PART I. in holy AjèEtions 2 Corruption of the Heart, is often exprefs'd by Grid's hardening: their Hearts.; Rom. 9. 18. Therefore bath he Mercy on whom he will have Mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. John 12. 4o. He bath blinded their Mind, and hardened their Hearts. And the Apoffle teems to (peak of an evil Heart, that departs from the living God, and a hard Heart, as the 'fame Thing, Heb. 3. 8. Harden not your Heart, as in the Provocation, &c. Verfe 12, 13. Take heed Brethren, let there be in any ofyou an evil Heart of Unbelief in departingfrom the living God ; but exhort one another daily, while it is called to Day ; left any of you be hardened through the Deceitfulnefs of Sin. And that great Work of God in Converfion, which confifis in delivering a Perfon from the Power of Sin, and mortifying Corruption, is exprefs'd, once and a- gain, by God's taking away the Heart of Stone, and an Heart of Flefh, Ezek. r1.--19. and Chap. 36. 26. Now by a hard Heart, is plainly meant an unaffeaed. Heart, or a Heart not eafy to be moved with vertuous Affections, like a Stone, infenfible, ftupid, unmoved and hard to be impreffed. Hence the hard Heart is called aliony Heart, and is oppofed to an Heart of Flefh, that has feeling, and is fenfibly touch'd and moved. We read in Scripture ofa hard Heart, and a tender Heart : And doubtlefs we are to underfland thefe, as contrary the one to the other. But what is a tender Heart, but a Heart which is eafily imprefl'ed with what ought to affect it ? God commends /ofiah, becaufe his Heart was tender ; and 'tis evident by thofe Things which are mention'd as Expreflions and Evidences of this Tendernefs of Heart, that by his Heart being tender is meant, his Heart being eafily moved with religious and pious Affection ; 2 Kings 22. 19. Becaufe thine Heart was tender, and thou haft humbled thyfelfbefore the Lord, when thou heard]? what I fpake again]? this Place, and again]? the Inhabitants thereof, that they fhould become a Defolation, and a Curfe, and hall rent thy Clothes, and hall wept before me ; I alfo have heard thee, faith the Lord. And this is one thing, wherein it is necefTary we fhould become as little Chil- dren, in order to our oaring into the Kingdom of God, even that we fhould have our Hearts tender, and eafily affè&ed and moved in -fpi- ritual and divine Things, as little Children have in other Things. 'Tis very plain in fame Places, in the Texts themfelves, that by Hardnefs of Heart is meant a Heart void of Affection. So to frgnify the Of?rich's being without natural Affection to her Young, it is laid, Job 39. 16. She hardeneth her Heart again]? her young Ones, as though they Were not hers. So a Perfon having a Heart unaffeaed in Time of Danger, is exprefs'd by his hardening his Heart, Prov. 28. 14. Happy is the Nan thatfeareth awway ; but he that hardneth his Heart (hallfall into Mifchief. Now therefore fnce it is fo plain, that by a hard Heart, in Scrip- ture, is meant a Heart deffitute of pious Affeaions, and fince allo C 4 the
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