Chap. 41. t1 upon the Bookof o B. Yerf.29. 767 foonwould the Devil, chat cunning, and curled, andcruel Dart- er and Archer , wound our fouls codeathwith his fiery darts and poyfonous arrows, if the Lord had not `given us a (hield, a breaft-plate, and anhelmet, more impenetrable than the fcalesof Leviathan Leidy, This defcription of Leviathan, carrieth in it a fir refem- blanceof a hardned fanner, of a finner refolvcd upon his evil wayes. Some (inners come at laft to fucha hardnefs, that they are likeLeviathan, nothingwill pierce them ; the fword of the Spi- rit doth not enter them. 'Thoughyou lay at them with all your might in the Minifiry of the W rd, though you raft darts, and [hootarrows of terrible threattrings againB them, they efteem them but ftraw and Rubble ; fin bath fo hardned them, that they (aswe may exprefs it) are Sermon-proof, threatning-proof, yea, judgement-proof too, as to amendment by them, though they are broken and perifhunder them. Lec God fay what he will in his Word, or do what he will in his works, they regard it not 5 they laugh at the fhaking of thefe fpears. As a man that bath ar- mour of proof, cares not for fword or fpears, fears not an arrow nor a bullet ; fo 'cis in a fpiritual fenfe with refoty- ed fanners : God having as a juff judgement for former fins, given them a fhield upon their hearts (as the word fignifieth, Lam 3.65.) which we render forrowof heart, and put in the margin obflinacy, that is, hardnefs of heart, they then account reproofs, threats, admonitions, the molt terriblewords in all the armoury of God, no more than a firaw or rotten wood. Woe to thofe Leviathans, to thofe who harden their hearts againP the Word of God, Who bath bardntd himfelf againfl the Word of the Lord, andprofpered ? And let all fuch know, that (as the A- pof+le fpeaks, 2 Cor, ro. 4.) The weapons of our warfare are not carnal (that is, weak, dull, edgelefs, pointlefs tools) but mighty through God, &c. And that, though now they prevail not to con- verfion, yet they will prevail to condemnation ; and that while they go on to fin, they are but going (as Solomon fpeaks of the young wanton, Prov.7. 22.) As an Oxgoeth to theflaughter, or as a fool to the correElion of theflocks,till a dartffrike through hra liver. God will have a dart at lafi, which (hall enter, a dart which thofe Leviathans (hall not count Bubble, nor find to be fo. The Lord proceeds to defcribt LeviathaD, and,as we may con- ceive,
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