490
OOhardnelre
of
heart.
miniflerie
of
the
word,
and
of
quenching
the
good
motions
olGods
fpirit
:
for
though
the
confcience
at
the
firíl
bee
moft
tender,and
the
heart
fo
foft,that
euery
finne will pricke 'and
pearce
it,
and euery
gentle
admonition
will
make
it relent,
yet
in
continuance
of
time
through
cuflomable finning,
and
refifting
the
meanes
of
our conuerfion
and
faluation,
the
confcience
is
fo
feared,that it becommeth
fenfeleffe,
though
it
be
oppreffed and
furcharged with
a
heauie
maffc
of
outra-
gious
wickednef e,and
the heart
groweth
to
fuch
Adaman-
tine hardneffe,
that
the thundring canon threatnings
of
the
law, and
ofGods
fearefull
and
imminent iudgements
can
-
not batter
orbruife
it,nor
make
any
breach,whereby
true
re-
pentance
may
enter. In which
refpeó
the
confcience
is
not
vnfitlie compared
to the eie, which
of
all
other
partes
of
mans
body
is
moll
tender
&
impatient
of
the.lighteft
touch,
fo
that
the
finalleft
mote
vexeth
it,
and
the
leaft
pricke cau-
feth incredible
torment
:
but
if
once it
be
affe
&ed
with
a
dif-
cafe
called
of
Ocohfis, fcirrhofis
ocusli,
which ouercouereth
it with
a
hard
fiefhie
skinne,
it
becommeth
of
all
other
parts
molt
infenfible;
fo
the confcience
of
man
is
moft tender
of
all
other
parts,
and at the
firft,
frnall finnes vexe
and
torment
i.t,but
ifthrough
cuflome
in
finning
it be
ouerfpread
with a
Callum
or thicke skinne,
it
becommeth
infenfible,
and
no-
thing
will
wound
it.
CHAP.
XXXIX.
O
hardneffe
of
heart
which
is
ioyned with
fenfe andfee
-
ling
thereof.
y§.Seci.
Z.
Of
HiardneJTt
of
heart,
iny-
seed
vvitb
fesfe
add
fee.
Lin;
thereof
He
fecon
d
fort
ofhardne%
of
heart,is
that
which
is
ioyned with
fenfe
and
fceling,when
as
wee
fee
and
with forow
feele
our
dulncife
and
blockifh-
neffe
in
Gods
feruice,
our
obdurate
inflexible
-
rleffe
to
holie obedience,our
hardneffe
of
heart, which
at the
hearing either
of
the terrible
threatnings
of
the
law,or
fweet
prornifes
ofthe
Gofpell,cannot relent nor
refolue
it
felfe
in-
to the
teares
of
vnfaincd
repentance;
and this
hardneffe
of
heart