb againft tbe day cf wrath, Chall have tribulation and anguifo, Ram. 2· 5, 6, 7· Here is cbmfoit for repenting tinners, but noue ( but on condition they Repent ) for them : when others are welcomed to Chrifis marriage fcafi, he faith to thefe [ How came yon hz hither.? J and yet thry fee/not. 16. They ftill carry about with them the-doleful <videnccs of all this mifery: One would think the ambitious, and covetous,_and voluptuous might fee thcJe death~markJ on thunfelves; and the ·ungodly might jrel that God bath not their hearts; efp-rcially they that lwe the god'·, and !hew their wolvifh cruelty againfi them, and are the progeny of Cain; and yet they feel no my of this, but live as quietly, and talk as plcafantty, as if all were well with them, and their fouls were {af'e, an~ their calling an.d elcd-:on were made furc. Alas, if thefe fouls were not bardned in fin, we ihould fee it in their tears, or hear ir" in their complaifits; they would after Sermon fortletime come to the Minillcr, as thq· At11 2· 37· 6.... JltfJ 16. 30. Sirs) rrhat mwjl wedl) to be fa7Jcd? or we fhm1ld. fee it in their lives, or hear of it by report of others, who would obfcrve the change that grace bath i:nadc; and Sermonswould flick longer by them, and not at befi be turned off \virh a fruitlefs com– mendation; and f-aying, it was a gOod Sermon, and there is an end of it. Judge now by this true deftription which I have given tou, what a b.rtfnrd fin»er ;,. And then the godly may fo fee E e cauf~
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=